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Author
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Topic: More Head Room & Leg Room..
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Big D
Gearhead Posts: 3286
From: WELLS, NEVADA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-02-2002 11:12 AM
   
Has anyone ever tackled the job of cutting the floor pans out and lowering them to get an extra 2" of head room and leg room..As per the article in MustangPlus,, linked below.. http://www.mustangsplus.com/tech/seat/index.html This is going to be my next project if it is as simple as it looks..  For someone over 6' another 2" of headroom would be reaaaaaaall nice..
------------------
Don
'66 Fastback
302 with 5 speed
Royal Blue Metallic w/Ghost Flameshttps://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/BigD.html
We Will Never Forget
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-02-2002 11:35 AM
Way too complicated. I've said this a dozen times, but don't worry - I don't get tired of it 
Just move the seat hump back. You automatically gain the extra head room because you're more horizontal.
I'm 6 feet one and a half inches, and I moved my seat hump back about 3 inches. More than enough leg room now. This is in a '68.
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mustang68mustangs
Gearhead Posts: 239
From: pittsburgh,pa.usa
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 11-02-2002 05:56 PM
I think that is what he meant Fastback 68.I posted about this sometime last month on here and got quite a few ideas.Maybe you can search a little for it.
Bob
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Fastymz
Moderator Posts: 9095
From: Reno Nv USA MEM#1240
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 11-02-2002 06:09 PM
Don being all of 5'10" I dont worry about head and leg room.
My dad fit's in my car ok.He's 6'4" and 280lb's.
Thats dose look like alot of work for a few more inches.  SCOOP ------------------
I'm oddly obsessed with big scoops on little Mustangs
2.26 60'S
14.9 @ 90.86MPH 65 coupe,351w,C4,Big Boss 429 hood scoop,8"3.40 TracLoc,Cragar SS,Black Suede. https://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/Fastymz.html
[This message has been edited by Fastymz (edited 11-02-2002).]
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71RESTO
Gearhead Posts: 1253
From: Oregon, USA
Registered: Oct 2000
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posted 11-02-2002 06:23 PM
Hey Big D,
A guy in our club (6'4") just did that to his '67 fastback and loves it. He said it wasn't that big of a deal to do either. He dropped the pan 2" and also moved the risers back 2" and now has a whole bunch of room.------------------
Duane
71 Fastback (his) under resto (351C-4V C6 auto)
73 Mach 1 (hers) (351CJ 4 speed)
66 289/2V coupe (daughter Ashley's)
89 LX 2.3 convertible (daughter Amanda's)
M & M Member #730
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Big D
Gearhead Posts: 3286
From: WELLS, NEVADA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-03-2002 01:36 AM
When I sit up straight (this never happens when CRUIZING).. My head hits the headliner.. 2" would be really nice..And my legs get cramped when I get into my car.. A couple inches there would solve that.. Several of my friends are great welders,, with my spirit and there knowledge & welder,, I don't think it would be that tough.. The friend that did my new paint job,, replaced all the sheet metal during the original frame-off restoration in '97.. He should be able to do it,, since he put in all the new floor panels.. Can't wait to tell him I want to cut them out.. Don
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-03-2002 05:55 AM
Big D, I just did the measurement. I moved my driver's side seat hump back 4.5 inches. Remember that as you go towards the back, not only are you more horizontal, but you are also moving towards the highest part of the roof. These measurements are for a 68, 6 foot one and a half guy. I cannot stress enough, you do NOT need to mess with the floor pans ... trust me!
Scoop's Dad, though ... that's a different story 6 foot 4???[This message has been edited by Fastback68 (edited 11-03-2002).]
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Fastymz
Moderator Posts: 9095
From: Reno Nv USA MEM#1240
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 11-03-2002 02:34 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fastback68:
Scoop's Dad, though ... that's a different story 6 foot 4???[This message has been edited by Fastback68 (edited 11-03-2002).]
He really is 6'4"!
Getting in and out of the car is just plain funny to watch.Well at least for me it is.I put the small grant GT wheel on my car so his knee's dont hit the steering wheel. Now I didn't say he'd want to drive my car for hours at a time.But for the short times he's in the car he's fine.Of course most the time he's in my car he's racing it,or racing around in it. Thats why he got an 88GT vert with the top down he seems to have plenty of head room. SCOOP ------------------
oddly obsessed with big scoops on little Mustangs 2.26 60'S
14.9 @ 90.86MPH 65 coupe,351w,C4,Big Boss 429 hood scoop,8"3.40 TracLoc,Cragar SS,Black Suede. https://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/Fastymz.html
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Big D
Gearhead Posts: 3286
From: WELLS, NEVADA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-03-2002 11:05 PM
Sam,,It's scary when you start making sense.. I am going to try your system,, if it isn't enough,, I can always get the torch out.. Don
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-04-2002 12:00 AM
Don't be scared And let me just add your name to the list of people who think I'm Sam
Simon
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Big D
Gearhead Posts: 3286
From: WELLS, NEVADA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-04-2002 09:09 AM
Simon,,Sorry about that.. Go ahead and put me on the list.. Your idea is still a good one,, even though you got it from Sam.. ------------------
Don
'66 Fastback
302 with 5 speed
Royal Blue Metallic w/Ghost Flames
https://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/BigD.html "OK, So What's The Speed of Dark"..
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68DARKHORSE
Gearhead Posts: 290
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 11-04-2002 11:56 AM
I'll be replacing the front seats with a pair that recline and have lower bottoms. Flofit, Scat, Best Top, and Steel Horse sell seats that will work and take off a few pounds. It's easier to return the original seat later than to reweld the floors again.On a fastback, the roof gets lower as you move back. ------------------
Alton 68 GT FASTBACK J code
http://www.bullittclub.com/phpBB/Uploads/1020432917.jpg
01 GT BULLITT http://www.bullittclub.com/phpBB/Uploads/1020440453.jpg
96 OJ BRONCO
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-04-2002 05:45 PM
quote:
On a fastback, the roof gets lower as you move back.
Not so. On a 71-73, you're pretty much right, but in 67-68, the high point is towards the center of the roof, behind the normal position of the backs of the seats. Viewed side-on, it starts to slope down earlier, but stick your head inside and you'll see it's still going up towards the center.
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68DARKHORSE
Gearhead Posts: 290
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 11-05-2002 12:11 PM
If your headliner gets higher as you go back, it's because your front bow is sagging or the headliner is not connected to it. 
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Ryan Wilke
Gearhead Posts: 1115
From: Stanton, Michigan 49707
Registered: Oct 2000
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posted 11-05-2002 06:44 PM
You might just try removing the seat tracking and bolting the seat directly to the floor.
Yeah, you loose the adjustability, but it would give you some additional head clearance......  Ryan
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-05-2002 07:11 PM
Darkhorse, I don't even have headliner in my car right now. The high point of the roof is in the center at about where the red cross is.[This message has been edited by Fastback68 (edited 11-05-2002).]
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mustang68mustangs
Gearhead Posts: 239
From: pittsburgh,pa.usa
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 11-05-2002 07:55 PM
Whatever you do dont completely remove the seat riser pans they add rigidity to the floor pan. The floor pan itself is not strong enough to support the seat.It will end up cracking.
Bob
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68DARKHORSE
Gearhead Posts: 290
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 11-05-2002 09:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fastback68:
Darkhorse, I don't even have headliner in my car right now. The high point of the roof is in the center at about where the red cross is.[This message has been edited by Fastback68 (edited 11-05-2002).]
That's right. The high point is midway between the steering wheel and the seatback, not behind the seatback as you stated earlier.
Clearly there is no headroom to be gained by moving the seat rearward. Head room will come from lowering or replacing the seat.
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-05-2002 10:03 PM
Ah ha! Something fishy here. If I am making out the position of your seat back correctly, it is positioned in about the same place relative to the roof as my driver's seat is now, after I moved the hump.
This can only mean one thing. Either someone already moved your seat humps back, or someone moved mine forward. An argument in favor of the former is that with my driver's seat more or less where yours seems to be now, I have no head clearance problem, and as we know, a lot of people complain about head clearance in Stangs. An argument in favor of the latter is that Filipinos are small, so someone may have moved the humps forward ... but I doubt they would have bothered with the passenger's seat as well.
Whatever the case, I can say with my hand on my heart that the high point of my roof is about an inch behind a vertical line from the back of my passenger's seat when it's fully extended back on its rails. Moving the driver's seat hump back definitely increased head room in my case.[This message has been edited by Fastback68 (edited 11-05-2002).]
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68 S-code GT
Gearhead Posts: 895
From: Sayreville, NJ, US
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 11-06-2002 07:40 AM
You can always fabricate a seat riser that is not as tall and longer from front to back to accept the new and old locations for the seat bolts!
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cobravenom71
Gearhead Posts: 568
From: Kissimee, Fl USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 11-06-2002 01:41 PM
Here is a simple way to add a little head-room. Not 2 or 3 inches, but any 'free' head-room is good, no?
The bows holding up the headliner usually have three holes that they can be inserted into on each side of the inner roof.Try inserting all the bows on the drivers side in the uppermost holes for every bow, and put the bows in the highest hole you can without damaging the headliner on the passenger side.
I have done this on every car I have, where possible, and it works pretty well, especially in Mustangs.
Incidentally, I am 6'4", and I weigh in at 240 pounds, so I'm no light-weight.
I have a 79'Z-28 that I did this trick to, and it helped tremendously:
Unbolt the front seat anchors on the front seat and put spacers between the seat-bracket mounting points and the floor.
This has the effect of tilting the seat back, somewhat of a reclining position. If you find the seat back too reclined, you can add spacers to where the seat-back meets the seat-bottom to give you a more upright position.
By fooling around with this, I have been able to make my cars tremendously more drivable and enjoyable. Good Luck!, Kit.
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68DARKHORSE
Gearhead Posts: 290
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 11-06-2002 05:03 PM
 I drew a line from the high point you selected, relocated the seat to the position you described and colored in the steering wheel. How could you get into this car? BTW the car in the pic is a correct '67. My '68 has the seats in the same position. No matter how you look at it, anything behind the X is lower.
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 1348
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 11-06-2002 06:59 PM
Darkhorse, we really need to be sat together inside one of these cars with a beer
Give me a couple of months (the car's being rebuilt again!) and when my seats are back in, I'll take some precise measurements of the positions of the access holes on my two seat humps relative to something else, then I'll sit in each seat and take a measurement of head room.
I'll be back, promise!
Simon
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johnmustang
Gearhead Posts: 3349
From: Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 11-06-2002 07:30 PM
Just to throw my .02 into this topic , I am 6'4" - 260 pounds and I have no problem in my 65 fastback what so ever with head or leg room. In my 68 coupe ( just recently sold  ) I had alot of problems with head and leg room , but , did nothing about it , wish I knew about this process , would have fixed the problem. Sounds like just moving it back a few inches is the way to go , the less cutting and welding involved the better. JOHN ------------------
65 2+2 FASTBACK
68 COUPE (SOLD)
87 TAURUS WAGON
98 F150 XLT TRITON V8 4.6, 4 WHEEL DRIVE
Member:Vancouver Island Mustang Association
M&M #1710
MyPhotoPage
MY TRUCK
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