Is there a way to lower the driver's seat in the Z? I hit the steering wheel with my thigh. Or is there any room to telescope the steering column a couple of inches toward me? Either change would do the job. Anybody?

 

I was wondering the same thing. The S2K guys do it on a regular basis, so I wonder if we can? My other option is to just go with a racing seat like a Sparco Evo III or Corbeau FX1 (both racing seats for us big boys) and mount them all the way to the deck. That should lower the driver at least 3"-4" if not more.

 

the **** on the left side of the seat is the only way.

Other than that: No. Damn you freaks must be tall.

 

^

 

You all must be giants. I am 6'3" and have my seat front adjusted all the way up and my thighs don't touch the steering wheel.

 

I am 6'2" tall and the car is fine for street driving. I do have to duch a bit to see some stoplights and the rearview mirror can get in the way sometimes as well.

Put on a helmet however and I am always brushing the roof. Hit a good enough bump and I slam into the roof. I am heading out to Burbank next week to have a race seat test fitted by WerksII. I'll report my findings.

 

Maybe they are just "big boned"

Actually, I like my wheel fairly low in my lap, but I know what they are talking about, it is a bit close. I'd like to lower the seat to get a touch more headroom, though.

 

Big-boned indeed. How about fat? At 6'4"295 lbs, bones don't weigh that much, but thanks for the thought. This a phenomenon that has occurred in recent years driving Japanese cars for me. The change from a tilt wheel that has detents or slots could adjust almost like a bus and thats the way I drove my 91 MR2T. It started when we took delivery of my wife's 92 Maxima. The tilt feature was changed to the type we have on our Zs. Pull down on the lever, push up on the wheel, get it as far up as it goes, return the lever to lock it, and Whoa! I can't get my legs under the wheel because of that change, so I have been driving with my right leg bent ever since because I have owned only Nissan and Honda Japanese cars.

In 1992, I weighed about 250lbs and was in pretty good shape and couldn't blame my weight on the problem. The problem is Americans have been getting taller, heavier also, but taller fits my theory. I'm sure the design change was less expensive to manufacture, but 12 years ago I was more limber than I am now and the design is just not high enough for me and a lot of other Americans. I talked to an Infiniti salesman briefly about it at a car show and he said it was being noticed by Japanese car makers and they were addressing it. When I went to drive a G35 sedan, I said to the salesman, I better be able to get my legs under the steering wheel or this car is toast, I'm sick of splaying my legs out to be able to drive a car. I could and his sigh was audible, obviously this is a growing problem or he would not have reacted the way he did. It also explains why my salesman was unsure that I could fit in the Z when I ordered it.

So, my problem is related to the change in design for tilt wheels in the Japanese cars I have owned and is most certainly related to my increased girth, along with the over 50% who are "big-boned"(thanks MB). My fit in the Z is marginal, not totally uncomfortable, but all it would take is a couple of inches of adjustment to be fine. Seat 2"s down or wheel 2"s closer and the fit is perfect.

I thought about the MOMO wheel, lose airbag and cruise, not feasible and I like the stock wheel. New seat, I had a bad and expensive episode of that w/my 240, so lower the seat? Some seats are perched on spacers which could be removed? New plan, collapsable steering column, maybe room for some adjustment toward me w/o losing defensive integrity? I don't know, so any ideas would be helpful. Even losing 40-50lbs of big-bones won't solve the problem, but it is on my lengthy agenda.

Thorny problem, huh?

Boomer babble

P.S. When someone tells you that you remind them of John Madden as a compliment, you need to reduce the space you occupy soonest!

 

Heh, I wasn't really meaning it that way, I was just pointing out some people that are 6'3" would be built differently or sit differently in the car. When I autocross, to get the helmet in the car, I have to slide my seat forward about 2 inches and tilt the back of the seat back to give me enough clearance for my head. When I do this, my legs have to bend more, and the bottom of the wheel gets in the way for me, too. I can tilt it up some, but that really isn't the right answer, either, as the wheel no longer feels right to me.

Kind of like how I'm 6'1", and feel I could use an additional inch of travel on the seat, but some people that are 6'4" here say they have plenty of travel.

Hope I didn't offend.

 

Absolutely not offensive at all, made me smile. I have a long torso, so I am used to leaning way back in any seat, like an astronaut. The Z has the seat bottom adjustable only in the back of the cushion, I could fit if the front would adjust downward too. My 97 Accord Coupe had the same steering wheel problem, but the bottom cushion adjusted both up and down in front as well as the rear. I ended up tilting the bottom of the cushion down, raised the rear up, leaned the seat back and fit just fine under the wheel.

I had to laugh earlier when a poster asked what could be done with the empty space behind the driver's seat. What empty space, I'm sitting flush against the woofer in my Touring! I am continuing to adjust and come to a spot which fits enough to allow me to feel comfortable. Eventually, my weight will lower the front of the cushion and free me from the steering wheel, but the problem still is the new tilt(in 1992) mechanism adopted by Nissan and Honda, the only ones I have driven since then.

I drove a Volvo AWD when I was considering a new 4door and the tilt problem was the same problem until the salesman activated the telescope adjustent. Perfect fit, no problems and easy to move around in the seat, but a Volvo. Ah well, my Z is still sitting in my garage and will be there for a long time to come and I will get the seating sorted out somehow. If someone has any info on what can be done to help me out, I will be grateful. Thanks for your efforts and support so far.

Boomer