my 2002 ranger still has those seats.

my guess is that the other kids parents had a car seat where his family didn’t or couldn’t afford one

IIRC they were finally discontinued because Chrysler wanted to push Stow ‘N’ Go and there wasn’t enough seat thickness to build the integral boosters in; likewise they dropped the AWD version because the wells the Stow ‘N’Go seats fold into precluded a rear driveshaft.

Lordy, were they ever.
Sitting in your parent’s lap you likely had to worry about accidentally getting a lit cigarette in the eye, on top of everything else.

These are really cool and show some good history and how far safety has actually come along with the need to enforce that safety.

I always thought these built-in car seats in Dodge Caravans were a good idea, but poorly executed. They were all floppy and weird, and I always assumed that by the time the van hit the used car market they no longer met new safety standards.

Love that museum. Also the mint 84 Chrysler minivan. Saddens me that it’s a Voyager rather than a Caravan, but otherwise it’s identical to the death trap I rode in / drove from 89 - 2004.

Is this a problem with the standard seat belts that are included in a car? If so, why are they not labeled with an expiration date and designed to be easily replaceable?

I find it interesting that movie companies are asking to rent them. Why? So few people used them until they were mandatory.

The plastic doesn’t wear out but the belts do. The stiching on the belts as well.

Agreed. But, a used safety seat beats no seat.

We might be a long way ahead in safety... but damn... those old seats got style and class. Some actually look mighty comfortable too.

They do wear out. The belts break down over time when exposed to UV light. It’s the same reason racing seat belts/harnesses have an expiration date. Plastic also degrades over time and becomes brittle.

I got into car safety seats when I was a toy designer. Here’s some neat facts about them.

My younger brother or sister had that Bobby Mac 2 in 1 thing. I remember looking at the recline adjust mechanism beside me in the car.

Did not realize this was based on a real seat.

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