[DeTomaso] To Drop or Not to Drop

[Julian Kift]

To add to what other have stated;

Not all lowered floor pans are the same, the method of lowering combined with the chosen seat bears a large influence on the outcome.

The tip back method of adding triangulated portions and a rear section simply lowers the back of the seat, but retains the fore-aft seat adjustment. Many seats like your C4 Corvette have a raised front bolster and don't lend themselves well to this style of pan with added rake, I personally then find them awkward and uncomfortable.

A full 4-sided drop pan lowers the seat vertically, but one usually loses the fore-aft adjustability. Then with a low seat one's legs are outstretched almost on the remaining stock forward stock height floor section.

The later GT5 style of lowered floor (despite Mr. Drew's opinion and my own opposingly biased one) is the best execution, it offers all options of seats to be installed with spacers if required (fore or aft for rake adjustment or all 4 for height) and provides for 2" of additional head room. This allows for any combination of seat to be installed and adjusted to the right (or wrong) height as I can attest to having driven my GT5 the 12 hours straight home from Phoenix after purchase, it took a week to work that crick out of my neck!

If I had a car in bare metal and wanted to lower floors, I would personally go GT5 full floor route, but taht is stock in a GT5 and there's a lot to be said for staying stock, especially now you are retired and the freshly painted garage queen is probably destined to rarely see the light of day until lack of use forces a sale. 🙂

Julian

________________________________
From: DeTomaso <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> on behalf of Jack DeRyke via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2021 5:32 PM
To: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>; mbefthomas2 at gmail.com <mbefthomas2 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] To Drop or Not to Drop

I tend to agree with the don't-cut folks. I'm 6'2" and by simply and cheaply modifying the stock (early) seat back-rake angle, I always had plenty of headroom even when wearing a helmet. Plus, I shared the car with a 5'2" wife who obviously did not need a dropped floor, so it would have forced us to carry some sort of booster aboard a rather small street car. The adjustable-rake seat(s) make getting either of us comfortable a few seconds adjustment in either seat- even while on the road.

Cutting the floor often means you lose fore-&-aft seat adjustment for pedal position as well. If so, floor mods can complicate the situation with multiple drivers & pedal extensions etc. If you're the only driver, cut away (just not the floor-stiffening crossmember. The Pantera monococque is none too stiff anyway!)



-----Original Message-----
From: Garth Rodericks via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
To: Mike Thomas <mbefthomas2 at gmail.com>; DeTomaso Mail List <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
Sent: Wed, Apr 28, 2021 4:39 pm
Subject: [DeTomaso] To Drop or Not to Drop

  Don't do it!
  From everything you've told us, you don't need to, so don't.  If and
  when the time comes that you need to make an adjustment for more
  headroom (e.g. because of a new seat), you can modify it then.  And
  frankly, there are less intrusive ways to get more headroom before
  going to dropped floor pans.
  That's my 2-cents, and it's only worth what you paid for it!  :)
-------------- original message --------------
  OK, the forum has been pretty quiet lately so I'll throw this one out
  there.


  Doug Braun and I are both having our cars restored at the same time by
  the same guy.  Doug has done a dropped floor pan for more clearance
  when he has a helmet on but so far I'm not planning to do a drop.
  Since my car is in bare metal right now and about to go on the
  rotisserie for all of the other metal work, I'm wondering if I should
  reconsider while I have the opportunity.  Headroom for me has always
  been just `adequate' and I do have the seat springs removed from the
  bottom cushion of my C4 seats so I'm basically sitting on the floor.  I
  don't plan to track or autocross the car so don't need helmet clearance
  but it would be nice to be able to consider a seat upgrade sometime in
  the future if the C4's get old.


  Thoughts . . .


  Thanks, Mike Thomas

  Panteras Northwest
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-------------- next part --------------
   To add to what other have stated;

   Not all lowered floor pans are the same, the method of lowering
   combined with the chosen seat bears a large influence on the outcome.

   The tip back method of adding triangulated portions and a rear section
   simply lowers the back of the seat, but retains the fore-aft seat
   adjustment. Many seats like your C4 Corvette have a raised front
   bolster and don't lend themselves well to this style of pan with added
   rake, I personally then find them awkward and uncomfortable.

   A full 4-sided drop pan lowers the seat vertically, but one usually
   loses the fore-aft adjustability. Then with a low seat one's legs are
   outstretched almost on the remaining stock forward stock height floor
   section.

   The later GT5 style of lowered floor (despite Mr. Drew's opinion and my
   own opposingly biased one) is the best execution, it offers all options
   of seats to be installed with spacers if required (fore or aft for rake
   adjustment or all 4 for height) and provides for 2" of additional head
   room. This allows for any combination of seat to be installed and
   adjusted to the right (or wrong) height as I can attest to having
   driven my GT5 the 12 hours straight home from Phoenix after purchase,
   it took a week to work that crick out of my neck!

   If I had a car in bare metal and wanted to lower floors, I would
   personally go GT5 full floor route, but taht is stock in a GT5 and
   there's a lot to be said for staying stock, especially now you are
   retired and the freshly painted garage queen is probably destined to
   rarely see the light of day until lack of use forces a sale.

   Julian
     __________________________________________________________________

   From: DeTomaso <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> on behalf of
   Jack DeRyke via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
   Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2021 5:32 PM
   To: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>; mbefthomas2 at gmail.com
   <mbefthomas2 at gmail.com>
   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] To Drop or Not to Drop

   I tend to agree with the don't-cut folks. I'm 6'2" and by simply and
   cheaply modifying the stock (early) seat back-rake angle, I always had
   plenty of headroom even when wearing a helmet. Plus, I shared the car
   with a 5'2" wife who obviously did not need a dropped floor, so it
   would have forced us to carry some sort of booster aboard a rather
   small street car. The adjustable-rake seat(s) make getting either of us
   comfortable a few seconds adjustment in either seat- even while on the
   road.
   Cutting the floor often means you lose fore-&-aft seat adjustment for
   pedal position as well. If so, floor mods can complicate the situation
   with multiple drivers & pedal extensions etc. If you're the only
   driver, cut away (just not the floor-stiffening crossmember. The
   Pantera monococque is none too stiff anyway!)



   -----Original Message-----
   From: Garth Rodericks via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
   To: Mike Thomas <mbefthomas2 at gmail.com>; DeTomaso Mail List
   <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
   Sent: Wed, Apr 28, 2021 4:39 pm
   Subject: [DeTomaso] To Drop or Not to Drop
     Don't do it!
     From everything you've told us, you don't need to, so don't.  If and
     when the time comes that you need to make an adjustment for more
     headroom (e.g. because of a new seat), you can modify it then.  And
     frankly, there are less intrusive ways to get more headroom before
     going to dropped floor pans.
     That's my 2-cents, and it's only worth what you paid for it!  :)
   -------------- original message --------------
     OK, the forum has been pretty quiet lately so I'll throw this one out
     there.
     Doug Braun and I are both having our cars restored at the same time
   by
     the same guy.  Doug has done a dropped floor pan for more clearance
     when he has a helmet on but so far I'm not planning to do a drop.
     Since my car is in bare metal right now and about to go on the
     rotisserie for all of the other metal work, I'm wondering if I should
     reconsider while I have the opportunity.  Headroom for me has always
     been just `adequate' and I do have the seat springs removed from the
     bottom cushion of my C4 seats so I'm basically sitting on the floor.
   I
     don't plan to track or autocross the car so don't need helmet
   clearance
     but it would be nice to be able to consider a seat upgrade sometime
   in
     the future if the C4's get old.
     Thoughts . . .
     Thanks, Mike Thomas
     Panteras Northwest
   _______________________________________________
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