Since he got it at age 14, Ryan Bell's has shared some of the most important milestones of his life with his 1967 Camaro.
It was with him as he dragraced his way through high school.
He dropped the big blog block 454 and the Turbo Hydramatic 400 in just in time for his wedding in 2004.
And when the new '04 GTO LS1 engine was ready [hmm] and the car was destined for double duty as a drag strip racer and daily driver, he refabbed the interior just so, so that he could fit the dog and the car seat in back.
Hats off to Mr. Bell, his son, and his sweet ride. And two hats off to Mrs. Bell, who is clearly a saint.
LS1 and a car seat: Family street/strip ‘67 Camaro [blog.hemmings.com]
11 month old son, riding in a forward facing car seat, eh?
Thought that wasn't done.
Nice car, though.
[maybe if you have a roll cage... -ed.]
"big blog 454"?
How Freudian... ;)
[lol, that'd be more interesting. it's more like muscle memory, which is probably kind of sad. -ed.]
Says Randy: "I thought someone might say something about him being too young to face forward. He was 1 week away from a year old [the rear-facing cutoff in Connecticut--DTA] and we live only a mile from the show, so I took the whole family in the car."
Plus there's a roll cage.
An old gearhead adds: It also goes by weight, not just age.
The cage won't keep him from slipping out if he is too small. We went through the same thing with our little one during the transition to a forward facing seat. You also need good lateral support for the head and neck to avoid whiplash. Don't want him to end up like #3, eh?
Also, (not trying to be a total prick), but how about some earplugs? Are your pipes all the way out the back, or do they dump before the rear axle? Ever checked the CO level in the backseat at idle? I know he does not live in your backseat, but even a little CO exposure is brutal on little ones. Just a thought.
[good point about the weight. me, I was just kidding about the cage, which would be irrelevant for anyone who didn't build his own car. and an interesting idea about the CO, too. Though with quarters that close, I'd like to check the levels everywhere. -ed.]
Never mind the car or the seat... Nice dog!
Q&A from HMN:
Mary Says:
That’s a cool looking carseat! What brand and model is it? Cushioning? What are the pros/cons about it?
Thanks!
Randy Says:
The car seat is a from Simpson Performance Products. They specialize in racing safety equipment. I believe that Graco is the actual manufacturer and Simpson just puts their logo on it. It does have nice padding.
It is the first forward facing seat we bought so I do not have a lot to compare it to. It did come highly recommended from some friends. On plus for me is the base of the seat fits down into my bolstered seats. The seat fits super tight with the latch system and bolstering.
Thanks Randy
David Traver Adolphus Says:
Are you saying you built LATCH hooks into the Camaro, Randy?
Randy Says:
Yes Dave I did put in the latch system. It was the safest way to mount the seat. Randy
Just retired after 24 years service in the military. I am restoring a 1967 camaro and have an opportunity to purchase a GTO LS 1. Will the oil pan clear? I believe the oil pan is what I consider backwards on the GTO LS 1 engine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Ruben ( Retired USAF Major )
congratulations, thanks for your service, and good luck with your project.
I hope you also put your question to the Hemmings blog folks linked above, and/or discussion boards at cardomain.com
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2565383/1
Randy, the guy mentioned in this post, has been active in both sites, and the cardomain one in particular has a lot more detail of his build.