Thread: Tall person hot rod

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In addition to what Hank & the "little person" from Fl. said, there are a couple tricks to keep in mind.

If we're talkin' the "square" body cars (e.g. Model A, Fords up to '34 and similar), yes, the coupes have a few more inches than stock roadsters in interior compartment length after the package tray is removed. Even at 6' I either have removed them completely or cut them back by half. You can also use a seat that tucks under the lip of the back panel and won't look bad, that's good for a little more length. A trick I've seen but not done that looks interesting is to modify the forward section of the chassis center section (the front "legs" of the K or X member) so that he upper "legs" are removed and slightly stouter lower legs do the work. This will allow the floor to be dropped a couple/three inches (every little bit helps). This will also help for longer drives as you'll have your thighs more likely resting on the lower cushion for support. Along with long legs usually come bigger feet, which is another problem in these comparatively narrower cowls. An auto trans eliminates one obstruction, and hanging pedals (rather than through the floor) free up a little more. I don't like a big lump of M/C on the firewall so an under dash setup would be better (available Dodge vans and aftermarket). In general, a hiboy style would be better than a channeled car.

Avoid bigger engines that require moving the firewall back. One idea is a Model A on a Deuce frame. The Deuce front crossmember can be moved forward up to 2" (without looking dorky) if the car is fenderless. Gives you more room to avoid moving the firewall. Of course there's always a frame stretch as long as you're carefull about proportions.

If you really want a roadster, one trick on the Model A is to start with a Sport coupe body. Once the wooden upper structure is removed (you'll need to add bracing to the lower body to compensate, but you'd do that in an original roadster anyway) you have what looks like a roadster body but the tub area is the longer length of the coupe so there's a minimum of body work to do to get the look right. A little modification to the door tops for looks, and to the cowl area for the roadster windshield to bolt on, ta dah.