eflight

My first post here so please be gentle.

I have always wanted a 911, and I have 2 years to get one before my 50th Birthday so I have started looking and reading all about buying a used 911. I figure something in the $20 - $25K range. I'm in Rhode Island, so not a lot of used 911s come on the market in the area, so I am somewhat limited to what I can get, as well as only 1 or 2 Porsche shops in the state.

Unfortunately I'm 6'2" tall, all of it torso so I sit in a 911 and my head goes up against the roof and then has to bend over to fit in the car. Actually, its not a problem limited to 911's its almost any car with a sunroof. I cant even sit in a honda accord with a sunroof.

So I am in search of a solution to get my dream 911.

I figure the first option is a 911 without a sunroof but how rare are 911s without sunroofs?

I was wondering if there are any kits on the market to lower the seats in a 911 to gain a few inches of head room?

Does a targa top have more headroom than a car with the sunroof, yeas I mean with the targa still on

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Ed Hughes

One word: Targa

Ed Hughes

There is plenty of room with a Targa top. I've done lots of miles with a helmet on and no issues, without is even more clearance. You also get the benefit of open top motoring, which is a HUGE bonus.

KILRWAIL

I made a modification to my seat so my helmet would clear the roof - I'm 6'2" also, but maybe a bit longer in the leg than you. I lowered the seat cushion by at least 1-1/2" without changing the mounting. The first attempt at this change is written up in a Pelican tip. I can explain the second stage if you're interested. But you'd have to buy the car first to try it

raspberryroadster

do a search "no headroom".....problem has been resolved previously (or buy a cab if you have no intent on tracking the car).

Ed Hughes

That's just not a valid statement. Look at Jeremy Dixon's Cab that he sold recently, it was absolutely tricked out and a sleeper in that it looked totally stock. It had more track days than most 911's will ever get by what I've seen from across the country, although I saw it in person at RRIII a few years ago. Same with Targas, the thought that open top 911's are slouches at the track is simply not valid.

UberXY

I had a very rare 996 sunroof delete car with a factory installed GT3 body kit. About six months ago I saw that it is for sale in CT; you can find it on sixspeedonline. It has been owned by at least two members of Rennforums.

I mention this only because it had max headroom for a 996.

5String

Yes. Hope's name is "Targa." I can't sit in a sunroof coupe, and God knows the non-sunroof cars are scarce. So my car is a Targa. Great car. We take the top off, enjoy the hell out of it.

-5string

irobertson

You may actually fit in a sunroof delete coupe.
My buddy, at 6'5", fits in my car.

rgrimm

Try different cars. Now I'm only 6'0" (perhaps a little short for this group), but the couple I bought my '84 from...he must be at least 6'4" if not higher.

He made the comment that after the late 80s Carreras he had a hard time finding a newer 911 until he found and bought his 2002 Targa.

GTgears

I'm 6'3" with a 32" inseam, so like yourself, I am all torso. My car is an '86 911 Carrera and I fit just fine. In 1986 they lowered the seats 20mm and kept it that way for the balance of the 3.2l production line. I think it may be the same in a 964 as well. My car is a sunroof coupe. As rgrimm says, find a number of cars and sit in them. I can't tell you how the seats sit in 993 or 996 cars, which are also in your price range.

Having already taken my car to the track I can tell you that I do hit the roof with my helmet on. My long term solution will be to get some racebuckets that I can mount even lower than the stock seats. If your plan is to track the car, this may be the route you want to consider as well. It will open your car options up if your intent is to get an IB car and do want a coupe. Then you can look at anything from 1974 on, or even a long nose if that's where your tastes lie.

eflight

Thanks guys

I just sat in a 1990 911 the other day and there was no headroom at all. I needed a good bit more headroom. Its too bad too because it looked to be a steal at $13K

I dont see myself tracking the car except to try it a few times, nothing serious.

Time to start hunting for targas or sunroof delete cars

When did they go from a removeable roof targa to a oversized sunroof targa?

Ed Hughes

The 964 Targas are the last of the sort, so 1994.

g-50cab

As Ed said - a DAS Rollbar in a cabriolet that you can take in and take out are a great dual purpose car. 98% of the p-car population will not be able to tell it's a cabriolet from the driving dynamics. 98% will not be able to outdrive what the car is capable of. The rest of the time with the top off (Targa or cabriolet) is one of the finer sensations known to man.

anything after 1992 in a removable roof targa is VERY rare -

They took a break and I don't think they reintroduced the Targa (as a big honking sunroof) in 1996 (I think)

If you are looking at a 1990-1992 911 do some research and go in with your eyes open. They had some issues, most of which have probably been fixed by now...

rusnak

How much headroom clearance do you need to pick up?

It seems to me modifying the seat mount and going with sport seats is good for a few inches of clearance, and would be the first thing I'd look at doing.