{"id":92914,"date":"2023-10-19T16:47:18","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T23:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=92914"},"modified":"2023-10-20T08:04:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:04:25","slug":"another-day-at-the-office-making-your-car-fit-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/another-day-at-the-office-making-your-car-fit-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"jetpack-slideshow-noscript robots-nocontent\">This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p><div id=\"gallery-92914-1-slideshow\" class=\"jetpack-slideshow-window jetpack-slideshow jetpack-slideshow-black\" data-trans=\"fade\" data-autostart=\"1\" data-gallery=\"[{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/1-scaled-e1697759217403.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92916&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Click Here to Begin Slideshow\\n\\nThere\\u0026#8217;s an important science used in Detroit (and other places) that employs dozens upon dozens of engineers, technicians and probably a few psychologists.\\u00a0 It\\u0026#8217;s called \\u0026#8220;ergonomics\\u0026#8221;.\\u00a0 Loosely defined, ergonomics involves the study of how man fits the machine.\\u00a0\\u00a0 Although the term might seem bizarre, the science of ergonomics is really quite interesting \\u0026#8212; especially from a vintage car or race car perspective.\\n\\nIn the case of the vehicle manufacturer, companies have to design automobiles that fit a broad range of human physical properties:\\u00a0 Tall people, short people, skinny people, fat people, people with long legs, people with short legs, people with long arms, people with short arms\\u0026#8230;. and the list goes on.\\u00a0 In fact, the products of these ergonomic designers are often compromises between the various \\u0026#8220;forms\\u0026#8221; of individuals expected to buy the vehicle in question.\\u00a0 And because of the wide range of individual features, the car companies include a considerable amount of \\u0026#8220;adjustment\\u0026#8221; in controls such as the steering column and seat(s).\\u00a0\\n\\nSo where does that leave us, particularly if we have a vintage car or race car that has a distinct lack of ergonomic delights?\\u00a0 In a pretty good position actually.\\u00a0 For the most part, you have control over the way many components fit in the car and how they integrate with your own physical attributes.\\u00a0 But just as important, there are ways to \\u0026#8220;adjust\\u0026#8221; both the aftermarket hardware and the OEM stuff so that it works better for your personal application.\\u00a0 Essentially, your car is most likely designed for one person:\\u00a0 You.\\u00a0 And if you\\u0026#8217;re comfortable in the car, it just makes sense that you can enjoy the car more or make the car easier to drive when making a pass at the local dragstrip.\\n\\nHow tough is it to \\u0026#8220;re-engineer\\u0026#8221; the office of a vintage car?\\u00a0 You might be surprised at the amount of \\u0026#8220;adjustment\\u0026#8221; and control over component placement you have in your own vehicle.\\u00a0 As a case in point, I\\u2019m using my 1970 Nova as the basis for the photographs.\\u00a0 Clearly this car was most definitely built before ergonomics became a serious science in Detroit.\\u00a0 The car doesn\\u0026#8217;t have power anything.\\u00a0 In fact, it has few creature comforts, but there is still a considerable amount of adjustment available.\\u00a0 We\\u0026#8217;ll show you how the adjustments can be accomplished with ease.\\u00a0 Just as important, this custom fit scheme applies to any musclecar.\\u00a0 Check it out:\\n\\nSeat Adjustment:\\u00a0 Standard seats move forward and back.\\u00a0 We all know that.\\u00a0 But there is one other adjustment that can help to make you more comfortable in the car.\\u00a0 It\\u0026#8217;s the seat back angle. Perhaps the seat angle is too far to the rear or the seat back is too upright.\\u00a0 Most late model cars have a lever adjuster for the back angle, but early models don\\u0026#8217;t.\\u00a0 But even on vintage iron, the seat angle can be easily adjusted.\\u00a0 If you need more \\u0026#8220;rake\\u0026#8221; in the seat back, trim the rubber snubbers that hold the seat-back upright.\\u00a0 If you want less rake, shim the snubbers.\\u00a0 Once the seat back rake is adjusted, take the time to find the ideal fore-aft location of the seat.\\u00a0 And in the case of a car that sees regular duty on a drag strip, once you have found it, bolt the seat firmly to it\\u0026#8217;s tracks.\\u00a0 The track officials will appreciate it and so will you, especially if the seat becomes loose in the adjustment tracks during a pass down the track.\\n\\nThere\\u2019s something else to consider with seats.\\u00a0 The actual location of the seat on the tracks should be such that you have good leverage on the shifter (this is quite critical on stick shift vehicles).\\u00a0 In the \\u0026#8220;old days\\u0026#8221;, before clutchless transmissions became the norm in professional drag racing, the shift-for-yourself four speed was king.\\u00a0 And as expected, some drivers were better at wheeling a four speed than others.\\u00a0 One of the secrets of the good drivers was the relationship between the seat and the shifter.\\u00a0 Although it isn\\u0026#8217;t quite as comfortable for cruising, movement of the seat one or two notches closer to the steering wheel (and consequently closer to the shifter) can improve your chances of grabbing the gears quickly and cleanly.\\u00a0 This works especially well for conventional shifters.\\u00a0 You\\u0026#8217;ll note that \\u00a0race-inspired shifters such as the Hurst Super Shifter or various inline examples move the mechanism further back, higher and slightly to the left of a standard manual shifter.\\u00a0 This puts the shifter in a position of better leverage.\\u00a0 Moving the seat forward accomplishes almost the same thing (aside from potentially cramping your legs!).\\n\\nThrottle Pedal:\\u00a0 You might be surprised to find the feel of the throttle is important.\\u00a0 Yes, a capable throttle return spring (or pair of springs) is very good idea, but some cars are actually \\u0026#8220;over sprung\\u0026#8221;.\\u00a0 In fact, some cars have so much return spring that it\\u0026#8217;s almost impossible to crack the throttle wide open.\\u00a0 When working with return springs, make sure that the spring is not mounted in a binding (angled sideways) position.\\u00a0 Some carburetors have considerable internal springs.\\u00a0 Because of that, they require very little \\u0026#8220;assistance\\u0026#8221; to close the throttle blades.\\u00a0 In addition, you just might find that the factory return spring location is often best suited for most applications.\\u00a0 Try out different spring rate combinations until one feels \\u0026#8220;right\\u0026#8221;.\\u00a0 It might make the difference between enjoying your car and cursing every time you slide behind the wheel.\\u00a0\\n\\nTachometer:\\u00a0 When it comes to tachometers, bigger is always better.\\u00a0 It\\u0026#8217;s a simple fact of life that a large tachometer face is both easier to see and easier to read with some degree of accuracy.\\u00a0 Because of that, the best place for the tach is right in front of your nose.\\u00a0 Naturally, a tach mounted on top of the dash is the preferred location.\\n\\nUnfortunately, it isn\\u0026#8217;t always possible to have the tach perched on top of the dash.\\u00a0 In the case of the writer\\u2019s Nova, I simply mounted the tach to the steering column, rotating it so that it was as high as possible without blocking the rest of the instrument cluster.\\u00a0 The big AutoMeter tach also has a super bright LED shift light and as a result, knowing when to grab second gear is pretty easy. \\u00a0And of course, with most modern ignition buzz boxes, they\\u2019re a rev control to ensure engine speed doesn\\u2019t get out of hand.\\u00a0\\n\\nGauges:\\u00a0 Like tachometers, gauges also follow the bigger is better plan. Larger instruments are easier to read, and due to the larger area between markings, more accurate.\\u00a0 While huge gauges are a likely possibility (and now available), the mounting location should also be considered.\\u00a0 Because of this, gauges like the 2-5\\\/8-inch mechanical Autometer units shown in the accompanying photographs probably represent the outer limits for many applications.\\n\\nWith most cars, mounting gauges is an exercise in compromises.\\u00a0 The requirements of mechanical instruments preclude a number of mount locations.\\u00a0 Usually, the associated lines require large swooping bends instead of a tight radius.\\u00a0 Furthering the mount problem is available dash panel space.\\u00a0\\u00a0 It is possible to mount the gauges on the cowl, but in this location, they are vulnerable to theft, vandalism and of course, to Mother Nature.\\u00a0 Given this set of circumstances, the only probable location in an old car like mine is under the dash panel.\\u00a0 Unfortunately, this also makes the gauges tough to read.\\u00a0 Your eyes have to leave the road (or the track) in order to monitor them.\\u00a0 If the under-dash location proves to be the only option, then be sure that the gauges are big, uncomplicated and easy to read.\\n\\nWhen plotting out instrument locations, be sure to \\u0026#8220;test fit\\u0026#8221; the gauges before you starting drilling hose and routing sender capillary tubes or wiring.\\u00a0 Sit in the \\u0026#8220;normal\\u0026#8221; driving position you\\u2019ve established in your car and have someone move the gauges slightly.\\u00a0 You might be surprised to find that a bit of angle on the mount hardware can make under-dash gauges much easier to read.\\u00a0 Similarly, it might be easier to view the gauges is they are actually moved away from the shifter instead of being position closer to the driver.\\u00a0 With this set up, you might be able to view the gauges by moving your eyes instead of your entire head.\\u00a0 The result is less time taken away from watching the road or the track.\\n\\nSwitches:\\u00a0 When hanging accessory switches inside your musclecar, give some thought to the switch quality, the switch location and type of switch.\\u00a0 In most cases, some sort of toggle switch will be used.\\u00a0 Instead of buying a garden-variety jobber switch, have a look inside the cockpit of a road racecar.\\u00a0 Aircraft safety switches are used almost exclusively.\\u00a0 These switches require two separate actions to flick them on, but in an emergency, you can just swat the big red switch cover from any angle and the switch will click off.\\u00a0 Aircraft switches are available in countless configurations and ratings, but best of all; they\\u0026#8217;re top-notch components and only cost pennies more than the run-of-the-mill pieces.\\n\\nBefore you decide on a mounting position for a switch or series of switches, seat yourself in the \\u0026#8220;office\\u0026#8221; and buckle up the seat belt and\\\/or shoulder harness.\\u00a0 The switch should be accessible when you are belted in.\\u00a0 If not, it won\\u0026#8217;t do any good in an emergency.\\n\\nRoll Control Lamp: Roll controls (line locks, stage locks, etc.) always have an \\u0026#8220;on\\u0026#8221; lamp included with the assembly.\\u00a0 The lamp is normally wired into the system by way of a wire that goes to the valve assembly.\\u00a0 Whenever the system is engaged, the light comes on.\\u00a0 Simple as that.\\u00a0 Unfortunately, some people don\\u0026#8217;t bother to include the warning lamp during an installation.\\u00a0 This is a mistake, especially from a safety perspective.\\u00a0 With a roll control system, there is a remote possibility that in a panic situation, you might click the button on while braking hard.\\u00a0 When you release the brake pedal, you could still have you sweaty fingers wrapped around the roll control button.\\u00a0 The result?\\u00a0 Locked front brakes.\\u00a0 Rather than using the stock bulb mount, try mounting the \\u0026#8220;on\\u0026#8221; lamp in a gauge panel.\\u00a0 The lamp looks more integrated and since it\\u0026#8217;s in a place that you normally \\u0026#8220;monitor\\u0026#8221;, it won\\u0026#8217;t go unnoticed in a forgettable panic scenario. By the way, I regularly swap the lamp for super bright LED job (aircraft supply houses are a good source).\\n\\nShifters \\u0026#038; Handles:\\u00a0 When the time comes to pick a handle for a stick shift application, don\\u0026#8217;t make the selection based upon what looks best.\\u00a0 Instead, try one of each.\\u00a0 The majority of shift knobs aren\\u0026#8217;t expensive.\\u00a0 You just might find that one style fits your \\u0026#8220;style\\u0026#8221; better than the other.\\u00a0 Of course, the location of the shifter can also have an effect upon the feel.\\u00a0 With something like an automatic, it\\u0026#8217;s a good idea to spend a bunch of time mounting the shifter in a spot where you can reach it and where you\\u2019re comfortable.\\n\\nAs you can see, there are quite a few considerations when it comes to ergonomics.\\u00a0 And we\\u2019ve only scratched the surface.\\u00a0\\n\\nAnother day at the office?\\u00a0 Might not be that bad if you make the car fit you.\\n\\nClick Here to Begin Slideshow&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/2-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92917&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;You might be surprised to find that a \\u0026#8220;not-so-comfortable\\u0026#8221; forward seating position works better when grabbing the gears at your local drag strip.  In many applications, moving the seat forward provides more leverage on the shifter and at the same time, creates a better angle between your hand and the handle. The result?  Quicker and more accurate gear changes.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/3-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92918&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Another critical adjustment is the seat back angle.  While late model cars often have a provision for changing the angle, that isn\\u0026#8217;t the case with vintage automobiles or race cars.  The solution is rather simple.  These rubber seat bumpers can be trimmed to increase the angle and if you need a more upright seating position, simply add shims under the rubber snubber.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/4-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92919&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The \\u0026#8220;feel\\u0026#8221; of the gas pedal is also important when it comes to comfort.  Some modified carburetor\\\/intake manifold packages are over sprung and change the throttle pressure dramatically.  In addition, be careful with carpet and accessory mats \\u0026#8211; in many cases, they bunch up under the pedal and don\\u0026#8217;t allow wide-open throttle.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/5-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92920&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;5Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The key in obtaining a satisfactory throttle feel is the return spring.  You need a system that doesn\\u0026#8217;t bind, isn\\u0026#8217;t over-sprung and is easy on your ankle.  At the same time, you need a return spring that is safe and absolutely pulls the throttle closed when your foot leaves the \\u0026#8220;go\\u0026#8221; pedal.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/6-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92921&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;When it comes to tachometers, bigger is always better.  Unfortunately, there are some situations where you just can\\u0026#8217;t (or don\\u0026#8217;t want to) stick a huge tach on top of the dash. Here, a steering column mount works great.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/7-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92922&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Supplementing the big AutoMeter tachometer in the application shown is an extremely bright shift light. You just can\\u2019t miss it when it comes on, even when backlit.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/8-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92923&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Like tachs, gauges should be big and readable.  Unfortunately, there isn\\u0026#8217;t much room in many instrument panels for eye level gauges.  Because of this, you often have to take your lumps and mount them wherever it\\u0026#8217;s convenient.  Of course, a larger gauge makes it easier to read \\u0026#8212; even if they are buried under the dash.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/9-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92924&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;This fuel pump switch requires two separate actions to flick \\u0026#8220;on\\u0026#8221;.  But in an emergency, the big red handle can easily be swatted to click it off.  Commonly found in aircraft, the road race set uses these switches on a regular basis.  When mounting switches, be sure you can reach them while buckled in.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/10-scaled.webp&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;92915&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Another Day at The Office: Making Your Car Fit You&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Obviously, there are any number of shifters out there. Couple that with just as many mounting locations and you can see, the location process can prove a bit complicated.  In some drag cars, the shifter is pedestal mounted so that it\\u2019s easily accessed when strapped in.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;}]\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>What do ergonomics mean when it comes to a vintage vehicle? Can you make your car fit you?<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":92916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5044,3697,11,3470,4879],"tags":[9957,9956,281,41,1604,461,321],"class_list":["post-92914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cool-cars","category-galleries","category-how-tos","category-news","category-slideshow","tag-comfort","tag-ergonomics","tag-how-to","tag-news","tag-nova","tag-tech-tips-2","tag-wayne-scraba"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1-scaled-e1697759217403.webp","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-oaC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92914"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92930,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92914\/revisions\/92930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}