Hmm, this is an interesting point. I appreciate the fact that people are
concerned about their children's safety, but I wonder, are we getting too
paranoid? Let me just ask the list: how many of you have ever rolled over in
an automobile? Were you a child at the time? Were there any children in the
vehicle at the time? I would almost think that the probability was so small
as to be negligible. It is only in recent years, with the prevalence of high
CG vehicles such as SUVs and minivans, that rollover of passenger cars not
being driven recklessly has become common. A 4-seater convertible, such as a
VW Golf or Saab 9-3, or even a 60's Camaro or Dodge Dart, is extremely
unlikely to roll over unless it leaves the road entirely. It seems overly
protective to deny the pleasure of open air motoring to the young,
especially when you consider that they are far more at risk riding their
bikes to school, or even riding the school bus, for that matter (no seat
belts or head restraints).
Definitely IMO, FWIW, YMMV... and no, I don't have any kids (in case you
wondered), but I grew up playing on jungle gyms on asphalt playgrounds,
never wearing (never seeing, actually) a bike helmet, riding in the 3rd seat
of a Detroit station wagon with no seat belts, climbing 40 feet up fir
trees, and engaging in various other unthinkably hazardous activities (by
modern standards)...
on 10/9/01 7:32 AM, Ajhsys@aol.com at Ajhsys@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 10/9/01 10:03:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time, RCR293@aol.com
> writes:
>
>
>> I am facing a crisis with respect to my MGA. When I bought the car to
>> restore, I only had one child to drive around. Now I have two and think
>>
>
> I would suggest that if you want to include kids in a project car, you make
> it a safe one. A rollover in a convertible is not pretty. Maybe an MGB-GT
> would be a good choice. They have enough room for kiddie seats in the back
> (I think), and you can fit seatbelts in the occasional seats when they get
> older. Add a sunroof and it is close to top-down motoring.
>
> If you decide that you really want a convertible, please consider installing
> a rollover bar.
>
> Safety Fast!
>
> Allen Hefner
> SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
> '77 Midget
> '92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the primer red one with chrome wires
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