Child Seats in Your Mopar

[Satellite72]

Are any of you Dads or Granddads cruising around with younger kids in the back of your mopars? My 2-1/2 year old seams to think dad's car is really cool and wants to go riding in it soooo bad. Most of these car seats (high back boosters) usually are intended for 3-point restraints, but our old cars just have the lap-belts. Just curious as to what you fellas do, and whether if you feel that they're plenty safe with buckling them with just the lap-belt around them and the seat. Thanks

 

[747mopar]

I'm not to that issue yet but will be addressing it, I've already been to the salvage yards and plan to get the belts out of a newer 300 and install them. They are mounted behind the seat in the package tray area, I plan to install reinforcement plates under the package tray that will tie into the wheel well braces as well. I want to feel confident when we go cruising and not worry about they're safety.

 

[Gpuller]

Going threw this right now actually. My kids are 9 and 6, when my son was in a car seat I strapped the car seat in with the lap belt. Right or wrong thats what I did. Now he is big enough and just uses the lap belt.
My daughter has to legally in a booster seat. The way I understand is she has to be in a booster so she is high enough in the seat that a shoulder strap in a newer car wont come in contact with her neck if in an accident. Now if she is in the back of my Charger with only a lap belt is the booster needed?
We did go once and left the booster at home. When we got home my daughter was so proud that she didn't have to take her booster she told mom. That got me in some trouble with the wife. :argue:
Now the booster seat goes in the car.

 

[6packMIKE]

I have seen people modifying the package tray for the car seat top restraint.

I have two kids but have only taken my daughter who is 5. I put her is a seat that has a 3 point harness then hold the seat down with the lap belt. The seat has head supports/cushioning so it seems to be plenty safe. When she gets bigger I am not sure what I will do.

There is a size restriction for when a booster seat is needed or not. I dont remember what that is currently.

 

[Gpuller]

In Minnesota they have to be in a booster seat until age 8 or over 4 foot 9 inches.
Found a website that has the guide lines. It says if using a lap belt only install shoulder straps. 66-67 Chargers only have 4 buckets and no package tray.

 

[kiwigtx]

Up until about a year ago, I had two top anchor points fitted on the rear parcel shelf. I made a replacement shelf out of 3mm plywood, and cut speaker hole and had external speaker covers fitted. Painted up black, hardly anyone knew it wasn't original. The original seat-belts worked fine with a child harness - and a booster seat could be fitted with the harness as well. Now that the kids are old enough to wear just the belts, the original package tray is back in place with no damage showing anywhere.

 

[Cordobaleather]

My 3 yr old daughter loves to cruise in the Cordoba!

 

[HT413]

Honestly, I just put my 4 year old in the back with a booster seat and the lap belt. I always drive easy with him in there. Besides, when we were kids we drove around standing on the 'hump' in the back seat and we survived.

 

[kb67mopar]

So far my car hasn't been drivable for the street but I plan to put the top anchor point on the package tray. Other then that the lap belts will be fine for holding the seat in. The top anchor is not necessarily required anyway.

As for booster seats, they were only required when shoulder belts came into play to prevent the belt from snapping kids necks. When my son reaches a time when he is large enough to only need a booster, the booster will just get put in the trunk and he can sit with the lap belt.

I really don't see too much issue with just using the lap belts...

 

[HT413]

So far my car hasn't been drivable for the street but I plan to put the top anchor point on the package tray. Other then that the lap belts will be fine for holding the seat in. The top anchor is not necessarily required anyway.

As for booster seats, they were only required when shoulder belts came into play to prevent the belt from snapping kids necks. When my son reaches a time when he is large enough to only need a booster, the booster will just get put in the trunk and he can sit with the lap belt.

I really don't see too much issue with just using the lap belts...

Though technically I agree, just be careful. State laws may require the booster regardless of shoulder harness. Just food for thought.

 

[Satellite72]

Well we decided to take his first "real" cruise in the Plymouth yesterday evening....and boy did he love it. He still likes a few pounds before he graduates to the 40lb weight classification for the booster seat, so for last night I put his regular car seat in with only the lap-belt...and it seemed to hold it down to the point that I felt comfortable with the short distance and lower speeds we were going. I would agree though, that the package tray harness idea would be the best and safest option and I may just do that for safety sake when going to the booster. For now though the lap-belt seems to do its job.

 

[Gpuller]

Besides, when we were kids we drove around standing on the 'hump' in the back seat and we survived.

Aint that the truth!

 

[kb67mopar]

Though technically I agree, just be careful. State laws may require the booster regardless of shoulder harness. Just food for thought.

That was the whole idea with putting in the trunk and then I can just argue with the police as required. Most of them are willing to talk with you to discuss something like that.

 

[Satellite72]

Honestly, I just put my 4 year old in the back with a booster seat and the lap belt. I always drive easy with him in there. Besides, when we were kids we drove around standing on the 'hump' in the back seat and we survived.

I can remember riding in the back of big van on the way to a St. Louis Cardinals game and playing in the floor almost the whole way there....and that was just in the mid-80s.....
Also, we used to occasionally ride in the back of my dads truck on the way to the river bottoms with the cousins. Just about everyone was doing it at the time.....I guess times have changed a bit (probably for the better on that issue anyways)

 

[eagleone1983]

My daughter cruises around with us all the time, she's 2.5 also. She loves the Roadrunner and always yells for me to go faster. I never speed especially with her in the car but I will get up to speed in a hurry sometimes cause she loves it. Her car seat has an area behind it where I can slip the lap belt in a tighten it down. The only downside is the buckle part sits right about where her lower back is but there is a little pad that kind of covers it, she doesn't seem to notice. I just make the belt as tight as I can while putting my weight on the seat and it gets tight enough that the car seat barely moves.

I also always keep her in the middle of the back seat so there is plenty of space if anything were to happen.

 

[pabster]

I installed a full blown child seat in the back of my '74 about a year ago. It took some elbow grease to fandangle the lap belts to hold the seat, but it's pretty secure. I had no way of securing the top of it, but it barely moves with the lap belt tightened to the max. My Charger doesn't go fast enough to get into trouble anyway (benefit of the 318) and I like to cruise, not race. My daughter is always asking to take the Charger, and when I put my 1yo son in the back for the first time his eyes popped outta his head in joy when I fired it up.

Put it this way- if you're worried about the safety of the seat due to no being able to secure it according to manufacturer's specs, don't do it. If you can deal with the lap belt holding the seat 90% securely, and you drive extra safe, then go for it. It's certainly allowed me to drive my Mopar a lot more when I can take a kid in the back, and their excitement about the awesomeness of your vehicle is priceless.

 

[J5 GTX]

Aint that the truth!

When I was a kid, riding with my friend in his dad's '72 Chevelle convert, we didn't have no stinking car seat. One time, his dad got p.o'd at another driver and nailed the gas pedal.
WE DIDN'T NEED NO STINKING CAR SEAT cause our butts were pinned to the rear seat from the g forces.

To answer the original question. For my daughter we just used a lap belt, I remember that the seat was designed that way and was secure. Either way, play it safe.

 

[HT413]

Whatever you do, if you have to put a baby seat in and crank it down tight, loosen it when not in use or it will crease or damage the old vinyl.

 

[pabster]

Whatever you do, if you have to put a baby seat in and crank it down tight, loosen it when not in use or it will crease or damage the old vinyl.

Good tip. I put a towel under the entire seat to minimize damage and wear on the vinyl.

 

[kb67mopar]

I do the towel thing too but in our daily drivers. My Coronet's seats are cloth and also not in a condition I am about to worry about