Desperately need more leg room!! 1963 SWB

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Whitey,

These things were designed around an "average sized" Japanese male. We are a bit larger over here in the states!

Bob,

When Rob says "a little bits nuts", you have no idea how crazy that man truly is!!!!!! :)
 
rockcod said:
Whitey,

These things were designed around an "average sized" Japanese male. We are a bit larger over here in the states!

Bob,

When Rob says "a little bits nuts", you have no idea how crazy that man truly is!!!!!! :)
Click to expand...

Yea so it would seem that I either hack up a classic 63 Shorty FJ45 and completely deface it OR just sell/trade and drive something that is more appropriate...
 
I, like Rob, have driven my 45 on many long road trips. One of the other things I did to increase room inside the cab [I am 6'3"] was to cut the brackets that support the steering column at the dashboard and modify them to rotate the column up.

The first time I did it I could only move about 1/4" at the dash [which is about 1/2" at the steering wheel] because of the column shift linkage. After I went to a floorshifted 4 speed trans, I added another 1/4", so now I have about 1" more room at the bottom of the steering wheel.

It probably helps that I'm long-waisted AND a little bow legged!:doh:

6"8" in a fixed top shorty is ..............a chiropractor's dream!:p

Best

Mark A.
 
65swb45 said:
I, like Rob, have driven my 45 on many long road trips. One of the other things I did to increase room inside the cab [I am 6'3"] was to cut the brackets that support the steering column at the dashboard and modify them to rotate the column up.

The first time I did it I could only move about 1/4" at the dash [which is about 1/2" at the steering wheel] because of the column shift linkage. After I went to a floorshifted 4 speed trans, I added another 1/4", so now I have about 1" more room at the bottom of the steering wheel.

It probably helps that I'm long-waisted AND a little bow legged!:doh:

6"8" in a fixed top shorty is ..............a chiropractor's dream!:p

Best

Mark A.
Click to expand...

Yea this truck is not looking practical everyday....I am glad I have it, but now I need to figure out a long term plan for her....I couldn't pass this truck up and I knew it would be a potential issue. We will see what happens very soon.

a.greenspan said:
or a new challenge ;)
... if you modify the bulkhead & the pedals to get more distance between the pedals and the driver seat... just another idea ... you can get it if ..... YouTube - cliff you can get it if you really want
.... but you must try .....:D
Cheers
Peter
Click to expand...

Yea, sounds like that is a possibility, love the theme song by the way! haha.
 
a.greenspan said:
or a new challenge ;)
... if you modify the bulkhead & the pedals to get more distance between the pedals and the driver seat... just another idea ... you can get it if ..... YouTube - cliff you can get it if you really want
.... but you must try .....:D
Cheers
Peter
Click to expand...

Peter, you don't know how close you are! I actually have some preliminary drawings to move a subsection of the firewall forwards 3", as well as moving the footwell down 1" to allow for modding the pedals. I give credit to Ray over at TLC for the final part of the plan, which is to section out part of the trans tunnel and move it inboard a couple of inches.

I think it is going on these 3600 mile road trips that has given me too much time to work all this out!

Best

Mark A.
 
Increasing Leg Room

Hey Bob,

I am 6'1" and find the leg room in my 1977 FJ45 suboptimal. I have just raised the seat about 1.5" by adding extensions under each leg, but that's about the maximum lift I could manage, without hitting my legs on the stock steering wheel. The other issue with raising the seat further is that the top of the seat back no longer sits under the rear window, but instead hits the bottom of window frame. In order to get the seat back to lock into position, you need to adjust the seat bottom forward, which defeats any advantage the addtional lift might have provided. The additional 1.5" does materially improve my legroom, but I wouldn't want to drive my FJ45 across Canada...

Good luck with your decisions relating to the truck, James
 
Was sitting in such a Landrover Series today....

II_A.JPG


Tim%20Rolt+Land%20Rover_Ksar_1962_KR.jpg


....and I would say they have definitely less legroom compare to my 45 , measured the steering wheel diameter ;),
it`s 42cm * same diameter like my BJ43.
The 45 steering wheel diameter is larger ( maybe I measure it this evening).... nice steering wheel they have ....

land_rover_series_i_steering_wheel_restored.jpg


img07a.jpg


...if it would fit a 45 steering column, it would lo;)k fine
Cheers
Peter
*42 centimeters = 16.5354331 inch
 
Last edited:
Cut out the floorpans and make deeper ones.
 
I think one of the least-expensive elements of a solution for you is evident in one of the pics in the Lotus thread -- the driver still looks like a tight fit but the steering wheel is tiny. If the steering wheel in that Lotus was the size of the SWB's, he couldn't even get in that car. The steering wheel on a SWB is probably close to 18 inches while that Lotus wheel is probably about 11 or 12. Though I'd much rather have an original steering wheel, a 14 to 15 inch aftermarket wheel looks okay in a Cruiser and buys you precious space.

In the SWB's original form, you won't be able to shift gears. Your left knee will be up beside the steering wheel and there is no way you'll even be able to close the door. It will be impossible for you to put your foot up onto the clutch pedal because your knee will hit the bottom of the steering wheel first, and the driver's door itself will get in the way.

I think an SWB is the smallest model of the old LandCruisers so you have the least to work with, though all old Cruisers are relatively small. Mine is not an SWB, but I was able to move the seat rails back a little, replace the column with the power steering conversion to a tilt and go with a smaller diameter wheel while gaining a little more leg space by increasing the column-to-floor angle. I still have space issues with both legs, including the shifter against my right leg in first gear, but I can now drive it somewhat comfortably and drive it safely.

For my next project, I'll get a longer replacement column which will allow an even greater angle and more room between the top of the clutch pedal and the bottom of the steering wheel. You'd think a longer column would work against you (everything works against you when looking for space in a Cruiser), but I needed more room for my legs under and around the steering wheel and with a tilt column you can negate some of the room you lose by using a longer column. The smaller steering wheel will also get some of this space back.

Hopefully some of these tricks will help you. I think you will need to combine some of these ideas with work to push the lower firewall/floor and pedals further out for an SWB. The headroom is less of an issue but you'll still stoop forward, but you're used to doing that all the time anyway, or your head has lots of dents in it.:bang:

I would worry less about modifying a 63 SWB. With your truck, you might even increase it's value by altering it so that more people could drive it comfortably. For "insurance," you can hold on to the original parts and if it turns out to be worth a mint someday, that in itself will make it cost-effective for someone else to return it to original.

Good luck!
 
Hey everyone, thanks a lot for the replies. I am in such a catch 22 with this truck. I love it so much, I think it's the coolest thing since sliced bread! haha. I found that if I could get a bucket seat, smaller steering wheel, take off the doors and re-fab the floor shifter to have a different angle, I can almost drive this!! lol....So anyway, I am not sure how extensively I am going to work on this, but I will keep everyone posted for sure!!! Thanks again for everyone, this forum has been awesome!!!!
 
Or just have Proffit's build you one of these...

Started as a shorty...

Grease Cruiser said:
Current specs include:

-1965 FJ45 SWB pickup turned into custom Troop Carrier
-Turbo'd 1HZ with H55F
-FJ62 axles (rear full float with cable locker; ARB's f/r coming soon)
-WARN 8274
-in cab remote controlled FLIR camera
-in cab remote controlled GO light
-auxiliary WVO tank 25 gallons capacity
-custom rear bumpers
-etc
Click to expand...
DSCF1433.webp
 
DomSmith said:
Or just have Proffit's build you one of these...

Started as a shorty...
Click to expand...

Yea that truck is completely what I need!! I saw that on here an thought the same thing. I bet that would be some serious $$$ - We'll see what we do soon. I just want to get on the trails someday soon!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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