Car seats in Studebaker

[Daan]

I just found out the wife and I are gonna have kid #3. We need to get a bigger vehicle that all 5 of us will fit in, the younger 3 all in car seats still. Are there any Studes big enough to do this? My wife suggested getting a "land barge" type car and the first thing I thought of was a late 50's Stude sedan or maybe a Land Cruiser. We are planning on getting a proper minivan but not for a couple years until our job/finance situation settles down some. I can't say I've ever been in a sedan-type Stude, the only one I've been in was a 54 Commander, and not in the back.
Also, does anyone here know when car seats generally became available? I know I never had one while growing up, but I can't say I ever really paid attention to the issue until a couple years ago.
Also, how hard is it retrofitting a Stude for seat belts? If I understand right belts weren't required until way after they quit making Studes, right?

Thanks, guys.

[52hawk]

Larks are built on the same shell as the 56,7,&8 big Studebaker. Should be enough room in the back seat for 3 car seats,in aa Lark or Hawk-but you would have to devise your own anchor system for them. Seatbelts are easy to add,but don't think you will ever be able to make any old car any where near as safe as a modern car.

[JRoberts]

I have seen this done in a '64 Station Wagon. The anchors were on the floor behind the rear seat. The car had three point belts on the two outer seats in the rear, but I cannot remember where the belts came from, but I would imagine that the belts offered by Juliano's Street Rods could be made to work. I would call them and discuss your situation with them for advice.

[jclary]

.... Seatbelts are easy to add,but don't think you will ever be able to make any old car any where near as safe as a modern car.

I couldn't agree more. As much as I like my vintage vehicles, the modern ones with energy absorption, air bags, improved door side protection strength, door latches, head rests, ...and the list goes on. You may be the safest driver on the road, but its the other vehicles with the drugged up driver, the drunk driver, the distracted texting driver, or the combination of these events that already claim too many innocents.

Do your family a favor and buy a safe mini-van or SUV for most of your daily transport. Make the vintage cars for those fair weather fun nights and cruise-in excursions.

[Daan]

Do your family a favor and buy a safe mini-van or SUV for most of your daily transport. Make the vintage cars for those fair weather fun nights and cruise-in excursions.

Dangit, the voice of reason rears it's head (if I may mix some metaphors) We were planning on getting a van down the road, but a bigger car soon-ish. I just wanted something "fun" rather than a boring vehicle. I suppose trying to daily-drive a Stude in salty Wisconsin all year isn't the best idea anyway.

[BobGlasscock]

All this talk of NOT being safe in Studebakers and other old cars, and yet, we of a certain age survived all of those cars without seatbelts and those cocoons for miniature humans. I laid in the rear window shelf, and sometimes rolled off into the seat. I stood in the back seat and met the backside of the front seat a few times. I even stuck my head out the rear door window sometimes.

And yet, I live and post on the SDC Forum.

Be sensible, be careful, be safe.

[deco_droid]

Dangit, the voice of reason rears it's head (if I may mix some metaphors) We were planning on getting a van down the road, but a bigger car soon-ish. I just wanted something "fun" rather than a boring vehicle. I suppose trying to daily-drive a Stude in salty Wisconsin all year isn't the best idea anyway.

I don't know if this is even on your radar, but I was looking at getting a used Ford Flex for a "regular" car. I like the old station wagon sort of design it has. It would be plenty big and I have seen nice ones in the $15k range. Minivans are the scourge of the American highway -- we don't need anymore.

[Corvanti]

i tend to agree with "deco" about the flex- a nice ride!

my 1st thought would be to "talk" the wife into a SUV instead of a minivan. if for no other reason, you could drive it to meet the "guys" without being laughed at.

but then again, a Stude land cruiser - i'm thinking bulletnose - with properly installed 3-point belts as Joe suggested, would sure look better!

don't know how easy it would be to put a 3-point in the middle back seat position, but i'm sure it's been done...

[qsanford]

We always had good service from our 1990 Chrysler Town & Country. It was one of the first built so we got the 3 liter engine. We named her Vanna White!

I don't know if this is even on your radar, but I was looking at getting a used Ford Flex for a "regular" car. I like the old station wagon sort of design it has. It would be plenty big and I have seen nice ones in the $15k range. Minivans are the scourge of the American highway -- we don't need anymore.

[deco_droid]

maybe with dark windows so no one can see who's driving...

[E. Davis]

Back in the days before car seat regs we went everywhere in a 59 Hawk with 4 kids and a large german shepard dog. The old Hawk took us a lot of miles before we had to trade it off for a station wagon. I had wanted another Hawk for a long time before finally finding a good "61". Kids still remember the trips in the old Hawk and have stories to tell about them to their kids.

[Corvanti]

a bit off topic, but i've been thinking about getting a early 90's white Lumina van and painting/taping the sides to look like the 1st space shuttle: Enterprise.

maybe putting a few custom parts on to make it look a little bit like Enterprise NCC-1701.

go ahead, steal my idea!

[Johnnywiffer]

If you are talking about the 90-'96 Lumina, why not get the Pontiac or Olds version? The Olds usually came with leather seats and all the doo-dads that were extra cost on the Chevy.

Steer clear of the '96. ALL (and I do mean ALL!) had a problem with the lower intake manifold gasket. Unless it has been fixed RIGHT, will cost $600-$800 to repair.

I'd also skip the 3.1 engine model. If you have any load at all, it's underpowered, used the 3-speed trans. Plus it runs about 500 rpm faster than the 3800 at 70mph so it wears more.

I've had several of these vans (Have a Silhouette now) and love the looks. But I miss the idea of the driver's side sliding door.

One more thing, be prepared to replace the outer door handles and electric window motors. If you look at any of these vans, there are screw holes in the doors, where the panel has been off to replace these items at least once. And the nuts on the outer door handles require a very small hand. And NO, you can't borrow my wife's hands!

John

[DEEPNHOCK]

My late father asked that same question in..... 1961.
He bought a 1961 Hawk, and added some Allstate seat belts.
Jeff

[woodysrods]

All this talk of NOT being safe in Studebakers and other old cars, and yet, we of a certain age survived all of those cars without seatbelts and those cocoons for miniature humans. I laid in the rear window shelf, and sometimes rolled off into the seat. I stood in the back seat and met the backside of the front seat a few times. I even stuck my head out the rear door window sometimes.

And yet, I live and post on the SDC Forum.

Be sensible, be careful, be safe.

Yes, how did we ever get through those years?
We used to go up to our cabin, 40 miles away riding in the back of the PU truck with the dog.
My mother would constantly be banging on the back window of the cab telling us to sit down in side of the box.
But, it was way more fun to sit on the box sides as we rolled down the hyway at 60 + miles per hour.
Aaah the good old days!
Only part I didn't like was getting hit by the hot sparks from the cigerette ashes my parents would be flicking out the windows as we drove.
It was nice to be out in the fresh air rather than in the cab with those "Smokers"
PS my mother just died this spring at 93 years.
Good Roads
Brian