Taking kids in your Muscle Car???

[Zedder]

I am in the process of closing a deal on a Camaro that will be restored as a nice family cruiser and my wife doesn't like the idea of the kids being in the car without a shoulder harness belt. Has anyone addressed this situation some how or do you just use the lap belt like the good ol' days? Thanks in advance for any suggestions

[Salvatore]

How old are the kids?

[DarrenX33]

My 4 year old is my co-pilot. However, he is in the car seat still.

[njsteve]

Are you talking front or rear seat harnesses? My Z11 came with rear shoulder harnesses but they are very easy to reproduce. I know a guy here in NJ, Kevin Wright that has the measurements for the rear units. He made up the set for my car as a previous owner threw them away. For my 4 year old, I use the booster seat and thread the shoulder harnesses as listed in the instructions. Some of the booster seats have built in shoulder harnesses and work very well with just the lap belt to hold the booster seat in place. Take a morning and visit your local Walmart or Babies-R-Us and check out all the different child seats available. You may find your answer there.

[Zedder]

Thanks guys. My Son will be 5 shortly and my daughter will be 3 (she's still in a car seat, so that's no problem). I'll check on-line and see what might be available but our current car seats are pretty nice and they say they can't be used with their harnesses after 40 lbs - they become boosters then and you must use the vehicle's belts.

[Zedder]

Thanks again for the advice...I did a Google seach and came up with a couple of solutions here http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lapbelts.aspx

Thanks again

[427TJ]

Here's how I cruise with my 4-year old son. (He was sick that day so he looks wiped-out in the photo.) I fasten his car seat in with the lap belt and off we go. No air bag so no ticket. My wife wasn't thrilled the first time I did this with The Boy until I poited out that typical soccer-moms rat-race all over town in SUVs and minivans, cell phones glued to their ears, mouths running full-speed, several kids strapped in, gas pedal down and at least 10 mph over the limit. I told my wife: "That's who I'm afraid of." Besides, how did so many kids survive before the onset of the modern era of safety hysteria? I grew up sitting up on my knees in the passenger seat of my mom's '66 Falcon, no belt. Yeah, a few close calls but life is full of them.

It's a compromise. Fasten the kids in and drive carefully. Oh, and have fun!

[Zedder]

Thanks for the reply 427TJ. I guess we all have our own levels of comfort when it comes to this sort of thing and yes, the odds are in your favor that things "might" not happen. However, running a manufacturing company I have learned that "anything" is possible and wherever I can use modern technology to my advantage when it comes to safety I usually do so.

As for the car seat in the front seat, I would put it in the rear just for that extra measure of safety - especially with the metal dash on a '67. My guy is too big for a car seat now, so he has to use a booster seat and the vehicles belts.

Ride safe!

[Mr70]

I'd stick with your Idea.

[njsteve]

Anyone remember the kids car seats of the 1960s? They used to have two big metal hooks that you hung the kiddy seat over the car's bench seat: That was all that held it in the car. Kinda like the old drive in theatre speaker that hung over your window. It's amazing any of us are alive today!