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"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
11/20/2016 at 19:41 • Filed to: None

Of the few complaints I had about the Land Cruiser, Duke of New York A-Number-One was the lack of front legroom. It was really more of a lack of seat travel, and a kit is readily available to remedy it.

So today, with the Patriots not on until 4, my dad and I tackled the modification in his garage. I bought rail extenders for my former ‘86 Mustang and ‘69 Corvair, and those were just brackets that relocated the seat back 1.5 inches. This was not that.

See, in stock form an FZJ80 with power seats has its travel limited by the seat motor hitting a hump in the floor. You can’t just move the seat back because of how it mounts, so what you wind up doing is raising the front of the seat and modifying the rails themselves, which are engineered to limit the seat’s travel because of said hump.

Modifications include drilling out two welds and two rivets, grinding down four metal dimples in the tracks, and grinding down the front end of the tracks so they don’t strike the seat frame. Oh, and countersinking two screw holes. All told, it took us four hours, which included a lunch break.

Really the only reason I was able to buy the truck was because I was aware that the kit existed, when I test drove the truck the steering wheel was basically a part of my anatomy. I can’t actually remember ever making a more meaningful change to a vehicle...it went from useable-but-only-just to making it feel like it was made for me. The truck now fits me like the proverbial glove.

DISCUSSION (4)

thefinalmonster > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
11/20/2016 at 22:53

Keeping my eye on your project. This is something that bothered me with almost all cars (I’m tall). Germans are the best, Italians are the worst. It’s also the issue which prevents me from buying a retro Thunderbird. (OK, there also my head sticks out, a different beast altogher. Hate being the rollcage.)

THShorn92 - Left his car in America > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
11/21/2016 at 04:23

As another tall Oppo I appreciate this. Now I know I can get a Land Cruiser and also fit in it. I’m going to second the German thing. My Passat had amazing seat travel.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > THShorn92 - Left his car in America
11/21/2016 at 08:25

Alternatively, if you find one with manual seats you won’t have an issue. What’s funny about this kit is that it doesn’t actually extend the tracks, it just lets you use what’s already there. But once this modification is done, it’s an extremely comfortable fit for taller/larger people.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > thefinalmonster
11/21/2016 at 08:26

This is a fact, the Germans know seat travel. American cars are usually pretty generous, and I find with Japanese cars my seat is usually all the way back. Surprising amount of travel: British cars. I sold my XJ12 to a guy who’s 6 foot 10, fit him perfectly.