Help with Infant Seat in Older Suburu Imprezza

My friend just had a super cute baby girl(2 weeks, will fit well in any infant bucket) and is trying to find a workable infant carseat for the center of mid-1990s Suburu Imprezza. She'd love to find a car seat that actually works in the middle because of the lack of side air-bags and roll-over protection in her car.

We've tried a flex-loc and a SS1 with no luck. There is this weird plastic thing in the seat bight that combined with long buckle stalks keeps the carseat from getting tight. So I'm wondering if anyone has experience finding a seat that will puzzle with the weird center plastic thing.

If not, what other infant seats have built in lock-offs besides the SS1 and the Britaxs? Combi? Key-fit? Snugride? The Flex-loc does not work at all even outboard because of the long buckle stalk combined with the slots that form the belt path means there is no room for a locking clip. And yes, I tried twisting the female end three full times.

What was the problem with the SS1? Were you using the built in lock-off?

Does the plastic thing look like this?



I've not been able to get an acceptable rf installation in my center position, partly due to that plastic casing.

My next try would probably be the Keyfit for the lock-off feature. If that doesn't work, you'll likely have to go with a different position. Keep in mind that rf infant seats are extremely safe. A solid outboard installation (even without airbags) is much better than a so-so center one.

If it's a 90-ish vehicle, the center seat probably has a lap only belt, correct? Most lap only belts have locking latchplates so there is no need for lockoffs or a locking clip. Just pull the loose end of the belt out of the latchplate to tighten it and make sure the latchplate and the buckle are not entering the belt path at an angle. Maybe that will open your options up more.
Also, they Keyfit does have built in lockoffs.

Yes, the plastic thing in the seat bight is rather like the picture except that the holes in it are shapped differently.

The problem with the SS1 is that the corner of the recline foot slips into the slots in the plastic thing causing the seat belt to be at a weird angle in the belt path which prevents it from tightening all the way. Ditto for the flex-loc. I tried with and without the SS1 lock-off

The center belt is a locking lap belt so that is the problem in the center, the weird plastic thing in the seat bight is. The lock-offs are for the outboard positions which are neither latch nor have locking seat-belts.

hmm, that's sort of true about lapbelts and lock-offs. However, they are required on the SS1, no matter the type of belt you are using- even the LATCH belt goes through the lock-off.

Also, you never use a locking clip on a lapbelt. They are for l/s belts only.

I have a 1997 Subaru Impreza. It does not have the plastic casing in the middle seat, but even without the plastic casing I am unable to get a good center install. It sucks! I just do not see a center install working with that plastic casing though!

We have a 2000 Impreza. I'll try to post tomorrow a picture of the plastic thing from our car to see if its more like yours. I think I have one on another computer.

We have been able to get a Snugride, Roundabout, Marathon, and now Nautilus in the center position. I had trouble with each seat, but managed to get it.

I'm feeling pretty crappy and sick with a stomach bug today, so I'll try to check in tomorrow.


Tina

I'm feeling better now. Does the center plastic part look like this:



This is our 00 Impreza. We had a snugride when DS was an infant. I need to dig it out in the next month, so I might as well as add it to the pile of seats that are already out : ) I honestly don't remember installing it, but I don't recall it being difficult.

I might have time to run to Babies R Us to see if I can try a SafeSeat this weekend, but I'm not sure.

We've almost always had DS in the center. Every seat he has been in has been installed there successfully. (We tried a Regent, but the tech we usually use and I tried and tried without luck in any position. Its also just a huge seat for that teeny tiny back seat!). I don't think I twisted the buckle stalk for the snugride, but I have for every seat since. I did get a safe seat base installed outboard at one point, but we never actually had the seat. We bought it locally in MN and delivered it to my sister in Iowa (via another sibling who we saw in another part of IA) so that she wouldn't have to pay shipping since no stores near her carried just the base.

Let me know if you want me to try to get the snugride out and see what I did or if you want me to try to stop in to Babies R Us if I'm near there (I just might be in the next few days).

Tina

Combi Centre or Shuttle have a *Very* small/narrow area that goes against the seat bight, it might fit in there somehow (my mom had a 93ish Impreza wagon and I remember it being a pain... ) (come to think of it, no subaru center spots are easy with most carseats...)