Mark IV Basic Newb Questions

[Iggy913]

Ladies and Gentleman I must first apologize if these questions have been asked before but I'd like to ask them here:

My Father and I are looking into purchasing a Mark IV, maybe in the next year or so hopefully. We will be building the car as a Father/Son project, we had dreams of building a car when I was 14 years old, now I'm 30 and we're finally in a place to build something.

My basic question is will we fit in the car? We run both about 6"1' and I'm about 230lbs and Dad runs close to 300lbs. Would either of us be comfortable in the car? Would we be able to ride in the car together at times and not both have our shoulders shrugged forward?

Lastly is there anyone in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia or North Eastern NC that would be willing to let us come and look at their car? I'd really like to see one in person and sit in it before we place an order.

Thank you all in advance.

[oshuwah]

I'm 6'1" and 225 and recently drove a friends MK3. I had a really hard time driving it. Foot box was super small and pedals were really close together. He told me the modular engine's take up more room and guys with a more old school set up could have more foot space. BUT I'm no expert so hopefully someone who is will chime in. 300lbs, maybe. Height is more of an issue than width/weight IMO.

[carlewms]

There is a lot of factors that impact the answers...

I am 6'2" and 260, so I wanted to maximize the space in the car so this is what I have done ...

1. Expanded the PS foot box. I have ridden in a car without the expanded footbox and it is doable but not that comfortable;
2. Bought the new FFR seats that add about 2 inches of room both on the seat and the back;
3. Expanded the DS foot box on both sides of the box (clutch and gas pedal); and,
4. Added a 1/2 in block under the steering wheel pillow block to raise the steering wheel.

You can get Kirkey seats which will give you more room.

Carl

[edwardb]

I'm very average size and weight (and I keep trying to convince my Doc about that...) and I have no trouble getting in/out of the Roadster, or being comfortable once seated. Have to watch the pedals and where my feet are. So that's a legitimate concern with some options during the build. I've given rides to some bigger guys, and definitely there is a point where it's not comfortable. Your best bet is to find some builds in your area and try it on for size. Some of the mods mentioned no doubt help as well. One other aspect not to overlook is getting in and out. You have to be relatively flexible with strength in the right places. And there are not a lot of places to grab, e.g. not the windshield, don't lean on the doors, etc. This could be a consideration for some as well. I haven't tried them, but apparently both the Coupe and the GTM are even more challenging in this regard.

It's a bit of a drive for you, but if you're seriously interested the London Cobra Show is coming up June 19-20-21. On Saturday, June 21, there will be a couple hundred cars in downtown London, Ohio with factory displays from several brands including Factory Five. You wouldn't get a better chance to see everything, talk to owners, etc. I've had several guys ask to sit in my car for the very reasons you cite, and I'm always happy to let them. Most owners would do the same. Even rides are possible. Something to consider.

[skullandbones]

I've adjusted the driver's footbox several times to fit my 6' 215lb frame into the roadster. I have a left side bump out and moved the crash bar toward the front of the car, quick release steering wheel with large and small wheel, seats set aiming centerline with the footboxes not straight forward, and have my seats on sliders with a slight raised platform for the curve of my leg. I also wear a driving shoe since I didn't want to modify the Wilwood pedals by cutting them down. It's close but very functional. My next mod is to fab an accelerator pedal that will fit much better than the donor one I used after highly modifying. I have the sbf which gives me more room than if you choose a bbf or mod motor. You make the roadster to fit you. It's a good feeling when you climb in the seat (not like your daily driver at all). I think your father will be OK as height is more critical than girth, IMO. Even though you and dad are above average size wise, I've seen much bigger dudes get in and out of one. Sitting side by side you should be fine. I bought my kit having never sat or ridden in one so have faith. Good luck, WEK.

Note: In case you didn't notice: this was my experience with a MKIII. You will have most of the changes already done to the footboxes with the new version. The only problem is if you decide to go big with the engine. Then you take a little of that added space away.

[Jester]

I installed a Coyote (mod motor) with the Wilwood pedal assembly and stock FFR leather seats with sliding seat tracks (elevated in the front) in my Mk4. To accommodate the Coyote there is a mod required to the gas pedal side of the DS footbox to allow for additional foot space which adds ~ 1.5-2 inches to the trans tunnel and the final result will accommodate most normal sized shoe sizes (mine are size 12). As for length, I am 5'11" (34" inseam), my build should easily fit up to 6'2" without any special mods (seat or pedals). My clutch/brake foot rests comfortably in the space on the left beside the pedals with my leg stretched out (without any issues) and the crash bar acts as a dead pedal - there is an additional 2-3 inches of free space that is available in front of my clutch foot that I am not using (for taller drivers). Also, the passenger side foot box can be extended forward to match the length of driver’s side footbox allowing for several extra inches and can also be widened especially on the trans tunnel side, which makes a significant difference for passenger comfort. I widened the passenger side footbox (added ~ 2 inches in width) but did not extend forward and I have had 6'1" passengers with zero complaints about comfort and room.

Look for a Mk4 for your test fit as it has the largest foot boxes - there are additional mods (relatively easy to do) that can provide significantly more space and comfort.

There is a technique re entry and exit for both the drivers and passengers side that you should be aware of before getting in (ask the owner for a briefing before getting in) - easy exit takes practice and may not be graceful on your first few attempts.

Not all FFR's are built equally - you can build the car to fit your needs (and size)

good luck

[Iggy913]

Thank you all for the replys. Hopefully someone will chime in eventually somewhat close to me so I can try actually sitting in one. I'm not too worried about fitting myself, I'm concerned for my Father as he is a little older and larger, maybe this will be some incentive to get him to slim down some.

Are the mods to the footwells pretty self explanatory once I see the boxes in the cars or is there a thread somewhere showing what others have done? I like the idea of the Coyote motor for ease of tuning and drivability, I really was interested in running a Chevrolet LS motor, please don't kill me for mentioning that motor. Has anyone done that, is it a fairly simple swap? I only as because it's a platform I'm very familiar with. However in both cases, Coyote and LS, if I'm giving up a sizable amount of foot and leg room than I may have to educate myself on the smallblock Ford platform as well.

[David Hodgkins]

Iggy, welcome to the forum.

I'm 6'6 and ~315lbs currently. Here's a pic of me 30lbs heavier back in 2010:
http://ffroadster.com/images/Misc/DH7-10.jpg

I've got size 16 shoes. I can drive my roadster comfortably in running shoes:
http://ffroadster.com/images/driversfootbox/IMG_0113M.JPG
http://ffroadster.com/images/driversfootbox/IMG_0108M.JPG

How?

Simple mods, one or two of which may no longer be needed with the MKIV.

I have Kirkey vintage seats, mounted to brackets that give them a very slight forward tilt, on the floor and pushed all the way back. I have Wilwood pedals which are adjusted forward 2" for a total of 4" of additional legroom and and add 2" of "headroom". As you can see in the pics above, I cut my brake pedal and put a dogleg in the Russ Thompson gas pedal to create more room for my feet. Cutting the pedal is no longer required in the MKIV because the pads are adjustable, not cast as shown on my pedals. I use a 14" wheel, raised slightly with washers under the steering shaft pillow block. I have a removable steering wheel, but don't need it. I run a small block motor, which allows me to use the straight inner driver's foot box (refer to pics above) that give me a LOT more room for my right foot.

I also cut my driver's side footbox crash bar out completely(again, see pics above). I did this because the MKIII tubing is different than the MKIV and was in the way so I couldn't get my left foot around the outside of the clutch pedal. This also is no longer required in a MKIV as the tubing now use tighter radii. Some have added a bump-out in the outer driver's footbox to create a foot rest but with the crash bar remove I didn't need it. My left foot rests against the front of the footbox on long trips.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions or want to see more pics feel free to send me a PM or make a request in this thread.

http://ffroadster.com/images/Misc/DHCobra.jpg

[edwardb]

I really was interested in running a Chevrolet LS motor, please don't kill me for mentioning that motor. Has anyone done that, is it a fairly simple swap? I only ask because it's a platform I'm very familiar with. However in both cases, Coyote and LS, if I'm giving up a sizable amount of foot and leg room than I may have to educate myself on the smallblock Ford platform as well.

Yes, it's been done. Here's a link with some information. http://www.ffcars.com/forums/54-chevy-any-other-non-ford-motor-builds/263763-putting-ls-motor-into-ffr-roadster-long-read.html There are more links inside, including to some build sites. This isn't new, so don't know if all are still available. But a starting place with real experience.

My personal opinion (and worth about as much as you're paying for it...) looks like more work than learning what little you need to drop a SBF in there. And that will give you plenty of options for maximizing space for you and your passengers. Then there's the whole idea of dropping a GM engine into a very traditional Ford platform. Some will be OK with it. Others will not be at all. If that even matters to you.

[Jester]

Iggy, welcome to the forum.

I'm 6'6 and ~315lbs currently. Here's a pic of me 30lbs heavier back in 2010:
http://ffroadster.com/images/Misc/DH7-10.jpg

I've got size 16 shoes. I can drive my roadster comfortably in running shoes:
http://ffroadster.com/images/driversfootbox/IMG_0113M.JPG
http://ffroadster.com/images/driversfootbox/IMG_0108M.JPG

How?

Simple mods, one or two of which may no longer be needed with the MKIV.

I have Kirkey vintage seats, mounted to brackets that give them a very slight forward tilt, on the floor and pushed all the way back. I have Wilwood pedals which are adjusted forward 2" for a total of 4" of additional legroom and and add 2" of "headroom". As you can see in the pics above, I cut my brake pedal and put a dogleg in the Russ Thompson gas pedal to create more room for my feet. Cutting the pedal is no longer required in the MKIV because the pads are adjustable, not cast as shown on my pedals. I use a 14" wheel, raised slightly with washers under the steering shaft pillow block. I have a removable steering wheel, but don't need it. I run a small block motor, which allows me to use the straight inner driver's foot box (refer to pics above) that give me a LOT more room for my right foot.

I also cut my driver's side footbox crash bar out completely(again, see pics above). I did this because the MKIII tubing is different than the MKIV and was in the way so I couldn't get my left foot around the outside of the clutch pedal. This also is no longer required in a MKIV as the tubing now use tighter radii. Some have added a bump-out in the outer driver's footbox to create a foot rest but with the crash bar remove I didn't need it. My left foot rests against the front of the footbox on long trips.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions or want to see more pics feel free to send me a PM or make a request in this thread.

http://ffroadster.com/images/Misc/DHCobra.jpg

Those are some seriously big dogs barking in the 2nd last photo - good to see they fit

Cheers

[Iggy913]

Thanks so much for the reply's, you guys have really relieved me of any issues I had in buying a Mark IV. I hope to place an order sometime in the near future.

[skullandbones]

Wow! That image of David standing next to his roadster must have done it for you. It doesn't look like it would work but it does. Good luck fitting into yours.

WEK.

[fordboy]

I'm thinking Dave Hodgkins should change his forum name to Gulliver.