So given the rake on the buggy, which is pretty damned extreme, I've been looking at options to get seats in the rear that are good for the boys (aged 2 & 3).  Their whole journey in the car together will only ever be to Nursery and back, and any other time I will have one in teh passenger seat next to me.

Now, having popped one of the seats in the rear, there is a clear issue with height.  I didn't take a photo, but a mockup using that old favourite msPaint shows the kind of problem I'm talking about:


now looking at the rollbar and it's install, I would suggest that rather than being a solid safety feature, it's more of another item of solid stuff to whack the passenger and driver firmly in the skull in the event of a vertical rotation.  The bar itself is solid enough, but the footing is WAY underscope to provide any form of resilience.  (The harness bar is definitely more than effective in it's role and mounting, but that's another discussion).  The diagonal bars just finish after they have entered the rear bodywork - no frame strength at all.

BUT I do want it to be safe enough for the boys to be in and enjoy it.  Another option is to carve the back of the buggy out, and lower the pan so the seats sit a lot lower.  A shed load more work, but probably the right answer? 

Another alternative is to alter the passenger side of the car to allow the seats to sit sequentially behind one another so they are next to me and lower.  Is this a viable/better option?

going round in circles on this a bit, so would value input!

lower the back sear area not as much work as you think

Sounds like the voice of experience... any hints or tips or any threads of someone who has done it?

Sounds like the voice of experience... any hints or tips or any threads of someone who has done it?

Chad had a good take on this in his Doon for his son Alex.

Think there may be some piccys and stuff on Petes website (Manxmanic).

H

team acme has actually done the chop on his

Ash summers did it on his buggy as well a good, good while back, looked really good and safe.
cant fine any photos of the kids in his buggy anymore though.

Ash's nicked from Pete's site



H

I realise that some have child seats etc, and are very good, but just as another thought to your bow from both sides.

This is an old thread, as Manxdavid will tell you, but worth a read of the two threads.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=406887&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20&sid=1650b39ba115ca3d82d9a02e9e78d395

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=263414&highlight=hilux

Ash's nicked from Pete's site



H

Cool thanks for the replies! And I know what you mean Steve - these aren't exactly the same construct as our X5!  The buggy will be the occasional nursery run or waitrose shop.

So general consensus is if you're going to do it, do the floor?

Can't read all this on my phone but I have just fitted 3 point harnesses in the back of my sidewinder. I do have a rear seat section made by Pete of Fibrecraft. We had a great time at News and my boys were fine and at some points fast asleep in the back.

If you want some pics if what I have done I'll get them on

Testa

So general consensus is if you're going to do it, do the floor?

By floor if you mean the rear bottom section of the tub where most have the battery box(s) then yes..

H

Can't read all this on my phone but I have just fitted 3 point harnesses in the back of my sidewinder. I do have a rear seat section made by Pete of Fibrecraft. We had a great time at News and my boys were fine and at some points fast asleep in the back.

If you want some pics if what I have done I'll get them on

Testa

Would definitely like to see some pics! From measuring the car seat height and gap underneath, I can only see the seats stool sticking up about 4 inches above the side...

So in one of those "let the mind wander and see where it goes" kinda things while on the commute to work, I've ended up with this as a theoretical approach to dropping the rear shelf down.

• cut round back of shell where shelf meets wall.
• mock up new base in MDF like material in situ and attach to remainder of shell

either buy prefabricated glass sheet to make base and walls of shell, and join with new resin and glass
or glass full mould, including flow layers
reattach lap belt and bracing bar lower in new shelf location, and fill holes
[/list]

I guess key unknowns would be

would buying prefabricated 8mm sheet be a better option than trying to lay my own fibreglass and frankly screwing it up?
by building it in-situ, I can form around the rear of the engine and ancillaries to ensure clearance - I'm assuming the engine would still be able to cool itself effectively?  Is this easier than shell off approach (everything about it says yes!)
in this very high level plan, have I missed anything obvious out?

I have done some glassing previously, building a rear box in place of the seats of my 1st gen rx7, as well as some smaller audio based projects.

but I'm assuming this is a bit more involved than that, and as I don't know what I don't know, I'm absolutely open for advice and guidance on this stuff![/list]

I've done a bit of searching around for you. 

Here's what Chad did http://www.beachbuggy.info/index.php/topic,1665.msg16808.html#msg16808

Here's Testa's rear seat as supplied by Fibrecraft http://www.beachbuggy.info/index.php/topic,859.msg7374.html#msg7374

I'm sure someone else did one, but can't find it right now.