Is there a graceful way to climb in and out of a C4?
 

I'm a new owner of a C4. I have a problem climbing in and out over that darn high sill or what ever it's called. My C3 has a low sill plate and so does the C5 but that C4.....I think I look like I'm struggling when I climb out of the car. Of course, I'm not the smallest guy in the world, 6'4", 300 pounds and not as flexible as I used to be. Guess I have more incentive to stick to those New Year's resolutions! :D

Rick in Tennessee :cheers:

The best part about the door sills is to watch new passengers getting in and out the 1st couple of times.

[stick to those new years resolutions] thats your best bet :thumbs:

:iagree:
and every once in a while, if you are lucky, they might catch their foot on the door sill and fall down. then you get to laugh at them for hours. :lol:

or help a girl in a short skirt into the passenger side!

What ever you do, don't hold on to the steering wheel or use your right hand to brace yourself on the center console as you get in! The steering column will loosen up and the center console door will break!
It is easier with the top down on a vert as you have more room. To exit simply plant your left foot on the ground, brace your right hand on the windshield frame and stand straight up as you put your right foot on the ground. Helps if you go to the gym once in a while to exercise those muscle too! It also helps if you and your SO frequently get creative in the bedroom! :cheers:

I've found that I enter and exit all vehicles differently since I've had C4s....Helps to be 5'6".... If the column is fixed right it can take it,but NOT the console lid!!!!

I had to literally "push" a date out of the car the other night! Pretty humorous watching her decide which way to try........She liked the car til that episode. All of a sudden it was a P.O.S. :lol:

I've literally rolled out of mine on more than one ocassion. Twist 180 degrees out the door, 2 hands onto the drive, drag the torso out, get onto all fours, then proceed to stand up. (also fake the "looking for a contact" posture while doing this C4-corvette-crawl).
I'm getting up there in years, and there just is no gracefull way to exit these things, ecspecially if you park in a tight space next to another vehicle as I do in my 2-car garage. (althought as corvetteronw said, having the targa top off helps make a normal appearing exit possible). I'm not that large of a person either, 5'8", 175, so old age and joint pains are taking there toll.

I agree about the C3s', I never had to roll out the door onto all 4s to exit.

I ve got the sill covers on mine and new passengers usually kick them out on the floor as they get out as well

At 6'4" I don't know where you put your feet legs...and head for that matter. I'm only 5'10" and consider leg and head room just barely passable. My 75 year old mother in law pops in and out of it like it's made for her. She's only about 5'4 or so. Everyone else that's gotten into it struggles...including me.

Bingo!! You've hit the main reason the C4's will never be as popular as other generations. Lloyd Reuss is the idiot Chevy general manager who screwed that up when he required the engineers to make the C4 a targa instead of a T-bar roof. That's where the high sill and all the chassis flex came from. When you're straining to get out of a C4 you have my permission to curse Reuss with as many expletives as you can muster!

Granted, McLellan and his engineers were not totally guiltless in that they persisted on making the C4 too low which required the floor pan be lowered between the frame rails (notice all the other generations are taller).

I've been thinking of ways of alleviating the entry/exit hassel but it's gonna require some rather extensive structural work and chassis mods and the purists will howl. The resulting car will handle worse but ride better than the original. I can live with that 'cause it will still go like a "bat out of hades" and handle better than 90% of anything else on the road. When I get at the mods (gotta find the car 1st-keep your fingers crossed, I'm going to look at one this week if the weather co-operates), I'll post the results. :cheers:

:iagree:
I found that the best way is to turn a full 90 degrees. Most people resist that because they try to come up with 'one slick motion' that will get them in or out. "one slick motion" doesn't exist, but once you take the 3/4 of a second to turn completly, it is actually a snap.

When sitting in the seat, turn so that both feet are square on the ground before you try and lift yourself. Then just stand straight up (remember the tip from corvetteronw). When getting in, turn your hips to the side, bend both your knees and hips so that you butt lands on the seat before either of your feet leave the ground.

There is a little 'finese' to this, but everybody's body is a little different, so you will have to adjust accordingly.

im 5-6 and idont have any trouble gettin in or out, prolly because im 17, lol but idont notice it. I dontthink ive ever caughtm y fooito n the sil, the only thing i first noticed was the massive drop to get my ass in the seat, but tht was bout it. Also there sint very much head room, i almost hit my head on the roof and im no where near as tall as all the rest of u.

Im 31 and just had two hips replaced in the last 5 months. I dont want to hear ANYONE complain about getting in and out :ack:


snoopdan


However, I drove a Fiat Bertone for 6 years, so I was already used to falling into cars, so the vette wasnt too much of a change.

I'm 5ft 9" and 150lbs so it's pretty easy for me since I'm just average but here is how I do it. First I put my right leg (snake it over the door sill and to the pedal area) in and just softly sit down then just put my left leg in, no problem! the way I do it keeps seat wear of getting in and out to a min I don't touch the bolster while doing this. To get out I just stick the left leg out and I can jsut lift myself outta there without pulling and yanking on a thing I'm 21 so for now this works :)

nothing burns me more than someone insisting on sitting in it and just plopping in and rubbing the hell outta that bolster with their buttons on the pants etc :ack:

You should screw the covers down - you can even use the stock screws - no mods to your Vette and it prevents people from kicking them off :cheers:

I'm 5'10" 163# and a grandfather several times. Getting in and out of my coupe is not only fun and easy, but a ritualistic joy. It means I'm either getting ready to enjoy her or just have. Never been able to understand all of the fuss over this, and by many much younger than me! Master and enjoy it as part of the experience. :yesnod:

Did you just drill holes in the sill covers where the screw are on the door sills itself?

I might just do that because it never fails a passenger will always knock them off!

:iagree: I had to "learn" how to get into the vette too. @ 50 years old 6-2 195#, I wasn't too sure, but I sit down in the seat before I try to put my feet in, then swing the feet/legs in....no problem. To get out just reverse the procedure...feet first plant firmly on the ground then stand up. Pretty graceful and I don't rub the bolster.