tube and pan interior spaces

I know this has most likely been well covered but I'll ask anyway. I was looking for a tube based car but of course stumbled accross a pan based roadster, anyway what exactly are the space differnces, I know the tube frame of course is a lot stiffer without the possibility of flex but as far as interior room I would be interested in knowing the differencse, my main complaint with ones in the past was the foot space and lack of room under the steering wheel, very very cramped, thlanks for the help

I'm 6' 4" tall and have a size 16 shoe and have plenty of room in my 2004 tube IM Roadster. I always dove VW bugs in college and was cramped in the pedal area with my big feet.

A smaller steering wheel would solve one issue - I can't see how pan vs tube would be different there. Room seem to be in width of seat area (good 3"+ more either side) and foot space plus flatter center tunnel.

The area in the cab at the rear of a Beck has much more cargo room than My Vs pan based car. Big difference. And a beck trunk is like a real 356 with room for a full size spare.

I changed the trunk on my Vs to be more like a Beck.. Very pleased with that outcome If I could do something about the rear shelf with some beck peaces I would But then structureal issues may pop up.

Mine is a pan based car

My opinion...Round tubular type frame for stability, strength and torsional rigidity. I experienced a high speed side swipe on a curvy mountainous road. NO frame damage, but transmission and rear running gear suffered damage. Of course, I'm prejudice. Merlot is a Beck.

Plenty of leg room, too. I now feel that I might need a dead pedal on the left side for added support for my left knee (knee implant) and leg.

Jane.
Is this the one that you bought?

the older buttercream CMC was really cramped below the steering wheel compared to the silver IM roadster they were both early I think the IM was 83 or around there pretty close to the CMC both pans of course, I think you can tell in the pictures,, the difference is the IM I put an original wheel in and the CMC I bought an aftermarket banjo wheel

hey Troy, no I didn't get that one, still haven't gotten one yet, I'm resigned to building one, thats for sure I really don't want another one without rack and pinion or A/c etc, loved them but I want to drive it more than just in the summer and need more weather tight . What I'd like is to buy a body on the tube frame unpainted and with most suspension in tact, no drive line, no interior and no top components at all, want to get new "D" steel door skins that would be the perfect fit all around for a roadster so the idea would be then to buy windscreen and top frame for a "D", no interior so I can get my own seats and make "D" door panels with pocket and buckle. My local mechanic could do the driveline, either water cooled VW 1.8 or Subie.

by the way both steering wheels were the same diameter

Be aware of the definition of "tube frame". Some new "tube frames" are really tube only from the tranny mount forward, and still retain the original VW tranny mount - and not coincidently the VW VIN number - in the rear. This allow them to be titled as a VW, based on the presence of the VIN number.

However, many (most?) of these hybrid frames follow the exact lines of the original pan so the existing body molds did not have to be altered. Therefore, these hybrid tube frame cars have the same interior space as a pan based vehicle. Just be aware.