I don't fit in my car!

Hey GRM, I own a 2005 Lexus IS300 5-spd. I've had the car for just over a year and love almost everything about it. The issue is I'm 6'3" tall with a 32" inseam meaning my torso is crazy long, and I have a huge melon for a head. I'm also 240 lbs. I'm not a fat guy, just BIG. I don't fit in my car

I am trying to figure out a solution. Anybody know if the stock seats can be modified to fit me? I don't want aftermarket seats as mine are heated and powered and have airbags in them. I am hoping they can hollow them out a bit and maybe add some thigh support.

Think it's possible? I was contemplating today trading it in on a diesel pickup, but that is so not me!

I fit better in my 944.

I'm open to other suggestions. And please don't tell me to lose weight, I've heard that already.

The car doesn't have a sunroof by any chance?

In reply to BoxheadTim:

Sure does. That's where my head goes. I have to leave the sunshade open so I can sit up straight, the problem is the opening isn't quite big enough so I'm slightly tilted.

Extend the steering column and tip the seat back a bit more? I often have the same problem, and find that the part of me that gets worn out first is my arms, from being extended too far. I

we had a thread recently about lowering miata seats. you may want to read that through to see if it has any good ideas

I am 6'5" and I don't fit in the IS, the straight roof is horrible for tall people.

Your going to have to lower the seat.

I think you may need an open car instead.

There is a limit to what can be done to a seat. can't you cut the legs shorter on it? If that is not an option, it may be possible to cut the floor out and weld in a dropped section to carry the seat.

get a bigger car. it's how i fixed the way i fit into my 04 Cavalier- i traded it to a friend for a 97 Monte Carlo..

Sunroofs are evil for us tall torso folks (5'10'' with 29'' inseam here, so your torso is probably only 2'' taller than mine). They eat a significant amount of headroom in a car. In the future, try to avoid them at all costs.

Unfortunately, the easy answers are move on to another vehicle or get an aftermarket seat. If you are really ambitious, you could remove the seat, pound out the floor a few inches, and reinstall the seat, probably with modified rails as well. It would not be easy though.

Oh, do a search on the Miata "foamectomy". That might work for you, but the airbags might throw a kink in there.

My brother is similar in dimensions to you, and used to be similar in weight. He recently lost a bunch, but that didn't change the fact that he's 6'4" with proportionately shorter legs. What he does to fit into small cars like my RX8 is to scoot the seat quite a bit closer than I would (I'm 5'10" and 33-34" inseam) and recline like crazy. That way he can fit height wise and still reach the steering wheel. He also looks hella-uncomfortable in there, so maybe that doesn't work.

Some good ideas fellas. In my 944 I brought the steering wheel back almost 7" and lean the seat back so I can fit with a helmet. In the IS300 I have thought about it but I don't want to get rid of the airbag steering wheel.

The foamectomy is a possibility, although I think I'll leave it to a professional.

My best friend sold me the car for about half it's actual value means even selling or trading it is complicated. His wife was pissed and told me; "You better not buy this car and sell it in a year or two." She is well aware of my automotive ADD, except in this case I want the car, it just doesn't want me.

Rufledt wrote: My brother is similar in dimensions to you, and used to be similar in weight. He recently lost a bunch, but that didn't change the fact that he's 6'4" with proportionately shorter legs. What he does to fit into small cars like my RX8 is to scoot the seat quite a bit closer than I would (I'm 5'10" and 33-34" inseam) and recline like crazy. That way he can fit height wise and still reach the steering wheel. He also looks hella-uncomfortable in there, so maybe that doesn't work.

I tried that yesterday, hella-uncomfortable is an understatement.

I am quite tall myself, but I fit without issue in my sunroof early 944, and I fit with PLENTY of room to spare in my Mazda3 with a sunroof. There's probably 3-4 inches above my head WITH A HELMET ON!

Gurney bubble? Just sayin'...

Sounds like the foamectemy may be the best first option.

Think Bubba Smith in Police Academy and the Civic. Here is the video of his "solution" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phHZ2HOkn8s

I have the exact same dimensions as you and fit in my Lotus 7 clone with an open top. I also fit in my 1st gen RX7 racer by bolting the seat to the floor and getting rid of the stock slider and mounts. A good upholstery shop or fabricator should be able to modify the seat mount/track setup to give you more room as well as taking a little foam out of the seat cushion.

6'2" with a 33" inseam with a Miata daily driver here.

You might just consider an aftermarket seat. Quite often they will lower you quite a bit. Installing the seats in my mustang put me down at least 2"

As to the miata, foamectomy, gonna have to floor mount a seat for trackdays though.

Look at the tracks of your seat and see how tall the whole mechanism is. If it's a power seat and the entire mechanism can be removed, you might be able to put a manual track in it from another vehicle that's much thinner.

I feel your pain. I hate sunroofs and the headroom they steal.

The solution is a taller car, but headroom seems to be scarce these days. I've been in a Miata or two, and no matter how far back I slide the seat and stretch my arms, I always find it easier to look OVER the top of the windshield as I'm driving.

Ironically, the RX-7 I have has a sunroof and I can sort of fit, but it's tough with a helmet.

TxCoyote wrote: I also fit in my 1st gen RX7 racer by bolting the seat to the floor and getting rid of the stock slider and mounts.

Yep.

6'4", 245#.

I race Spec Miata.

I always tell anyone. Before you buy a car, sit in it. If you are not comfortable, walk away. Of course, there are extenuating circumstances that preclude that.

making me very happy to be 5'10 with a 32" inseam

I am 6'4" 220 or so depending with a 34" inseam. On a couple cars, most recently my 96 civic hatch, I raised the front of drivers seat by fabricating and fitting two pieces of 4" long by 1/4" thick by 1" wide strap drilled with two holes each 2.5" apart on center that accept the appropriate nuts and bolt to mount the seat to the chassis. I used high quality hardware. The rear tabs in the case of the Civic just bend a couple degrees into a more open angle with a tug to line the front holes of the seat to the installed tabs. The seat belt anchor is on the rear so that stays OEM. That 2.5 inches of height changes the geometry of my seating position such that I went from very uncomfortable and only able to drive that car for 2 hours with hurting to being good for 6-8 hours with minimal discomfort. My thighs are being supported by the seat instead of flapping in the breeze, and since my sit bones are not doing all the work anymore, my butt does not fall asleep The steering wheel is now adjusted up, I am a couple clicks closer to the pedals, and I am a couple clicks more reclined. I couldn't ask for more.

oh- I found the correct height for the front of the seat by blocking it up with pieces of lumber and messing around until it felt right.

johnnytorque wrote: Hey GRM, I own a 2005 Lexus IS300 5-spd. I've had the car for just over a year and love almost everything about it. The issue is I'm 6'3" tall with a 32" inseam meaning my torso is crazy long, and I have a huge melon for a head. I'm also 240 lbs. I'm not a fat guy, just BIG. I don't fit in my car I am trying to figure out a solution. Anybody know if the stock seats can be modified to fit me? I don't want aftermarket seats as mine are heated and powered and have airbags in them. I am hoping they can hollow them out a bit and maybe add some thigh support. Think it's possible? I was contemplating today trading it in on a diesel pickup, but that is so not me! I fit better in my 944. I'm open to other suggestions. And please don't tell me to lose weight, I've heard that already.

In reply to Shaun:

I may have to try something like that. I really need to drop the seat about 3" and extend the thigh pad by about the same.

I have been looking at the classifieds though. A diesel truck or SUV is how I'm leaning. Too bad my IS300 isn't worth squat.

Peek under the seat and see what kind of real estate you're working with. It's possible that with some fab work on the seat, the rails, the floor pan, or all of the above, that you could retain the OE seat, but have it sit several inches lower.