What is the dumbest engineering design on XK8/R?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jul 21, 2024 | 08:14 AM

#61

JimmyL

Veteran Member

Joined: Oct 2008

Posts: 1,834

Likes: 453

From: Virginia Beach, VA

I can't see

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleather

I love this car, it's sweet!!! The only thing that really bothers me is the drivers seat. I'm 5'4, and have to put this seat as high as it can go to see over the hood, of course, the top has to be down to do this; and that's fine with me.... For some reason, I feel a bit insecure driving a car, not being able to see over the hood. I do this with the my Jaguar Super V8, too. <grin> Oh; What bothers me about this is: The top of the windshield frame/vanity-visor blocks my view of the sky/horizon, trees and basic eye candy. That's really my only pet-pee, really... <grin>

I'm about 6' tall, and at times I have a problem seeing traffic lights without stooping down - unless the top is down and I can see over the header bar. There is also a pretty decent blind spot at the rear quarters - with the top up, of course. I don't put the top down a whole lot anymore. Getting soft in my old age. But I do think the convertibles look better with the top down (and the tonneau fitted).

Jul 21, 2024 | 09:54 AM

#62

Aleather

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2017

Posts: 327

Likes: 38

From: Cape Cod Mass

Quote:

Originally Posted by giandanielxk8

I am the same height as you yet I don't have that problem. In fact, my seat is not in the highest position but in the lowest and I see just fine. You must have a short torso where I have short legs.

If I put the seat at it's lowest setting, I can't even see the hood at all... feels like I'm in my old red 1963 VW Beetle. So, re-thinking this, It's more getting my head over the dashboard, than the hood. But in a weird way, it's both, with other mental issues, like feeling claustrophobic and ......

Jul 21, 2024 | 10:09 AM

#63

Aleather

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2017

Posts: 327

Likes: 38

From: Cape Cod Mass

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

Yes, I forgot about traffic lights (with the seat at it's highest setting). I'm guessing people seeing me driving my XK8, must think I'm six foot tall. I'm 69, so maybe I'm old too, but there is no way I can drive this car with the top up, too claustrophobic. I don't know how these people with the XK8 Coupe do it... I have never driven in a XK8 Coupe, so maybe I have miss-spoke here.... <grin>

Last edited by Aleather; Jul 21, 2024 at 10:29 AM.

Jul 21, 2024 | 09:27 PM

#64

giandanielxk8

Veteran Member

Joined: Oct 2012

Posts: 3,755

Likes: 1,619

From: Puerto Rico

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleather

Hmm… does the seat in the highest setting work for you? My mother uses a booster seat of sorts on her BMW.

Jul 21, 2024 | 10:06 PM

#65

Aleather

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2017

Posts: 327

Likes: 38

From: Cape Cod Mass

Quote:

Originally Posted by giandanielxk8

Hmm… does the seat in the highest setting work for you? My mother uses a booster seat of sorts on her BMW.

Yes it does! Off subject: I use to own a 1993 Chevy Camaro, in which, I duck taped a big block of wood to the clutch pedal... Without that block of wood and with the seat all the way forward, I could not push the clutch pedal far enough down to produce a shift... Thank God for duck tape and wood!!! :-) I even think I used a phone book, on a seat, in the past, but don't remember the car.

Last edited by Aleather; Jul 21, 2024 at 10:13 PM.

Jul 22, 2024 | 06:32 AM

#66

Jon89

Veteran Member

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 13,072

Likes: 4,722

From: Raleigh, NC

Regarding seat height / windshield vision, I have the opposite problem. At 6-foot-7 I am way too tall for my wife's 2006 XK8. I have to slump down in order to get my eyes low enough to see properly. No way could I ever daily drive this thing....