Help for the taller driver

[Mark Bagnall]

Suggestions welcome....
I have a malaga B+ in the garage in bits waiting for me to panel the cockpit in steel/aluminium to hopefully give me enough leg room that I can actually drive it! However progress has stopped due to pressure of work so the only way I can fit in some Duttoning (?) this summer is to buy a runner that I can drive straight away.
I'm about 6'1" (& shrinking !) but must have long legs. I just tried a Melos which had slim seats bolted so they rested against the bulge covering the suspension spring hanger and JUST managed to squeeze feet in round the wheel, once in my knees were brushing the dash.
So questions;
Has anyone successfully fitted a seat further back, alongside or behind, the spring bump in a Melos without resorting to fitting 5 link suspension and removing the cart springs ?
Is there any easy way of getting more knee room ?
Do the later Phaetons, series 3 & 4, have anymore room? Is the dash further forward or higher?
Any other ideas or experience gratefully received.

[1midz0wwbl268]

basically the chassis and therefore the  seating position  on the S3-4 will be the same,  short of fitting narrower seats  i cant see what else you can do,  i have a melos myself and whilst im a bit shorter than you at 5.10, i  have long legs, but seem to cope ok , my seats are as far back as i can mount them just touching the edge of the spring bumps, there is more room on the passenger side strangely than on the drivers side, im not sure how much room you can make by re moulding the tunnel to give you a cut out and by doing something simular  to the spring hanger bulges  it depends on how high up the tunnel your prop spins, 

[Mark Bagnall]

I've googled Melos pictures and most seem to have more room around the steering wheel than the one I tried. Could be the seat was mounted a bit oddly. More room would make it easier getting in,

[Pete Clayton]

5 linked S3 and S4 Phaeton's have much more room than the early ones, the seat can go all the way back to what would be the rear seat in a Melos

[Mark Bagnall]

I'd much prefer a 5 link setup, I have that on the Malaga B+, but it depends what I can find for now - I can't cope with another project just yet ;))

[Mark Bagnall]

Sounds good, that's a lot of room you've found. A definite possibility for me as it doesn't sound too long a job, but then none of them do!
Interesting about the pan hard rod - so you are happy with the handling on standard springs?

[Mark Bagnall]

Good to know. Getting in and out with the seat right back does sound much easier.

[neil parsons]

In my Phaeton , i have seat pads. (its an S1)

 

I am 5'11" and fit ok , pedals could do with being lowered a bit. I have cart springs so the tub is a bit tight around the arse.

 

The mrs ,who is 5'3" on a good day cannot reach the pedals at all.

[Mark Bagnall]

If I ever manage to finish the Malaga that will have foam lining the seating area.  So that could be an answer - definitely give me enough room.  I will try to use seats first as I'm hoping to persuade the wife to at least come along for a ride and I think a proper seat would be more inviting!

[Mark Bagnall]

Thanks everyone for your replies - lots of good ideas and experience - it is great to have a forum like this.

It's given me the confidence that I will be able to quickly sort out a way to fit in any of the later Phaetons or Melos (Meloses? Melosi?).

Any other experience or comment would still be appreciated.

Meanwhile I'll carry on looking for the right car!

[James Doulton]

The reason that I bought the Legerra was so that my wife could get in - the advantage of opening doors. My wife has dodgy knees so cannot clamber into my Melos. When I got my Legerra the seats were a bit of a state and they were too wide to go back far enough for me to be comfortable. So I bought a pair of "mini-cub" seats from Midland Wheels, which were not only narrow but also cheap. When I went to fit them I discovered that my chassis was rotten and that introduced a long delay, but now everything is fitted and the seat goes back perfectly. In fact I can't quite depress the clutch with it right back. I am 5'10".

I don't think that even those seats are narrow enough (at 410mm at the rear) to fit past the spring bulge in the Melos, which I measured as being 380mm. I think that you'd have to modify the bodywork at least, and I think that the best solution is to go for a 5 link rear end with a Melos, but that wasn't what you wanted to hear.