| Author | Message | ||
| Kelly J. Vince (Tifosi1)
Member Username: Tifosi1 Post Number: 336 Registered: 2-2002 |
The real owner of MY car is on the drivers side of the car. He is 9 and his name is Everette. Love to hear him giving a tour of the car and telling people that the Coolant expansion tank is the gas tank. Got to love the kids.  | ||
| TomD (Tifosi)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi Post Number: 1173 Registered: 9-2001 |
Anders The research I have seen follows what Dave is saying - either way go with what you beleive and hopefully it is never an issue - good luck | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Junior Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 154 Registered: 4-2002 |
Anders, Just been through all this child v car seat v position stuff ourselves and although our daughter is only just 2, she's been sitting forward for about 3 months now. Her legs got to the point of it being clearly uncomfortable some time ago. We were told by most sources here in UK that the issue of when young children are strong enough to 'not be as likely' to suffer neck injury in the event of an accident, related more to their body weight (therefore I guess the bone structure/development), not age. i.e. when over a certain weight, turn them around to face forward. In those pics I would be in no doubt that your daughter looks WELL old enough and of enough bodyweight to face forward. Of course the main issue is from which direction you feel the highest risk of harmfull forces are most likely to be coming from, dunno about US but here in UK we are more likely to get shunts up the rear from some arsehole travelling too close and not realising till its too late that the traffic has stopped! In which case this also makes sitting facing rearward a bad move. ps Hope that seat back is not marking the dashboard, looks mighty close! | ||
| Anders J Lamberth (Andersjl)
New member Username: Andersjl Post Number: 24 Registered: 4-2001 |
TomD, Thanks for your input, but I disagree: According to the lastst knowledge from various authorities, organisations etc. (both in US and Europe) children should sit backwards as long as possible i.e. until their legs are that long that it will be uncomfortable. The reason is that the muscles keeping their head up (in case of an accident) are not strong enough / fully develped. this means that their neck will take most of the impact = risk for serious injury. Children at the age 4-5 should / could sit face forward. Ciao, Anders | ||
| 89TCab (Jmg)
Junior Member Username: Jmg Post Number: 250 Registered: 9-2001 |
Having one totaled Mondial on my card, I can attest that they are indeed a safe refuge for both front and rear. Many other cars would have left me a widower. I have recently installed Sparco harnesses in the rear positions so that my kids are locked in at all times. Works great and most importantly, they view it as cool so never any arguements. | ||
| Don Vollum (Donv)
New member Username: Donv Post Number: 14 Registered: 1-2002 |
I didn't know about that law in Oregon (I live in Oregon as well). I do know that I got stopped for speeding not long ago in my 911, and my 4-year old was in his car seat in the front seat. The officer never mentioned anything about that being a problem. In my Mondial, I've concluded that it's probably safer and better for my kids (if I only bring one) to sit in the front seat, in a car seat (of course). Air bags would change this conclusion. Csaba Csere in Car and Driver wrote an editorial on this in a recent issue. He looked at it from all the safety angles, and concluded that being in the front seat (in a car without an airbag) is only marginally less safe in an accident, and that an accident is less likely because the driver is not having to look back at the kid in the back seat, and thus paying less attention to the road. | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 508 Registered: 3-2002 |
Horsefly, clearly you're an agent for Ken. Only the most informed would have noticed his Europa. Senna (a "she" by the way) acknowledged it quite properly as it passed me on the highway, as the photo proves.  | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Junior Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 120 Registered: 5-2002 |
Obviously the dog has extensive Italian automotive obedience training, because he refuses to acknowledge the Lotus Europa behind his head. | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 506 Registered: 3-2002 |
Anders, love the pics. I guess I sort of have a child, if she qualifies. Senna still loves to go for rides...  | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 604 Registered: 7-2001 |
Martin, isn't there some kind of exception for 2 seaters? There must be lots of people in Oregon with pickups. | ||
| 89TCab (Jmg)
Junior Member Username: Jmg Post Number: 249 Registered: 9-2001 |
Trade it in for a Mondial T...works great for me and my two kids. - JMG | ||
| martin J weiner,M.D. (Mw360)
Member Username: Mw360 Post Number: 501 Registered: 5-2001 |
Would love to take my grand-kids out but here in Oregon cannot put a child in the front seat if he/she weighs less than 80 lbs. | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Junior Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 152 Registered: 4-2002 |
Lovely story Ross, having a little girl myself reading it made me grin. Enjoy | ||
| TomD (Tifosi)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi Post Number: 1161 Registered: 9-2001 |
Anders Turn her around - you don't have an airbag and children that old should face forward in their car seats | ||
| ross koller (Ross)
Junior Member Username: Ross Post Number: 220 Registered: 3-2002 |
i too have had great moments with my kids in the 512tr. the first time i took my son for a ride (age 3), he made car noises and grinned ear to ear and demanded to 'go faster daddy, go faster !'; then when the ride was over and we were getting back into the station wagon, he pulls on my arm and says 'daddy thats not our car, thats mommy's car. our car is the red one over there !' another time with my eldest daughter (8), we were stopped at a traffic light near buckingham palace where there were crowds of tourists. suddenly, they all turned towards us and started taking pictures and she says, ' daddy why do all these people want to take pictures of me?' to which i answered, ' because you are the most beautiful little girl they've seen today'........ | ||
| Steve Smith (Steve308)
New member Username: Steve308 Post Number: 25 Registered: 2-2002 |
Great pics! I too have a tiofosi toddler (aged 3). As soon as he gets in the car he'll shout "make the noise! make the noise!" - then once the revs get above 5k he starts giggling like a maniac. Just like his dad does. As Augustus Loyola would surely have said had Enzo been born a few centuries earlier - "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you a Ferrari driver" | ||
| Anders J Lamberth (Andersjl)
New member Username: Andersjl Post Number: 23 Registered: 4-2001 |
My wife thinks the car is too bumpy and noicy. Our litte daughter (3 years) just loves it ! It was an easy thing installing the babyseat. We sure get a lot of great smiles from people we meet where ever we show up. The question is where to put our second daugther, 9 months old... Have fun, get out and drive ! Anders and Viktoria in Sweden   |