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I have to drive without shoes because my sole hits both pedals if I am not careful. There seems to be at least an inch or more between the carpet and the tunnel. How does one fasten the carpet to gain clearance? I can’t be the only one that has this problem.
The pedal box is a bit tight.
There is a lot of padding under the carpet next to the gas pedal. Possibly, some of that could be removed and a hollow created to clear your shoe.
Another idea would be to move the brake pedal to the left. Modify the arm or the move the point where the arm attaches to the pedal. Center it or move it even farther the left - there’s plenty of room. Would be a lot of work but anything is possible with enough dedication. The mods would obviously have to be of the highest quality and workmanship so you can stand on that pedal with confidence.
I drive an automatic shift car using my left foot for the brake - “goofy foot”. Flame on…
In the 25 years I've owned my Pantera, I have never driven it once with shoes on! My size 14W shoes cover all of the gas and brake pedals and even touch the clutch as well, so I've driven it barefooted since I've owned it. What makes it a little scary is how heavy the clutch is and the fact that the brakes are barely power assisted so that if you really have to brake hard, you're doing it without the leverage of a shoes and strictly using foot strength. I've had several surgeries on my right foot in the past year or two, and I fear the day is coming when I won't be able to drive her any longer. As I get older (69) I keep shrinking in height (lost 4" in the last 5-7 years) so that now I finally fit comfortably in the Pantera without hitting my head, I keep hoping my feet will shrink the same way, but so far, no such luck.
My size 13's don't have a problem in the F-Type, although I did once have a Europa JPS where one foot could cover all 3 pedals. Even shoeless I had to point my toes for the clutch. Man oh man if I could have gotten some of the F-Type's HP in that go-cart...
haha I am 6’6” and barely fit in my vert. I actually feel more “connected” to the car without shoes. I bought the car sight unseen and never tried one out. Having said that it ain’t going anywhere. This car is intoxicating!! It is without a doubt the sexiest car I have ever owned.
Ahhhhh Pantera! I have always daydreamed about owning one!
Originally Posted by tberg
In the 25 years I've owned my Pantera, I have never driven it once with shoes on! My size 14W shoes cover all of the gas and brake pedals and even touch the clutch as well, so I've driven it barefooted since I've owned it. What makes it a little scary is how heavy the clutch is and the fact that the brakes are barely power assisted so that if you really have to brake hard, you're doing it without the leverage of a shoes and strictly using foot strength. I've had several surgeries on my right foot in the past year or two, and I fear the day is coming when I won't be able to drive her any longer. As I get older (69) I keep shrinking in height (lost 4" in the last 5-7 years) so that now I finally fit comfortably in the Pantera without hitting my head, I keep hoping my feet will shrink the same way, but so far, no such luck.
Left foot brakers are probably responsible for all the single car crashes where the driver accelerates rather than brakes into shopfronts and windows as you get older . Food for thought
Left foot brakers are probably responsible for all the single car crashes where the driver accelerates rather than brakes into shopfronts and windows as you get older . Food for thought
+1. A very unsafe practice. During an emergency stop, the instinct is to barce yourself with your feet. If the left foot is on the brake, the only place for the right foot to go is hard down on the throttle.
For those of us with the MT, the close pedal positioning is welcomed.
After I designed and built Midlana (now on BaT, BTW , I took it to a trackday. Though I'd carefully set up pedal placement - I ran into this very issue. Coming to a turn, things became very confusing very quickly. The brakes suddenly didn't seem to work (zero fade to that point), with the car pushing straight ahead, and I went off course. Through dumb luck, the turn had a huge run-off area so I didn't hit anything. After maybe a second, I realized that my foot had accidentally caught the edge of the brake pedal, pressing both. With around 450 hp, it easily overpowered the brakes enough to make the car continue straight.
On a related note, yesterday I sat in a Lotus Europa. When I put my shoe where I thought the gas pedal would be (it was hard to see in the footwell), it was a little surprising to feel my shoe get wedged between the brake and gas pedal. I don't know if the pedal was of normal size but it was unexpected.
Anyway, stories aside, the easiest mod is to either bend the gas pedal arm or cut back the the edge of it that's nearest the brake pedal. Just make sure not to space it too far away from the brake pedal such that your shoe can get caught in between... I would Not mess with the brake pedal at all, just too much at stake to mess with that.
Hey Roost5o,
If you ever find yourself in Soutern California, give me a holler, and you can pick up the keys and take the Pantera for a weekend. It took more than 20 years for me to finally get it sorted out to where I can drive it without issues. It's crude, loud, and absolutely thrilling to drive at any speed. But, like me you'll be driving it barefooted!
Oh my!! That is awesome! That is literally my dream car! Loud and crude…sooo am I!
Originally Posted by tberg
Hey Roost5o,
If you ever find yourself in Soutern California, give me a holler, and you can pick up the keys and take the Pantera for a weekend. It took more than 20 years for me to finally get it sorted out to where I can drive it without issues. It's crude, loud, and absolutely thrilling to drive at any speed. But, like me you'll be driving it barefooted!
Brake/gas pedal distance-big feet
, I took it to a trackday. Though I'd carefully set up pedal placement - I ran into this very issue. Coming to a turn, things became very confusing very quickly. The brakes suddenly didn't seem to work (zero fade to that point), with the car pushing straight ahead, and I went off course. Through dumb luck, the turn had a huge run-off area so I didn't hit anything. After maybe a second, I realized that my foot had accidentally caught the edge of the brake pedal, pressing both. With around 450 hp, it easily overpowered the brakes enough to make the car continue straight.
