[abshapiro]

Like most of you, I purchased the C7 without seeing or sitting in one. I picked mine up on Saturday. I positioned the seat such that I could push the clutch to the floor and was so excited in driving it home, I didn’t realize I was in an uncomfortable sitting position. I still could not get the perfect position after playing with all the seat and steering wheel position controls while in the garage that evening. A GOOGLE search turned up a product called “C7 EZ Clutch Pedal Extension”. This is a block that attaches by 2 screws to the clutch pedal. It doesn’t change the clutch pedal travel but adds 1.5 inches to the top of the pedal pad bringing it closer to your body. This allowed me to move the seat further back giving, at least for me, a better sitting position relative to the steering wheel and gear shift.

 

[glen e]

Nice...got a link?

 

[mjw930]

http://bondraperformanceengineering.com


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[Redc7]

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb...ZF188JR424619333450V~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000050V~~~

 

[rdslon01]

When I sat in a manual C7 I noticed how unusually far forward I had to pull my seat to get the clutch the whole way down to the floor. The salesman told me that, in the C7, there was no difference in the engagement of the clutch four inches from the floor and on the floor, implying that you don't have to push the clutch the whole way down.

Is this true or not?

 

[mjw930]

Most people, men in particular, sit much too far away from the steering wheel and the pedals with their arms almost fully extended, I see it every time I've instructed. You need to be close enough to be able to move the steering wheel a full 90 degrees without removing either hand. Pretty much impossible the way most people position themselves away for the wheel. I'm not saying you need to be NASCAR close but usually closer then The average American does.

I tend towards the short side at 5'9" with a 30" inseam and it took all of 15 seconds to get in the perfect position. I moved the seat forward to where the pedals were right and still moved the steering wheel out closer to me to get it right. I would contend that unless you are freakishly proportioned or really short or tall you should be able to easily find the right combo of pedal and wheel.


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[rdslon01]

Mark, this particular issue of the C7 has nothing to do with the steering wheel position. Let me explain.

When I pulled the seat far enough forward to put the clutch on the floor, at that point I was so far forward that when I tried to bend my right knee to lift my right foot and put it on the accelerator, my right knee ran into some slight interference from the dash. Also, my right knee was bent so much it was uncomfortable. So, I put the seat back until I was comfortable with the right leg/knee/foot on the accelerator. At that point, I could not push the clutch to the floor without squirming around in the seat bringing my left hip forward, and then having to push with my toes to get the clutch all the way on the floor. It felt really weird.

Before I said anything to my salesman, he interjected by saying not to worry about getting the clutch all the way down because it was fully disengaged even when the clutch pedal was 4 inches from the floor.

Is this true or false?

 

[mjw930]

Ah, I see. That's interesting, I didn't notice that but I wasn't driving it, just sitting in a dealers car. I don't know where in the stroke it engages. Hopefully someone with a 7 speed will chime in.


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[Rich427]

All standard transmission cars have some level of clutch pedal travel before the clutch actually engages. I own a 7 speed, and the operation of the C7 clutch pedal is no different than other standard transmission cars. I never paid attention to exactly how much travel there is, but would guess that your salesman is in the right range. But I am also not sure how comfortable it would be for you to sit at a red light with the clutch pedal in and your foot not getting some support from the floor. Obviously, you are someone with short legs and you are having some difficulty getting comfortable with your seat position and the operation of the clutch. For me, or anyone else, to tell you that you should not install a clutch pedal extension would be foolish. If you feel you need the extension, get it and after installing it, if it does not work for you, return it to the supplier.

 

[MrG69]

I'm 6' tall and have fairly long legs so this won't be a problem for me, but it makes me concerned about my wife who is 5' petite ;-) being able to get comfortable driving my Stingray.

Obviously I can't put the block on and off, so this isn't an option for us.

I'd be interested in any other petite ladies experience driving a manual Stingray.


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[rdslon01]

All standard transmission cars have some level of clutch pedal travel before the clutch actually engages. I own a 7 speed, and the operation of the C7 clutch pedal is no different than other standard transmission cars. I never paid attention to exactly how much travel there is, but would guess that your salesman is in the right range. But I am also not sure how comfortable it would be for you to sit at a red light with the clutch pedal in and your foot not getting some support from the floor. Obviously, you are someone with short legs and you are having some difficulty getting comfortable with your seat position and the operation of the clutch. For me, or anyone else, to tell you that you should not install a clutch pedal extension would be foolish. If you feel you need the extension, get it and after installing it, if it does not work for you, return it to the supplier.

Haha, nope, it is the other way around. I have very long legs (34-35 inch inseams), but a very short back (overall height is 6' to 6'1"). So, I had the height of the seat as high as possible because of my short back. Then my very long right leg was in a bind when I was close enough to use the left to get the clutch on the floor. Anyway, I still don't think this has a lot to do with seat height or anything to do with steering wheel distance. I have never experienced this exact clutch/gas distance problem in any other car. I think the gas pedal is just so far in front of the firewall, and the clutch goes down so far behind the wheel well curve, that this is what is contributing to the difficulty.

 

[mark13]

When I sat in a manual C7 I noticed how unusually far forward I had to pull my seat to get the clutch the whole way down to the floor. The salesman told me that, in the C7, there was no difference in the engagement of the clutch four inches from the floor and on the floor, implying that you don't have to push the clutch the whole way down.

Is this true or not?

I have found, as others have said, that it is not necessary to press the clutch pedal all the way down. The first time I tried to drive in 1st gear, I stalled it because I did not know the "release" was so high off the floor.

 

[mjw930]

Haha, nope, it is the other way around. I have very long legs (34-35 inch inseams), but a very short back (overall height is 6' to 6'1"). So, I had the height of the seat as high as possible because of my short back. Then my very long right leg was in a bind when I was close enough to use the left to get the clutch on the floor. Anyway, I still don't think this has a lot to do with seat height or anything to do with steering wheel distance. I have never experienced this exact clutch/gas distance problem in any other car. I think the gas pedal is just so far in front of the firewall, and the clutch goes down so far behind the wheel well curve, that this is what is contributing to the difficulty.

I have found, as others have said, that it is not necessary to press the clutch pedal all the way down. The first time I tried to drive in 1st gear, I stalled it because I did not know the "release" was so high off the floor.

For someone in this particular situation a modification to add a bump stop to the back of the clutch pedal well past the fulcrum point to make it stop before it gets to the firewall by an inch or so might be a viable alternative.

 

[louloumax]

For someone in this particular situation a modification to add a bump stop to the back of the clutch pedal well past the fulcrum point to make it stop before it gets to the firewall by an inch or so might be a viable alternative.

that is the better solution-put the spacer behind the pedal. that way you are not holding your foot in midair at a stop light.
i used a 2 1/2-3" hose clamp wrapped around a compressible, but hard piece of foam rubber from a hand grip from a piece of exercise equipment. you can fashion the shape and length with a box cutter. slice it open and the hole in the center of the foam fits over the clutch pedal shaft.
i have mine so the clutch stops at about 1-1.5" from the firewall. you need to experiment to find the right travel length. be advised that if you make it too short, the car will not start as it doesn't recognize that the clutch is compressed.
the flexible rubber piece helps alleviate this as you can push harder and compress the pedal further if necessary.

 

[Vincentesq]

My wife is 5' also, and she drives my.....uh.....her C7 7speed. She feels fine with it, but she feels much more comfortable having a small pillow on the seat to giver her an inch or two higher seating position. She has no problem with the clutch. However, she did say that once in a while, her knee would knock on the panel under the steering wheel. I wonder if this extension would help her out. Anyone try this before? Maybe I will buy one and let you all know.

 

[Vincentesq]

Looks like you can't order it anymore. When you press add to cart, it say the item has been discontinued.

 

[abshapiro]

I ordered it last week from EZ Clutch | Bondra Performance Engineering or call 586-747-3000. Bondra mailed it Priority mail and I had it in 3 days (MI to CA) after ordering it.
Ecklers also has it.
Be sure to say C7. It adds 1.5 inches to the top of the pedal pad. You can probably experiment first by cutting a small piece off the end of a 2x4 and and use a velcro strap to secure it to the pedal. Cheap experiment before you spend $50.

 

[Vincentesq]

Thank you, I will give them a call.

 

[CruznCorvette]

Your chest should be 10-12" from the airbag in the steering wheel. If you are in a race car without airbag, sit as close as you like.
Buckling Up and Getting Into the Correct Position

 

[Vincentesq]

I just received my clutch extension. It took less than 10 minutes to install and looks stock. I like it, but most importantly, my wife loves it! She claims to be able drive it with high heels. Well, it's working out for her.