Golden Retriever seat mod

[davekmoore]

Just bought a 91 Eunos NA. Loving it. Alfie (the Golden Retriever in the subject title) used to be very happy in the back of the Golf Convertible (sorry peeps). A bit of experimenting tonight suggests that he'll be equally happy in the passenger seat of the Eunos if I can fill in the footwell all the way to the firewall and fully from side to side at the same height as the front of the seat squab. So although I'm happy to find a way to do this myself, has anyone done it before so I can avoid reinventing the wheel?

[Jeo]

Welcome!

Sorry, just to confirm to make sure were all on the same page. Basically what you want to do is remove the passenger seat, then install something so that there is one flat level, roughly 10cm or so off the floor, for the entire passenger side of the cabin? Like a false floor essentially?

I'd imagine some decent thickness mdf, a jig saw and some cardboard template would see you most of the way there.

[Duj]

Ummm stuff a quilt in there...

[Juffa]

Do still want to carry a human passenger, or is Alfie getting the star treatment?

As suggested I'm thinking something like a quilt might do the job. It would be easy to remove. Better yet, maybe a bean bag it would offer more support, and in the event of an accident (touch wood) more protection?

I assume Alfie will wear a seat belt/dog harness for everyones safety?

J

[Jace]

builders bog/foam might work well...

[davekmoore]

Ummm stuff a quilt in there...

Simple. Genius often is. So thanks a lot to Duj especially and all others who made suggestions. Alfie's really pleased. The other blonde in my life also gets to sit on the seat without it having to be reinstalled each time so she's pleased too.

A quilt in the footwell becomes level with the front of the seat squab and is dense enough that Alfie doesn't sink too far into it and can still get his head above the dashboard to see out.

Yes, he'll have a harness attached to the seatbelt, not because he ever tries to jump out, but to give him half a chance in the event of an accident.

[davekmoore]

Welcome!

Sorry, just to confirm to make sure were all on the same page. Basically what you want to do is remove the passenger seat, then install something so that there is one flat level, roughly 10cm or so off the floor, for the entire passenger side of the cabin? Like a false floor essentially?

I'd imagine some decent thickness mdf, a jig saw and some cardboard template would see you most of the way there.

Thanks Joe.

Will investigate this when Alfie's grown, although he's a year old now and not far off fully grown so I might always get away with the quilt.

If I do have to remove the seat I'll let others know how it worked out. It'd also be good for my work by the way, as I carry carpet samples.

[Szemen]

Pics of said Golden! and a shot of it in the car! I'm obsessed with Golden Retreivers xD

[Duj]

Pic of blonde too, Im obsessed with blondes haha....

[Mr Morlock]

I would think Clark rubber and get them to cut a you some polyurethane foam - there are choices of density and it not hard to cover the foam in material and add a zip or even some velcro.

[davekmoore]

[quote="Szemen"]Pics of said Golden! and a shot of it in the car! I'm obsessed with Golden Retreivers xD[/quote

Would love to oblige but the system won't let me paste a pic into a message. Any ideas?

[davekmoore]

Pics of said Golden! and a shot of it in the car! I'm obsessed with Golden Retreivers xD[/quote

Would love to oblige but the system won't let me paste a pic into a message. Any ideas?

Alfie catching air.jpg

[Juffa]

Lucky boy, two blondes in an MX-5. On my very first club run I noticed a couple with a Golden Retriever walking around looking at the various 5s. I assumed they were walking past, saw the cars and stopped for a Captain Cook. That was until we hit the road and I saw them in their 5. The wife sat in the pasenger seat, with the GR sitting on the floor between her legs. And this was with a full grown GR too That was the only time I saw them with the dog.

There are a number of smaller dogs that have come on club runs with their owners, one even has his own leather flight helmet and googles

J

[Jeo]

I've seen a couple of the guys in the Canberra club bring their dogs on club runs. Dog sits on the passenger seat floor, between the legs of the passenger. Mainly smaller dogs come along but there have been one or two decent sized dogd transported that way.

Awesome photo by the way

[davekmoore]

Reckon I have a new Cunning Plan ......

Since a) Blonde number 1 (the Boss) much prefers her MDX to being a passenger in the Eunos and b) I need an extra storage box for gear that stays in the car when I can't be bothered to put the roof down (the boot's usually also full of carpet samples so I can't put other valuables in there), I'm considering making a lockable storage box that fits in the passenger footwell and makes a continuous floor pretty much level with the seat squab for Blonde number 2 (the GR - see pic elsewhere in this post) to perch himself on.

Has anyone already done something similar?

PS Yes, I suppose I could consider removing the passenger seat which would give me more storage space and more GR space and half a chance of getting my cricket kit in somehow (though maybe that has to go on a boot rack - where from?). But having no passenger seat surely smacks of being a bit unsociable?