I've driven a bunch of different manual cars and I notice the clutches can be significantly different in regard to the weight required to press them in, how far in you have to press them, how far in they have to be until the gear engages, etc.  For example, the clutch on a Subaru is heavy, you have to push it what feels like 2 feet, and it doesn't engage until it's almost at the floor.  Then on a Neon it's a few pounds to engage it, move it a few inches and it engages.  

Now I'm trying to  educate myself so any info would be great.  But when it comes to customizing a car, is it possible to tweak something like a clutch pedal for how hard and how deep you have to push it in?  Is it fairly easy to do or more of a pain than it's worth?  

Thanks

-Emt1581

Were these all new?  Making sure that wear and adjustment were not a factor.  



Some clutches have mechanical linkage which usually makes them harder, some have hydraulic linkage which is usually softer. The angle at which your leg and foot hit the pedal also comes into play.

With most clutch pedals, there is some adjustment available in the pedal linkage, which will allow you to take up any slack that might be in the pedal travel.  Baring that, actually changing the characteristics of the clutch usually involves changing out some part of the clutch mechanism, such as the pressure plate, clutch plate, slave and/or master cylinder.

some are hydraulic and some are cable

I don't know of any car built in the last 20 30 years with a cable clutch, but I'm willing to google it.

Ford Mustang used cables until somewhere around 2004.
Some felt differences will be due to the materials that the clutch is made of but the majority of difference is in the spring rate of the pressure plate.

And the engagement point will be determined by the throw out bearing.
Some are a fixed position and cannot be changed, some can be flipped around for lower/higher engagement points.

80's and early 90's Mopars all had cable clutches, at least with the 2.2 and 2.5l motors. Clutch travel was measured with a yardstick.

You can tweak the clutch throw out on a hydro by installing a bigger bore master and adjust the height of the pedal.  Pedal weight is also determined by pressure plate clamping force.

A lot of the newer high power clutches have multiple friction discs.  I've demolished quite a few in my LSX powered TA.

Mustangs and sidekicks had cables until pretty recently. IMHO its the best method for clutch actuation.

Too many variables .

Apparently.  It just seems so... archaic.  

Yup.

And trans/clutch swaps were a breeze.    Having done a 2005, 3 times in one month between part failures and forgetting something on one install, hydraulic clutches can be a pain to bleed.

I still like the old linkage type best.