Date:         Thu, 3 Jun 2004 08:36:08 -0600
Reply-To:     Simon Reinhardt <simon@FARRSIDE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Simon Reinhardt <simon@FARRSIDE.NET>
Subject:      Re: Non-Family Hauler
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.BSF.4.58.0406030908040.53166@gull.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

I've worn a seatbelt every chance I got since April, 1981. It was a big
decision for a first-grader!
That being said, I also remember bouncing all over the place in cars
before then, with NO seatbelt on... and bouncing all over the place in
vans after that, some that didn't even have rear seats... going on
field trips and sitting 2 in a front seat... riding in the cargo area
in my grampa's chevette... why am I still alive?!?
Vanagon content: I recently got a pair of syncros for a good price...
one is for parts, but I liked the other one well enough (despite some
body damage) to give up the air-conditioned, leather-equipped, powerful
Audi A6 I'd been using to haul the kids around, in favor of this
non-A/C, smelly, dented, might-as-well-have-a-hamster-wheel van. I
thought the westy was a good family hauler- but it's got nothing on a
7-passenger van! It's easier to get the kids in and out, it's easier to
clean up chicken nugget droppings, they absolutely love it in there...
what could be better?
Back to the seatbelts- It's very very easy to retrofit them. The
dealership here even has them for a reasonable price, and they come
with ALL parts needed, except bolts. And of course they look nice 'n
OEM.
I've put the RR belt into the westy so far, and next the new van will
get both rears, and left center shoulder belts. If anyone in/near
Denver wants a hand putting theirs in, pmail me. It's a worthwhile
upgrade.

-Simon


On Jun 3, 2004, at 7:12 AM, David Brodbeck wrote:

> On Wed, 2 Jun 2004, Aristotle Sagan wrote:
>
>> Nope, no way. The kids like the 84 van but ya know, no shoulder
>> belts, no
>> rides. As soon as the kids were out of baby seats, the van became a
>> extra.
>
> It's amazing how times change.
>
> When I was a kid, *none* of the vehicles I rode in ever had rear safety
> belts.  (They didn't appear in most American cars until well into the
> 90s,
> and then only for the outboard seats.)  When I was really young, I
> remember sharing the middle seatbelt in an old Ford pickup with my
> sister.
> That truck didn't even have a padded dashboard.  In fact, I got the
> impression we were a bit unusual as a family for even wearing
> seatbelts at
> all.