I have a bad disk and small cars or cars with poor seats are very
painfull for me to ride in. I’m 28 and I have to drive a Lincoln
(boring) because I feel none of the potentially painfull road bumps.
Are there utility vehicles or minivans or something that would have a
smooth ride and are either more fun or more usefull to drive than my
grandpa car?
Does anyone else find cars to be getting smaller and less
comfortable?
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
In article <2uo331$…@search01.news.aol.com> kelv…@aol.com (Kelvis P) writes:
>Path: perkin-elmer!newsserver.jvnc.net!yale.edu!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!news.duke.edu!solaris.cc.vt.edu!news.ans.net!newstf01.cr1.aol.com!search01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail
>From: kelv…@aol.com (Kelvis P)
>Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
>Subject: Good cars for a bad back??
>Date: 27 Jun 1994 22:49:05 -0400
>Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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>I have a bad disk and small cars or cars with poor seats are very
>painfull for me to ride in. I’m 28 and I have to drive a Lincoln
>(boring) because I feel none of the potentially painfull road bumps.
>Are there utility vehicles or minivans or something that would have a
>smooth ride and are either more fun or more usefull to drive than my
>grandpa car?
>Does anyone else find cars to be getting smaller and less
>comfortable?
The most comfortable car seats I have ever sat in (but the car was slightly
dull compared to my V8) was a VW Rabbit. The seats were really made by
Reccaro. NIce with lots of lower back support.
BUT… don’t judge a car by the seats. If this is important to you buy a car
you _like_ and then order some nice (I suggest Reccaro) seats. They make
tracks to fit their seats to almost anything. Go down to the local speed shop
and try a few out.
That’s what I would do.
==========================================================================
== The above opinions are my own. My employer thinks I am working. ;) ==
== ==
== Andrew P. Bajorinas bajor…@perkin-elmer.com ==
== Perkin-Elmer Corporation ==
== Norwalk, CT ==
==========================================================================
== I think my cat watches | Never underestimate the power of the ==
== me while I am asleep. | of internet Luke. ==
== | -ObiWan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker- ==
==========================================================================
In article <2uo331$…@search01.news.aol.com>,
Kelvis P <kelv…@aol.com> wrote:
>I have a bad disk and small cars or cars with poor seats are very
>painfull for me to ride in. I’m 28 and I have to drive a Lincoln
>(boring) because I feel none of the potentially painfull road bumps.
>Are there utility vehicles or minivans or something that would have a
>smooth ride and are either more fun or more usefull to drive than my
>grandpa car?
>Does anyone else find cars to be getting smaller and less
>comfortable?
Look for chair-like seating:
relatively straight back to load your body weight over the spine
firm non-bucket seats (slightly convex) is even better
side bolsters to help support your upper body so your mid-back
muscles and shoulders don’t have to work to keep your body in place
avoid low seats, especially if you have tight hamstrings or hip-flexors,
low seats will raise your knees way above your hips – this will force
a curve in your low-back if the above muscles are tight
lumbar support gizmos, can, in fact, be quite painful, if you have
nerve damage or herniated discs
If road bumps are really a problem, then you have accute pain, and
a neurologist or neurosurgeon should check if you have nerve DAMAGE.
If your back is spasmed-up, then massage and bio-feedback training
can help.
Re: cars — well forget about Lotus Espirt Turbo. I find many
ordinary cars to be quite uncomfortable, mostly because the seat
cushion height is so low that my knees pop up into the steering
wheel, and my pre-disposed tight hamstrings/hip-flexors curve my
low back and wreck havok with L4/L5, the site of a previous back
surgery (laminectomy.) So, while cars like Honda Civic, appear to
have generous headroom, they accomplish this feat at the expense
of seat height.
Sunroofs are generally bad news, and unfortunately sunroofs are
often tied to more desirable options like larger engines or ABS.
For example, the Saab 900 or 9000 based models (without sunroofs)
have a good seat height and acceptable (but not great headroom.)
The upmodel sport and turbo models have sunroofs which reduce
headroom so much I can’t comfortably adjust the seat (remember —
I need a near vertical seat position.)
Many minivans (Dodge, Mazda) have good seating positions.
Many American mid-size pickups and sport-utilities are similarly good.
My current commuter car is a 1990 Honda Civic Wagon. This Wagon
(1988-1991) and the similar Nissan and Toyota TALL mini-wagons
are compact economical cars with good seating positions.
ALex
a…@netcom.com
In article <2uo331$…@search01.news.aol.com>,
Kelvis P <kelv…@aol.com> wrote:
>I have a bad disk and small cars or cars with poor seats are very
>painfull for me to ride in. I’m 28 and I have to drive a Lincoln
>(boring) because I feel none of the potentially painfull road bumps.
>Are there utility vehicles or minivans or something that would have a
>smooth ride and are either more fun or more usefull to drive than my
>grandpa car?
>Does anyone else find cars to be getting smaller and less
>comfortable?
GM has some impressive optional seats in their cars. I’ve played
with one in a Grand Prix. Basically, you have so much control
over the seat that you can make it fit you. I don’t want the car,
but I do want those seats.
–
Disclaimer: The above are my opinions and SSESCO can’t have them!
William R. Nau
Supercomputer Systems Engineering and Services Company (SSESCO)
511 11th Avenue South, Suite 216
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415-1536
Work Phone: (612) 342-0003 Email: n…@SSESCO.com
Andrew Bajorinas (bajor…@Perkin-Elmer.com) wrote:
: In article <2uo331$…@search01.news.aol.com> kelv…@aol.com (Kelvis P) writes:
: >Path: perkin-elmer!newsserver.jvnc.net!yale.edu!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!news.duke.edu!solaris.cc.vt.edu!news.ans.net!newstf01.cr1.aol.com!search01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail
: >From: kelv…@aol.com (Kelvis P)
: >Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
: >Subject: Good cars for a bad back??
: >Date: 27 Jun 1994 22:49:05 -0400
: >Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
: >Lines: 9
: >Sender: n…@search01.news.aol.com
: >Message-ID: <2uo331$…@search01.news.aol.com>
: >NNTP-Posting-Host: search01.news.aol.com
: >I have a bad disk and small cars or cars with poor seats are very
: >painfull for me to ride in. I’m 28 and I have to drive a Lincoln
: >(boring) because I feel none of the potentially painfull road bumps.
: >Are there utility vehicles or minivans or something that would have a
: >smooth ride and are either more fun or more usefull to drive than my
: >grandpa car?
: >Does anyone else find cars to be getting smaller and less
: >comfortable?
: The most comfortable car seats I have ever sat in (but the car was slightly
: dull compared to my V8) was a VW Rabbit. The seats were really made by
: Reccaro. NIce with lots of lower back support.
: BUT… don’t judge a car by the seats. If this is important to you buy a car
: you _like_ and then order some nice (I suggest Reccaro) seats. They make
: tracks to fit their seats to almost anything. Go down to the local speed shop
: and try a few out.
: That’s what I would do.
: ==========================================================================
: == The above opinions are my own. My employer thinks I am working. ;) ==
: == ==
: == Andrew P. Bajorinas bajor…@perkin-elmer.com ==
: == Perkin-Elmer Corporation ==
: == Norwalk, CT ==
: ==========================================================================
: == I think my cat watches | Never underestimate the power of the ==
: == me while I am asleep. | of internet Luke. ==
: == | -ObiWan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker- ==
: ==========================================================================
I find my minivan is the easiest vehicle to get into and out of
with my bad back. Also, the seating position is more upright,
which is better for the back too. Even with an adjustable lumbar
support, though, the std. seat doesn’t have enough lower back
support, so I do what the physical therapist said — I use a rolled
up towel as an additional back support.
I think that the original posting had this in it…..
> >I have a bad disk and small cars or cars with poor seats are very
> >painfull for me to ride in. I’m 28 and I have to drive a Lincoln
> >(boring) because I feel none of the potentially painfull road bumps.
> >Are there utility vehicles or minivans or something that would have a
> >smooth ride and are either more fun or more usefull to drive than my
> >grandpa car?
I have some back trouble, and I highly recommend the nearly
full-sized line that Chrysler Corporation made until 1989…The New Yorker
5th Avenue, Dodge Diplomat, and Plymouth Gran Fury. These cars have a nice
upright seating position and lots of headroom. The armrests are great for
long drives.
If you’d like to try one, just hail an appropriate taxicab. Or
maybe your favorite law enforcement agency might still have some they’d let
you ride in.
Good luck!
George