Headroom for tall drivers 246 & 3xx | FerrariChat

Headroom for tall drivers 246 & 3xx

Discussion in '206/246' started by Hans Onthebrest, Jan 5, 2014.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Hans Onthebrest

    Hans Onthebrest Karting

    Dec 30, 2013
    67
    Sydney
    Can anyone tell me the tallest driver height that can fit into a 246 without their head touching the roof lining please ?

    Same info for 308 GT4

    Thank you people
     
  2. HMB-Dino

    HMB-Dino Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 28, 2010
    2,167
    Pebble Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    RonG
    Headroom is probably different depending on whether you're talking a 246GT or a 246GTS
     
  3. Julius H.

    Julius H. Formula Junior

    Feb 25, 2013
    713
    Europe
    Full Name:
    Julius
    people up to 190 cm dont have problem in GT/GTS.

    Not sure in 308..
     
  4. dignini

    dignini Formula 3

    Aug 21, 2005
    1,348
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Luigi Marazzi
    long legs short body or, short legs long body?
    If evenly spread my vote is 6'2" I am 5.9 and have a little room to spare. (as I was typing I saw Julius's post. 1.90m...which is 6'3", so that's my final answer)

    Who is the tallest in the fchat group?

    I believe in developed nations, i.e. those that have more than 1 fast food outlet per 1000 people, the question should be, how wide can you be and, still fit in a dino. :)
     
  5. antmaggio

    antmaggio Karting

    Aug 19, 2009
    90
    canada
    Full Name:
    Anthony Maggio
    Im 6'2" and i put the seat all the way back( no top in the car) and im
    Perfect.
     
  6. Chairs and Flares

    Nov 15, 2011
    41
    Missouri
    Full Name:
    Michael
    I'm 6'2" and fit with or without top. If top is stored behind seats, the seat does not go all the way back, but isn't a big problem. Hope this helps.
     
  7. Hans Onthebrest

    Hans Onthebrest Karting

    Dec 30, 2013
    67
    Sydney
    thanks people

    I am 6'-4" / 194 cm tall

    so i should factor in to the purchase price the medical costs for taking 2" off my upper body ?

    i have seen a helmet dome on GT40 roof but never on a dino
     
  8. HMB-Dino

    HMB-Dino Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 28, 2010
    2,167
    Pebble Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    RonG
    Consider the other options;
    - 2" off your feet
    - 2" off somewhere in between...your choice of the area you can do without

    I've seen people drive the GTS, with roof panel off, where their head is higher than the top of the windshield...looked a little funny, but it worked for them!
     
  9. snowric

    snowric Karting

    Apr 15, 2009
    90
    UK
    Full Name:
    Richard Snow
    I am 6'1" with short legs and long body and fit fine. I have put an extender on my steering column. The driver's seat in my car also has been designed to sag deeper giving me more headrooom. My longest journey stopping only for fuel and the Channel Tunnel, so far, was from La Rochelle in France to London (c 500m). A long day but very comfortable.

    R
     
  10. 2GT

    2GT Formula 3

    Aug 25, 2008
    1,830
    Western NY
    Full Name:
    Fred
    I have more headroom in my Dino coupes than in a 512 BB. The domed effect of the coupe's roof provides plenty of headroom for most people, I would think. Fred
     
  11. ghenne

    ghenne Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 8, 2004
    432
    Toronto, Canada
    I'm 6 feet. I have room to sit in the car with a helmet on - it just grazes the roof.
     
  12. Hans Onthebrest

    Hans Onthebrest Karting

    Dec 30, 2013
    67
    Sydney
    i think i would need to have a seat made with lower cushion height

    6' - 4" just a bit tight ?
     
  13. Rich S

    Rich S Formula Junior

    Nov 30, 2013
    501
    Monterey, California
    Full Name:
    Rich Saylor
    I now have an '86 328 GTS, and I'm 6'4" tall, more in my trunk than legs. I find the original seats uncomfortable and in the normal full-back position my head sticks out over the roof panel by some 1 1/2", not to mention not having anywhere near enough legroom. Before buying the car I did some careful measuring and decided that new seats were the answer. So I had the driver's seat removed and found that sitting in the car without any seat at all there was more than enough room, both leg and head. And, by making new seats that had the rear portion of the bottom sitting on the floorpan, I could still have seat padding to make for a comfortable fit.

    At this point I've constructed the new seat bottoms, and am working on the seat backs, but so far the new seats (that use the original mounting and slide rails) have taken me from having my head stick out above the targa roof line (while sitting in the original seats) by about 1 1/2", to now having about 1 1/4" of clear space when seated in the car with the targa roof on. That includes foam seat padding, of course. As for the fairly narrow original seats, the real problem is the too-deep contour and incredibly stiff foam padding- very uncomfortable, for me anyway. As posted above, I'm now (at my age) 6'-4" tall, with my height being in my torso more than in my legs. So- by making the seat contour shallower, and changing the padding to something considerably less stiff I find the new seats much more acceptable than the original ones. The real secret on gaining headroom (and legroom) isn't only making the seat frame lower, but setting the new seats much farther back, using all the space formerly reserved for the targa roof panel behind the seats. This means using a fairly unusual method of attaching the seat bottom and seat back to go around the small shelf at the bottom of the rear bulkhead, but I do have a solution. Anyway it can be done and I'm doing it!

    So far I've built 3 differently designed prototype seats, and the last one seems to work, though it isn't finished yet. Materials used are sheet metal, hardwood plywood and solid wood to make shaped contours. The seat rake angle will be fixed, more or less matching the angle of the rear bulkhead, which seems to be very comfortable for driving. Lumbar support and a fixed, padded headrest will be included.

    Since I'm retaining the original seat slides, if need be the seat can be moved forward so that the targa panel can still be placed behind the seats, which will reduce headroom a bit but not as much as with the original seats. And of course since the targa panel will be off the roof headroom isn't particularly important anyway.

    As for final upholstery it'll be done to match the rest of the interior, and in a pattern similar to the original seats, in good quality leather.

    I trust that this may pique your curiosity; I'll update this as work progresses. So, if there any taller drivers out there, especially ones who'd like a 328 that they can drive comfortably (or else already have one!) I'm making patterns of my new seats, and taking photos.

    BTW I note that the earlier 308 has a center-console mounted handbrake, somewhat less in the way than the strangely-placed 328 version next to the door. This may or may not mean that the seat is a bit different than in the 328, but not having a 308 to compare seats with I don't know. Also I've read that the floor pan is a bit lower in the 308, resulting in slightly more headroom, but again I really don't know.

    Overall I thought Porsche's targa roof idea was good, but the funny handbrake as used on the 914 wasn't. Oh well.

    Comments on these points (regarding the 308 differences) are welcome of course.

    Cheers, all- Rich
     
  14. mkeith

    mkeith Rookie

    Mar 15, 2009
    46
    Houston, TX
    Full Name:
    Michael Keith
    I'm 6'2" & have driven both a 246 GTS & a 308 GT4. I'm comfortable in both cars. The 308 GT4 I've driven does not have a sunroof. I don't recall if a sunroof could be had in the GT4. I have more issues with leg room than head room.
     
  15. Bradley

    Bradley F1 Rookie

    Nov 23, 2006
    2,831
    Lakewood, Colorado
    Full Name:
    Bradley
    My father is 6'3" and his body exhibits a serious Yogi Bear effect, i.e., longer torso with comparatively shorter legs. He has driven my 308 perfectly comfortably.

    (He does not, however, suffer from the affliction that is more common in America, McButtocks Syndrome.) :D
     
  16. SCousineau

    SCousineau Guest

    Jul 17, 2004
    3,652
    Full Name:
    S Cousineau
    I am 6'4" and can just barely fit in the 308 Dinos that I have had the opportunity to test. The 308 Dino is much easier for a taller driver to fit into the the 308 GTBs & GTS. I find it quite challenging to get in and out of the later.
     
  17. Hans Onthebrest

    Hans Onthebrest Karting

    Dec 30, 2013
    67
    Sydney
    thankyou for all those great replies

    awesome
     

Share This Page