Big guys and small British cars

I'm killing time at home recovering from surgery and was watching back episodes of Comedians in Cars the other day. Jerry was driving a Triumph TR6 and I realized how much I like the way those look. Also in a thread today there was a cool MGB GT for sale, another one I love. Ive thought that since I have a fast car and a solid truck that if I bought a project car it would be something old and odd. 
 

For general speculation, what old British or Italian sports cars can be comfortably driven by a bigger guy? I'm 6'1", 260 lbs, size 52 coat and 32 inseam.  Years ago I tried to sit in an MGB and it seemed like a no go, but it could have been the individual car. I can drive an NA otter but an NB is a little too tight. 

just a good old blatant speculation thread. 

Odd... I've actually found old British sports cars to be surprisingly roomy, especially in the leg room department. I'm just under 6' and at 180lbs, can fit in any I've tried (multiple MGs including Midgets and  Bs in roadster and GT form,  assorted TRs, and E-types.) 

In reply to Saron81 :

As I said, I know nothing about the MGB in reference. And it was 30 years ago. I have exactly zero experience with any of them, so any of your observations are welcome. 

I am 6'1". In the past I have owned and driven;

2 MGBs including a 1974 and a 1979 Special Edition

3 MG Midgets including a 1965, a 1979 and a 1963  that was a vintage racer and an old G Production SCCA car

1 1966 Triumph Spitfire Mk 2

1 1962 Fiat 1600 Cabriolet

The 74 MGB and the 79 Midget were daily drivers. I also drove a Miata as a daily driver up until a few years ago when I bought a new Mustang. I still drive the Miata on weekends. 

Not sure if I'm in the average or big category (6' 200 lbs 34 inseam). But I've had several MGBs and fit well in them, one was an autoX car. Also had a TR4 which fit nicely. I've fit nicely into MGAs and TR6s. MG Midget/Sprite I could barely get in. I really do not fit comfortably into my Fiat 850 (H-Production) but that would require a massive redo of the cage.

The MGB might be the best bet for this it has ridiculous amounts of leg room. The other thing to consider is that Brit cars often come with a large steering wheel to make-up for the lack of power steering. Getting a smaller wheel might help at the cost of more steering effort.

Pete

I'm a big guy and have always driven (and  raced) small British sports cars.  Some can be challenging to get in and out of but onc in they are usually conformable to even the generously proportioned driver.  The most challenging one for me getting in and out of was a TVR Grantura Mk 3 - very short doors. But once inside there was no problem with space.

I will admit to being a little claustrophobic when I tried out a Lotus Europa once - and the only way I could get out was to crawl out onto the ground and then stand up. Figured that as it rains a lot here that might not be the car for me.

Very, very soon we're going to post a video on the Classic Motorsports YouTube channel that might help. I just proofed it. 

Cool stuff. See, now I have a reason to surf craigslist. Perfect. 

I'm 6'2" and 180 lb (36" inseam) and I've had a Midget, an MGA, a MGB GT and a TR6.  With the top up, the Midget was a little hard to get in and out of - especially if my knees were giving me trouble.  There was always lots of head room (with top up) in all of them once I was in.  The tight spot is usually my right leg and the steering wheel.  As NOHOME says, a smaller steering wheel can give a little more room there if you need it although I always got by with the stock size wheel.

My MGB GT is much larger inside the driver's space than either of my Jaguar XJ's. If that tells you anything. 

the MGB is low though, so getting down to and up out from the seat can be work. 

Can Wilt get into a VW bug ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=v8s4BAB5fEY&feature=emb_logo

and more than 10 years later , can Wilt get into a VW Rabbit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FnpWK4iO3k&feature=emb_rel_end

Berkeley is not the answer.

Mini's are surprisingly roomy, but not sure if roomy enough. Also bad for people with wide feet.

I’m 6’3 and 180 and love small cars. I’ve found there are a lot of factors that pretty much make it impossible for anyone other than you to know for sure. 

For example, on one NA Miata I test drove, my head touched the “roof” and another, I fit just fine. The first car had an older top, the second one had the top replaced.

Size of feet, inseam, torso length, posture, trunk width, shoulder width, arm length... it all factors in.

The good news? More test drives for you! 

I am amazed by the amount of legroom I had in my MGB once I got into it. There is plenty of room there. 

There is also a lot of legroom in my 914. I would take my two Siberian Huskies to the park in the Porsche, putting one on the passengers seat floor and another one on the seat. When I got to the park, everybody would see one large guy and two large dogs get out of one small sports car. 

In most LBC,s, I look through the top bar of the windshield.  6'2", 32" inseam.  I sit tall, and I'm old enough now it hurts to get in a Miata with the roof up.

Edit:TR6 is okish.

Early MGBs (like '68) have more legroom than anything else I've ever been in.

I'm 6'2", a bit of foam removed from the freshly redone seat and I fit under the factory hardtop just fine.

I'm 6'4" and looked over the top of the "low windshield" version of the Datsun Roadster.   I didn't care.  
 

In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :

It depends on your definition of big. I'm 5'9"  long waisted,  short legs. and weigh 285. I'm also old (72) and getting pretty stiff.  

I drive a MGTD  and it's like it's designed for me. Back in my youth I even slept in it. That's when I weighed 152 pounds. 
 

My buddy is 6'3" and 175 pounds. He and I have the same waist to head height  but a 6 inch longer inseam. His TF has the top of his head just over the windshield frame. But in my car he's just under the windshield frame.  ( they are basically the same car but different seats). 
 

A fellow car club member is a huge bear of a guy and he has owned and driven Tr3s, a Healy 3000 and an MG-TF.  He has driven the Healy very long mileages.  

In unconnected news there are no TR6s on Craigslist within 500 miles of me ... 

Here is one  in DC

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/d/olney-1972-triumph-tr6/7157131690.html

ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) said:

In unconnected news there are no TR6s on Craigslist within 500 miles of me ... 

I'm getting ready to put my 1973 TR6 up for sale, but I wanted to get the new project TR6 drivable first to compare them.  It's in Colorado right now.

Datsun310Guy said:

I'm 6'4" and looked over the top of the "low windshield" version of the Datsun Roadster.   I didn't care.  

That is one issue with some MGs. The seat in our MGC was mounted so that you would be looking right at the top windshield bar. We managed to recline the seat and slouch enough, but when you design a car back in the early 1960s using small framed people as a pattern, it would have been nice if they had at least looked at the issue and dropped the seat a couple of inches over the following 20 years.

Agree that they have far better leg room than just about any other period sports car, though.  early TRs are also fairly roomy.