DeTomaso Mailing List: February 1997, Message #2
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Dear Andy, Your problems sound familiar. I am 6'4'' and have size 12 feet. I have never seen any thing about modifying the lateral placement of the pedals, but I suspect it could be done by someone with significant expertise such as Pantera Performance Center and enough money. My solution since 1988 is to simply drive in my stocking feet. Yes, it is unusual and no it does not count as statutory rape if you're pulled over by the police. This primitive approach gains a fraction of an inch in leg room, the ability to use the pedals and feel the pedals. It also allows a better appreciation of winter temperatures on January mornings. The seat situation sounds very familiar. In my opinion aftermarket seats are a disadvantage for anyone over 5'11" due to loss of head room. There are numerous approaches to this problem. 1) lower the floor pan. effective and expensive 2)remove the pre-L seat rail washers or remove the L series spot welded seat rail spacer. Gains about 1/2" headroom 3)take original seat and have padding in the seat removed to make it thinner. Inexpensive. Gains about 1/2" 4)completely reupholster original seat frame with modern thin foam etc to make it thinner. Gains about 3/4" and costs as much as a Recaro seat. 5) fabricate an all aluminum racing style seat with thin high tech foam padding and bolt directly to floor. Gains about one inch and equals a Recaro. I have done all of the above. For what its worth, Chuck Engles ---------- > From: Andy Poling <andy@realbig.com> > To: detomaso@wgate.com > Subject: Re: Welcome DeTomaso Enthusist! > Date: Friday, January 31, 1997 3:58 PM > > I'll be all too glad to open the discussion... :-) > > I just test-drove my first Pantera (a '74) yesterday (I chose not to buy it > because it wasn't in as good a shape as I'm looking for) and I have a couple > of questions based on my experience. > > I noticed right away that the pedal placement has two problems for me: > > The accelerator and brake pedals are so close that my big boat foot > repeatedly brushed the brake pedal when operating the accelerator. Is there > any way (easy or not) to increase the lateral seperation between these two > pedals? With that much torque and brakes that good, I hate to think about > the consequences of > > I also have long legs, and I found myself bending my legs alot and > supporting my own right foot due to the angle. This car had aftermarket > seats ("Flo-Through"?) with actual side bolsters on the seat and backrest > and perhaps these aftermarket seats are thincker than the stock seats. I'm > wondering, however, if any one has ever experimented with moving the pedals > a little further forward of their stock location. I could live with reduced > pedal travel if it gave me more room to work my feet. > > Any thoughts? > > -Andy > > PS - I'm still looking for a clean mostly stock looking Pantera, preferably > a pre-L. > > '91 Miata: "ZIP" '96 A4Q: "ZOOM" '84 RZ350: "ZING"