Making a Mondial safer for the kids

I want to take my whole family with me in the Mondial, however, I am very uncomfortable putting the little ones in the back with only lap belts to secure their car seats.

As it stands, I put my wife in the back seat, and but my daughter in the front in a car seat with the seat pushed all the way back and away from the windshield. Now that our second child has been born, once she is old enough to enjoy the car, this will no longer be possible.

I talked to my mechanic about the possibility of installing loops behind the seats for the top latches on the car seats to secure to. I have a couple of months before the winter thaw will allow me to take the car out of hibernation. So I have time to think this through. My mechanic is naturally concerned about the reliability of such a system and won't agree to do it, until after he has had an opportunity to examine the car seat, rear seat and framework of the car. I was wondering if anyone has ever done anything like this, or if you guys have any other ideas to make the car safer for small children.

Thanks!

 

I have 2 kids as well... 2 y/o and 4 y/o...

My advice... trade it in on a Maserati Gran Cabrio.

 

You are I are in the same situation. In May i will go to LI NY pick up my car and drive it for the first time. My daughter will be 6 and my son 1 yr but i'm thinking that he is too young for the maiden voyage and the ride would be too cramped for us all to drive back 600+ miles so i think i'll go solo for this one.

BUT, i bought this car so we could take small trips together and dinner outs but before i feel comfortable i need to improve the seat belt situation first. I saw a pic on here that someone installed 4 point harnesses but dont know how or where they had this done so i'm glad you posted this and will be watching for answers.

 

When I was doing a lot of searching through here when I purchased my car I saw a thread that talked about harnesses for a 3 point seatbelt being in place but hidden in our cars. Don't remember if it was specific to hardtop or all cars including our convertibles. But someone here did change their Mondial rear seats to 3 points with factory mounting points that had simply been covered up by interior upholstery.

 

Seems easy enough... You could even weld in some beef-up plates.
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Unfortunately, those points won't work. They are too far forward and those holes are where part of the top mounts

 

Yeah, you're right (what was I thinking). That's pretty much where the belts for the front seats mount. The rear seat three-pointers on my Coupe mount about 22 inches aft of that.

 

What is the hole for that is half way between the carpet still in place and the engine access opening. There is one hole on each side. Could that be used as an anchor point? Looks to be in about the right place.

 

Come on Joe!

If you don't care about the baby's ears, and don't mind binkies and bottles and blankets flying out the back, and dried formula and cheerios on 20 year old leather, then go ahead and put the latches and hence a baby seat in. Plus, there's no way you're driving your baby to the beach for a little fresh salt air in your face and chassis. Then when kids get a little older, they will want the DVD player to watch Spongebob and NOT want the wind in the hair and whine of a sweet high revving engine. Then, when they get towards adolescence, they will be cramped in the back seat hitting each other, while you're worrying they will scoff up the leather. Then as teenagers, they will want to drive your Platinum winner to the neighborhood keg party.

So...IMHO........you enjoy her and wait until the prom to figure out who is going to be in the car with you.

 

But the rearward diagonal brace they are on appears to be accessible from both sides and should be plenty stout (near the firewall) given the application. A half wrap doubler plate on the outside of the channel with a 7/16 gd 8 through bolt and I think you would have a very secure mounting point. If that is too low, right through the top of the back shelf using a 9 sq. inch x 1/8" min doubler plate. Remove the interior panel and drive the car to a respected race fabrication shop, this type of need is common place in that environment, we do it all the time and one only needs to follow FIA/SCCA guidelines to ease any liability concerns.

I had to build a roll cage in the back of the 240Z to mount the car seat.... same on the TR4 with two car seats and the dog rode in a milkcrate on the luggage rack. It wasnt until the third kid when I had to give up and buy the VW Window van. Where there's a will, there is a way... no reason to moth ball the car or the kids, this one appears quite easy.

 

Make sure the kids wear good sunglasses back there for eye protection too.

 

Joe,'

i found this but have no idea how to acomplish it. I realize the Coupe has a middle space that ours does not but those shoulder belts are interesting.
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What I did:

Standard car seat in rear. Change out auto retracting belt for manual one. Tighten down seat and use 5 pt. harness in seat for kiddie. Worked just fine for 2 y.o. daughter. The kids do fine in the back with lap belt only by age 4-5.

DO NOT use lap belt only for booster seat (no back) - it could submarine on you. Booster works great in front seat with 3 pt belts. Taking my now 6 y.o. daughter to fancy restaurant and daddy-daughter dance using that tomorrow night.

Don't stress and enjoy!

 

I take my daughter everywhere in the front seat using a booster and the 3 pt belts, just as you described. We have lots of daddy daughter days and she is a regular at Cars and Coffee. Until now, my wife could sit in the back on those rare occasions when she decided to join us. Now with two little ones I have to come up with a better solution. I like the idea of using a manual belt in the back, but would still feel more comfortable if I could latch the top part of the convertible car seat to the car frame.

 

I remember a thread from a guy in Washington who I think installed 4 pt. harnesses in back for his kids - you could search that out and see what you think. I thought it was way too much work, and still keeps the kids low in the car where they can't see out well.. If you have a real little one and need rear facing, the only way I can figure that out is to use a base secured either by LATCH or a manual belt..

Best,

H

 

whats the age cutoff for rear facing?

 

Interestingly, you are supposed to keep children rear facing as long as possible. In fact, Safety First has a car seat that will keep them rear facing until around 55lbs if I recall correctly. Unfortunately, in real life, I have found that few children enjoy long drives staring at the seat back

 

Lord thats too long. I'm hoping my son can face forward by year one which is July.

 

I think you will find that most experts will say it is fine to have them forward facing by one year of age and if they weigh over 20lbs, it is just not optimal.

 

a side note, what octaine and what oil do you put in yours?

 

My kids prefer high octane energy drinks and peanut oil with their popcorn.

 

sweet

 

My Mondial t Coupe appears to have been fitted with 3-point rear seat belts when nearly new, by the Ferrari dealer.
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Actually, 3 point belts were factory equipped in the front & rear of the Mondial t coupe.

 

and the later cabs...
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