Bought a California but need help | FerrariChat

Bought a California but need help

Discussion in 'California/Portofino/Roma' started by Saudi_Ferrari, Oct 29, 2009.

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  1. Saudi_Ferrari

    Saudi_Ferrari Karting

    Sep 29, 2007
    219
    Saudi Arabia
    Hi,

    I bought a California and going to receive it in 10 days or so but need a help. I have a 4 years old son and was wondering the could be the best child seat that can be used for such an age? does any one here who owns a California and having a similar age son went through such issue?

    Appreciate your help and thanks in advance,
     
  2. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary Owner

    Oct 23, 2002
    32,118
    Full Name:
    Jim Glickenhaus
    From the Center for Disease Control:

    Installing and Using Child Safety Seats and Booster Seats

    Proper restraints for children riding in motor vehicles depend on the child's age and size. Restraints to keep a child safe in the car include:

    •infant safety seats
    •child safety seats
    •child boosters seats
    •properly used safety belts
    The key to keeping your child safe is to use an age-appropriate child restraint that is properly installed and properly used.

    Infant and child safety seats come in many shapes and sizes. Some are not compatible with certain vehicles. The best child safety seat for a family is the one that is easy to use for the parents or caregivers, fits in the vehicle's seats, is compatible with the vehicle's seat belts, and is the proper size for the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a series of specific recommendations for the use of child safety seats:

    •Children should face the rear of the vehicle until they are at least 20 pounds and 1 year of age to reduce the risk of cervical spine injury in the event of a crash. Infants who weigh 20 pounds before 1 year of age should ride rear-facing in a convertible seat or infant seat approved for weights greater than 20 pounds until one year of age.
    •A rear-facing car safety seat must not be placed in the front passenger seat of any vehicle equipped with a passenger-side front air bag. This practice prevents the risk of death or serious injury from impact of the air bag against the safety seat.
    •Premature and small infants should not be placed in car safety seats with shields, abdominal pads, or arm rests that could directly contact an infant's face and neck during an impact.
    •In rear-facing car safety seats for infants, shoulder straps must be in the lowest slots until the infant's shoulders are above the slots. The harness must be snug and the car safety seat's retainer clip should be positioned at the midpoint of the infant's chest, not on the abdomen or in the neck area.
    •The car safety seat should be reclined halfway back, at a 45-degree tilt. A higher angle should be used when the child is over 6 months. Until engineering modifications can be implemented to prevent this problem, a firm roll of cloth or newspaper can be wedged under the car safety seat below the infant's feet to achieve this angle.
    •A convertible safety seat, which is positioned reclined and rear-facing for a child until 1 year of age and 20 pounds and semi-upright and forward-facing for a child older than 1 year of age who weighs 20 to 40 pounds, should be used as long as the child fits well (this includes ears below the top of the back of the seat and shoulders below the seat strap slots).
    •A booster seat should be used when the child has outgrown a convertible safety seat, but is too small to fit properly in a vehicle safety belt.
    •A belt-positioning booster seat that uses a combination lap/shoulder belt, if that type of belt is recommended. A booster seat with a small shield, which can be used when only a lap belt is available, is not recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
    The infant safety seat:
    Infant safety seats are often small and portable seats used for babies up to age 1 and 20 pounds. Infant seats are rear-facing and may come with a three-point or a five-point harness. Some infant seats come with detachable bases that can be left belted into the vehicle so that the parent does not have to install the seat every time. (Some bases also are adjustable to correctly recline the infant.)

    The child safety seat:
    Child safety seats are either convertible seats or forward-facing seats.

    •Convertible seats can be used for infants up to age 1 in the rear-facing position, and then turned around into the forward-facing position for toddlers. The disadvantage of a convertible seat is that is does not fit a newborn as well as an infant safety seat. When changing from a rear-facing position to a forward-facing position, parents or caregivers should check the seat's manual on how to adjust the shoulder straps appropriately and how to route the seat belt properly.
    •Forward-facing child safety seats are for children over age 1 and over 20 pounds. Some seats may convert to booster seats for children over 40 pounds.
    The booster seat:
    Booster seats help raise your child so that the vehicle's seat belts fit properly. Booster seats are necessary when a child outgrows his/her child safety seat, usually after 40 pounds or age 4. Children do not fit in adult shoulder/lap belts (without a booster seat) until they are 58 inches tall (with a sitting height of 29 inches) and weigh 80 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Booster seats should always be placed in the back seat of the vehicle. There are several types of booster seats, including:

    •high back booster with five-point harness - a booster seat that helps protect the head and neck in back seats that do not have head restraints. The five-point harness can be used up to a weight of 40 pounds, after which the harness can be removed to convert the seat to a belt-positioning booster.
    •belt-positioning booster - a booster seat that uses the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts to restrain the child.
    •shield booster - a booster seat with a removable shield to convert to a belt-positioning booster seat. Shield booster seats should not be used for those children over 40 pounds.

    Cheers
     
  3. Ricambi America

    Ricambi America F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Owner

    My son is 4 years old too.

    We use the Recaro Young Sport. We have three now, despite their somewhat high cost. It uses LATCH/ISOFIX and is narrow enough to fit easily in a Ferrari, MINI, and a 3-series convertible.

    It is adjustable probably up to age 6, depending the the size of your child. It must be an extremely comfortable seat because not once has my son complained about it. He did complain about his old Britax (which was way too large for any car except an SUV or similar vehicle).

    http://www.elitecarseats.com/Recaro-Young-Sport.pro

    In a California, the issue will not be the width of the seat -- it'll be the depth of it. A seat without a massive angle, like the Recaro or the Ferrari branded one (don't know who makes it) will have a better chance at fitting securely than some of the big Britax monsters.
     
  4. StoryBook

    StoryBook F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Mar 1, 2003
    4,304
    PNW
    Full Name:
    MPL
    #4 StoryBook, Oct 30, 2009
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2009
    The California I ordered came in July this past summer. Sorry to say the Recaro's do "not" fit in the back seat. That was the deal killer for me. The purpose of such a car was to be able to transport kids in the backseats using car seats. Like you I use Recaro's exclusively, but they just do not fit.........Disappointing.
     
  5. 483hp

    483hp Formula 3
    Owner

    Aug 17, 2005
    1,428
    www.fca.alberta.com
    I bought a Radian car seat from Sunshine Kids.
    http://www.skjp.com/product/97556/165XX/_/Radian65SL%26%23174%3B

    It is the only one I've found that is narrow enough to fit in between the bolsters of the carbon sport seats. It also has a flat bottom so there are no issues with damaging the seat fabric either. It fits perfectly in the seat for the scud and in the CF sport seats on my F355. An added plus is the fact that it comes in a color combo and fabric that is complementary to the alcantara in my car.
     
  6. Pitpass

    Pitpass Karting

    Apr 2, 2009
    77
    #6 Pitpass, Oct 30, 2009
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2009
    Check with your dealer on Ferrari supplied child seats. They were offering seats to original owner 430's free of charge. Not sure about the California but the part number for child seats are the same. Ask your dealer about Service Bulletin # 66.
    Part numbers for child seats are 80358300 for infants up to 29 lbs, 80358400 for 20 to 40 pounders and 80358500 for the next size up for older toddlers.
     
  7. Saudi_Ferrari

    Saudi_Ferrari Karting

    Sep 29, 2007
    219
    Saudi Arabia
    Hi, any chance you can take a photo of the child seat please while its mounted inside your car?
     
  8. jcavalie

    jcavalie Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    659
    Oakland, CA
    Full Name:
    Jim
    find the thread "used back seats" - there is some info in there about boosters - and some picts of my kids in my california. I use the combi dakota for my 6 year old son, in the back of my california, and it is fine.

    agree it is hard to get one that fits the angle....I tried a few. thankfully, I didn't need a full car seat.

    the passenger seat of my california (US model) has the baby smart system, which, with certain car seats with a sensor, disables the airbag system in the front passenger seat. i googled around and didn't easily find a seat that was part of that system. My dealer said to try talking to the ferrari parts department about getting a ferrari seat. Googling located some mercedes dealers that carry seats working with that system, but I didn't follow up on either of these since my kids fit in back. 8 year old with no booster, 6 year old with the combi dakota.
     
  9. jcavalie

    jcavalie Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    659
    Oakland, CA
    Full Name:
    Jim
  10. Saudi_Ferrari

    Saudi_Ferrari Karting

    Sep 29, 2007
    219
    Saudi Arabia
    Thanks for the link, I can see from the photo that your 6 years is ok with the booster but I am afraid that my 4 years son will not be ok with a booster since his back will be far away from the seat ... am I right?
     
  11. jcavalie

    jcavalie Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    659
    Oakland, CA
    Full Name:
    Jim
    I don't fully understand your question, so I'll try to answer it. The combi dakota tapers towards the back, so it fits all the way back against the seatback. The picts show that pretty well. My son, when sitting in it, has his back against the seat back. My son is on the small-ish size - 43" tall, about 38 lbs. Not sure how big your son is or what your local laws allow. In all our other cars, my son uses a booster that has an attached back. I don't have one that fits the California, and with the more limited space, we allow him to just use a booster bottom in that car. Seat belt even seems to hit him okay, which may be the biggest issue with a booster only.
     
  12. Hawkeye

    Hawkeye F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 20, 2009
    7,462
    I just ordered a child seat for my California through the dealer. It is coming from Ferrari. Ask your dealer's parts manager, he will order you one that fits that car specifically.

    Chad
     
  13. Saudi_Ferrari

    Saudi_Ferrari Karting

    Sep 29, 2007
    219
    Saudi Arabia
    Hmmm ... how old is your kid?
     
  14. Hawkeye

    Hawkeye F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 20, 2009
    7,462
    3 years old. I think the seat is for 25-48 lb.
     
  15. jcavalie

    jcavalie Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    659
    Oakland, CA
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Do you know which seat they ordered? Is it for the back, or is it a baby smart seat for the front? Also - did they charge you for it? Rumor is some F430 owners got them included when they ordered them....I never thought to try.

    thanks!

    And best of luck with the car - I'm really enjoying mine.
     
  16. Hawkeye

    Hawkeye F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 20, 2009
    7,462
    They ordered the child seat for the back seat of the California. I'm not sure about the cost, I'll let you know when it comes in.
     
  17. FJerry

    FJerry Formula Junior

    Dec 1, 2004
    933
    United States
    This is the best seat Ive found for any car. You should keep your child in a harnessed car seat for as long as you can. Just mind the weight restrictions for things like the latch system.
     
  18. Saudi_Ferrari

    Saudi_Ferrari Karting

    Sep 29, 2007
    219
    Saudi Arabia
    Hi,

    This is the correct kid seat for the California according the manual it self: Britax-Romer

    I have ordered two one in Kid-Plus for my 4y and the other one DUO Plus for my 1 year ... both in Red/Gray exactly similar to the car interior :D
     
  19. jcavalie

    jcavalie Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    659
    Oakland, CA
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Hmm. I'll check my manual again. I don't think the US manual named a seat. And the romer is a european spec seat - not listed on the Britax US site.
     
  20. montenap

    montenap Rookie

    Sep 5, 2012
    1
    Hello all,

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Britax/Romer Duo Plus, which I purchased to fit into the back of my California, will only work for about a year, after which it is impossible to sit in the front and keep it in the back without first sawing your child's legs off. Still looking for an alternative, the problem is both the depth and the height. Effectively in the case of the California, the depth can not be more than 40 cm (about 16 inches), and the height can not be more than 60 cm (about 24 inches). At present, I can guarantee you that you will not find a suitable child seat in any market, Europe or North America. It is really sad that the Euro spec book actually refers to the Duo Plus, more evidence that the claim of a child seat fitting back there is just a load of bull. The picture they have in the hardcover booklet of the California with a child seat in the back is completely false advertising. In fact, i am going to look a little longer but if nothing, happens, I am selling it. Going to lose a bundle on it because I bought it new just over a year ago and live in Italy where the used market is at its worst ever. Lucky me.
     
  21. Nautilus1

    Nautilus1 Karting

    Apr 24, 2011
    224
    NYC
    I have had it for 2 yrs now and it has worked fine. It makes for a slightly cramped ride for the front seat passenger. My 3 yr old is 26 lbs now. I also drive around with my 7 yr old where I just forgo a booster since the seat is essentially a booster any way. I do not drive with my kids on far highway journeys but just puddling around eastern long island. I would not take them on an extended highway trip unless it was necessary. So far the car has worked great for my kids. Good luck.
     
  22. LeonG360

    LeonG360 Formula Junior

    Nov 24, 2007
    306
    Calabasas
    The trick for me was to remove the actual rear seat cushion and the car seat fits great. I used the Sunshine Kids Radian65 Car Seat, don't know if they still make it. Going to a booster when the 2013 Cali gets here later this year though... Good luck!
     
  23. deppi0

    deppi0 Formula 3

    Jun 30, 2010
    1,246
    London, UK
    Full Name:
    Edmondo
    Ciao Montenap, I am Italian as well but live in London. Contact me by PM if you want and I can try to help with your needs for a car seat.
     
  24. mtarvydas

    mtarvydas Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2011
    701
    On the Mountain
    Full Name:
    Martin Tarvydas
  25. nocera03

    nocera03 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2012
    1
    I live in U.S. & Im on a MISSION to find the specifically designed back baby seat for my 2012 California. No one REALLY seems to know! PLEASE HELP!
     

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