This is my first message here, sorry if it's in the wrong spot or formatted wrong or whatever, but I was wondering if I might simply be too tall to fit in an '80s firebird. I'm 6'10" with a 40" inseam and I was wondering if anyone else of a similar stature could vouch for the viability or lack thereof for me to purchase a firebird.

 

Might be a good idea to find someone that has a Firebird or Camaro and plant your butt in the seat and try it on for size.

 

I am 5'9" and I sometimes rub the edge of the seat in the my 92 Camaro even though it is all the way back.

 

There's seat relocators that will give you an extra 2" back, I used those to get comfortable and I don't quite put it all the way back but I'm only 6'3" 42" inseam.

They are decently roomy inside as sporting automobiles go, enough that I think you should at least go sit in a third or fourth gen (basically same proportion) and see how it goes. It'll probably be a little uncomfortable but consider while you're in there if another 2" would do it. Technically the seat could be relocated even further back but you're looking at some custom work.

Entry might be hell on your knees, but that's all low vehicles. Not gonna lie, I go in butt first and swing my legs in.

 

Unfortunately, you are too tall for these cars. I am 5'-10" and would not want to be any taller if driving a thirdgen.
Sure, you can relocate the seat, but there's nowhere near enough headroom...

 

You are definitely too tall for a car with t-tops. I'm just over 6'2" with a 34" inseam, and I am riding on Fiero seat brackets (which lower the seats 1.5" and I still don't have enough headroom on my t-top car. Back when I had my hardtop, I don't remember having the same issues with headroom on standard seat brackets, but at 6'10", the best bet is to fine one local to sit in.

 

If you really have your heart set on purchasing one, you could use the lower seat brackets, brackets to move the seat rear ward and also go extreme and have the floor pan dropped a few extra inches. It would cost some bux but if you reeeeeally want one.

 

I'm 6'6", I never had an issue fitting in my 1986 Z28 t-top car. Being four inches taller might get a little dicey though..

 

Just FYI....
Im 5'11" and i had to put seat extenders in my 91 TA vert with the optima leather multifunction seats.....
However, I also have a 94 TA vert, and the car is considerably roomier. No seat extenders, and the seat isn't quite all the way back.

Consider a 4th Gen, maybe???

 

Last year I helped out someone in a similar situation for a 60s mustang we ended up making seat brackets and putting them under the car and moving the seat back 5 or 6 inches then a thin headliner and custom door pannels that did not stick out. It worked out

 

The T-top has more headroom than the hardtop...

 

Buy a t-top with power seat, run seat all the way up and just look over the windshield.

Or buy a convertible...

 

The seat relocation brackets are the key, they are like $40 a set. Im 6-7 and actually use two sets of the brackets bolted together on the driver seat which gives an additional 5 or so of legroom, my driver seat back touches the rear seat but I can literally stretch my legs out entirely, plenty of leg room. Headroom on the T-top cars is fine, I cannot do a hard top, most really tall guys remove the sun visors as well - they tend to just get in your line of sight.

 

I think it's hard to picture you ever being comfortable in a Firebird, no matter how you modify it.

Are ordinary cars comfortable?

 

I drive a Ford Explorer rn and have plenty of space both legs and head but it’s also a much taller car

 

Good to know that someone with a longer inseam could make it work, just gotta worry about headroom then ig

 

Do you think you’ve got an extra 3 inches of headroom to comfortably see through the windshield?

 

I'm 5'11" and I've always found Firebirds to be quite comfortable. It's just hard to picture where nearly another foot of me would fit.

Good question for Shaq.

 

At 5'-10", I recline the seat back pretty far and still have very little headroom (hardtop car). I also have the stock seat tracks and adjust the seat back as far as it will go.
I remember back in the Knight Rider TV show days, David Hasselhoff at 6'-4" looked very cramped in scenes where he was getting in & out of the car, and his seat was always reclined quite a bit...

 

6'3" and 34 inseam and an 89 Formula T-Tops. Agree your legs are too long and you will not be comforable even if you do fit in such a way as to steer and operate the pedals without doing a Planes Trains and Automobiles John Candy routine.

Keep in mind if you will ever wear a helmet then no-way with a hard top and def one t-top will be off. You could recline the seat but that ruins your sitting position on track.

I changed to Corbeau seats and had to cut/reweld the bracket feet and no slider for the DS in order to not have to take the t-top off and look more dorky than I already do in a helmet. The DS seat is about 2" lower than the PS but no one notices unless I point it out. I guess because reclined seats already look that way sometimes.

 

I am 6'6" with 38" inseam. I have zero problems in my 92 TA with standard seats. My 88 GTA has the Ultima seats which are a little higher because of the pump for the lumbar bars. These were uncomfortable for longer trips. I installed the seat relocation brackets and that did the trick for me. Even on long trips both cars are comfortable to drive. The height is no problem for me. No matter if I drive my 92 with t-tops or my 88 with a hardtop.

 

Since we've got similar enough proportions, do you reckon I'd be okay with my ~2 inch longer legs? Also about how much head room have you got in the 88 hardtop? I'm looking at something similar and I'm not sure where the extra 4 inches of height would end up.