blgdave Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Hi Folks, I have been looking at options of fitting a rear occasional seat for the odd occasion that the daughter may be shamed enough to be seen out with her parents! I have priced up the kits and they seem very reasonable. Obviously not going to be the must comfy of rides but should be good enough for what I am after. Just wondering what experiences you folks have had when fitting yours, or tales of woe to put me off? Has anyone got any pictures to share of rear seats fitted at all? Any comments as a new thread much appreciated. From memory, I think Graeme have you got one fitted or was it just a bay seat? Thanks in advance Dave... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graeme Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Dave, It wasn't my car. Alan has a baby seat in the red TR4 with a surrey top. Graeme Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blgdave Posted June 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) Ahh yes, thats right. Excuse me! I am old now so officially allowed to forget! Have you got a snap of it to wet my appetite? I will be able to go round and see his car next week but have limited access to the real world just now... Whats a tree again?? Cheers Dave... Edited June 7, 2008 by blgdave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RandallD Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 (edited) I am not sure if this is what you are seeking, but here is a picture of the rear seat option in my car. There is no leg room there and I certainly can't try it out, but for small children it does add a bit of padding. Cheers, Randy Edited June 8, 2008 by RandallD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blgdave Posted June 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Perfect. Just what I was after. I am a bit worried about no rear seat belts however. I suppose I had better give this some serious thought before I just do the conversion. I suppose a roll bat would also be handy, but where do you stop?? Does the soft top still fit on with no issues?? Cheers Dave... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jersey Royal Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Perfect. Just what I was after. I am a bit worried about no rear seat belts however. I suppose I had better give this some serious thought before I just do the conversion. I suppose a roll bat would also be handy, but where do you stop?? Does the soft top still fit on with no issues?? Cheers Dave... Dave, I would also give the insurance aspect some though also, i have no idea how that works for carrying more than two in any Tr Cheers Guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RandallD Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Does the soft top still fit on with no issues?? No issues with the top at all, this seat is really nothing more than extra padding. It has no attachments so pulls out of the car readily. For anything other than a very short ride though I agree that the safety aspects are the part to consider. Randy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeF Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Some cars are 4 seaters, some are 2+2, but I would say the TR is an optimistic 2+S1, the S meaning sideways. Even back in the sixties -before health and safety was invented and we were much sliimmer - to get 4 people in we used to sit 2 in the passenger seat and one sideway in the back! I have a rear seat in my 4, because it came with it and I think it looks neater with than without. It's just a thin cushion which drops in to place. The bottom is profiled to the shape of the floor. So far as I know if not original equipment seat belts are not a legal requirement to fit, but if fitted you have to use them. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Hi Dave, The rear seat, as you might optimistically call it, is pretty darn notional ! If you put in a roll bar, the rear seat is just about useless, as in the two just don't work together. Rear seat occupant gets brained on the bar. Health & Safety is all well and good, within reasonable limits, but we didn't worry about pulling the seats forward and squeezing two mates in the back when we were young . . . it just means you drive carefully, and you certainly wouldn't want to drive that far 4-up. About 20 minutes to the pub and that's the limit One in the back isn't so bad, even if it is uncomfortable for the rear passenger - pull the passenger seat forward to leave room (just) for legs. An hour is the realistic limit . . . any longer and you need a prybar to lever out the poor blighter in the back, he or she has gone rigid. Safety belts are pretty much out, unless you go for lap belts only, which you can still get from Securon. Insurance shouldn't be an issue, the rear seat conversion is an original manufacturer's option. Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graeme Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Dave, There is a slight problem in that the picture above is of a TR4 which stows the hood in the boot. On the 4A, the hood is stowed along the back rail and takes up a considerable amount of space. If you really want somebody in the back, then a surrey is the way to go and I think you can get a F/G one from Revington with an integral roll bar. Cheers Graeme Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) If you really want somebody in the back, then a surrey is the way to go... Only for little people - the Surrey rear screen frame and angle of glass provide minimal safe headroom. Edited June 9, 2008 by BrianC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigtr4 Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Only for little people - the Surrey rear screen frame and angle of glass provide minimal safe headroom. Hi dave, having done this modification to my tr4 last year, fitted a f/g surrey to the back. Even fitted 3 point seat belts with a frame to support the top of the of the belt. My son is now 8 (and a small 8 at that that) and since i fitted them i feel it is unsuitable to put my son in the back. even though my son always sit with his head leaning forward ( i believe he's superglued his thumbs to his nintendo ds an daren't tell me ). the head room is not suitable and my son has never sat in the back other than in the garage to if he fits. you can also retro fit a tr4 hood and frame to a tr4a and put the seat squab in, i believe it would be cheaper and safer to keep your daughter thinking it's still uncool to be seen with you. craig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sean7575 Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I have a TR4 not 4A, which makes all the difference. The reason I bought this car (rather than the 4A) was so I could take my two daughters in the back. It also has to be a soft top as the surrey top makes rear seat passengers unrealistic. I have fitted inertia-real seatbelts to the back and regularly take my 9 year old and 7 year old on journeys of about 1 hour max, they love it!!! (by the way my girls are both tall for their age). This is one of the few 2+2s where you can actually use the rear seat and I disagree with some of the other comments in this regard. I drove back with all four of us + luggage recently and she didn't miss a beat. (I'm over 6ft and my wife is 5' 9") See pic of seatbelts, if you need more info drop me a message. Sean Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sean7575 Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Found a photo to prove my point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snitootall Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 Hi- I am currently working on a 1962 TR4 that has a rear seat.(in poor shape as received). I have read a few different sites info on the rear seat and "I feel" there are a lot of details that are not really brought out during the discussions concerning the option rear seat. 1. the rear/back cockpit upholstered panel had a 1" to 1 1/4" piece of foam with a cloth backing (on the front side) that was glued to the top of the rear cockpit board (on the top 2" of the back-side) so it would hinge up, (presumably to stow the top frame behind). this made a reasonable back-rest for the small passengers. 2. the same upholstered back panel had "open hole" eyelet loops at the bottom instead of female stud fasteners that would go over the 4 factory studs same as regular cars. 3. that way when the upholstered panel was down, the rear seat base/squab cushion held the panel down so it wouldn't flop around in the wind. 4. the rear part of the 1/2" plywood base for the rear seat had 4 slots cut in it that corresponded to the 4 factory studs on all the cars. 5. the 2 aprox. 1" holes in the outer edges of the plywood base are for mounting the 2 female "tall" studs/keepers that holds the rear seat squab in place. (they are pictured in parts catalogs.) 6. it appears the squab hung over the front edge of the rear seat shelf by aprox. 1/2". 7.the 2 larger holes in the plywood base line up with the 2 large plugs(?)/ round reinforcements in the rear shelf area and I agree they are vents. 8. the original rear squab bottom cushion was that horse hair material like in the front seat bottoms and was about 1 1/2" thick. 9. question I don't know is: how far the rear shelf carpet goes on that whole shelf area...from the glue residue on mine, it appears it only goes up the vertical part of the shelf and also on the "hump" area.- need clarification on that. I also have owned a 1962 TR4 without the rear seat so I was able to compare one with and without the option. I am sure there were slight variations from car to car as it came down the assembly line, as we have seen and read about in the past on other aspects of these cars. hope this helps with the overall discussions and I have some pictures if that would help some folks.... tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snitootall Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 here are the pictures mentioned in the 2020 post about TR4 rear seat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malbaby Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Our cars are not built for safety. They are bad enough risk for driver and/or passenger, and I would definitely not have a child in the back. Nobody thinks they are going to be involved in a crash, but it can happen. Imagine how would you feel if your child was injured or worse. If you want a safe family classic car buy a sedan...eg. Jaguar MK2 I Quote Link to post Share on other sites
8iggles Posted February 17, 2020 Report Share Posted February 17, 2020 The discussion is academic for a 4A with the hood down, although in the distant past we have travelled to the coast three up albeit third man sideways with the hood up. (We slept seven in a mini van once on our way to the sea side. Seemed a good idea at the time: Saturday night!) On a serious note we ran a Family Herald Rag top for many years as there is easily room for four. I could never understand why rear passengers did not share my enthusiasm for open top motoring. That was until I relinquished the drivers seat for the rear after a summer's evening pint. It's totally unbearable even at reasonable speeds! Turbulence from the windscreen mainly. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NickKerfoot Posted February 18, 2020 Report Share Posted February 18, 2020 Hi Snitootall, Is there any chance you could post a picture of where the studs are fitted to the floor of the car? Doing this at the moment on my 4... Without the seat arrangement, the rear vertical panel locates its 4 eyelets over the lift-the-dot posts, and the whole lot is held down by 4 lift dot fasteners in the rear carpet.. Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted February 20, 2020 Report Share Posted February 20, 2020 I never knew there were studs to hold the occasional rear seat down. I had one fitted in the 6 and mounted harness type belts. As they grew we moved onto a Stag. Prior to that had an old Kangol child seat which I mounted in the rear when the girls were rally young - Amy got as far as Austria and Italy in that. Modern kids seats simply wouldn't fit - even 25 years ago let alone the huge constructions that kid's seats are these days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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