Child seat in a Corvette

[MaineShark]

I'm kind of curious: is it possible to bolt a child seat to the back floor, behind the regular seat? It might require adding a metal frame of some sort to the plastic seat, but I think that would actually be a more secure mounting than the typical seat-belt type.

I hear a lot of people saying they had to sell their 'Vette because they needed a car that the new baby could ride in, and I gotta wonder if anyone has tried this...

Joe

 

[Robin7TFour]

joe, anything is possible. a frame could be fabbed-up to bolt a seat in.. i think headroom would be more of a problem.

" if you dream it, disney has allready built it"

robin

 

[JonM]

I would also be concerned about heat...the glass intensifies heat from the sun, sort of a greenhouse effect.

 

[sleepyhead]

About a month ago there was a red ZR-1 on ebay (I think it was a '91) that had a child seat custom built into the back. Unfortunately, I didn't save the photo.

 

[Erik S. Klein]

I'd be worried about the legality of a car seat mounted that way.

Another thing to worry about (maybe) is that the car seat manufacturor will deny any and all responsibility if the seat doesn't work as it's supposed to. If it isn't used exactly according to their instructions, they generally aren't liable.

Then, of course, there are the police who would probably write you up for an improperly mounted car seat or something. (My wife once got a ticket for not wearing her seat belt correctly. She was wearing it, but it wasn't properly positioned, according to the cop. . . go figure)

You're probably better off just putting it on the seat or using another car. . .

 

[MaineShark]

Well, if it's a workable concept, perhaps someone either already makes it, or someone might be interested in making it (and properly certifying it, and all that jazz, so that it would be legal).

Joe

 

[*89x2*]

I recall someone doing this back in the 80's w/ a c4 - took the car down to the State Police and had it "blessed" for highway use

I have added 2 Vettes since becoming a father
-no worries

 

[69MyWay]

I need to look into this....

Now that we are a 3 vette family again, maybe between the three I can come up with an extra door, a hatch, and a kid seat?

 

[Brutus]

If the whole concept isn't properly engineered then you're just risking the life of your child. Apart from the seat mount, what about the seat belt mounting points? Just throwing a couple of steel plates under the floor for some random bolts is hardly a sufficiently safe and secure site for your young child.
Such a concept would never be considered over here without a full engineer's report. It should never be left up to an individual's idea of what's safe especially where a child's safety is concerned.

 

[vette-dude]

I don't believe a third seat for a kid in a vette would be any less safe than those seats and baby carriers that I see on bicycles!!:eek

Randy

 

[tonyk72]

So I take it that little kids & babies can't ride in a 'vette at all? What are the laws re: car seats? Do laws vary state to state?

 

[MaineShark]

Brutus: child seat seatbelts mount to the seat structure. The seat is, in turn, mounted to the car (generally by looping the car's seatbelt through certain attachment points). It's hard to imagine that mounting a metal frame to the same points, and then mounting the frame through the floor (choose reinforced areas) could be less safe than using the cloth belt mounting that is typically used.

So I take it that little kids & babies can't ride in a 'vette at all? What are the laws re: car seats? Do laws vary state to state?

You could use a rear-facing child seat, sitting in the passenger seat. But that means you can't have an adult passenger (the child's other parent, perhaps ).

Actually, back in the day, I believe there was a child seat made that was designed specifically for C3's, which fit between the seat and the dash. At least, I'm 90% certain I saw a picture of something like that.

Joe

 

[Rich96c4ce]

Your child is too precious to gamble with its safety. Install child safety seats in accordance with the seat manufacturer's instructions. Save yourself some future grief.

For more info, see: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/

 

[MaineShark]

According to the NHTSA's advice, no child under 12 should ever be in a Corvette, since it doesn't have a rear seat, and every child under 16 should require safety belt considerations. They tend to go a little overboard, in some cases.

And, as I said, I have no intention of building anything like this. I was curious if anyone knows of a manufacturer that already makes it, or if there was enough interest that a manufacturer might consider it.

Joe

 

[sleepyhead]

Ah, that 1992 ZR-1 with the child seat in the back is back up on ebay. Here's the link for those that want to see what the seat looks like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6168&item=2428663317

 

[CorvetteArchives]

Actually YES! the Vette was engineered for child car seats... how do I know? First, the Owners manual mentions them...duh...something many people forget
OF COURSE many modern seats will tell you NOT to install their seats with the type of belt found in the vette (2 retractors) however they are ignoring the "cinch" button that was OEM. Their manuals go on to state that any belt with a lap belt that maintains a constant tention("locks") in position IS suitable....the function of the cinch feature!

The basic idea is that the cinch button is the locking mechanism for the most important element...the lap belt portion. The shoulder portion is secondary and will lock with braking..but there is also a better option!!

In May of 1984 Chevy issued a Technical Service Bulletin (84-121) regarding installation of a top strap anchor (ie tethers) for child seats(we will post on our website eventually)...thats almost 20 years BEFORE the "new" LATCH system. Keep in mind that this install is for NON airbag cars.

Our biggest concern today would be trusting the 23 year old cinch belt mechanism. We are considering our options for our toddler and are probably getting a new mechanism and installing the tether. One would think is also wise to replace the bolts/nuts hardware lest fatigue be an issue. One would think it also is also possible to add/replace an additional lap belt with the newer engineered locking slide...to/near the original anchor points then install the tether. Naturally, the government wackjobs would deem this "illegal" since you'd be altering the original seatbelt configuration so legally you'd probably have to use BOTH belts ..otherwise you might find yourself shipped to Guantanamo given the current political climate ;-)

Yes...Joe ;-D That was meant for you! (and before someone gets all tied up in a knot...Joe, I and all "TRUE PATRIOTS" know free discourse is the cornerstone of our American System!)

 

[WayneLBurnham]

Wow....little vicious there.....

I agree with the observation on the safety nazi bureaucrats, more concerned with advancing and defending their unelected power than the real safety goals they were created for....by other "TRUE PATRIOTS" in the '60's and '70's - such as our famed safety "expert" who never had a driver's license, Ralph Nader (not exactly a "right wing whacko" - although many of us are deeply thankful for his political ambitions of a few years ago... )


How treatment of POW's, good or bad, factors into this, I don't know...

Maybe I missed some earlier exchange or maybe it's just reaction to Joe's avatar/identity thing - I guess it's not PC to fly your own colors if they aren't
trendily approved by Hollywood. (Personally I wouldn't be so non-PC and controversial on an unrelated enthusiasts' site - or I might put "Survivor of Clinton's Cultural War on Gun Owners, '94-'02" on mine...)

I'd also agree freedom of discourse is a cornerstone of a free society (America or otherwise)....and polite discourse a cornerstone of a civilized society...