Rumble Seat - Safety lock concepts

[Semmerling]

I would be curious if others have created safety lock for their rumble seats. In the period in which they were used, rumble seat were known to be deadly in crashes. Aside from a lack of seat belts and passenger faces striking by the top edge of the car's body, the rumble seat would snap closed and in some cases decapitating the occupants. 

I went as far as to place a heavy spring loaded bolt at the rumble seat rotation point that "pops" into a hole in the heavier steel support on the rear quarter panel, One has to manual pull the spring loaded bolt pin straight out in order to reclose the rumble seat. Has anybody else done something similar? Seat belt can also be found when one first opens up the seat by reaching through the seat-to-back gap that is there 1/2 way up. The belts do not show unless they are needed.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Semmerling

[Sniper]

Interesting and innovative.  Any thoughts on how to stop the face plant into the car's body?  I imagine a 4/5 point racing harness is a solution?

[vintage6t]

Your solution of a spring loaded pin was immediately popped into my head. I think it's a good one.

 

Another possible solution that I saw used on a pickup tailgate is to repurpose a seatbelt buckle. Remove both sides of the buckle from the webbing. Mount one side of the buckle on the inside of the bed (fixed half). Mount the other side on the tailgate (pivoting half). Close the tailgate and it latches. Press the seatbelt latch button and it releases.

[Semmerling]

9 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Interesting and innovative.  Any thoughts on how to stop the face plant into the car's body?  I imagine a 4/5 point racing harness is a solution?

 

In the day, dive under

[Semmerling]

Ive seen that too and it should work. The head of the seat belt has to be taped over if seat belts are stored in the "tween the seat cushions for use. 

 

Here....

[Semmerling]

 

 

PDF STYLE

 

SEAT BELTS AND RUMBLE LOCK.pdf

Edited March 12, 2023 by Semmerling

[Semmerling]

 

Sniper, in truth the ambulances of the period brought the equivalent of a bowling ball bag to place the decapitated heads.

No roll bar and a high chance that a roll would do head damage front and back. 
My grand parents kept my dad seated between them....as in no rumble seat.

This was 1934

Edited March 12, 2023 by Semmerling

[blucarsdn]

I am not to sure how other models of cars handled the seating arrangements in their  rumble seat equipped cars, I do know that the '39 Plymouth convertible coupes had a 'toe-board' foot rest that was on an angle adjacent to the floor of the rumble area and the front passenger seat back.

The toe board acted just like the floor boards in the general passenger area, providing firm footing for the passenger to brace themselves against.

Since all of the '37-39 DPCD  open vehicles were basically the same vehicle. I would assume that they all had the toe-board feature. Wm.

[allbizz49]

I've done body and paint most of my life and have worked on some seriously hit vehicles. I'll just say this, it doesn't matter what you do with these old cars. When they get in any significant,(and not so significant), hit, the passengers usually don't fare well.  If you're looking for safety, buy a modern car. If you're driving an old car, just enjoy it for what it is and accept the consequences if you get into a collision.

[Semmerling]

There is this guy in my town that the town folks call "Dr. Obvious."  He is a really nice guy,  but he can't help himself. If he buy an ice cream cone he'll say "these things leak all over the place unless you just get right on eating them."  I saw him stop to yell up to a guy mounting an outside air conditioner on the second floor from underneath the ladder the guy was using "be careful on that ladder, those things are dangerous." Anyway, it's like a foundation statement for him has just has to get out, it's his contribution, generously offered up. So, yea....the idea that an almost 100 year old car does not have the benefit of....a 100 years of progress....is absolutely true. But as you can get in trouble at low speeds with a rumble seat, like 10mph.  One can TOTALLY eliminate the risk of slam shut on rumble seat in low speed situations. I do it, not because I can....because one should.  Thanks for the comment.

Check this out...these would cut the head off the folks in the rear seat. 
 

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Semmerling