Need advice from tall Guys ...lol

Didn't Tom Sellek have his head poking out the roof? If your dream is the 3X8, it is tight. Some have drifted over to the Mondial clan for that reason. Same mechanicals slightly longer and completely different look. I have a cabrio, I'm only 6 ft, but most of my height is in my torso as well. I don't race mine so the soft top isn't an issue. I drive it in the country to row through the gears and hear the engine. If the 3X8 is your dream, I'm sure there is a fixed racing seat that can mount directly to the floor and give you an extra inch or two but I have no personal experience with that.
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My experience is as follows. I have both a 308 and a 328. 328 is tighter. I fit in the 308 much better. I am not sure why but the 328 just doesn't have as much room. I can fit comfortably in the 308 with the top on.

 

I am 6'4" also, and have learned to live with mine. Seat all the way back, reclined against the firewall (nothing behind the seats), then slide your butt down a little in the seat. My shin hits the radio area, too. Wearing light, thin soled shoes helps a little more.

Initially, it was awkward, but now it is fine and comfortable. I cannot fit in a TR or Boxer because of the dash hitting my legs (or an F50 I found out two years ago).

 

When I purchased my 308GTB I was interested in a little more room (I am 6'6") so looked into different seats.(I don't know if 328 seats are any different in this area) What I found was that if you look at the stock seat when it is moved all the way back, the cushion is pressing itself against the floor and is only about a half inch thick at the back, so there is no real gain to be had there. I find the splay room to be no problem, though heel and toeing is difficult with how bent my leg is.
I think with time your body finds more room. I feel very comfortable in the car, only having head room issues with a helmet on.

 

Brad, I feel your pain. I'm 6'5" tall with very short legs. In my research I found the following which may be useful:

* 308s reportedly have more headroom than 328s, which have more headroom than 348s.
* I read that the hardtop versions of all three cars have slightly more headroom than the targas.
* Some people have gotten rid of the rails on their seats and bolted them directly to the floor. Obviously the seats can't be adjusted after that...
* Some people have cut the floor beneath the driver's seat and welded in new, lower, floor pan to hold the seat.
* I've read that removing the foam in the seats can get you an inch.
* Some aftermarket seats/buckets can give a bit more room at the expense of comfort and looks.
* The Mondial looks much better in person than in photos.

Good luck!

--Jeremy

 

"Only 6'4" " is pretty tall for a 308/328.

From a safety perspective, I don't think I'd want to be driving a car where my head was only an inch or so from the roof, and obviously you're risking serious neck injury if your head is brushing the roof.

As far as 308 versus 328, IIRC Ferrari reworked the seats on the 328 and they may have slightly more padding. But I can't imagine it's a huge difference.

The only "trick" I know of is to leave the targa top at home and take along one of those temporary covers (Spider Top from Ricambi) for when you have to park the car in the sun. But I'm only 5'6" or so, and found the 328 just about perfect.

I wouldn't try the "lowered floorpan" idea for a couple of reasons. First, it permanently ruins the car. Secondly, there's not a lot of ground clearance as is, and you may find you're occasionally scraping the pan on the pavement.

 

Several thoughts: (1) Extend the steering wheel with a 1" spacer - this will allow you to move the seat back and give you more leg room. (2) Purchase racing seat - I have OMP seats with Sparko sliders. You can tilt the seat to your liking giving more headroom. (3) Forget about cutting into the floor. It is fiberglass and there are a lot of things things running under it.

 

That was my solution, and specifically an '89 Mondial t. I had issues with the 'knee cushion' in the later models. 348, 355, 308, 328---NO chance for me (6'3 but longer legs). In the 348/355, my knees were touching the back of the steering wheel and I had to contort just to get my foot to the pedals.

I'm lovin' the mondi and the comfortable ride. (not that there aren't "fitment" issues there also, but it's much more manageable than in the others).

 

When I ride in a buddy's 328 it always seems a bit smaller than my 308 but I thought I was just nuts or perhaps it was because I was in the passenger seat... is the seat bottom padded a bit more in a 328???

I'm glad you posted this.

Rick

 

I'm 6'-4" and had a 328GTS. Mostly, I drove with the top off so the top of my head would stick slightly above the top of the car. I was able to drive with the top stored behind the seat but I turned it so that the concave part of the top was facing the backs of the seats. When I had to put the top on, it was still possible to drive with the seat raked back. It wasn't the most comfortable on longer drives because of the console and my right leg. Those are only the technical details because I OWNED A FERRARI!!! The world isn't perfect if you're tall, so I got used to it....I learned to duck a long time ago.

 

I owned a 308 GTB and GTS simultaneously, and the B had an extra inch or two of head room compared to the S. Perhaps you might consider a "B"?

 

. . . another option, of course, is to have a couple of vertebrae removed.

 

Buy a GTS and it's not an issue ! The sky is the limit.

 

I am 6'5", and have owned a 308GTSi. for over 20 years. I commonly hear that tall people fit better into 308s than 328s. Here are the two things that gave me plenty of room:

(1) don't slide the seat bottom all the way back, side it to one notch before the end, which will give you more room to angle back of the seat, and much more room to fit in the car; and

(2) there is a slight angle in the standard shift rod at the bottom near the gate, I had it angled a little more; that small change at the bottom of the shift rod gives me much more room at the top, otherwise my leg got pinned between the shift knob and steering wheel when I shifted into Reverse. Pictures of this are in Post 30 in this thread http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124531&page=2


If you do a search, there are other threads on tall drivers and 3x8 cars; such as http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148453

 

I'm a bit surprised at the comments about a 308 having more room than a 328. I couldn't get into a 308 at all with the top on. My 328 was a tight fit, at first.

(I'm 6'4" also, but I have a heck of a time getting my legs into a coach airline seat.)

After shifting my position a bit and getting used to the car, I find it quite comfortable.
(A lot more comfortable than the much larger EVO.)

I've been driving Italian cars long enough that I like the "straight arm" driving position (reclined like an F16, arms straight out to the wheel). (I have my ricer adjusted to provide that same arm position.) A steering wheel spacer can put the wheel more in your lap if you prefer.

For headroom with the top on, I can wear a driving cap, but not a ball cap.

For legroom, I had issues with my leg hitting the dash and radio pod, but when I shifted position for heel and toe, my legs just fit perfectly. (I don't even *have* to fold the key, to fit. )

 

Safety is a big issue, like BF said. I once had a friend over to drive the car. He hit the brakes suddently, as we were making a turn. My forehead almost hit the top front edge of the targa. I would have been scalped or break my head if this was a head-on accident. Luckily, the 328 can't go as fast as some of the modern cars!

Ace