Is The Thing's Driving Position Really So Bad?

[Gene Kisner]

To quote 5' 4" Frank Loyd Wright, when ask about the seven foot high ceilings in his Prairie School of Architecture, "Anything over 5' 6" isn't a person, it's a GD tree".
That being said, once you get into the drivers seat it is no more uncomfortable than any other 60's or 70's car. A Cadillac it isn't, but we all drive hundreds of miles at a time without any problems. I am 5' 6" and my driving is almost never on Interstate Highways. I mainly drive two lane hill and mountain roads of West Virginia. Lots of clutch use shifting gears. No problem.
However, I have always thought one of the reasons Germany lost WW II was because once in the seat you play hell getting out of the car due to the high door sills. If you saw an American P47 about to strafe your ass, there is no way to quickly get out and run for cover. It is much easier without a top on the car. All of the tops, surrey, fiberglass, and soft folding, provide plenty of headroom.
Buy it and have fun.

[Ark]

I'm 5' 11" and around 175. I daily drove my Thing off and on for 6 years including a 700 mile roadtrip around Christmas time from Colorado to Arkansas.

The only major "driving position" concern I ever had was, like mentioned by everyone else, the steering wheel. After a while I developed a pretty good technique for jumping in and squirming past it but it really is right there in your way.

I never felt like the pedal placement was a problem at all for left hand drive. It was just great for my right foot which spends all of it's time on sometime. Definitely a bit of a stretch to operate the clutch but in reality your left foot spends most of it's time on the dead-pedal so that really isn't a concern.

I actually really like the up-right driving position where my legs are just about flat on the floor. My current daily driver is a Tacoma where I feel like I'm sitting directly on the floor and I'd take the Thing over that truck any day!

After getting in and out of that car thousands of times, the one big gripe I have other than the steering wheel is the door latch post. It doesn't happen often but every once in a while that thing will grab the back of your pants on your way in. I snagged a pocket on it one day and ripped my pants wide open! Like I said, that didn't happen often but I daily drove it enough that it would get me occasionally. Now I know why modern cars use a smooth loop for the door latch instead of a post

Of course, you're also in a convertible air cooled car with literally no insulation between you and the engine or the road. It was great driving around town but over about 40 the noise starts to pick up and it's really loud at 65-70. If you cruise at 70 for 12+ hours well....NVH takes it toll

[mondshine]

[nicholastanguma]