Wanting a first Ferrari, but don't fit in most. What am I to do?

I am 6'3 and don't have a problem fitting in my 308 GTB... even long distance drives are no problem. Testarossas are uncomfortable to me as well! I think if you go for a Berlinetta version you should be fine. I've heard of people that have their seats directly mounted to the floor...that way you gain some headroom, but can't adjust the seat position anymore.
...my .02 cents!
Jan

 

Yes the GTBs have more headroom. I am 6'0" and have about 2 inches of headroom with the seat fairly upright in my 328 GTB.

Dan

 

The 360 is a much larger car, maybe an idea. If your budget is a bit smaller, you may want to look at the Mondial 3.2 coupe. It's much roomier than the 308/328 and can look good in a dark color. There's a Mondial owner here that's pretty close to your size, he loves his car.

If it's any consolation, I'm 5'9" with a tall torso/short legs, and I don't fit in a Testarossa well either -- no headroom.

 

While I am not 6-3 (only 6-1), I would ditto what Jan said. I always felt the 308 GTB was the truest to the original design, and knew they were a stronger chassis, and believe the 348/355 is the same way in that the coupes are a stronger and roomier chassis. The 308 GTB also has more leg room than a GTS, and again I assume the same for a 348/355. When I first sat in a friends 308 GTS I thought there was no way in hell I could drive it. A few weeks later I tagged along on a drive and was allowed to drive the car a little ways, this time I removed my shoes. The third time I drove the car I made every effort to get the seat back as far as possible, and drove the car over an hour on twisty backroads. Its a wierd car, you have to totally change how you sit and drive. But the longer your in there the better it fits. Then I bought a GTB. These cars have the seats so low on the floor, the seat tracks get dirty and rusty and dont want to slide fully. I took the seats out and lubbed up the tracks and holy cow, they go back TOO far. I cant fully depress the clutch unless I pull the seat forward several inches. I have a friend who is 6-4, and he usually cant drive my little sports cars I get now and then, but he could drive the 308. I know he could never drive a GTS regardless if Tom Seleck could, and all of Toms cars were modified. Another question is if you are torso short/leg long, torso long/leg short, or normally proportioned. My tall friend is leg long. His knees were up to the dash.

I would suggest you stick with as much physical therapy as you can handle to keep you back strong, and go try out more cars.

If you are really having difficulty, the car can be modified. Toms cars had seat padding removed initially, and in later cars they altered the floor to drop the seat and move it back a titch. At least thats what I was told by Hooper. Another option might be a racing seat. In any case I would think anything could be done with enough $$$$$.

 

Matthew, I am 6'3" as well and have also found some models to be a disappointment. After owning quite a few I have found there are lots of tricks that can change the setup from uncomfortable to at least bearable!!
You can shave seat foam, good for an inch usually. You can change the seats altogether. For instance in one of my Porsche's I bolted a gt3 racing seat to the floor gaining 4" over the standard movable sports seats.
If thats too radical a solution, there are a few companies that make a slimline seat rail that will gain 1 to 2" of headroom.
Lastly, if you have the budget, there is the Dan Gurney bubble
Don't give up!

 

hey matt, welcome to the board! i see your from st louis, the local fca club is having an event a week from tomorrow, leading the columbus day parade in the hill area and a tour of a private collection, feel free to pm me for more details on that. i have been in a majority of ferraris, and being a larger guy (width wise, not length, ) i have fit comfortably in most, but getting in a testarossa can be a bit tight for me. aside from that, i've had no problem getting into 308s, mondials, 430's, 360's,550's, etc. good luck!

 

+1 on the 360 -- it's cavernous compared to the 308/328. The 550 also seems ideal for a bigger guys, and it's a stunning car as well. 550 prices are dropping into a the reasonable range. In fact, after the 328 GTS, I think the 550 is the most attractive modern-ish production Ferrari.

I'm 5'7", under 150lbs, and while I think the 328 is a nice fit it's not like I can do stretching exercises in the car. The seats are also quite narrow. 328 GTB/S wouldn't be my recommendation for the OP, much as I love my car. They were definitely designed for 1970s Italian guys.

 

6-0, 204lbs, ruptured disc, bad back still plenty of headroom and i get into my dino even if it kills me.

Mind you the seats are not comfy around the shoulders, but what the.....

Tony

PS i tried a TR and hated it, not only that my head was hitting the roof.

 

If your 6.3 with a long torso your not going to fit well if at all in a 308. Racing seats, taking out foam to fit are probably not the way to go again for a person suffering from chronic back pain.
Cars that have good room for you would be Mondials, 550,456,360's and Dino's. Other thought is can you live driving with a GTS variant with the top off?
Best of luck,

"Torso man Dave"

 

Ask our HUGE doc snj5... he has a Mondial and fits in it fine.

 

6'4" and 225 #'s and have no trouble in my 308 GTB. I am a slocher sitter so with a 1" extension on the steering wheel and the seat all the way back and the seat back 1" from the back firewall I have no problems. This give me about 1" head clearance from the roof. Other then a worn seat cussion which is being replaced I have no trouble on long drives of 4-5 hours. So you need to make the decision if you really want one then you need to figure out how to fit and enjoy it. My big problem is my wife doesn't like the feature that it only holds 1 golf bag so I guess I'll need to get a smaller bag, HAHAHA Enjoy the ride.

 

At 6'5" and 220lbs I have plenty of room in 550/575,456 also is very comfortable.
Both can be found (in very good condition) at very reasonable (for Ferrari) prices lately.

 

Cars made after 1997 have more room for the longer torso. In general the convertible tops of the same version have more room than the coupe. For example, the 360 coupe is not comfortable to me but the 360 spider has enough room.

aehaas

 

I seems they did not have the US version of the car in mind when they designed the car.

 

I'm 6'4" and I find my 328 very comfortable with the top on, and the seat reclined a bit.
It's a bit less comfortable with the targa top taking up space behind the seat.

But that wasn't my first impression. It seems that every car is an uncomfortable fit when you first get into it. I've been in rental cars that I thought were a disaster when I picked them up, but managed to find a tolerable position within a day or so.

I was very cramped in my 328 until I found a comfortable position.

Oddly enough (or maybe not so oddly), the most comfortable leg position is also the ideal position for heel/toe.

Width wasn't an issue, even before I lost 20 lbs.

Entry/Exit also is just a matter of finding what works.

My EVO is hugmungous inside (it's taller than a '70s Sedan deVille), but I find the 328 more comfortable to drive.

 

Thinking back on it, this is true. My first drive in a 328 wasn't comfortable at all. I had just stepped out of a Ford Explorer, so even being a smaller/thinner guy I didn't see how anyone could adapt to the narrow seats, splayed-right pedals, 'interesting' steering wheel angle, etc. Now I get in the 328 and after a moment of (mental) adjustment the 328 feels right and everything else feels like wearing some other guy's suit.

Maybe The355Guy should drive a 328 with the top in place and see how it goes. The seats seem smaller than the TR seats, so maybe it's a tad roomier?

 

The famous (or is that infamous) Jeremey Clarkson had a 355 GTS, hes 6'4"+ and not a slim frame - LOL
i dont recall him ever complaining of a lack of space.

 

6'2'' 225 and very comfortable in the 360. It is a very large car inside. I'm not fat so can't comment on the steering wheel to gut measurements, but my son sat on my lap as we drove around my neighborhood one night. I came from a Porsche and one of the reasons I left Porsche was I felt like I was a giant in the car--it's just too narrow for my liking. I have broad shoulders and they were always spilling over the supposed comfort seats. My back is bummed too (probably 6'0 when it's hurting--lol), not as bad as yours, but sports took their toll. The 360 is comfortable.

Good luck...

 

If Shaquille O'Neal can have his 360 spider modified , I'm sure you could find a way to have one modified so you can fit.

 

My body frame is like an NFL lineman.

A couple of years back I manage to fit into a 308 GTSi, it was very snug but manageable to where I could still drive it. same with a Testarossa, F512 TR and a 355 F1. Now iam not tail like you guys though over 6ft. iam short like 5'9. 510 with shoes on.

 

To get headroom with the top on, I reclined the seat a bit. (After decades in Fiats and Alfas, I got to where I actually like the straight-arm italian driving position.)

But that left my knees against the dashboard, being very glad the key folded over. But when I decided to try to heel/toe it, everything fell into place, like I'd finally got the sock turned around the right way. Now I have no space issues at all. (I don't have a lot of room for big shoes or a tall hat, but I fit.)

 

Matthew, the first 308 came from Ferrari in Montecarlo Blu. Someone along the way painted it red. When we got it home my wife helped me wash it and commented the car told her it wanted to be blue. I looked at her like she was freakin nuts. The GTB register had it down as red, its red! I told her its red, its always been red. Later I found old blue paint up inside under the fenders and went WTF? Then I got a heritage certificate from Ferrari for it that showed it was originally blue. I guess its like waking up in the middle of the night and seeing 3:08 on the clock. Happens so often its spooky.

I have the windshield and dash out of my car, and "while I was in there" I looked at the steering wheel position. I didnt like it the way it was. If I adjusted it as far back and as low as possible to keep the wheel angle more vertical, the bottom is almost on my legs. And no matter where it is it blocked my view of the gauges. To make a long story short, I modified the steering column mounting bracket. Now the wheel is at a more normal angle, closer to me, up off my legs a bit more, and I can see the gauges clearly.