Child seats in old cars?

[Matthew M.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Well I walked across the road to the police station, and officer friendly says I need to install an anchor in the rear package tray, as well as buy a special clip to keep the lap belt from becoming loose. Looks like I might have to weld in some extra bracing to bolt the anchor to. Not really what I was hoping to hear.

[Steven B.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Yes, things have changed a lot. My daughter in law won't let my grandchildren (9 and 11) ride with me in our family Impala because it only has a driver's side air bag, and I had open heart surgery in 1993. She fears I will some day have "the big one" while they are with me. Once while we were baby sitting them a few years back, we took them out to eat and she flipped. We don't even get to baby sit them anymore because of it. Instead, she would rather trust a neighbor, any neighbor including a same sex couple.

I once took them out in the Vette when they were about 4 or 5 and she had a fit. She won't even look at the pictures we took of them in the car.

What a wimpy dumb down crazy society we've become!

Stu Fox

Too bad Stu. I am certain they still remember that ride in the Corvette! I remember my first ride and probably all on the TDB remember theirs also. It is unfortunate great experiences and great memories give way to fears sometimes.

I remember when our daughter was about eight. I took her to an amusement park and we were going to drive go karts. She was not tall enough and was sad, until I let her sit on my lap and steer the Corvette home. 'She remembers that and smiles, but I bet she won't let their kids do anything like that--or maybe. After all, on a couple of Saturdays she and I packed our lunch and sat on the roof (low 1 story ranch) and ate. We had a ball, but the neighbor ----

When I go I always thought I want to be driving the Vette or flying. 'Problem is I don't want to destroy either.

[Louis T.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Hi Matthew,



Detroitthat







Save the wave!

Louis

[Stuart F.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Well said Louis. It is a dilema, but not impossible to deal with. You and are a probably some of the few that restrain our dogs too. I have since having had one (on #2 now), and not only for their safety, but ours. I use a harness that clips into a seat belt buckle on my passenger car, and tie his leash to the buckled seat belt in the Vette (63). I don't want him jumping up in my lap when I am driving. Also, he gets overly protective in the Vette and I'm afraid he'll jump out and go after someone. With my previous dog, I once had to stop real fast and his tail swung around almost hitting the dash. I thought then about what would have happened if I had not had him restrained. I take mine to the groomer every other week and you'd be surprised how many people (mostly women) show up with their pooch on their lap unrestrained.

Stu Fox

[Sandra H.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

When my Doberman was still alive, she always wore a harness......an 80 lb. cannon ball in a wreck is something I didn't want flying around.
Seat belts aren't always the answer either.
My Texas daughter this winter hit some ice, ran into the guard rail.....then unbuckled her seat belt to retrieve her cell phone.
A UPS truck going too fast hit her vehicle, ejecting her but ramming the back seat to the dash.
As it is now, she is looking at about 18 more months recovery, but if she had been buckled up at impact, she would be dead. (The guardian angel that looks over my girls and me has been kept pretty busy through our lives.)
Sandy

[Paul C.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Remember laying in the back window and watching the clouds go by as your parents drove to grandmas!
I had a 64 coupe and always had someone in the back. My son still talks about the rides he got in the 64 when he was 5 years old. Now I let him occasionally drive my 71 LT-1.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Sandy;

Sure hope your daughter makes a complete recovery, but sometimes just to survive and live a normal or near normal life is a very devine gift indeed.

Our best wishes to her, and for certain to yourself we wish a very Happy Mother's day.

Stu Fox

[Sandra H.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Thank you Stuart, the good wishes are appreciated.
A full recovery is not predicted, but she was raised tough and will be good, no matter what the outcome.
Regards, Sandy

[Stuart F.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Sandra;

We will look forward to your post when you have your Vette finished and you are able to take your Grand Children for rides, and you can let the engine provide the sound effects.

Stu Fox

[Matthew M.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Thanks for all the ideas, I am on holidays next week so I will start looking into possible fixes. Kennedy is 17 months old and about 25lbs, the Camaro does have rear lap belts, if we get a nice day and the officer that checks car seats is working I may just run the Camaro over and see what he has to say.

[Bill M.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Back in 1991 my wife was pregnant with our third child. Our 1990 1500 Jimmy was stolen and we only had a vette or a 64 Impalla SS to use. We ended up with 3 baby seats in the back seat of the 4 speed Impalla. When she would pull up to a store and take 3 babies out of the back people were impressed. we continued to use that car to go to shows and gradually got rid of the baby seats. Now they are all driving.

Bill

[James W.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

James,

That picture proves you have good ol' American values. How old / heavy is your son? Maybe the laws vary by state, but I thought that kids had to be something like 80 pounds or more to ride in the front seat here in Missouri. It's a moot point right now since my Corvette ain't zactly runnin'. My kids are 5 and 4, they both weigh around 40 pounds.

Joe

Joe,

Apologies for not responding to your question until now. My son Jake is 6 years old now and weighs probably 50 pounds but I'm not exactly sure. That picture was in the fall of 2007 when he was 4.5 years old and probably 40 pounds, that's why he was in the car seat with the shoulder straps. When he goes with me now whether it is in one of my C2's or my 2008 he always sits on a booster seat.

That picture was taken on a visit out to my parents out in rural Iowa, a 70 mile trip one-way. Jake and my ten year old daughters really like the convertible over the coupe and always ask to take the convertible. I grew up having a father that owned many midyear Corvettes beginning in 1970 when I was seven years old and I can't tell you how many miles I logged sitting in the back of those Corvettes sandwiched in between our luggage, I never complained once.

It was a great time to be a kid! See attached picture of my dad and I, probably in 1974 standing with his '63 SWC. I guess it's true what they say, the apple never falls far from the tree.

Nebraska state law requires all children up to age 6 to ride in a federally approved car seat or booster seat that is appropriate for the child's age, height and weight. Children aged 6 to 18 must be in a seat belt if they are not in a booster seat. Nebraska law prohibits children under age 18 from riding in cargo areas in any vehicle. Drivers and front seat passengers must wear a seat belt or be in a child safety seat.

Regards,

James West

[Joe R.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

James,

That is one cool picture from back in the day. Thanks for enlightening me, I'm now hoping to take the kids for a ride (one at a time of course) as soon as I get 'er runnin'.

Joe

[Francis F.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

Back in "76" when we got our "60" we would pile the two kids
(ages 10/11)along with wife & I in the top down car,And on a warm
summer nite while crusing along the niagara river on the expressway,
to my supprise along side us was a NYS trooper.He rode alongside
for a bit...counting heads.One child on the driveshaft tunnel/the other
in the wife's lap.To our supprise he got on the P/A system and asked
GOT ROOM FOR 1 MORE ?.We happly smiled and nodded,I can
not tell you how happy we were when he zooomed away.I don't think
we all rode in the "60" after that,and I'm sure that wouldn't happen
today in the excited states. (too bad though it was good clean
fun.
Francis
'

[Chuck G.]

Re: Child seats in old cars?

I think I exhibited criminal behavior yesterday.

My daughter came to the house for Mother's Day along with my 2 grandkids, ages 4 and 6.

Had 4 generations of "womenfolk" at the house for Mother's Day, my granddaughter, my daughter, my wife, and her mom.................but, I digress...............

Took the 2 grandkids, ages 4 and 6 out for a spin in my old 56 Chevy. They were in the back seat, my wife, daughter, and I were in the front seat.

NO shoulder belts in that old car anywhere. I just put lapbelts in it last year. We put the "booster" chairs in the back, and put the regular old seat belts around them. We had a ball.

Illegal? Maybe, but we had a nice cruise. It's a shame the way things have become in today's world.

Chuck