Do I fit in a Murena?

[Kaiglas]

Hi to you all,

Nice forum with lots of info, I have to say.
I'm looking for another sports car, and I am extremely tempted by the Murena.

However, will I fit into the cockpit without scraping my hair off, and looking at the windscreenframe?
Not that I am that tall, 1.90 meters, but it happened to me in various sports cars (for example, the MGF)

So, to all of you who are around 1.90 meteres, do you fit comfortably?

Thanks, Kai

[krede]

Im 187cm and i find the driving position rather akward.
My hair is against the roof and 1'st gear is "under my right kneecap".
That said, the roof in my car is "hanging" a bit down, and im sure it can be fixed to my satisfaction.
The gear leaver can be adjusted go make a bit more room for my legs, but im not sure it will be quite enough that i dont need to move the gear leaver assembly itself some 5-10 cm to the right.

I know for sure that Lennart is quite a bit taller then me, and that he has no problems fitting in his murena.
I think he has placed som spacers under the front of his seat to tilt it slightly backwards.

Finally, the '83 and 84 model murenas should have slightly better driver Accomodations then the earlier cars, mainly doe to a lower seat.

[Anders Dinsen]

I find that I fit very well in a Murena, I'm about 185 tall.

Footwear makes a difference for me as I have found that I prefer driving in a pair of old trekking shoes I have as they have low sole and are small on the foot - I haven't tried using real racing shoes, but I suspect that will be even better. As Krede's Murena, mine is also origianlly a Belgian with the gear lever on the left side of the choke and where it can occasionally feel like it sits under my knee. It doesn't, and while I haven't actually seen Krede in his car, I doubt if it really does on him too

Inclination on the seat back makes a difference for me - but even with it comfortably inclined where my head fits well under the roof (and the lining on mine is well attached all over), I don't feel my arms stretched at all. I am also very comfortable and feel I can do long jurneys (but I haven't yet tried it). One thing I would like it to have was a higher headrest, but that is not a comfort issue, only safety.

But fit is always a personal issue - my wife will never fit my Murena for example. She has her own Matra, though

- Anders

[Will Falconer]

At 1.95m I'm probably on the extreme end of Murena fitment.

I need to adjust 80-82 seats by raising the front on the locknuts and lowering the back, preferably by shortening the brackets. But 83 cars have better seats and are fine by me.

But I do have a problem with Belgian gear levers - why oh why are they like that?

What makes a Murena different from most sports cars is the lateral space. There is a room for the driver to alter position a little. I used to do a particular 700km day trip in my father's Corvette.  Super cruiser on UK motorways but you are squashed into a very tight space next to the tranmission tunnel.

[macaroni]

I'm 6'2", not sure what it is in metric, about 2m I think. I just about fit. My headlining is drooping and I've had to stick a drawing pin above my head to make a kind of tent!

Once installed I am very comfortable though.

Today I went shopping with my 2 boys, bought a weeks worth of shopping and a new microwave oven that all went in the boot. Try that in a modern day MR2!!

When I came back to the car in the car park, there was a little crowd forming around it.

[Will Falconer]

I'm 6'2", not sure what it is in metric, about 2m I think.

No, your'e only 1.90m Macaroni!

[Artur]

Somebody do a photoshoot session how do you fit in the car,
this will cover all questions

[Anders Dinsen]

Somebody do a photoshoot session how do you fit in the car,
this will cover all questions

Excellent idea, let me start with this:

[krede]

And I too, shall take up the challenge ...




Note the above avarage sized beer belly... thus the tight fit in the seat 
But still the Murena manage to put a big grin on my face.. 
Pics taken this august when I brought the car home from the uk

[Kaiglas]

Thanks a lot guys!

So i do fit in (no beer belly). Good to know. 
Well, then it's up now to deciding wether to keep the old car or buy a Murena. Tough choice!   

BTW: what is a Belgian gear lever?

Adios, Kai

[Lennart Sorth]

I am 194 cm and fits fine ... My car is a 1983, with the lower seat mounting.

Will Falconer gave me the good idea of lifting the front of the seat slightly, which makes your legs rest comfortably, even if they are a bit more bent than on those sub-190 midgets :-)

I have the seat reclined a bit more than most people, which actually gives me a relaxed position and a whole hands-width of space above my head.

I had the sunroof removed, and new roof lining fitted, which combined possibly gave me a extra centimeter or more. Everything counts

The only thing I'd really love was if I could add another headrest on top of the old one, to give me that extra bit of comfort and safety - as it is now, I think it will do, but having some support 10cm further up would definitely help.

I suffer from a poorly back, but in fact the Murena is the best of my cars to be in (Espace JE, Peugeot 106 are the others)


Photoshoot of how to fit .. reminded me of this series I took of a race-prepared DJet, and another 194cm driver :-)
http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/DJet/Gallery1/Erik.Jensby/Med/dsc_2262-64h.html
now THAT is a tight fit ! :-)

/Lennart

[Will Falconer]

No one has ever come up with a reason for it that I'm aware of, but Murenas built for the Belgian market had the gearlever and choke positions swapped over bringing the the gearlver closer to the driver, or in my case bringing the gearlever under my right knee.

I'm sure it has something to do with those great Belgian beers or moules frites.

Any Belgians out there who know the real reason

[krede]

the new roof lining you have fittet, is that the "hard" type like on murenas an newer cars, or is it he "himmel" soft type like older cars (mantas, taunus etc) ?

[Anders Dinsen]

The only thing I'd really love was if I could add another headrest on top of the old one, to give me that extra bit of comfort and safety - as it is now, I think it will do, but having some support 10cm further up would definitely help.

If someone can find a pro who can build an extension on the drivers seat back in a way so it will still look like a "Murena seat", I'd like to know! 5 cm would make splendid difference.

Photoshoot of how to fit .. reminded me of this series I took of a race-prepared DJet, and another 194cm driver :-)
http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/DJet/Gallery1/Erik.Jensby/Med/dsc_2262-64h.html
now THAT is a tight fit ! :-)

The expression "putting the car on" makes excellent meaning for this guy!!

[Lennart Sorth]

the new roof lining you have fittet, is that the "hard" type like on murenas an newer cars, or is it he "himmel" soft type like older cars (mantas, taunus etc) ?

erhm, doh !
tough question - not sure. Its fluffy, but with a hard -ish substance.
Its a genuine Murena headlining which MatraMagic fitted, when I got the new roof (without the leaky, unoriginal sunroof)

Will - do you know the answer to this ?


Btw - I have heard that thing about the Belgian cars having the gearlever swapped to be closer to the driver before, - but as far as I have been told, my car was originally Belgian, but it has the choke on the driverside. 
Either it doesn't cover *all* Belgian cars, ot my car wasn't really Belgian, but jst "export"  (with the glass-inserts in the extra headlight covers) ?

/Lennart