So I’m in a Porsche repair/restoration shop on the Island last week stopping by to see how the owner’s spec restoration of a 74 914 that we talked about me buying is going. Seats are installed, as is the Targa top so he invites me to sit in the car. After I get in he stops me and says the car is too small for me. He calls his assistant out who agrees that the car is too small and that I’ll never be able to autocross since my head with helmet would hit the Targa top (not that I planned too anyway). He then puts me in a 85 911 and the an 88 944 that he has me test drive and declares it’s the car for me. Now I’d suspect that this is a bait and switch except this guy doesn’t strike me as a hard charger (more like the guy who runs the photo hut on that 70’s Show) and the 914 he’s pricing at $6k and the 944 at $4k.

Now I don’t want a 944, I want a 914 for a return to my youth. I drove one in college when they were just a cheap 10-year-old car. I don’t remember not fitting but that was 30 years ago and I rarely, if ever had the Targa top on. He’s got me thinking how big is too big to drive a 914, even if it is only used as a weekend toy. I’m a basketball guard sized, and yeah I did play ball, although I was a better tight end… I’m 6’7” 275lbs. Am I too big for my dream car?

What can I do to the car (not me) to make it fit better? He suggested using 911 set rails to lower the seat a bit ($200) that would eliminate the tilt of the seat. He also suggests a MoMo wheel, which reduces the wheel’s diameter by 2 inches. Finally he suggests bending the stick shift a bit to the right to make it easier for me to leave 1st gear. But even with that he says I won’t be comfortable for more than an hour and that I’m trying to stuff 10 lbs of s&^t into a 5lbs sack. Am I? Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option. Thanks. Mark

I am 6' 4" and can pretty easily get in and out. But, man, 6' 7". That's tall, but hell, I would say go get your 914 and just deal with it

I had a 944, well a 951. I can't see how you'd fit in a 944 easier than a 914. My head was way to close to the window/roof seam on the 944. If you are really concerned with space you can get a custom seat on the 914 and mount it to the floor without the seat rails to get it lower.

Go back....take the bottom seat cushion out....sit it in it.....if you fit then.....get it....

Well the 944 worked cause the seat would recline. With the 914, no option there of course. Removing the cushion definitely works. After he got done crushing my dream, I went and sat in another 914 without a seat and yeah I fit fine. It's the seat that adds inches both up to the targa and down to the pedals. Still I can't remember ever having the Targa on in college. I must have in the two years, I had it it must have rained... M

I know I am still 4" shy, but at 6'3" with the seat cushion removed, I have more than enough helmeted-head room with the targa top on....I even pass the rollbar broomstick test (place broomstick on top of windshield frame and roll bar wwhile sitting in the car, need to have 1" minimum space from broomstick to top of helmet)
That may be a little tight for you....but rollbars are not required for AX....
Rock on, big guy....get the 914!!!!

Mark, you need to talk to Hawktel (send him a PM) ...

he's about 6'10 and 350 lbs ...

he looks kind of funny in his 914 but it seems to work for him
Andy

hey Ed, i hope you don't mind if i post these pictures of you!

here's him next to the car:


here's him in the car:



Andy

If I remember correctly, Steve Iverson (siverson on this board) lowered his floorpan and/or modified the seat brackets. He is a pretty big guy as well. Maybe he will chime in with some other tips.


LOL, I can guarantee you guys would not fit in my 914. Full cage with "X" door beams, and a kevlar race seat that my 190lb ass barely squeezes into.

my buddy is 6'6 and he can fit with the bottom cushion removed... with the cushion though, he looks over the top of the windshield... I think a lot is how your body length is distributed... my friend has short(ish) legs for 6'6... and has leg room, but his long torso is the problem for him...

if you can get in, get it!

The Original owner of my car was 6' 4" and had no problems. He did tear the shit out of my seats being so big so maybe that gave him the extra room he needed. Also, the car had the original Boge shocks & original springs so the car had a little sag on the driver's side. The car also came with a Momo steering wheel (350mm)

I'm 6'3 and I fit with no problem. Wearing a helmet for auto-xs might be a problem, but thats why the roof comes off. If you can squeeze in, get it. It can always be modified in the future if you find it too uncomfortable.

FYI - my friend is 6'5" and he can fit in my stock driver's seat, but he has a difficult time shifting. his knee hits the shifter.

I'm 5 11 and autocross my car all the time! with my top on my helmet hits the roof! if your over 6 I dont know how you will fit .seat bottom in or out and who wants to drive with no cushion!! get a 944!!

Who cares what the dealer says... If you think you fit, you fit.

I'm about 6'4", 240, long legs, big chest. I did the Momo steering wheel swap and it helped a bunch. I used to get my leg caught between the stock steering wheel and the stick. Also a lot easier to get in and out of the car.

I love driving the car, but it is in no way comfortable. I couldn't imagine doing a multi-hour drive... two hours tops.

Those were good suggestions. Here is my take on it:
-Momo wheel = better leg clearance
-Short/bent shifter = better leg clearance
-Remove the driver's map pocket = more arm room, who uses that thing anyways?
-Find a non-console model? = better leg room

Also, some people remove the backpad and carpet the firewall. Who knows, you may be able to move the seat rails back a bit if this is done. I have no idea but it sounds possible.

Best of luck!!

Its a pain in the ass.

I can drive it, but its not comfortable.

In fact I'm going to sell this 72 914 and get a 911 targa, and then come back for a 914 next year or so. My GF is hooked on 914's and frankly wonders why I want a 911, when the 914 is a "better looking car" We went to Eric Sheas she spent all her time playing with his dog and looking over his 6, and didn't give his 911 Carrara a second glance.

If you want it to be comfortable, you need to be prepared to do the dirty. My "list" to do to my next 914 is:

No console.
Drop the seat pan on the drivers side 2-3 inches.
Chop the dash and adjust the steering wheel upwards a inch or so.
Drop the back pad.
Short shifter
After market Steering wheel, with a 12 inch diam.
Steering wheel spacer of at least a inch.
And in the end, perhaps cut the Firwall and allow the seat to be move back even more.
Also, bolt the seat to the floor, with no clearance. The seat is the toughest part. Corbeau seats has a factory in Provo I've heard, I was going to go down there and make them make the seat fit was my plan.

I've learned alot from this 914. My next one will be a better planned event.

i'm 6'2" ish, i fit fine for daily driving, don't hit the top.
i did remove the sun visors tho as they were right in front of my eyes ...

for AX, i ALWAYS remove the seat-cushion. you sit lower (more clearance with the helmet) but even more important, you now have some side-support so your ass doesn't slide all over the place when you hit those corners hard!

also, i don't think it's a good idea to just leave the top off when you AX and have clearance problems.
what IF you end up rolling over? yeah, your head was sticking out fine when you drove and now it's having fun hitting the asphalt.
make sure you fit UNDER the rollbar with the helmet on!

btw. i also ALWAYS run with the top on, regardless of weather etc.
i can show off all day on the ride home, on the track, safety first ...

Andy

Yeah, I think 914s work pretty well for big people. I'm 6'6", about 245, and fit really well now that I've made some changes. I can drive a stock 914, but it's not nearly as comfortable.

- lowered drivers floor about 1" (I don't think you can do much more than that). Basically just cut a U (leaving the front attached), and then welded a 1" "wall" around the U.

- mount seat directly on the floor. Couple of things to do this: remove all rails, and the brackets on the floors. Then also grind off the excess fiberglass on "molding" on the bottom of the seat (worth at least another +1/8" ). So when your done, you're practically sitting on the [lowered] floor, not the seat.

- thin or no pad on drivers seat. For autocross or short rides directly on the fiberglass is ok, but a cushion really helps a lot for comfort. Pegasus sells a really nice but expensive "back saver" pad that is pretty thin (about 1/2" uncompressed) and is very effective at providing good cushioning in a tight spot.

- no felt on inside of roof - again, worth at least an additional 1/16" of an inch! (plus you won't get any of the fuzzy things in your hair)

- bent shifter to the right about 3" at the top

- smaller steering wheel. I've used both a 320mm and 350mm, and both are fine.

- 1.5" steering wheel extension (more comfortable [less reach], plus greatly improved my view of the gauges.

- With all that, I fit really well. My head doesn't rub at all, and plenty of leg room. I have a bolt in roll bar that extends well above the targa top (no top when racing), but it does clear my helmet by 2"+.

Sit in a 914 without a seat and you'll be greatly inspired to make this work. For the 6'10" guy, you might want to just try making some comfortable/nice interior without a drivers seat. I can drive my 914 without a seat, but it's a stretch and there is actually a bit too much leg room then!

I also have a '63 356, and they have even more room than the 914... I fit better in both of these than I do my stock Audi allroad (A6 platform).

-Steve

I'm genuinely curious how the targa top makes the car any safer? I would think that in the event of a roll over, the top would shred/splinter off in an augenblick. it doesn't seem to have a whole lot of, err..., structure to it.

?? ??

couple of things:

- i don't need as much sunscreen

- the top DOES add some rigidity (sp?) to the car. less flex is gud.

- better CV (or whatever you guys call that here in the US)

- in case of a roll-over, ANYTHING helps. if it just absorbs some of the impact. protects your head from that one bolder. whatever. i'd rather have a FG top between me and the street than thin air.

- keeps the sun out of your eyes

- makes for a nice rack to put your tools while you fiddle with the engine


Andy

good points, but i'm still lmao about the sunscreen and the tool rack...

Is it possible to flip these cars on an AX course?

It's possible, but you'd have to be seriously unlucky, or be on a really badly designed course and moderately unlucky.

Those of us who are "pigment challenged" (the PC term) or "whiteys" (the non-PC term) cannot realistically drive without a roof, at least not here in SoCal or anywhere in the southwest. I can literally get a lobster-red, cancer inducing sunburn in <20 minutes.

One thing I have not heard discussed is basically "raising the roof". It should be fairly easy to add a little length to the A-pillar between the cowl and the bottom of the windshield, and also easy to re-engineer or extend the rear top latches.

I'm 5'6". I don't know what the fuck you guys are talking about!!!!!

Curt, stand up! Hey I am standing up!!!!!

Seriously, I've had lots of big guys in my car and they only don't fit if they don't want to.

only if you hit something that doesn't move ...

as long as you're on a flat surface, it's nearly impossible to flip. you would have to hit a curb or a deep puddle of mud to flip you over.

no worries, won't happen at any of our AX's ...
Andy