Seat Position (Need Leg Room)

[70340Cuda]

I have a 1970 Cuda that is in its stock trim. It’s got bucket seats. I’m trying to get some more leg room, which I know has always been a topic of discussion for e bodies. Currently the wheel is touching the top of my legs and working the clutch or gas is impossible without having to spread my legs. I’m 6’ and I’ve heard lots of guys say they fit fine and they are over 6’. Not sure what set up they have to accomplish that.

I have the regular seat sliders (not 6 way) and currently have the seat as far back as it will go. I notice my limiting factor seems to be the fact that the hinge for the seat back contacts the belt retractor. If it wasn’t there, I’d be able to get a bit more room. I used to have a Tuff wheel on the car, but thanks to Texas heat, it disintegrated. I like the look, but I don’t think it will hold up too well.

Any suggestions on some ways to get more leg room?

I’m thinking of swapping out the belt retractors for a slimmer one or even just a fixed belt. That should hopefully get me a little further back to straighten on my legs. I’ll also get a smaller diameter wheel, which I may just make one to keep a similar look to the Tuff wheel.

Also, thank you in advance! Any suggestion is a good suggestion!

 

[Daves69]

maybe...........

https://www.yearone.com/Product/challenger-cuda/sb246

 

[Xcudame]

I like Daves69 suggestion! That would be a realive easy installation without really changing anything and you'd pick up a couple inches. Also, check out this Grant wheel from Mancini. $137. Get two so when Texas deteriorates the first one!

Grant Steering Classic Nostalgia Wheel

 

[70340Cuda]

maybe...........

http://[URL]https://www.yearone.com/Product/challenger-cuda/sb246

[/URL]

Thank you for the info! This will definitely help, the only thing is I still need to clear the seatbelt retractor. I would like to be able to just drill a new whole, but the car is finished and painted, so I don’t want to be very invasive.

 

[70340Cuda]

I like Daves69 suggestion! That would be a realive easy installation without really changing anything and you'd pick up a couple inches. Also, check out this Grant wheel from Mancini. $137. Get two so when Texas deteriorates the first one!

Grant Steering Classic Nostalgia Wheel

Appreciate the info on the wheel! I’ll check it out!

Haha I might just do that!

 

[mrmopar340]

I have a 1970 Cuda that is in its stock trim. It’s got bucket seats. I’m trying to get some more leg room, which I know has always been a topic of discussion for e bodies. Currently the wheel is touching the top of my legs and working the clutch or gas is impossible without having to spread my legs. I’m 6’ and I’ve heard lots of guys say they fit fine and they are over 6’. Not sure what set up they have to accomplish that.

I have the regular seat sliders (not 6 way) and currently have the seat as far back as it will go. I notice my limiting factor seems to be the fact that the hinge for the seat back contacts the belt retractor. If it wasn’t there, I’d be able to get a bit more room. I used to have a Tuff wheel on the car, but thanks to Texas heat, it disintegrated. I like the look, but I don’t think it will hold up too well.

Any suggestions on some ways to get more leg room?

I’m thinking of swapping out the belt retractors for a slimmer one or even just a fixed belt. That should hopefully get me a little further back to straighten on my legs. I’ll also get a smaller diameter wheel, which I may just make one to keep a similar look to the Tuff wheel.

Also, thank you in advance! Any suggestion is a good suggestion!

I share your pain. 6'4" and the wheel is right in my knees. Glad the guys here came up with some applications. I wheel looking into them as well.

 

[70340Cuda]

I share your pain. 6'4" and the wheel is right in my knees. Glad the guys here came up with some applications. I wheel looking into them as well.

I’m going to be getting some universal seat belts from Summit as a test this weekend. The goal is to see with the removal of the retractor and moving to more of a standard “fixed” belt, I can free up the room to move the seat straight back.

I’ll report back on my findings. I’ll also try to get some measurements as well.

 

[Avalanche]

I had the sMe problem. What worked for me was a smaller wheel and I put a shim under the front seat bolt. This tilted the seat back a little and gave me more room.

 

[6PKRTSE]

The Factory 6 way seat adjuster makes it nice for me. Maybe not for so much more leg/head room, but being able to sit the seat down and tilted back made it much more comfortable.

 

[Cuda_mark]

I have the same problem. New seat foam + Rim blow wheel makes it really difficult to slide under the wheel to get in the car. I need a tilt column!

 

[heminut]

I have the Grant steering wheel on my Cuda and it has been on there for years. I live in the southwest corner of New Mexico and the car sat outside for over 4 years in the sun. The steering wheel has shown no signs of deterioration at all. I think the Grant wheel is made of much better materials than the factory Tuff wheel was.

 

[70340Cuda]

Alright, apologies for the lateness in a response here. I got busy and also went on a journey coming up with a fix.

In my endeavors to offset the seat, I ended up breaking the seat sliders. I will admit, this is due to a combination of ignorance and frustration. I ended up buying a new seat slider from Corbeau (Plymouth Barracuda 70-75 Seat Brackets). The seat slider is much more robust than the originals. It also slides super smooth. I will note, it comes with captive bolts on the two closest to the door. The two mounting points near the transmission tunnel are just holes, so you will have to supply those. It is a touch inconvenient but not a showstopper. The sliders appear to have the same amount of adjustment as the originals.

Here is the main kicker on the Corbeau seat frame/sliders. They are designed to match up with their own seats, not the factory bucket seats. The sliders are a bit narrower (cross-car) than the seat bolt holes. The sliders also don’t have a holes that line up with the seat in the fore/aft direction. I overcame this by making a flat steel (1/4” thick) bracket to bolt to my seat and the Corbeau seat slider.

For those who may be more handy, this Corbeau product is not very novel. It’s literally flat steel welded in a square shape. The side nearest the door just has bolts welded in place for the front and rear mount. On the side nearest the transmission tunnel, they just have two brackets welded to the square frame to make up for the change in height of the seat pan. The seat sliders are literally just bolted to that welded together frame. If you can weld, you can easily recreate the frame and then try to find some seat sliders off a modern car that may be a more direct fit to the factory bucket seats.

As far as my not so elegant method, I just had to notch the front steel bar I bolted on in order to clear a portion of the seat frame where the vinyl seat cover is stretched and attached to. I have added some pictures to show what I did. Please let me know if you see any major issues or see something that would’ve been easier. All this is a learning experience and I’m always open to some constructive criticism!

As far as results go, the seat slides super easy and I definitely gained more leg room. I’m still a bit close to the steering wheel, but a smaller wheel as mentioned in previous replies will definitely help. I also may take a look and see if the column itself has any ability to be pushed up a touch higher. If I do end up looking through that, I can update my findings in here further.

As for everyone who pitched in their two cents, thank you very much! It’s always appreciated especially for someone who is still trying to figure it all out, if that’s even possible

View attachment IMG_0697.jpeg

View attachment IMG_0698.jpeg

 

[Spyder]

I'm taller than a normal door frame and put new seat mounting points half a foot or so further back on the drivers seat so I could just bolt in in further back. The rear seat bench is only a couple inches from the back of the front seat, but it lets me drive it. My head also brushes the headliner but there's no helping that as the seat is dropped as low as it would go without changing the floor.

 

[Mopar Nut]

@70340Cuda you’re not using burlap between your seat foam and seat springs?

 

[Kansan]

Also, check out this Grant wheel from Mancini.

Older thread, I know. I bought the Grant from Mancini, but I had to modify it for my car. The three mounting holes were too small, but fortunately I have a good friend that has a gunsmithing shop and he bored them out with his mill. 10 minutes on the mill and 30 minutes BSing about guns and I was good to go. Just be aware it wasn't a direct bolt on for my car. He also spent a few minutes cleaning up the openings on the spokes...very poorly finished and very shard edges. The horn collar (?) screwed right in and I used the original horn button.

 

[Challenger RTA]

Seat relocation brackets

Anyone use these brackets from Year One on 1970 Barracuda seats , at least that's what I think I have , I don't see an easy way for these without some fabrication , or am I just not getting it .

www.forebodiesonly.com

 

[6PKRTSE]

Older thread, I know. I bought the Grant from Mancini, but I had to modify it for my car. The three mounting holes were too small, but fortunately I have a good friend that has a gunsmithing shop and he bored them out with his mill. 10 minutes on the mill and 30 minutes BSing about guns and I was good to go. Just be aware it wasn't a direct bolt on for my car. He also spent a few minutes cleaning up the openings on the spokes...very poorly finished and very shard edges. The horn collar (?) screwed right in and I used the original horn button.

View attachment 143028

I have always liked the tough wheels and like the thicker diameter of them also. All my cars have the thinner woodgrain wheels and I find after driving either one after hours the older I get the more my hands will cramp up trying to hold onto the smaller diameter woodgrain wheels. Even my New Yorker's black wheel is the smaller diameter.