Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[alastairq]

Which for me, raises the question of, how often [if at all?] does one carry enough passengers to need access to the rear, to the detriment of frontal access?

Front seats on well designed 2 door saloons [coupes?] can be made to slide as well as tilt.
Or even, to tilt at an advantageous angle?

I think these days, for me, the real bugbear is the inability of older steering columns to raise or lower instantly.

Even in the 1960's, US cars were only just having tilt n slide columns....
The steering wheel size [important on armstrong steering] seems to be a major impediment to ease of access to the front, for older folk?
My Mustang [a '67] has a standard diameter steering wheel, and even with the driver's door being 'unsprung' so as to open a bit wider, I find that getting my right thigh to pass cleanly under the steering wheel is impossible. The left one doesn't matter!
If it wasn't for the incredibly generous footwell leg room, whereby I can stretch my [38 inside leg] out more or less straight, I would find myself only getting behind the wheel from the right [passenger] side, sliding across being very easy to perform, given the very low transmission tunnel height.

For me as a tall person [I'm getting shorter......at the rate I am shrinking, by the time I'm 95 I'll be four foot dot!}..........using the rear doors of a normal 4 door saloon is still a very awkward squeeze.....[4 door Land Rovers being impossible for me to get in the back, seated...]

In many ways, access via a wider 2 door front door, to the back seats, tends for me to be easier, if a little less dignified. At least my backside can be plonked on the seat whilst my legs are still stretched out, outside the car...

I do note, from the various owners groups I belong to, that more & more members sell their prides-n-joy simply because they can no longer get in or out of the things...
My problem is also, with age, my feet have gotten wider. Or at least, my right foot has!
This limits the type of footwear I find comfy...which limits how close pedals can be to each other...
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Ray White]

[ukdave2002]

[Ray White]

[Ray White]

Take a ride in a 2 door AC 2 litre ...

http://www.ac2litre.com/index.html