Snug? Comfortable? Contorted?
 

Also on Locostbuilders, but not sure if everyone on here looks there so...

I'm at the point where i'm trying to work out where to mount my seat, position my pedals, gear lever and handbrake and site my steering wheel in my Haynes Roadster

It's all feeling a bit 'cosy' to say the least, quite possibly uncomfortable if i'm brutally honest.

Arms are outstretched further than i'd like to reach the wheel, but the pedals are the right distance away, my elbow hits my ribs when I change into 4th, and the handbrake is where I want to rest my arm on the transmission tunnel....

I seem to remember hearing that you sat diagonally twisted round in a Lancia Stratos looking sideways out of the windscreen with your head tilted to one side to get under the roof, and I'd put up with that if i had one...

Is this par for the course with a 7 cockpit layout?

Incidentally, i have an MT75 tunnel, there is also precious little space for my feet amongst the pedals. Do we all get issued with little 'race driver booties' when we pass IVA?

Here's a pic as it is at the mo (in 4th gear)...

The book is a guide to building a car not a perfect design to fit you so make changes as and where you need them.
The hand brake does not have to go where the book says it does, one of my customers had me recess it into the tunnel by dropping it 75-100mm down. When the hand brake was off/down it was flush with the top of the tunnel.
Are you using the Sierra steering wheel or are you planning to change it for some thing smaller? The reason being as the wheel gets smaller the closer your elbows will be to your ribs, also if the wheel is too far from you but the pedals are ok move the steering frame closer to you.
There is also nothing wrong in cutting the gear stick down or changing the angle providing your welding is good, a quick shift kit may also help with the throw.

I'm planning on swapping the steering wheel for a smaller one post-iva, so that may help.

At the moment I have my arms almost fully outstretched to reach it - I would rather I had more bend in my elbows. I did think about chopping the frame about but as it is the column is resting on the chassis rail it goes over - so i'll need to chop a bit of chassis rail out too....

This is what I plan to do with mine, keeps it out of the way when not needed.

Been playing with MS paint again looking at some tunnel designs.

I found that my gear lever was in the wrong place.
Caterham move the handbrake forwards and put in a curved top
link as the image is quite large

You can get spacers to move the steering wheel nearer to you.
I think ideally you need to be able to rest your wrist on the top of the wheel.
Some of the quick shift kits move the gearlever back, most people chop the stalk down.
Some good suggestion on handbrake, simplest is to move it right across to the left, but it may still be a bit in the way.

when i sat in mine with the seat in for the first time the other week I found that the stering wheel feels really close, the accelerator pedal feels really long and the gear leaver is a long way away!

Will just have to get used to it though?

Has anyone shortened the accelerator pedal? It seems to be designed for size 15 shoes

If you need to move the gearlever, its very easy. I cut the angle and welded it back straight (brings in to a much nicer position, local to the steering wheel). Then you can knock the shaft through the pivot ball and raise the pivot point to reduce the throw I.E. it costs NOTHING to make a quick shift on a type 9.

edit: Found the website (Dave Andrews quickshift guide)

I had to shorten the throttle pedal as Nathan sent me the wrong one! (I think he accidentally sent me a Sierra clutch pedal instead).
I ended up chopping a section out of the pedal above the pivot and welding it in below the pivot so I didn't end up with a ridiculously long pedal travel.

For the handbrake I remodelled it with an angry grinder and re-welded it so that it sits on the passenger side of the tunnel rather than the drivers side, giving me a bit of space to rest my arm.

The only thing I'm not really happy with now is the gear stick position which is too far forward, but a bit of chopping about and welding like deezee's suggestion should sort that out.