Bangertrackworld – lowering drivers seat?!

So due to my “proper” car (10yr old Ford Mundano) lunching it’s engine, and my currently being a mature student I was forced to buy literally anything I could find.

I ended up with a 22yr old VW polo which was a relative bargain at £550 , fsh, 83k etc

However, at 6’2 and 3/4 inches I don’t fit in it without my head on the ceiling. Interestingly it’s only in the mornings that I’m actually wedged in it – it’s a mere scalp scraping by the end of the day.

Anyway, is there any way whatsoever to lower a drivers seat? Apparently some models of that year had a height adjustable seat so I could attempt to retro fit one (but still don’t know if that would go lower or just go up?!)

Thanks

Compressed of Derbyshire

No idea if it would work with a Polo, but an old MX-5 trick was to take some of the foam out of the seat. Might be worth a look?

Unless you can weld the easiest cheap way is cut the foam.

I reckon an adjustable seat may be higher anyway you’d need to try one

Recline it? Seems to be an approach adopted by some. Not sure on safety or comfort ratings

https://www.clubpolo.co.uk/topic/338192-what-front-seats-fit-in-a-6n-without-modding/

Mk3 Golf Recaro fronts seem to be a popular option and may well drop lower.

Cmon now STW where’s the lateral thinking? The obvious answer is Cabriolet…

Oh RRR, I have nothing useful to say but please let me see you driving that tiny car sometime :)

Yours supportively, Nicklouse

Needs that clip from the Simpsons with Nelson

Indeed, pics please….

Ww had ‘The Fiat’ episode at work. Nothing unusual to turn up and find the hire car being swapped for the last vehicle they had – a mint coloured 500.

Except the driver was 6’5″ and 18st of rugby player…. 😅😅😅

Even the Europecar staff were in stitches and asking would he mind if they took a picture.

Im 6ft3 and I fitted in my wife’s polo no problem, it was a 2007 model.

II’d try and find a chair with height adjust from a wreckers yard and fit it.

I had this problem exactly. My son is 6’4″ with long torso, he passed his test in a Corsa so bought one thinking he’d fit in it, but the seat wasn’t adjustable in the model he bought. So I went to a scrappy and found one that was, stripped off the adjustable base and swapped it (so that the upholstery matched). Then discovered (as you suspected) that it only adjusts up, not down. Never found out how the driving school managed it, but I went through the mechanism working out which bits were important to secure the seat in a crash and which bits I could safely grind off to give it downwards adjustment. I think I managed about 2cm, which was enough.

Yours supportively, Nicklouse

B1tch. Support your NHS – buy me a new car?

@greybeard – hmmm interesting! I’m not great at erm removing metal from stuff.

When I started uni (again) at the ripe old age of 38 I sold my slightly nippy bimmer and felt very depressed with my 3k 2010 Mundano.

Never in a million years did I ever think I’d miss the dullest, least entertaining car ever produced.

I eye Mrs RRR’s 2009 Astra with envy, which is distressing

Make a nuisance of yourself and try some other small VWs, Lupo, Fox, Up and see if they’re better, followed by a trip to a vehicle breaker
Our boy fits in a Picanto at 6’3″ and 18 stone. No-one aged over 2 can sit behind though

Removing the front seat and sitting on the back seat is the way forward. You may need a booster cushion though as you will be horizontal in order to reach the pedals
But some platform boots should solve that problem

Compression straps that pull you into the seat should drop you a few cm.

^^ loving the suggestions. I think removing the front seat and sitting on the back makes most sense 🤔

(@damascus I think next gen polos after mine were a bit bigger).

On the plus side, it’s a surprisingly fun car (up to about 40 mph at which point the tedium in making progress gets a bit much).

In theory when I start work I should be able to get something else within a few months.

However, it’s a solid little car and given the grimey pit of a location I’ll be parking for work it’d be good if I could keep it.

your not that tall though. I’m 6ft5 and fit in most cars by laying the seat back a bit. Some cars i struggle with the steering wheel adjustment like the FIL Boxster, which is sad as i was eyeing it up for when he leaves.. the biggest problem is fitting other people in the car when i am the driver.

I’m 6’7″ and have driven 6n polos no problems.

Try a Corrado or GTI seat as they’ll generally sit lower:
https://www.clubpolo.co.uk/topic/238914-good-cars-for-tall-people/

On 205s you could remove the back and forth locking mechanism and bolt the seat in place directly, you may have had to make a bracket I can’t remember, but the back and forther mechanism was ~1.5″ of height.

I saw a good film about this sort of thing once, maybe worth a go?

Probably worth asking an a VW forum. There is a pretty strong modding scene and someone will have done it. I suspect there are other seats that fit the same bolt holes.

Pickup a cheap bucket seat and some mounting rails. Set it to the lowest setting and away you go. Can also pretend you’re in a race car which tbf, most people in 22 year old Polos think anyway.

BTW, 22 year old Polo means its a 6N2? In which case it should just be a case of picking up a 6N2 GTI interior which from what I can remember from the two I’ve owned, defintely have height adjustable seats. The standard GTTI cloth interior you should be able to pickup dirt cheap.

BTW +2, awesome cars. I loved the two we had apart from their chocolate gearboxes.

Unless you can weld the easiest cheap way is cut the foam.

I disagree, cutting your head off to get in is far easier.

No real help other than I thought it was only in the last 10 years or so that Polos started getting stupidly high seating positions.

I’m 6’7″ and have driven 6n polos no problems

I must be an odd shape then.

I do have a fancy sunroof though so wonder if that lowers the roof liner?

6N2?

Ummm yep I think so.

Re replacing interior – we don’t know for certain that a height adjustable seat goes down any further do we? Could be a faff only to find I’m jammed in but on slightly nicer seats? 🤔

Pickup a cheap bucket seat and some mounting rails.

I already had worrying thoughts of roll cages and track days. I don’t need this sort of encouragement 🙂

I eye Mrs RRR’s 2009 Astra with envy, which is distressing

Problem solved, give her the keys to your lovely vw polo and take her astra.

Problem solved, give her the keys to your lovely vw polo and take her astra.

The only slight issue is that we also have 3 mini RRR’s to cart about. She can get herself and them in the Astra but no chance in the polo.

It’s getting a bit silly having to take two cars if we need to move as a family..

Needs that clip from the Simpsons with Nelson

A bit of a lo-fi image but here ya go;

+

Problem solved.

Nelson = my 8 yr old 😐

I do have a fancy sunroof though so wonder if that lowers the roof liner?

Almost certainly does, some cars it’s as much as 3-4cm with the internally retracting tilt and slides.

Can still remember a mate turning up at my place in his girlfriends car (as she took his estate for a girly weekend camping)

She had a BL mini convertible, he’s knocking on 6’6″. Yes, he drove it everywhere with the top down that weekend.