Lowered vs Normal Floor

[DennisA]

I'm looking to buy my first 7 probably a Roadsport 125 or 140. I've sat in one with a normal floor & that seems fine for someone quite short like me (5' 5" ish). As I've seen one I quite like with a lowered floor I just wondered what the actual difference to the driving position is between the two & whether the lowered floor would be a mistake.

As the car for sale is a great distance from me I'd thought I'd just ask member's opinions before I go have a look.

Thanks

Dennis.

 

[Jonathan Kay]

Welcome.

Where are you? With a bit of luck there'll be some Members nearby who might let you try out some different combinations.

There's a vast amount on lowered floors in the archives, but I don't think I've ever seen a discussion of raising the seat on them. It shouldn't be too hard.

Jonathan

[ChrisC]

Get yourself to a local meeting, This time of year I bet you will be able to find someone that will let you sit in a car with the combination of chassis, floors and seat that best suits you, and your needs.  

[DJ.]

It would be possible to raise the seat using aluminum box sections. Remember the type of seat makes a big difference, Tillets give a noticeably lower position than regular seats.

[Nick Chan]

Lowered floors drop you down around 2" but this is at point nearest the rear bulkhead.  Trish is slightly taller than you and finds driving our supersport with its lowered floors and tillets difficult to see over the bonnet!  She's perfectly fine in her own car with standard floors

[Wodybode]

I'm 5' 7" with an S3 with lowered floors and and standard seats and I find the driving position OK. I have the 7" headlights and they sort of got in the way a bit but I fitted the lowered brackets and it's much better. I did look at raising the seats with some box section but didn't bother in the end.

[SLR No.77]

Buy the car with lowered floors, all things being equal it will be easier to sell if you decide to change/move on. It's easy to add some ally box section under the seat to raise it up and will give more flexibility on getting the seat angle you want. Plus if you raise it up it'll also give a little additional storage space under the seats when touring.

[Mark w]

this 

[Paul McKenzie]

I think the lowered floor would be a mistake for someone your height  . I'm 6 foot and I share cars for track-days with my mate with his lowered floor, and I can't see properly to place the nearside wheel of his car on left handers. My solution has been to manufacture a 2 inch booster seat in closed cell foam, but it's a PITA (comfortable in reality  ) but something unnecessary you might wish to avoid.

[john aston]

It depends also on how old the car is; my first Seven didn't have LF and at 5 11 the driving position was perfect . That was a '93 car. My second , a 2007 car , was virtually undriveable without LF .

I have no idea on why this should be - and a 2014 car I drove with LF was almost as bad as mine was before the LF .  

[Alastair B]

Dennis, I am of small stature like you (5' 5'' ish)....I can honestly say you do not need a LF, I agree with Post #9. I have a 99 car with Leather seats and find the driving position perfectly fine with normal floor height. If the car has Tilletts you absolutely do not need a LF, this will drop you further. Basically you will struggle with overall visibility on a LF car plus the lowered floor. More subjective but I also think that with your most likely smaller shoe size a LF car will impact pedal use linked to the angle your leg/foot approaches the pedals. I personally would buy the car for my needs not necessarily thinking about ease of disposal before you even have got the car. IMO a good specification, well looked and reasonably priced car after will always sell whether it has a LF or not. For you of greater importance when comparing cars is the condition of the car and specification of the items you want your car to have bearing in mind the intended use of the car.