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Sherrie Landriault Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Sudbury
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Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 6:59 pm Post subject: Will I be tall enough to reach Pedals |
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Hi! I am 4'9" and would like to buy a type 2 bus and wondered if there are any other tiny drivers out there and whether or not I will be able to reach the peddles to drive. I live in Sudbury Ontario and am about 5 hours away from anyone selling a bus to try it out. I don't want to drive the 5 hours to find out I'm too small to reach! Is there anyone out there that can help me out? Thanks! |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50248
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Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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I would suspect that you would need to add pedal extensions. An automatic transmission model would help, but they are pretty rare. |
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KentABQ Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2016 Posts: 2406 Location: Albuquerque NM
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Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:23 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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NYCynthia is 5', and drives hers with no problem.
I wish I had snapped a picture of the day she was reinstalling her engine at Robbie's place...
She was standing up, legs straight, bent at the waist, and had her head at the back of the engine, installing bolts. The rest of us would have been in pain trying to install them, but she just leaned in as if it were made for her. And maybe it was! _________________ -Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"
"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea
Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM |
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Tcash Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2011 Posts: 12844 Location: San Jose, California, USA
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Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 8:26 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Welcome to TheSamba!
Click on link
Buyers Guide |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22552 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 3:33 am Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Can someone help,Sherrie out by putting the seat forward to,the most forward notch and then measuring drop,from front seat edge to clutch and brake pedals?
SHerrie...my mother drove ours with 6 kids at 4 feet 13 inches tall just fine.
Of course, now she is 90 and drives a Golf stick so she might be a tough act to follow. VW Sales guy couldn't find reverse to back it put, so she barked 'get out of the seat sonny, I'm running out of life here."
Someone else with a Bay in TO can perhaps give her a test drive, too?? _________________ .ssS! |
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Oilspot11 Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2014 Posts: 135 Location: Green Mountain Falls, Colorado
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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I'm 5-6 and the bus is the most comfortable vehicle I've ever driven. HTH |
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Ernie Punkin Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2014 Posts: 84 Location: Hawaii/B.C. Canada/Seattle
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Welcome Sherrie!
I'm 5'1" with a short lower torso and do just fine in a 77-79 bus.
Actually you are a good height because you'll have perfect headroom and a near perfect view out the front window.
I wear low cut hikers with a bit of tread and I push the seat forward all the way. Because you sort of sit over the steering wheel it's easy.
It might help to use a small lumbar pillow or an ergonomic back pillow if necessary. You certainly have lots of options to take up an inch of so of slack behind your back if necessary.
I strongly consider that you re-build the front seats, unless they've recently been replaced with like-new seats. I put re-built and re-covered original Vanagon seats in my bus and the firm seating made driving very comfortable. Mine were from GoWesty but they may not offer them right now. Upon touching them they felt rock hard and I was worried about comfort, but they were perfect for long drives, and it was critical for me as a shortie to have a firm solid surface to "push off" from in order to operate the pedals well. The Vanagon seats have a bit of shape to the sides to help cradle you in the seat whereas original bus seats had a flat surface. Again, Vanagon seats that are re-done with very firm foam seats might be best.
You can work with a used parts source for the Vanagon seats and then have them freshly re-built and upholstered at an upholstery shop. Matching like-original fabrics are available on-line, or you can also buy seat kits that include padding, covers, etc.
I also like the previous suggestion to consider an automatic so you can focus on just the brake and gas pedals.
Hope you "go for it" and welcome to bus world. Feel free to PM me if you need more info. _________________ 1977 Westfalia "Happy"
Bye Bye 1979 Westfalia ERNIE the REI Bus
-----
Ion Pod Trailer |
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Sherrie Landriault Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Sudbury
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Thanks for the warm welcome and feedback! I did travel the 5 hours to try it out and I was too small to reach the clutch... We made some pretty fun video footage- with me in my high heels trying to reach and I was still a bit too short and my tummy was hitting the wheel with a lumbar pillow. Have you ever heard of putting extensions on the gas, clutch, and brake peddles? Is it at all possible? If not I will look for an automatic. Have you ever seen an automatic type 2 bus? I am so sad! I have wanted one of these since I was a child! I sure hope I can make it work!
Last edited by Sherrie Landriault on Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12684 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:12 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Sherrie Landriault wrote: |
Thanks for the feedback! I did travel the 5 hours to try it out and I was too small to reach the clutch... Have you ever heard of putting extensions on the gas, clutch, and brake peddles? Is it at all possible? If not I will look for an automatic. Have you ever seen an automatic type 2 bus? |
Anything is possible with a good weldor and a little cash. _________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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Sherrie Landriault Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Sudbury
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Excellent! I will try to find a welder! |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50248
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Sherrie Landriault wrote: |
Thanks for the warm welcome and feedback! I did travel the 5 hours to try it out and I was too small to reach the clutch... We made some pretty fun video footage- with me in my high heels trying to reach and I was still a bit too short and my tummy was hitting the wheel with a lumbar pillow. Have you ever heard of putting extensions on the gas, clutch, and brake peddles? Is it at all possible? If not I will look for an automatic. Have you ever seen an automatic type 2 bus? I am so sad! I have wanted one of these since I was a child! I sure hope I can make it work! |
Welded on pedal extensions would be the best, but as a temporary measure you can just buy crimp on extensions.
Yes there are automatic buses out there, they account for maybe 10% of the total bus population. You will probably want a bus with power brakes as well. I think power brakes started with the '71 model year but am not sure. Others will surely chime in. The automatic started in '73 I think, not sure on that either.
The collision protection was upgraded with the '73 model as well, for myself at least that is an important consideration. |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16468 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22552 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:57 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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1971 was the first year for power brakes but they can be added to earlier Bays. I think Cynthia's Bus had that mod done by Samba Awesomes...
Pedal extensions can be added easily and are a good solution if God made you to look out for smaller things. _________________ .ssS! |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3619 Location: CT
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Abscate wrote: |
VW Sales guy couldn't find reverse to back it put, so she barked 'get out of the seat sonny, I'm running out of life here." |
Priceless Abscate _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'73 Dodge W200
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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pantone149 Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2004 Posts: 1017 Location: Mt. Shasta
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 3:48 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Get some platform shoes. Popular in the 70's. |
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Wasted youth Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012 Posts: 5134 Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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If your feet comfortably touch the floor while sitting in a normal dining table chair, you should not have any issues. It's one thing to weld pedal extending rods on the clutch and brake pedals, yet a bit more involved adjusting gas pedal height.
Finding an automatic transmission bus only eliminates one pedal extension task. The brake and gas pedals will still need adjusting. Clearly, the platform shoes idea is the winner here. You will not de-value your bus with all that custom work. It's bad enough people clear-coat over rust... no need to make Rube Goldberg proud of you.
Edited for BAD BEHAVIOR...
Last edited by Wasted youth on Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51050 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Sherrie Landriault wrote: |
.......and I was too small to reach the clutch... |
Could you touch the pedal and move it 1/2 way down?, clutch pedals can be adjusted and the one you tried may have been set up near the floor.
Some blocks of wood bolted through the flats on the pedals each side of the shafts can add a few inches easily and is completely reversible later, I did that to a tractor for the kids years ago. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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KentABQ Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2016 Posts: 2406 Location: Albuquerque NM
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:37 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Wasted youth wrote: |
Why do I feel like we are being trolled? |
That's not a nice thing to say about our vertically challenged brethren and sistren. _________________ -Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"
"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea
Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM |
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Wasted youth Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012 Posts: 5134 Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:43 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Well... for gosh sakes! I didn't even make the connection.
However....
I seem to recall a National Geographic article from my childhood about a horse driving a car, but could not find it. Yet... there's always ingenuity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH23Om-awnY |
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Sherrie Landriault Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2017 Posts: 4 Location: Sudbury
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: Will I be tall enough to reach Peddles |
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Thanks for the feedback! I did make a funny video and platform heels were my solution to reaching the peddles but still I wasn't comfortable to drive it! I am going to check on whether or not the clutch can be adjusted and if not welding extensions onto the peddles will be the answer. It looks like automatics are out of my price range and being in Sudbury Ontario, there are not many automatic options... Thanks again for your help! |
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