hot rod for the whole family

4 pedals knows what's up. I need seat belts for everyone. Bench seats definitely help. But I would like for everyone to have some elbow room. Who has a picture of the coolest wagon? Let's see come sweet old sloppy wagons!

 

Outside the box, but look at this thing. '33 Buicks & Olds Touring Sedans.
There's enough room between the seats to run a Day-Care!

But seriously, you could EASILY fit another full-width bench between the seats on these cars. Hell, I'm 6'2" tall and I think I could lay down between the seats.

Oughta be good for a few years, even with the upcoming 'seating issues' you encounter.






But I gotta admit, ........ I LOVE the '62 wagon!!!!!

 

You only have 3 kids and you think you need a 3rd row? Anything with a back seat is going to do just fine. My '40 sedan has MORE than enough room for 3 kids.

I have 5 kids, 1 still in a car seat, and my wagon makes us happy.

 

I (EASILY) added tghe 3rd row to mine:

 

Here's my family hauler/daily driver. 1958 Pontiac Chieftain

Its got the 3rd row of seats (forward facing) but in '59 Pontiacs started facing out the back.

And yes, seat belts can be an issue. My 3 kids outgrew the car seats that I was using lap belts with, so now I installed 5 point harnesses across the middle seat. This is an older picture, so I think I still had a car seat in there...

 

I've gotta ask 'cause I can't remember............

Every old wagon I ever rode in when I was a kid had the 3rd seat facing rearward. I remember this 'cause us kids would fight over who was going to sit in it. I have heard of cars having the 3rd seat facing forward.

My question is, if the 3rd seat faces forward how did you access it? Was there a gap in the 2nd row seat or did you have to pile over it? Any photos?

 

Here is a long roof thread ... over one hundred pages worth.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2240&highlight=long+roofs

 

Yeah but the O.P. isn't asking for just a longroof. He's asking for something with a 3rd seat. Not all longroofs had a 3rd seat so going through 100 pages would just be a waste of time. Good thought though.

 

Suburban and CarryAll's make great candidates for you as well!

 

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Grenade Inspector



Join Date: Apr 2009
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</td><td class="alt1" id="td_post_8103366" style="border-right: 1px solid #e5e5e5"> Re: hot rod for the whole family
<hr style="color:#e5e5e5; background-color:#e5e5e5" size="1"> 4 pedals knows what's up. I need seat belts for everyone. Bench seats definitely help. But I would like for everyone to have some elbow room. Who has a picture of the coolest wagon? Let's see come sweet old sloppy wagons!
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O'tay!

I was going off the original post..........

Hey CG how'd ya' do that with his post?

 

I believe the 2nd row folds forward like with the front seats on a 2 dr.

Now where things get complicated, is i've seen (and im sure it was custom) a TWO DOOR 66 Rambler wagon with the rears facing forward! I cant even imagine how horrible that would be!

 

Id seen other people do it before but didn't know how so I just highlighted it and copy pasted and it worked lol!

 

Cool! Thanks!

 

My parents had 9 kids - we had a '68 Dart four door . . . everyone got where they needed to go, maybe not in comfort though . . .

 

Where did you ride, on the rear package shelf?

 

yeah, the optional rear defroster used dig into my hip !

 

Actually I remember, years ago, seeing kids laying on the rear shelf.

 

The majority of 3 seat wagons from '59 and up had rear facing seats. The Olds Vista Cruiser was one exception that still faced forward up through at least '72. And Ford had some that faced inward, kinda like a booth at a diner.

My '58 has about a 70/30 split bench in the 2nd row, with the small seat folding forward to allow for access to the 3rd row. A 1970 Vista that I drove for a while had the same thing. Both seats will also fold flat for cargo in the back.

 

There's enough people doing 4 door to 2 door conversions, drive around pick up all the cut out sections and stretch one

might look at ambulances / hearses in vintage tin

 

My parents only had two boys, but we also used to take family trips in my dad's Corvette's. The 65 and 78 weren't too bad back behind the seats and the view out the back window was great, but we were a little cramped in the 70...

 

A little off topic, but car seats were already brought up. Look into the Diono Radian line of car seats. This is the narrowest car seat currently manufactured, you can fit three across in a back seat, even in a modern midsize-compact car.

Diono used to be known as Sunshine Kids. We have the Sunshine Kids Radian 85, good for a booster seat all the way up to 85 pounds. Does not need the top tether to attach either (although you will most likely want to fab a mount for it).

Never install a car seat in a rear face seat, they aren't designed to work that way.

Now for on topic stuff: Ford products had forward face 3rd row seats in their wagons well into the sixties.

 

Thanks for all the input, I knew this would be the right place to ask. A lot of info to think about. Someday I'll use it when I shop for a new project. If anybody has any cool pictures of wagons I'd appreciate it.

 

Looking for a picture of this and I was amazed to see that people build replicas!!! Originally built by Barris out of a Ford Country Squire

 

Here is ours, '56 Bel Air Beauville.
Rear seat faces forward. I think they face rearward starting in 59 or so.
There is a footwell under the second seat for the feet of the rear passengers.
The second seat is about a 70 30 split. Both sides have the seat bottom that flips up and over against the back of the first row, then the back lays down to create a flat floor. The rear most seat bottom and back actually removes and stores outside the car. Then the back piece that supports the back of the 3rd seat, hinges down and gives a flat floor.

We have four boys, a baby girl, and on the 19 th of Sept will have a new baby boy.

I looked hard for a 56 bel air 9 passenger for two years. It is the first year for a 9 passenger wagon for Chevy.

 

Wow, I love the '56. Congrats on the find, and the family. She looks clean, love the roof rack.

 

I just posted this picture on another thread but thought you may want to see it as well. It's a '57 Buick Caballero................

 

I got 4 kids. Saw a 55 Nomad the other day and was wondering if you could mod 3 rows of seats and then I remembered Brian Regan (@1.45) http://youtu.be/SpBIZgvjWmA

 

what about the 54 Desoto wagon? Third row in that?

 

Early Chevy / GMC Surburban might be ideal. Or a vintage short bus, Gary