Sitting in a C4Z..

[Growler]

Sat in a C4 yesterday for the first time since I was young, and how the hell do you guys fit? I'm a bigger than average guy (competitive strength athlete) so I understand everything is a tighter fit for me than most, but is the ZR1 any roomier with its extra width? Im ready to pull the trigger on a real nice one, but Im having second thoughts as I was having a real hard time moving around..

[Vette73]

Yes...You will notice when you sit in a ZR1..

[Growler]

Yes...You will notice when you sit in a ZR1..

Awesome!!! Thank you sir

[Erik]

Sat in a C4 yesterday for the first time since I was young, and how the hell do you guys fit? I'm a bigger than average guy (competitive strength athlete) so I understand everything is a tighter fit for me than most, but is the ZR1 any roomier with its extra width? Im ready to pull the trigger on a real nice one, but Im having second thoughts as I was having a real hard time moving around..

I'm 6'4 and usually run between 230-240. The C4 is about the only Corvette I fit into. Maybe the C8 will be different, but I don't have enough seat time yet to tell. Plus it's off my radar because no manual.

Anyhow, I own a C3 and tried C5 and C6, and the C4 was the only one I could get comfortable in. I could manage the C5 Convertible, but not the coupe or hard top. In the C6, my legs were crunched pretty hard against the lower dash.

Anyway, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. About an hour of work to do, but then 996 will get another good run!

[Corvettes White]

The earlier cars have different seats than the later cars. I understand the later seats are more accommodating.
George

[Growler]

I'm 6'4 and usually run between 230-240. The C4 is about the only Corvette I fit into. Maybe the C8 will be different, but I don't have enough seat time yet to tell. Plus it's off my radar because no manual.

Anyhow, I own a C3 and tried C5 and C6, and the C4 was the only one I could get comfortable in. I could manage the C5 Convertible, but not the coupe or hard top. In the C6, my legs were crunched pretty hard against the lower dash.

Anyway, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. About an hour of work to do, but then 996 will get another good run!

Good to know.. My problem isn't height it's width.. The regular C4 my shoulders were jammed against the door and my back didn't fit in the seat.. I'm in love with this car I'm trying to get though.. Maybe a seat swap is the answer..

Enjoy that 996!!!!

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

If height is not the issue, using a seat cushion can raise you up enough to make the seat feel roomier side to side as it raises you to the wider part of the seat. ( I know, I know, no one likes the look and neither do I, but it works.) A cushion with a back to it moves you forward enough so that you are in a wider part of the seatback as well.

Also, make sure if they are sport seats, that you have the bolsters opened all of the way out. I am surprised how many miss that when first looking at my ZR-1s and sitting in them. When I open them up and have them re-enter, they smile and say that it made it much more comfortable.

I find the C-4 to be sufficiently roomy for most. The problem usually is the drop down to get in, and worse, trying to get up and out for quite a few folks. Dropping the side rail down in the C-5 mitigated that problem, although many still feel they are getting down on the ground in those as well, but without the high stepover.

C-6's remain the winner for most, but we don't necessarily buy them for the room. C-7's claim more interior volume, which may be true, but that aircraft carrier they call a console sure seems to take up all of the added volume.

Once in a C-4, most feel they are quite comfortable, although guys with size 12's and up find the footwell to be awfully confining.

Once you take an entrance or exit ramp at 70, you will learn to enjoy those C-4 sport seats more and more.

Best of luck in your search!!
:cheers:
Marty

[ram_g]

I?m also a big guy, but not a competitive athlete, just a fat slob...

I find I have to ?wear? the ZR-1 like I would wear a pair of tight jeans. But once inside, it?s awesome.

I also have a C7, BTW, and they?re very similar to be honest.

[Erik]

I?m also a big guy, but not a competitive athlete, just a fat slob...

I find I have to ?wear? the ZR-1 like I would wear a pair of tight jeans. But once inside, it?s awesome.

I also have a C7, BTW, and they?re very similar to be honest.

Perhaps in width, but in head and legroom, I found the C7 to be practically undriveable. I had a C7 Grand Sport in Admiral Blue over Kalahari ready to order.. With a 7 speed manual. Just over $80k Canadian, and I was ready to pull the trigger on my dream Corvette. Until I realized that I just couldn't drive it. I had some ins with the Corvette team, and they admitted that they made the C7 too small. Hence the move to a much roomier C8.

[Erik]

Good to know.. My problem isn't height it's width.. The regular C4 my shoulders were jammed against the door and my back didn't fit in the seat.. I'm in love with this car I'm trying to get though.. Maybe a seat swap is the answer..

Enjoy that 996!!!!

I'm not a thin guy either, but likely not as broad as you are. Do you know which seats you were sitting in? The sport seats are dramatically more snug then the base ones. The 1994 onward C4's have a much more open seats design, so you may want to try one of those.

[32valvZ]

On the interior, there is no difference in the width of the base C4 and the ZR-1 that I have ever been able to tell. I believe the difference is the doors and rear quarter panels are wider, not the main body of the car.

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

On the interior, there is no difference in the width of the base C4 and the ZR-1 that I have ever been able to tell. I believe the difference is the doors and rear quarter panels are wider, not the main body of the car.

I agree.
:cheers:
Marty

[Growler]

I'm not a thin guy either, but likely not as broad as you are. Do you know which seats you were sitting in? The sport seats are dramatically more snug then the base ones. The 1994 onward C4's have a much more open seats design, so you may want to try one of those.

It was a 90 vert.. Not sure what seats are in it, but here's the link.. Might just look into changing the seats, not sure what's available for these cars though in the aftermarket..

1990 Chevrolet Corvette Indy Festival Car (http://www.corvettemikenewengland.com/vehicle-details/1990-chevrolet-corvette--indy-festival-car-convertible-01ec998ccb3b4b20b154fc7aa95aeaee)

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Those are the sport seats.
:cheers:
Marty

[Erik]

It was a 90 vert.. Not sure what seats are in it, but here's the link.. Might just look into changing the seats, not sure what's available for these cars though in the aftermarket..

1990 Chevrolet Corvette Indy Festival Car (http://www.corvettemikenewengland.com/vehicle-details/1990-chevrolet-corvette--indy-festival-car-convertible-01ec998ccb3b4b20b154fc7aa95aeaee)

Those are the sport seats, but the side bolsters are adjustable for width. I keep mine pretty well all the way open, which makes getting into the the centre console a pain, but gives you a lot more space. Did you play with that at all?

[Growler]

Those are the sport seats, but the side bolsters are adjustable for width. I keep mine pretty well all the way open, which makes getting into the the centre console a pain, but gives you a lot more space. Did you play with that at all?

I didn't, had no idea that you could adjust them.. Everything was covered in plastic too because of this covid ********.. But good to know that they can be opened up!!

[Erik]

I didn't, had no idea that you could adjust them.. Everything was covered in plastic too because of this covid ********.. But good to know that they can be opened up!!

Right on the front edge of the left seat bottom bolster, is a button that tightens and loosens the side bolsters. It makes a HUGE difference. I'll see if I can find you a pic.

[Erik]

Couldn't find any close up pictures, so I'll take one of mine when I go out. But on the pic below, you can see where they are located. The two black buttons on the left hand, seat bottom bolster.

[Growler]

Couldn't find any close up pictures, so I'll take one of mine when I go out. But on the pic below, you can see where they are located. The two black buttons on the left hand, seat bottom bolster.

Oh ok, perfect.. Thank you sir!! Im excited again... lol

[Prez1967]

6'6" here.

Its a labor of love. I have broad shoulders but my powerlifting buddies would NEVER be able to drive my Z because they are just TOO wide.

FWIW: 94+ seats are a bit better for "larger" individuals... and they bolt onto the factory seat tracks from what I'm told. Not sure what would be needed to get power/air functions to work but a manual seat swap might work out for you, not to mention update the interior a bit!

[Vette73]

Like previously mentioned, the doors are wider.....So your left arm will have a little more room....

[rush91]

I didn't, had no idea that you could adjust them.. Everything was covered in plastic too because of this covid ********.. But good to know that they can be opened up!!

I didn't know this either when I first bought my 1991 lol.....I have my bolsters squeezed all the way in, but I'm 5'9, maybe 150 pounds soaking wet. But sliding (or falling into) the seat once in, I love the feeling of how wrapped and tight everything is. These seats are VERY adjustable, get in one and mess around with the controls. I bet you find a comfortable position.....

[XfireZ51]

I use the C4 sport seats as a gauge of when to stop eating ice cream.

[secondchance]

Like previously mentioned, the doors are wider.....So your left arm will have a little more room....

I don't think this is true. Extra width at the waist is only minimal and it's achieved by pushing the outer skin outwards. Inside structure remains the same as any C4. B pillar (halo), is the same with standard C4. Again, extra width is achieved by additional offset between the halo (structure) and outer skin.

[Paul Workman]

My sport seats are sitting on the floor of my garage. (And, so are my wife's!).

I loved...LOVED the standard seats that were in my base 95 coupe. So, I swapped some into my Z and loved 'em from day ONE!

My wife is a tall gal - 6'1" with a gal's hips. She used to (as was suggested) put a cushion in the seat to help with the bolsters, but a local ZR-1 member had a set of base C4 seats, so we swapped them into her car too.

The base seats aren't electric: no buttons to play with. But, they are built very well - comfort wise, and we love 'em.

I keep the sport seats for when (if ever) I have to sell the car. But, until that day, the base seats are here to stay!

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

I don't think this is true. Extra width at the waist is only minimal and it's achieved by pushing the outer skin outwards. Inside structure remains the same as any C4. B pillar (halo), is the same with standard C4. Again, extra width is achieved by additional offset between the halo (structure) and outer skin.

As usual, I believe he is again correct.
:cheers:
Marty

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

I use the C4 sport seats as a gauge of when to stop eating ice cream.

Should be the quote of the week!
:cheers:
Marty

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

My sport seats are sitting on the floor of my garage. (And, so are my wife's!).

I loved...LOVED the standard seats that were in my base 95 coupe. So, I swapped some into my Z and loved 'em from day ONE!

My wife is a tall gal - 6'1" with a gal's hips. She used to (as was suggested) put a cushion in the seat to help with the bolsters, but a local ZR-1 member had a set of base C4 seats, so we swapped them into her car too.

The base seats aren't electric: no buttons to play with. But, they are built very well - comfort wise, and we love 'em.

I keep the sport seats for when (if ever) I have to sell the car. But, until that day, the base seats are here to stay!

And a great solution without resorting to "after-market" seats, maintaining a stock look.
Kudos to you!
:cheers:
Marty

[32valvZ]

Like previously mentioned, the doors are wider.....So your left arm will have a little more room....

This misnomer seems to be more prevalent than I thought... There is NO DIFFERENCE in the width of the inside of the car be it a base, Convertible or ZR-1 C4.

[EvanZR1]

It was a 90 vert.. Not sure what seats are in it, but here's the link.. Might just look into changing the seats, not sure what's available for these cars though in the aftermarket..

I'm not 100% positive, but I believe all the ZR-1s came with sport seats. Then there were different versions of the sport seat by year:

90 sport seats are the narrowest you'll find in a ZR-1 (carried over into a few early 91s as well). These are very tight, and if you have more than a 36" waist, you are probably not going to be comfortable in them.
91-93 were slightly wider than the 90s, but not by much.
94+ is when the C4 sport seats got a full redesign to fit a much wider (haha) buyer.


My advice would be to try a 91-93 with sports seats and a 94+ with sport seats to see how you fit in them. Then you can narrow your choice based on the results.

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

I recall reading some car magazine back in the 70's that talked about the bucket seat option.
The author said he preferred the car with the bench seat because not everyone had the same size "bucket".
How true.
:cheers:
Marty

[Growler]

I'm not 100% positive, but I believe all the ZR-1s came with sport seats. Then there were different versions of the sport seat by year:

90 sport seats are the narrowest you'll find in a ZR-1 (carried over into a few early 91s as well). These are very tight, and if you have more than a 36" waist, you are probably not going to be comfortable in them.
91-93 were slightly wider than the 90s, but not by much.
94+ is when the C4 sport seats got a full redesign to fit a much wider (haha) buyer.


My advice would be to try a 91-93 with sports seats and a 94+ with sport seats to see how you fit in them. Then you can narrow your choice based on the results.

So I gave it another shot with the C4.. Opened up the seats as wide as they went and it was marginally tolerable.. My midsection fit fine, no issues there, but my upper back just wont fit.. I can live with that, but my legs are too thick for it to work.. I love the car, and the Lingenfelter I was ready to buy is gorgeous and very unique.. But it would be miserable to drive, so it would just sit and collect dust.. Im very disappointed, but it is what it is.. Thank you all for the feedback, this site is great

[Vette73]

So I gave it another shot with the C4.. Opened up the seats as wide as they went and it was marginally tolerable.. My midsection fit fine, no issues there, but my upper back just wont fit.. I can live with that, but my legs are too thick for it to work.. I love the car, and the Lingenfelter I was ready to buy is gorgeous and very unique.. But it would be miserable to drive, so it would just sit and collect dust.. Im very disappointed, but it is what it is.. Thank you all for the feedback, this site is great

You can go with many aftermarket seats....Plenty available on fbook marketplace...You can offset the cost by selling yours.....Lingenfelter Z's don't come around that often...

[spork2367]

I'm 6'4 and usually run between 230-240. The C4 is about the only Corvette I fit into. Maybe the C8 will be different, but I don't have enough seat time yet to tell. Plus it's off my radar because no manual.

Anyhow, I own a C3 and tried C5 and C6, and the C4 was the only one I could get comfortable in. I could manage the C5 Convertible, but not the coupe or hard top. In the C6, my legs were crunched pretty hard against the lower dash.

Anyway, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. About an hour of work to do, but then 996 will get another good run!

I'm not sure how the C4 is about the only Corvette you fit into...

The C5 is easier to get into, out of, has more cockpit width and the most leg room front to back of any Corvette. My dad is only 6'2" but has long legs and has noted that the C5 has the most leg room beating out C6s,7s, and 8s, by about an inch or so. The seat seems to go back just a hair further than others.

That being said, I'm 5'9" and 150 lbs. I could put two of me in the drivers seat of most Corvettes...lol.

[Paul Workman]

So I gave it another shot with the C4.. Opened up the seats as wide as they went and it was marginally tolerable.. My midsection fit fine, no issues there, but my upper back just wont fit.. I can live with that, but my legs are too thick for it to work.. I love the car, and the Lingenfelter I was ready to buy is gorgeous and very unique.. But it would be miserable to drive, so it would just sit and collect dust.. Im very disappointed, but it is what it is.. Thank you all for the feedback, this site is great

Dave McLellan once told a group of us at a Bowling Green Gathering that the initial C4 sport seats ]in the '90[/U] were based on a manikin model of a male (if I recall correctly) around165# and somewhere between 5'7" and 5'10" tall. That seems pretty reasonably true (to me). That made me think more of an oriental male than a typical US male driver (especially given that most of us Vette guys are "full figured" (shall we say!)).:rolleyes:

[Paul Workman]

And a great solution without resorting to "after-market" seats, maintaining a stock look.
Kudos to you!
:cheers:
Marty

Maintaining the "stock look" didn't really "weigh in" on the decision at that time. But, yeah...now that U mention it, they DO maintain the "C4 Corvette" appearance - quite nicely! And, several ppl familiar with stock 90 sport seats who have sat in my seats have commented on how much better they feel than the sport seats. By 95, if not 94(?), they had the sport seats "figured out".

But, that said, prolly some of the best seats I've seen that still have the Corvette appearance and yet have more room - not to mention beauty - are those in -=Jeff's =- car. Jeff is a "full figured" boy too, and he took the time to sculpt the seats and have custom skins installed as well. WOW! Do they ever look sharp. (I'm jealous. Maybe he'll see this thread and post a picture of 'em?)

But! OP: So as not to hyjack your post completely, you might sit in a '94-95 C4 before making any final decisions. And, too I feel the C6 seats "hit the mark" as well: cockpit feel, yet roomy for bigger dudes as well.

[secondchance]

initial C4 sport seats ]in the '90[/U] were based on a manikin model of a male (if I recall correctly) around165# and somewhere between 5'7" and 5'10" tall. That seems pretty reasonably true (to me). That made me think more of an oriental male:rolleyes:

So, Chevy designed C4 ZR-1s for me!? No wonder I I have been perfectly at home with these cars! Actually, I have been contemplating retro fitting my 94 with 91 sport seats (I miss earlier seats). It?s just a lot of work reconfiguring electrical wiring. :cheers: