>Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 15:48:20 -0400
>From: Cliff Davies <ads.holzher@sympatico.ca>
>Subject: Baby Seat
>I am wondering if anyone has ever put a baby seat in a TR6? and if I
>should not even attempt doing this for safety reasons. I saw a guy with
>one last summer and I started to think?? my wife is not thrilled, I know
>my son would be if he could just talk. Were talking a once and awhile
>ride to the mall, no highway sort of thing.
>Thanks,
>Cliff
Cliff, Your request brings back fond memories. In 1981, when my daughter was
born, a 1973 TR6 was our primary transportation (in addition to a very beat
up 70 Toyota that I had). My wife used the TR6 as her daily driver leaving
me to nurse the worn out Toyota to work every day. We put a baby seat in the
passenger seat of the TR6 facing backwards and it fit perfect and snug using
the seat belt. The back of the baby seat rested against the dash so it was
held firmly in place. My lovely bride and my little baby girl spent a great
deal of time driving around in that TR6 in all seasons. When my Toyota
became too worn out and finally threw a rod, I installed a single seat belt
in the back of the TR6 so that the baby seat fit on the rear shelf in the
center between and behind the two seats. Again it was a solid, firm fit.
That was how that sturdy, faithful TR6 served many miles as our only family
car for all three of us. It fit with the top down or up. We were too poor to
buy a another car at the time and the beloved TR6 was part of our little
family. In hindsight, I guess it wasn't the safest car to cart around a baby
in, but we were blissfully ignorant. I will say, however, that there were
many economy cars that we could have been driving that, in my opinion, would
have been at least as dangerous. The TR6 has a very strong chassis and body.
This was proved to me when, in 1989, sadly, our first faithful TR6 was hit
almost head-on at a fairly good rate of speed by a large Chevy Caprice.
Fortunately, I was the only one in the car, my family having long since
outgrown it, and I walked away with only bruises. The car was
totalled...front end smashed, front left frame bent, etc. But, the passenger
compartment was not harmed and the seat belts did their job. I was amazed at
how badly the Chevy Caprice was also damaged. It may have been totalled --
its front end was badly smashed in. That heavy TR6 chassis did a number on
it. My beautiful daughter is now 17 still loves to go for rides in our 76
TR6 with my still beautiful bride. Many times I've been very glad of our
decision in the early 80's when we didn't have two cents to rub together not
to sell that TR6 to buy a more "sensible" car. Speaking from a blissfully
ignorant perspective, I loved having the TR6 as our family car. Whichever
decision you make, I'm sure your baby will grow up to have fond memories of
your TR6 like mine did.
Regards, Greg Hutmacher
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