Mercedes 230te Estate (1982): BABY SEAT!!??

[macca66]

Hi all -
can you let me know the best way to install a baby seat in a 1982 Mercedes 203te Estate? Really hoping to buy one of these but I have a 2 month old and need to be able to install a seat to ensure he is safe....
thanks in advance and happy new year, Macca

 

[d w124]

Hi there and welcome to the forum.The seat should have instructions

 

[Branko]

I would assume that the car has rear seat belts and therefore these will be used to retain the seat/cradle? We had a cradle base which itself was strapped to the car the the cradle just clicked in and out. Newer cars will have isofix which is easier as the child seat clicks into the sockets which are affixed to the car's chassis.

 

[macca66]

Thanks very much for your replies - I guess i am concerned about the rear seat belts - I am not what type these are (3 point? lap belt etc) and wondered if anyone had expertise in that area?

 

[Branko]

Outer ones tend to be 3 point - they go across the sholder and waist and then clunk in. Central one, if fitted, could be a lap belt only in a car of that age. Baby seat should be fitted to one of the 3 point positions so it is held in place by two parts of the belt.

 

[wemorgan]

rear facing child seats are preferable to front facing

Rear Facing - the way forward

 

[bolide]

All W124 estates have two 3-point belts in the back and a lap belt only in the centre

Nick Froome

 

[Branko]

If it's a 1982 car wouldn't that be W123? I would guess same seat belt arrangement though.

 

[SilverSaloon]

for a 2 month old you need a rear facing seat.

it will need to be one that fits to a 3 point seatbelt. the child then is strapped in using the harness in the new seat itself.

if you are not comfortable with installing it yourself (should get used to doing this for future use/incase it becomes unplugged etc) go to Mothercare or similar. Dont go to Halfords to get them to fit!!!

look here:

car seats by brand from the Mothercare car seats range - Online baby, Nursery & Maternity Shop

as the child gets older, they can then go into a front facing seat but still in its own harness. then into a booster seat, then onto a booster cushion

The 123 should have rear 3 point belts so all you should need to do is fit it same as you would in any other car.

if you are unsure, get advice from a decent baby seat shop. they all come with fitting instructions but make sure its tight and secure and fitted properly. ask the retailer to demonstrate it to you and then you fit it when they watch.

get the best one you can that ISNT ISOFIX (as your car doesnt have it). My seat-belt only seat is better than the other isofix seat (we have 2 cars) we have when used with the belt. so since you dont have isofix make sure you get the best seat that is non-isofix. many isofix seats are great at the isofix mount and very safe but not as safe when used with the belt as their non-isofix versions....

thanks

derek

 

[219]

We had a Graco infant carrier for Harris when he was that age ( now he is 18 months , he is in a Recaro forward facing seat ) .

The infant carrier clicked into a base which was held in place by the seat belts ; we had a base in each of our cars so the carrier could just be clipped in .

The Graco base just needed a lap belt to keep it snugly into the baclk of the seat and had an extendable leg which rested on the floor . For youngsters aged 0-9 months a rear facing infant carrier which keeps the infant horizontal is preferable .

Any of the well konwn and respected makes should be fine .