how important is the fit?

[sidcharles]

do you care if the steering wheel touches the front seat?

or if the shift lever cannot be reached?

i've looked at a lot of interiors, and quite a few could not even accommodate Gumby.

if everything in the engine bay should be spiff, ride height just right, and steering gear have Ackermann geometry,

should some consideration be given to the possibility a scale driver would have a bit of chance piloting the vehicle?  

[Ace-Garageguy]

32 minutes ago, sidcharles said:

...should some consideration be given to the possibility a scale driver would have a bit of chance piloting the vehicle?  

As far as I'm concerned, absolutely.

I've been using a seated 1/24 driver figure (from the ancient Monogram Indy car kit) named Lefty (because he lost his right arm at one point...but I found it) for years to keep me honest.

Being 1/24, he works as an average sized driver in that scale, and a big guy in 1/25.

Depending on the build, I'll rearrange his arms and legs and feet and seating angle.

Edited Monday at 12:49 AM by Ace-Garageguy

[sidcharles]

i used to keep a couple of these guys around for fits:  

but that was back before the first oil embargo. now i just try to eyeball a realistic space around components.

[Ace-Garageguy]

5 minutes ago, sidcharles said:

 

...but that was back before the first oil embargo. now i just try to eyeball a realistic space around components.

I'm more anal than that. Pretty much everything I build is something I'd like to build in 1:1 if I win the lottery and live forever, so, having driven a lot of rods and race cars that are really really uncomfortable, I get kinda crazy fitting people into my models.

Edited Monday at 12:41 AM by Ace-Garageguy

[1972coronet]

Cockeyed tillers , and those which either touch the seat or are so far back that even Twiggy would have a hard time fitting - that drives me crazy.

Shifters, the same ( though I've seen some in 1:1 which were "unreasonable - think : "Suicide-BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" on motorcycles ).

Insofar as my own builds ; close-enough-to-present-realistically is good enough for me... 

AMENDMENT :

Not sure as to why "SHIFT" got a "BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" whereas its precursor didn't ?

Edited Monday at 12:51 AM by 1972coronet
*TYPO*

[meechum68]

I try and keep things being able to fit a person in them. I have a kit where the steering wheel refused to cooperate so it's a bit wonky. 
 

[NOBLNG]

2 hours ago, sidcharles said:

….now i just try to eyeball a realistic space around components.

That’s what I do. I have made a custom tilt column for a ‘31 Ford.

And I trimmed probably a scale foot and a half off the Monogram’64 GTO column.

[89AKurt]

I've built two of the old Monogram slot car era kits, by scratch-building interiors that looked realistic.  I've not done the crash test dummy thing.

[Fat Brian]

I try to make the interior look like it could accommodate a person but the amount effort does correlate to how visible the finished product is. I've spent weeks making a custom interior for a Peterbilt that is almost completely invisible now that it's done, lesson learned. 

[Cool Hand]

4 hours ago, sidcharles said:

do you care if the steering wheel touches the front seat?

or if the shift lever cannot be reached?

i've looked at a lot of interiors, and quite a few could not even accommodate Gumby.

if everything in the engine bay should be spiff, ride height just right, and steering gear have Ackermann geometry,

should some consideration be given to the possibility a scale driver would have a bit of chance piloting the vehicle?  

Generally I will try make things appear as they are in full scale and I will make small adjustments to achieve that.

I have no interest in trying to re engineer to correct fitment and placement. 

Me personally I just like to concentrate on details that are seen when viewing the display shelf.

 

 

Edited Monday at 04:16 AM by Cool Hand

[Straightliner59]

I use an old Monogram driver, too. Rather than actually fit him in the car, I use him to line things up, and make sure  driver can reach the pedals, shifter and wheel, and that the roll bar will clear his head, on open cars. I agree, it's off-putting when things obviously will not "work".

[stitchdup]

I like to have it look like someone could fit and be in proportion. I dont use any visual aid apart from my eyes. there are some builds of mine where the interior is just to fill a hole

[sidcharles]

6 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Cockeyed tillers , and those which either touch the seat or are so far back that even Twiggy would have a hard time fitting - that drives me crazy.

Shifters, the same ( though I've seen some in 1:1 which were "unreasonable - think : "Suicide-BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" on motorcycles ).

Insofar as my own builds ; close-enough-to-present-realistically is good enough for me... 

AMENDMENT :

Not sure as to why "SHIFT" got a "BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" whereas its precursor didn't ?

if you get a blah-blah, expect a stern warning from the big fishes.

Edited Monday at 07:19 AM by sidcharles

[stitchdup]

6 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Cockeyed tillers , and those which either touch the seat or are so far back that even Twiggy would have a hard time fitting - that drives me crazy.

Shifters, the same ( though I've seen some in 1:1 which were "unreasonable - think : "Suicide-BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" on motorcycles ).

Insofar as my own builds ; close-enough-to-present-realistically is good enough for me... 

AMENDMENT :

Not sure as to why "SHIFT" got a "BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH" whereas its precursor didn't ?

you missed an f in the second shift and the auto censor removed the resulting word

[Mark W]

Putting the steering wheel, shifter, seats, etc in the right position just makes the interior look more realistic.

Worth the effort? For sure!

[StevenGuthmiller]

Not something that I obsess over, but sure, you want to have the layout as closely as you can to correct.

This is the type of thing that is worth exploring if you're building a highly detailed model, but I certainly wouldn't give it too much thought if you're building a basic, or curbside model.

Some of the old annuals have all sorts of interior layout problems with their shallow tubs and molded in, well, everything!

If you're not going to address all of the other issues, it doesn't make much sense to me to worry about whether or not the steering wheel touches the seat.

 

 

 

Steve

 

[Ulf]

My helper, he will be replaced by a brother filed out of aluminum sheet and more precise joints. It's really optional but if it's a project that I spend many many hours on, it makes sense.

Edited Monday at 04:48 PM by Ulf

[sidcharles]

he does seem to have a bit of a two-dimensional personality.

 

Q: is the car shown in a thread somewhere?

thanks

 

s.e.

[dmthamade]

I don't obsess over interior to the need of a crash test dummy to ensure fit, honestly i go by the Mk.1 eyeball to get the look to my satisfaction. 

Don

[Ulf]

3 hours ago, sidcharles said:

he does seem to have a bit of a two-dimensional personality.

 

Q: is the car shown in a thread somewhere?

thanks

 

s.e.

Yes, but that project stopped for several reasons that could be summarized in the phrase, I'll continue on this one when the risk of making a mistake is significantly reduced (read stressful time). I'm almost there so I can start building on the 34 again.

https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/187992-ford-34-a-street-hot-rod-who-did-not-reach-the-finish-line/

 

[sidcharles]

thank you. i can completely understand putting aside a project for any number of reasons.

[Rbray47]

As long as the steering wheel isn't touching the seat, and auto shifter is in park, I'm good. 

[Bainford]

When I scratch build a floor shifter, I always position them in 1st gear. However, due to a brief bout of builder's dyslexia, my '70 Boss 302 is forever parked up in 3rd gear. So far, no one has yet noticed my most embarrassing faux pas. 

[Beans]

I do what I can to make things looks more realistic.  The steering wheel in the front seat bothers me for some reason and no matter what I feel the need to correct it.  I also want the rear seats (if they exist) to look like someone could sit in them and put their feet on the floor.  I don't go as far as making sure seatbelts would actually fit around a person (when I add them), but just what looks right to my eye.

I honestly never thought about shifter position but now I am.  

[rattle can man]

I don't use a figure, but I do try to make it look feasible.