Porsche 924 - can't fit in it properly?!?

Well thats an interesting problem you have there, I'm not real sure if I will be of any help, but I will try.

I currently own '96 944 and I've noticed that I do sit very differently in it then any other car I have driven. The way I fixed this was that on the side of the seat there is are some buttons for the power seat. They move the seat up and down amoung other things. I would check on the side next to the door of you seat for these adjustments, other then that, I'm not sure what you could do. I don't think that the steering wheel is adjustable as you said already.

Anyway, I'm sure you will figure something out.

Good luck, Anthony

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think the seat is height adjustable. Certainly, it doesn't have any electric functions. I just can't fit my legs underneath the steering wheel! It seems like that's the way it's designed, but surely everyone would complain quite vehemently if that were the case? When turning the wheel, my hands constantly hit my legs. It's just like the seats are too high, but having never driven any other 924 I can't say for certain if they're all like that. It just seems like the sort of problem which would have been sorted out, especially as mine is an '85 model. I've been doing a bit of reading up and apparently Porsche did offer a longer steering wheel column as an option, so maybe this was a characteristic of the car. I just find it odd, as I'd imagine my knees are in just about the same place as most other people's knees would be!

I see two ways this is gonna go. Either my leg's gonna get used to it, or I'll end up with chronic knee pain!

In every other respect, I have to say it is a real pleasure to drive. I used to drive a Mazda RX-7 Turbo II - it was faster and had similar distribution of weight, but this car is something else and I'm not even totally sure why. I'm looking forward to moving up in a year or so to a 944 or a 968.

Chris.

Chris,

I own an '87 924S and to my knowledge there is no seat height or steering wheel adjustment. The onlly adjustment I can find on the seat is forward/backwaard position and the seatback angle adjustment.

One suggestion..you might replace the standard steering wheel with a smaller diameter Momo brand racing wheel.

Mike Osborn

Hello Chris

There may be spacers on the seat rails that you can remove - OK it may not be enough but it may help...

Various steering wheel designs have been used by Porsche including offset ones which give a few centimetres extra space. What design steering wheel has your car got at the moment?

Thanks :-)

-- Paul Hedges PCGB 924 Register Secretary

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the reply;

I found some links on eBay for spacers on the 924 the other day - I'll check tomorrow.

I have what I think is considered the standard three-spoke steering wheel. Looks like just about every other 924 steering wheel I've seen, apart from early 2-spoke ones. I think my knee is getting used to the seating position, as it hasn't been aching so much the past couple of days, but my hands do hit my legs if I turn too far without feeding the wheel through my grip, which I'm not exactly used to having happen. Is this normal for a 924? I guess I figured I would've heard more about seating problems before when I was researching these cars if it wasn't just me having trouble! Probably wouldn't have stopped me buying the car though ;)

Cheers,

Chris.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the idea. I'd like to keep my original steering wheel if at all possible, so I'm gonna battle on with it for a while. I'm not a big fan of fitting small diameter momo wheels and the like unless I'm gonna strip the car out and go racing - kinda looks out of place otherwise! It's not too bad now I've been driving it a week - maybe I just need a bit of time to get used to it.

Chris.

Hi Chris

If the seat spacers are fitted in your car, then removing them will give you about half an inch or so extra space. Don't fit them if you are struggling for leg room.

In terms of the steering wheels, there is a higher hub version of the

3-spoke steering wheel which brings it out closer to your body, which some people find helpful. Also the 3-spoke steering wheel is 380 mm, whereas the 4 spoke ones are 361mm. That is also nearly an inch smaller.

You have probably noticed that the steering wheel is eccentric, with the hub set below centre. This enables you to read the instruments with as much space between legs and wheel as possible. With practice you will also learn to feed the wheel between your hands so that they do not hit the legs, and will wonder why you had any problems before.

Finally, if you set the seat position back so that your legs are very nearly fully extended when the pedals are completely depressed, you will probably find it very comfortable. I certainly prefer the seating position on the

924/944/968 to any other car. Perhaps its because of my personal geometry.

Best wishes.

Is the four spoke steering wheel the usual wheel design that was used on Porsches through the 80's/early 90's - with the rectangular centre section? I might look out for one of those.

Actually, I hadn't noticed that - I do find my hands hit my legs when trying to turn the steering wheel a long way, but I'm getting used to it now. I used to drive a Mazda RX-7, which did have steering wheel height adjustment and I never had these problems, so I guess I just imagined the seating position would be very similar to that. In many ways it is, but the steering wheel just gets in the way!

I've tried moving it as far back as I can whilst still being able to depress the clutch, but my legs still get in the way and I'm stretching my arms quite a bit. Maybe my legs are too long or something?! I am now getting used to it. Certainly, my knee isn't aching so much anymore. I got back in my old car today to move it for the first time in nearly two weeks - I'd already forgotten how much lighter the clutch was on that car! (and where the handbrake was)

Thanks for the tips,

Chris.

For anyone interested, I finally got around to checking under the seat and did indeed find some seat spacers fitted. I removed them - lowering the seat by only around 1cm. It has made a slight difference - but nothing major!

That all said, I seem to be fairly used to the driving position now - my leg stopped aching and it's very comfortable.

Chris.