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Thread: Photos of seat tracks? Trying to get more legroom.

  1. #1
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
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    Photos of seat tracks? Trying to get more legroom.

    Hello!

    So it seems I am in a very small minority of people who find their legs are just a tad too long for the Delorean. I have searched for "delorean more legroom" and all I've come up with are a lot of articles about how much legroom it has.

    For me, my right leg is bent enough that my thigh touches the steering wheel when driving. When I heel-toe to the brake, my thigh goes in to the wheel pretty firmly. The angle of my leg forces my ankle in to a weird position that gets a bit tiring after 30 minutes of driving or so. And at 6'0", I'm not a particularly tall guy.

    I noticed that I can wedge a flat hand behind my seat when it's all the way back. Yet, I hear a metal-on-metal 'thunk!" as I slide it back. I have gotten under the seat with a flash light and cant see where a stopper is located. Does anyone have a photo of the seat tracks that might show this? I'd like to see if it could be safely removed and still have the seat lock in place an inch further back.

    Or if anyone else has done anything to get a bit more legroom, I'd be curious to hear about it.

    Thanks,
    -Rick
    5470

  2. #2
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    Have you seen the Hightower mod?


  3. #3
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rich_NYS View Post
    Have you seen the Hightower mod?
    Wow! I haven't seen that scene since the movie came out.

    However, the only issue is that my car did not come with with option:
    a9c97d5e93fd335ba9de00009fd5f4ad.jpg

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickjames8 View Post
    Hello!

    So it seems I am in a very small minority of people who find their legs are just a tad too long for the Delorean. I have searched for "delorean more legroom" and all I've come up with are a lot of articles about how much legroom it has.

    For me, my right leg is bent enough that my thigh touches the steering wheel when driving. When I heel-toe to the brake, my thigh goes in to the wheel pretty firmly. The angle of my leg forces my ankle in to a weird position that gets a bit tiring after 30 minutes of driving or so. And at 6'0", I'm not a particularly tall guy.

    I noticed that I can wedge a flat hand behind my seat when it's all the way back. Yet, I hear a metal-on-metal 'thunk!" as I slide it back. I have gotten under the seat with a flash light and cant see where a stopper is located. Does anyone have a photo of the seat tracks that might show this? I'd like to see if it could be safely removed and still have the seat lock in place an inch further back.

    Or if anyone else has done anything to get a bit more legroom, I'd be curious to hear about it.

    Thanks,
    -Rick
    5470
    Stock seats won't let you lay your hand flat when it is all the way back. It's more like you can't put a single finger flat when it's all the way back. So yours is a few clicks from being all the way back. That's good news in the sense that your legs will fit, you just need to figure out what's going on underneath.

    Your seats have the slide release bars though at least, right? I ask because mine weren't in attendance the first day I got my car and I too wondered how I might have just bought a car I don't fit in since the seat was a few clicks from being all the way back.

    My suggestion would be to take the seat out and inspect it yourself once removed from the car. Photos of how it should be won't be of that much help while it's still installed because you can't see what's going on in that low space underneath.

    Removing the seat is fairly simple. Reaching under the car (and you don't typically need the car raised to do this if you have a clean enough spot to lie down on beside the car) you loosen the nut on the four threaded studs that are attached to the seat and protrude through the fiberglass floor and below the car.

    Once those four are loose, carefully lift it out, being cautious of how you might need to wiggle it to clear the seatbelt receptacle and wire and the parking brake assembly (remove the carpet cover on the parking brake first).

    If you're new to the car, being comfortable removing the seats isn't a bad thing as it can be necessary if/when you need to get doing some work under the dash.

    It could be as simple as the carpeting has gotten bunched up and is in the way. This is known to happen at times and guys have put washers (or quarters) as spacers under there to raise it up slightly to get the rails off the carpet. Could be one of those washers is blocking things too.

    Like I said, take the seat out and get a good look at it and I'm sure you'll know pretty quick what the problem was.


    Sept. 81, auto, black interior

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickjames8 View Post
    Wow! I haven't seen that scene since the movie came out.

    However, the only issue is that my car did not come with with option:
    a9c97d5e93fd335ba9de00009fd5f4ad.jpg
    Whoa, is that a picture of your actual seats? If that's the case, then pretty much skip what I said 'cause that's a long way from stock.


    Sept. 81, auto, black interior

  6. #6
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    I have my seats out, I'll try to get a few pics....might be a day or two.

  7. #7
    Senior Member DMC-81's Avatar
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    Hi there,

    Here are a few before and after seat track refurbishment pictures if they help. You can see the stops stamped into the metal as round bumps..

    image.jpg

    image.jpg

    image.jpg

    Edit: that's assuming you're non stock seats use the OEM seat track.
    Last edited by DMC-81; 12-04-2016 at 08:01 PM.
    Dana

    1981 DeLorean DMC-12 (5 Speed, Gas Flap, Black Interior, Windshield Antenna, Dark Gray)
    Restored as "mostly correct, but with flaws corrected". Pictures and comments of my restoration are in the albums section on my profile.
    1985 Chevrolet Corvette, Z51, 4+3 manual
    2006 Dodge Magnum R/T (D/D)
    2010 Camaro SS (Transformers Edition)

  8. #8
    Senior Member DMC5180's Avatar
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    Being about the same height, I have to slouch with the seat all the way back and laid back as far as it will go. My right leg lays against the console.

    I'm curious if your steering wheel is adjusted to the bottom of the slot position?

    I keep mine all the way up and don't have any issues per se.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    DENNIS

    VIN 5180, Frame 3652, STAGE II​, DM-eng Solid State Solutions (RPM Rly, Dm.Lt.Mod., Fan Fail Mod. , FAN Rly, HS.Rly) , HID headlights, SPAX user since 2009, Eibach springs, M Adj. Rear LCA's, DPNW poly-sway bar kit, DMCEU LCA Stabilizer link kit, DMCMW Illuminated door sills, Aussie Illuminated SS Shifter plate, REAL MOMO EVO Steering wheel, DELOREANA Extended View Side Mirrors w/ Heaters, DELOREANA LED Door Lights.

  9. #9
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    Whoa, is that a picture of your actual seats? If that's the case, then pretty much skip what I said 'cause that's a long way from stock.
    Nope. Not my car. That was a random photo I found while browsing for Deloreans.

  10. #10
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    Stock seats won't let you lay your hand flat when it is all the way back. It's more like you can't put a single finger flat when it's all the way back. So yours is a few clicks from being all the way back. That's good news in the sense that your legs will fit, you just need to figure out what's going on underneath.

    Your seats have the slide release bars though at least, right?
    They do. I can slide them forward using that bar.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    My suggestion would be to take the seat out and inspect it yourself once removed from the car.... Reaching under the car (and you don't typically need the car raised to do this if you have a clean enough spot to lie down on beside the car) you loosen the nut on the four threaded studs that are attached to the seat and protrude through the fiberglass floor and below the car.
    Thanks for that! I am going in for state inspection tomorrow, so I needed to leave the car alone for the time being (I have a habit of getting in deeper in to a project than I'm supposed to - for instance "I'll just recover the seats as long as they're out" kind of thing), so I was hoping the pics would give an idea. But if it's that easy (I had a kit car where they were bolted in the same way) I'll do that this week.

    Thanks!!

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