I recently made a sunken foot board for my XK120 FDHC. It is an alpha test so it’s not ready for ‘prime time’, but here it is in rough shape.
I used 1/4" felt under the metal floor to gain a bit of height and fashioned this to provide more foot room.
As I said it’s the first test model, but worked out pretty well, I think. I missed a hole of two for fastening it down, but that will be corrected. I’ll eventually POR15 the bottom and seam fill the corners and paint it overall. Currently it lays on the frame, but there doesn’t seem to be much abrasion that will happen - on smooth roads anyway.
Anyway, I am always thinking of how to improve on the obvious problems with my basket case FHC.
Thanks Nick, it gives you pretty good additional foot room. I have size ten shoes and with this mod I think I could actually drive the car somewhat comfortably - if, that is, I ever get it finished before my expiration date.
Couple that with some seat alterations and we’ll be getting somewhere. Now I’m exploring electric steering with or without putting a rack in the car.
I’ve already put disc brakes on the front with modern shocks as mentioned about a year ago on this forum.
Great Idea. I am 6 feet tall so I think I will copy that when I get going on my 120 I would love to see more pictures and underbody shots when you have finished with your R&D.
There are few advantages to being 5’ 8” with size 7 shoes in the modern world of giants - but fitting original mid-1950s-on cars of similar age perfectly is one of them.
I’m betting you’d be a strong swimmer. No need for flippers.
or snowshoes …
Andrew Waugh posted something recently about the availability of a unit that tucks up inside of the steering column so it’s all but invisible. Looking at that option myself.
My Mustang has a high-ratio 16:1 steering box, cast iron 393 block over the front wheels, 215 section front tyres and no power steering. And I’m a 11-stone weakling in his sixties who’s just driven it from Dieppe to Andorra in two days, 650 miles with no motorways. You don’t really need power steering…
That is pretty cool! Of all the things I did to mine in order to accommodate my lanky frame and mega feet switching from a flat floor to a recess never occurred to me. The only thing that strikes me is carpet fitment once you have the modification complete. The driver’s side would need a ‘custom trim’ methinks.
Are you referring to the spacers under the four mounting points on the sills, Peter? In my '54 OTS there were stacks of 1/8" thick aluminum shims lifting the body almost 1/2" to allow the floor to clear the frame. I was thinking a complication with the OTS might be cutting such a large rectangle out of the baltic birch plywood floor boards might be tricky.
Not the adjustement shims Nick but the approx 1" thick sometimes rubber/ sometimes allu blocks
that raise the body on FHC / DHC models.
When I fabricated my sills I used one 1/8" shim and made the floor flange on the sill at the same
levell as the top of the chassis… Are you using 3/8" or 1/2" ply? either way the extra foot room will not be much. Whether the mod I have made for my clutch foot will work for your brake foot iI know not.
Peter B
Well, XKE fitted them after they at first fitted flat floors. I toyed with using one of those, but they’re a bit expensive for an experiment.
When it comes to modifications I always look to see if Jaguar has/had a solution and try and copy or adapt that approach as a family affair so to speak.
