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AustinMusic
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 9
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:48 pm Post subject: WANTED: Old Vehicle Child Safety Products/Magazine Articles |
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Hi,
If anyone has any old vehicle child safety products from the mid 1970s to late 1980s, I would be very interested in purchasing them. Any items are welcomed. Currently I am searching for:
1) Any KL Automotive/KL Jeenay Products
2) Any articles or "Acccessories Guides" from Autocar/Motor (or other magazines) from 1975 to 1990
3) Britax "Comfy Rider" Seat
4) Britax "Star Riser" Booster Seat
5) Britax "Straphanger" System
I am researching vehicle safety from this period and wish to start a collection which I one day hope to display at classic car shows. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. I will cover all postage costs (obviously!) and can collect within 80 miles of north London or further afield by special arrangement.
Thanks very much! |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22458 Location: UK
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AustinMusic
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 9
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Rick,
Thanks for asking. The answer is growing, albeit slowly. These items are becoming increasingly difficult to find nowadays due to most having been discarded (understandably in many cases as they clearly don’t meet modern standards!!).
Locating such items for sale or auction is a very lengthy and often fruitless process as often sellers do not have a full or accurate description in their adverts. I’m much more likely to find a “KL Jeenay B30 Supersafe” by searching for “old car seat” rather than the actual product name (and as you can imagine, “old car seat” returns a mammoth number of results on eBay or Gumtree etc.!).
Whilst continuing my search, I am working on page designs for my hopefully-to-be-launched-soon website (retrocarseats.co.uk). I believe my collection of magazine articles, products and old catalogues is now substantial enough to build a (hopefully interesting) website. My most recent success was managing to contact the former technical director of KL Jeenay so hopefully I will be able to do a full interview soon and find out some more details on the company. I also have a few other names to contact who worked in vehicle safety product research during the 1970s and 1980s at Kangol Magnet (ASE) so hopefully I can get hold of some good research for updating the website on a fairly regular basis.
If anyone has any further ideas as to where I might find these old vehicle child safety products or has anymore information regarding such, I’d very much appreciate the help.
Still the search goes on! |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4765 Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:49 am Post subject: |
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Hi
You might even consider picking up a Volvo 440 (with S trim level) which had 2 built in child booster seats in the rear.
So you could then display the accessory type alongside a manufacturers take on the same question. _________________ Bristols should always come in pairs.
Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10 |
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AustinMusic
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 9
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Penman,
Thanks for the suggestion. When you read old Motor and Autocar articles on the subject of vehicle safety, Volvo always seem to come out as an industry leader. In fact, the Swedish generally have always been at the forefront of passenger safety technology.
In early 1973 Volvo actually crash tested pop-up head restraints which extended rearward from the front seat head restraints in the event of a crash to try to reduce neck loads for rear seat occupants. They never made production but the thinking was hugely in advance of other manufacturers at the time.
I'll try to locate an old sales brochure on eBay for the 440.
Thanks again for the help!
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Roger-hatchy
Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 2135 Location: Tiptree, Essex
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:31 am Post subject: |
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I'll take some photos later of the rear seat booster in the Volvo 850 estate.
The centre arm rest converts to a child seat, been used a couple of times on long journeys by my nieces boy, always seemed eager to use it at other times as well.
Roger |
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pigtin
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Austin Music,
I don't know if this comes in to the scope of your collection but in 1979 I bought myself a smart VW Karmann Ghia type 4. The motoring press were advertising this clip-on extinguisher as a must for inside of any car.
I frequently used the car to transport my children and wanted every safety measure, so I bought it.
I can think of few thing I have ever bought that proved more useless.
After a couple of days I took it out to show someone and found it suspiciously light, yes, it had leaked. I sent it back and received a replacement.
A week later the same thing happened again, and again.
From then on I only regarded it as a ornament.
I really don't know why I still have it, perhaps I'm ashamed to put it on ebay.
ps It's 7.1/2" tall.
_________________ Due to the onset of my mid eighties I'm no longer sprightly and rarely seen in my Austin special. I have written a book though. https://amzn.eu/d/7rwRRqL |
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AustinMusic
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 9
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:30 am Post subject: |
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Hi Pigtin,
The fire extinguisher is interesting. Although manuafcturers don't list such as an accessory now (I guess because the risk of fire is much reduced from the days of the Karmann Ghia), I still think it's a sensible thing to have in car - when it doesn't leak of course!!
From trawling through the many editions of Motor and Autocar and the accessories pages, there have been some hilarious ideas, all well intentioned, that proved rather useless - the "stick-on" heated screens that always used to peel off to name one!
May I save your photo for use on my hopefully-to-be-launched-soon website (obviously you would be given full credit by your username)?
Thanks very much,
Gary.
Last edited by AustinMusic on Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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pigtin
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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You're welcome to use it Gary.
regards, Don. _________________ Due to the onset of my mid eighties I'm no longer sprightly and rarely seen in my Austin special. I have written a book though. https://amzn.eu/d/7rwRRqL |
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pigtin
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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It's just reminded me: there was one other accessory I bought for the Karman Ghia. Windscreen Tint. This came in a spray can and was supposed to be sprayed along the top of the screen and allowed to flood down to the bottom covering the screen with a nice tint of blue.
The can ran out of propellent before it had run halfway down the screen and I had to buy the expensive solvent to remove it. A replacement can was supplied and managed to get two inches from the bottom of the screen before the same happened.
I left it on the screen like that for a couple months before writing a stinking letter to the manufacturers and buying some more solvent.
In hindsight perhaps the Karmann Ghia type 3 windscreen had far more area than most cars of that period. _________________ Due to the onset of my mid eighties I'm no longer sprightly and rarely seen in my Austin special. I have written a book though. https://amzn.eu/d/7rwRRqL |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22458 Location: UK
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Mark6991
Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 1
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:31 pm Post subject: K L Jeenay Car Seat |
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Hi,
We have a KL Jeemau car seat that has never been used and were wondering whether you are still intrerested in collecting vintage items?
Thanks
Mark |
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RotaryBri
Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 465 Location: Warwick
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:44 am Post subject: |
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AustinMusic wrote: | Hi Pigtin,
The fire extinguisher is interesting. Although manuafcturers don't list such as an accessory now (I guess because the risk of fire is much reduced from the days of the Karmann Ghia), I still think it's a sensible thing to have in car - when it doesn't leak of course!!
Gary. |
Vauxhall still list fire extinguishers as an extra. I have one in the back of my Signum. _________________ Keep Torqueing,
RotaryBri
1976 NSU Ro80 |
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AustinMusic
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 9
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hi all,
My quest continues to discover more information about these products and quite incredibly, I recently managed to find a KL Jeenay Safety Seat from 1973 in very good (not perfect) condition.
Having removed a fair amount of loft space (eek) with my collection, I am beginning to turn my focus towards market information about these products, eg.
• How much did they cost?
• Where were they advertised?
• Where could they be purchased?
• Who fitted them - garages or folks at home?
etc, etc...
If anyone has any old Halfords or car accessory catalogues that they would be willing to sell (or lend) that might contain such information, I would be very grateful indeed. Or of course, any information as to where I can find out this information (I continue with my visits to the magazine collections at the Britsh Library...)! Information on magazine articles is very helpful too!
That said, I am still looking for the following products from the mid 1970s to late 1980s;
1) Any KL Automotive/KL Jeenay Products
2) Britax "Star Rider 50"**
3) Britax "Comfy Rider" Seat
4) Securon "Executive" Seat
5) Kangol "DuoSeat"
6) Any 'Stadium' safety products
Conscious of the fact I always seem to be asking for help(!), if I can help date any products, provide information on a "mystery" product or if anyone needs any information at all on the subject, I would be happy to try to help.
** The Science Museum actually have a brand new Britax 'Star Rider' in their object archive from 1965
As before, I will cover all postage costs (obviously!) and can collect within 80 miles of north London or further afield by special arrangement.
Thanks very much again to anyone who can help! |
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john-saab
Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 341 Location: West Dorset
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:27 am Post subject: |
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What a crying shame you ask now. A few years back I cleared an old garage out and there was a 1970's Britax childs seat ..new and still in it's box..I tried ebay and they pulled the advert. I tried a few auto jumble sellers and they said "NO" so unfortunatly it went into a mates lockup and that was cleared only a short while back.
The seat was made of polystyrine and had a nylon cover...i'm guessing it wouldn't pass todays saftey tests in materials alone. _________________ Rust Junky & oil addict. |
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