natbradshaw wrote:
It sounds about the same as my 24' touring car.
Perhaps the idea was that the steering column would stop the driver's heart before the windshield sliced them to bits.
I am getting a bit more familiar with the idiosyncrasies of my 23 Dodge roadster, and I am thoroughly convinced that this car was built for 100% imaging, and 0% practicality.
When I bought the car it was little more than a bucket, sitting on a running gear, with a partially assembled engine sitting in the frame. The remainder of the car was stored in coffee cans, a little wooden box with compartments, and a trailer full of stuff. The other day I took the car out for its first shakedown in probably half a century, and the thought crossed my mind “Oh my GOD! What have I done”! The brake and clutch pedals are tiny and located within inches of the steering column. The gas pedal is located a few inches to the right, and a few inches below the brake pedal. When I try to move my huge feet (8 1/2’s) from the gas to the brake, they get tangled up under the brake pedal, and what should be a uneventful, and totally unremarkable stop turns into a real drama. The steering column in the roadster is intentionally 2” longer than the touring, and I think, 4” longer than some columns used in other 1923 DB cars. I have roughed in a seat to get measurements for the actual upholstery job, and I can barely reach the brake pedal to full application. Thusly, I get the feeling that this car was made for the guy who was spaghetti thin, very tall, and absolutely loved to profile in a roadster with a huge steering wheel, and no way toe it the drivers door. You can buy a (pardon to political incorrectness) “fat man’s” steering wheel which folds upward to allow one to fit between the steering wheel and door frame while entering or leaving the car. I will add one of these to my wish list, and make sure to note its low priority for purchase.