Anyone know if a 1997 Subaru Legacy RSB has tether bolt holes predrilled for car seat?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Anyone know if a 1997 Subaru Legacy RSB has tether bolt holes predrilled for car seat?

Benoire

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#183685 26-Oct-2015 18:41

Hi,

Looking at turning my son forward facing in the older car, but as it doesn't have top tether anchors pre-installed like the BMW, I need to get them done... I'm happy to install a bolt myself, but only if the hole is already there and threaded for this purpose. I found two possible points under the boot mat that where covered with two black stickers, but so far nothing on the internet has suggested they are the right things. Before I go and spend some money for a mechanic to do this, has anyone done this before and if so can you maybe point me in the right direction?

Cheers,

Chris

andrewNZ

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#1414084 26-Oct-2015 19:21

sedan or wagon?

Found a manual for a 2000 legacy, the wagon shows anchor points in the roof near the boot door.

Benoire

2799 posts

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#1414089 26-Oct-2015 19:44

Sorry should have made it clearer, it is a sedan. From what I can find, pre-2000s seem to require anchor bolts installed, where as post 2000 may have had proper tethers as you get in modern cars.

Inphinity

2780 posts

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#1414090 26-Oct-2015 19:45

Sedan or wagon? If it's a sedan, there should be holes in the rear window shelf/tray that the bolts can be fitted through. If it's a wagon and it has them, they will be on the inside of the boot sill/lip just inside from where the hatch closes, and if the covers (just plastic bits that pop out) are still on will have a logo that looks like a seat with an anchor attached.

Benoire

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#1414120 26-Oct-2015 20:46

Sedan. I haven't seen any holes near the air-conditioning unit that is installed in the rear parcel shelf, but I shall look tomorrow to see what is there.

Benoire

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#1414441 27-Oct-2015 10:22

Ok so I've had a look at the car in the daylight and have found 3 bolts welded to the underside of the parcel shelf, two are exposed while the centre one appears to be covered by the opening mechanism for the boot itself. Are these likely to be the locations? Would a photo be of any use?

jonathan18

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#1414459 27-Oct-2015 10:43

Benoire: Ok so I've had a look at the car in the daylight and have found 3 bolts welded to the underside of the parcel shelf, two are exposed while the centre one appears to be covered by the opening mechanism for the boot itself. Are these likely to be the locations? Would a photo be of any use?

The easiest and safest way is to pop in to a seatbelt installer or similar and get them to check. People are often warned about attaching the tether strap to the incorrect place, including to hooks designed for parcels. (This happened to a Fair Go reporter just last week when Plunket checked his carseat installation!).

It's also not expensive to have a bolt fitted if it doesn't have one; we've had it done to a number of cars (eg our earlier cars that didn't have the fittings built in, as well as our parents' cars).

I wouldn't recommend you take the approach of my father-in-law who fitted a new car seat they'd bought for my son to use; he attached the seat only via the tether strap. No seat belt or isofix necessary, apparently. Even worse than his installation of the previous seat, which did use the seat belt but without the necessary bracket to stop the seat belt moving. But both are progress compared to having their grandchildren sitting on their lap in the front seat, which is what used to happen when I first met them!

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1414460 27-Oct-2015 10:44

There are places who specialise in installing tethering bolts... they're not expensive. You may be better to just take it to one. Otherwise there's usually a hole through the steel parcel tray in an appropriate spot, use this with the proper bolt/nut and washer (you may need to drill through the timber and use a steel spacer they come with the bolt kits) you can find the bolt kits at Baby City IIRC.

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ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1414503 27-Oct-2015 11:30

jonathan18: having their grandchildren sitting on their lap in the front seat, which is what used to happen when I first met them!

This is how we rolled when I was a kid...

scuwp

3888 posts

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#1414507 27-Oct-2015 11:37

ubergeeknz: There are places who specialise in installing tethering bolts... they're not expensive. You may be better to just take it to one. Otherwise there's usually a hole through the steel parcel tray in an appropriate spot, use this with the proper bolt/nut and washer (you may need to drill through the timber and use a steel spacer they come with the bolt kits) you can find the bolt kits at Baby City IIRC.

This. If there is one fitted you may find an associated cover on the parcel tray, possibly just a piece of the fabric that needs lifting...can be hard to see so have a good look. Alternative is to just do the above, if nothing else there is usually an appropriate hole in the tray for this purpose. A quick drill and bolt the attachment in (usually come with large washers) and your good to go. 5 min job max.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

jonathan18

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#1414509 27-Oct-2015 11:38

ubergeeknz:
jonathan18: having their grandchildren sitting on their lap in the front seat, which is what used to happen when I first met them!

This is how we rolled when I was a kid...

... and I'd imagine a few kids rolled no more because of this. It was the same when I was a kid (no seatbelts in the van my parents had for all nine of us!), but that was legally ok and society "didn't know better". It has not been that way for quite some time - again both in legal requirements and societal awareness of the risks - so I've got no time for those who choose to ignore the law in this regard.

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1414522 27-Oct-2015 11:45

jonathan18:
ubergeeknz:
jonathan18: having their grandchildren sitting on their lap in the front seat, which is what used to happen when I first met them!

This is how we rolled when I was a kid...

... and I'd imagine a few kids rolled no more because of this. It was the same when I was a kid (no seatbelts in the van my parents had for all nine of us!), but that was legally ok and society "didn't know better". It has not been that way for quite some time - again both in legal requirements and societal awareness of the risks - so I've got no time for those who choose to ignore the law in this regard.

Oh I totally agree. It's pretty amazing how far vehicle safety has come (in all aspects) since the 80's

Benoire

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#1415034 27-Oct-2015 19:47

Thank you all, yes this is what I am trying to do so that my Son is not in a wrong place. At the moment he is extended rear facing so that is fine but will need to turn soon as my second is on its way. By the way, I might have got what I saw wrong, simple error of words! What I meant to say was that across the underside of the parcel shelf are 3 welded NUTS(!) which are factory welded to the metal on the underside. Could these be the nuts that you would screw the anchor fitting in to? @Inphinity I think this is what you where referring to in your earlier post?

Bung

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#1415074 27-Oct-2015 20:45

Are your welded nuts in the locations shown in this
www.seccs.org/tech/1996%20Legacy/.../17-04-9934511.pdf

Benoire

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#1415076 27-Oct-2015 20:49

Bung: Are your welded nuts in the locations shown in this
www.seccs.org/tech/1996%20Legacy/.../17-04-9934511.pdf

Yes they are... I've seen that PDF the other day, but didn't fully understand as I couldn't see anything on the top of the parcel shelf... but I think I have got it now, the bolts are put through the TOP of the shelf, not underneath, and 'screw' in to the welded nuts... Does that sound about right?