Will I fit?

[mh03911]

Hello-

I am new to the forum, and don't have a rover yet. I have always wanted a series iia or iii, and I am finally getting more serious about looking for one. One thing that could be a real deal breaker for me is my size-I am 6'4" 250lbs. My wife and I drive fairly small cars as our daily drivers-I have a 2000 VW jetta, and I drive her 08 Audi A4 fairly often. Both of these have plenty of leg and head room for me. She also has an 85 Alfa Spider that I drive on occasion, but it looks like a clown car with me driving, and I can't use 2nd gear.

Do any years or styles have more room than others? Can any modifications be done to extend the legroom (I think that this is going to be the bigest problem)?

Any feedback from larger series owners would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for the help,
Marc

[PH4]

I am 6'3 and 200#. The leg room is fine for me and so is headroom, however, I am eye level with top of windscreen which is a pain.

[thixon]

you'll be fine.

[chester rides again]

i'm 6'2" and about 230. i fit, not that great, but i fit. i'd love to be about 5'10". definitely eye level with the top of the windshield. i installed new exmoor seats and had to keep the old seat bottoms as the new ones raised my legs up too much.

pulling up to lights is a real pain in the @$$. i've learned to look down at my wing and hood top to see the lights reflection on the painted surface. but it's a sacrafice i'm more than willing to make.

go find one for sale and take it for a test drive and you'll get an idea if you fit real quick.

[bige]

I am 6'4" 240lbs. and have a 1963 IIA 109 with a pickup cab. It is a snug fit but I have driven it over 400 miles in one day and didn't feel too bad. On weekends I always choose it over my Silverado. I am used to snug vehicles though as I also have a TVR and a Lotus Europa.Cheers, Ian

[yorker]

I'm 6'2" and 290- not yet fat(no belly hanging over the waistband etc) so I am relatively big framed I guess. A LR is small, since the bulkhead is a-symmetric you have less room on the left side. You'll meed to scrunch down to see stop lights. I love driving LRs despite this.

My brother is my size but slimmer framed probably 100 pounds lighter. He absolutely HATES driving my LRs. He says they are ridiculous inside. So your perception of your fit and comfort will differ independent of your height and girth. The best advice I could give you is to try them out before buying. The driving position is rather different, much more upright- like sitting at a dinner table, not closer to the floor and somewhat reclined like it is in some modern vehicles.

[KevinNY]

I think I passed your brother in his FJ going out to Howards for my Sankey last week. Was it him Matt?

[Jeff Aronson]

I'm the right size for my II-A's, 5' 8" and 170 lbs, but even for me, traffic lights can force some contortions. Some late II-A's and Series III's came with "deluxe seats" that actually add about 1 1/2 inches of travel adjustment, but that's not much at your height.

My only caveat is the experience of a friend of similar size to you. He and I bought an early II-A together, intending to share it 6 mo. each during the year. He hardly ever drove it and eventually sold me his share and bought a Defender instead. He fits in it much, much better, and given that he has driven more modern cars, it also fits his driving expectations much better.

There's no easy way to move the bulkhead behind the seats so you can't pick up room that way [although it has been done]. I'd be more concerned about your driving experiences in contemporary cars than I would about the tight fit in a Series car. You may be better suited for the Defender.

The real key is to find one of each for a test drive because "fit" is a really personal determinatin. The test drive should tell you all you need to know.

Jeff

[luckyjoe]

The 109" offers more legroom than the 88", since the rear bulkhead is further back. This space can be increased by removing the ~3" spacers for the seatbacks, and a slight mod to move the seat base back (if you even need to do this).

Regards,

[yorker]

I think I passed your brother in his FJ going out to Howards for my Sankey last week. Was it him Matt?

Kevin-was it this one? He has been out and about lately since he returned from Colorado.
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The difference inside is night and day. The seating in the FJ40 feels much more modern and spacious. You don't feel as crunched up. I deal with the crunched up feeling and cramped space ok but IMHO it takes some real getting used to. Ergonomic and LR Series seating do not go together well.

You could greatly improve the seating in a Series if you got different seats, removed the center bulkhead, etc. You'd start to infringe on the rear though in an 88" and for my uses that is an unacceptable trade-off.

[TeriAnn]

[quote=luckyjoe]The 109" offers more legroom than the 88", since the rear bulkhead is further back. This space can be increased by removing the ~3" spacers for the seatbacks, and a slight mod to move the seat base back (if you even need to do this). [quote]

This is a common misconception. 88's & 4 cyl 109's have the same bulkhead, floor panels, seat box and seats all in the exact same location. Your hip bones sit in exactly the same place on both models. Stock from the factory, your head is in the same place. However, as Luck Joe pointed out the 109 behind the seat bulkhead is located farther back than the 88 behind the seat bulkhead. It you remove the seat back spacers on a 109, the back of the seat reclines more, which allows your torso to lean back more. This moves you head farther from the windscreen giving the illusion of more leg space. But it also allows for more relaxed seating position and you see a little lower out the windscreen.

So, what can you really do?
There is a flange where the seat box mounts to the rear. If you make cuts in that flange behind the seat rails on a 109, you have the space to rebolt the seat rails farther back than stock actually giving you an inch or two more leg space.

109 Carawagon Caravans have the behind the seat cut down . You can take a page out of their book, by removing the galvanized capping, cut the bulkhead down enough to get the seat lean you wish and replace the galvanized capping. This will allow you greater seat lean and/or to move the seat back and maintain the seat lean angle.

I haven't looked closely at 109 station wagons but I suspect the behind the seat cross bar can be lowered to increase seat back lean.

The Series seat bottoms are flat rectangles. If your legs are long they do not support your thighs. You can have the seat bottoms rebuilt at your local auto upholstery shop to a wedge shape to provide better seating comfort on long drives.

If you are REALLY unhappy with visibility, replace the front windscreen & roof panel with Defender parts for a taller windscreen. The Defender has taller seat sliders which make you sit higher. The factory used a taller windscreen and modified the front of the roof to compensate.

That's about all I know of to do without rebuilding the centre of the vehicle to move the seat box rearwards.

[PH4]

I am thinking about having an upholster make a bottom cushion 1/2 the hieght of original and use memory foam inside cushion.

[NC Rover]

I'm 6'4 and 212lbs. It feels like you're right up on the steering wheel, however its actually comfortable. Plenty of room for me. I was worried at first but it turned out fine.

Try to find someone locally that will let you sit in or possibly drive their rover.

[giorgio]

I am 6'5", 215 lbs. and have both an 88 and a 109. The 88 is definately cramped for me in the leg room department. I cannot imagine a long trip in it.

I have much more room in the 109, but it is a Carawagon conversion, and I do not have any bulkhead behind the front seats. Is that unique to the Carawagon, or do other 109 station wagons also have no bulkhead behind the front seats??

[msggunny]

6' 205. Its not too bad, the worst part for me is when the doors are on, it makes me squish a bit more towards the center and my right shoulder is resting on the hood stick. (its RHD)

I have to tuck in my right arm in when i have the door tops on too.

The leg room is decent, you just have to be willing to sit upright like you are sitting in a dining room chair at a formal dinner.

Its all what you make of it. Try one out before you buy.