Volvo 480 Club Europe

Hello everyone,

I don't do social media but feel I've been on here long enough (18 years!) for this forum to basically be my version of social media as I know a lot of you from real life, or decent interactions on here.

So, while Rachel and our families announce this on Facebook, etc., I'm very happy to announce to my little gang that she is pregnant and we should have a little one with us in late April, May.


Don't worry, the 480 is going nowhere, in fact it will probably be getting new extended seatbelts as I've read on here over the years that the belt is too short for a car seat to be installed. Does anyone have any recent experience of the longer belts or even baby seats that will fit without the seatbelt mod?

Just to make sure my mind is thoroughly blown, about 1 month earlier I decided to start a part-time university course while I worked away-- I had this course first, then a baby on the way, oh and we bought a new house all in the same month. For now though, I'll leave the hard work to Rachel!


Much love 480 friends,

James

congrats, don't do face-book

I had a the 'longer belt' on the last one and only as previous owner fitted it for his baby seat.

BUT I thought that the later models ALL had the longer belt, for USA market ?

I'll have a rack about in the loft to see if I still have an old one and will compare it to the red & celebs version,

will that help?

Alan 480 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:27 am

congrats, don't do face-book

I had a the 'longer belt' on the last one and only as previous owner fitted it for his baby seat.

BUT I thought that the later models ALL had the longer belt, for USA market ?

I'll have a rack about in the loft to see if I still have an old one and will compare it to the red & celebs version,

will that help?

Thank you Alan. And that would be very helpful-- for sure I have the non-fatty seatbelts!

congratulatuions

Hello James & Rachel,

Brilliant news! I am sure you are chuffed to bits, whilst also being nervous and gobsmacked at the same time! (I know I most certainly was when Maeve told me she was expecting Madelaine - not so much with Margot!)

I'm presuming it is your first? All I can say is that parenthood is very much like owning a Volvo 480 - immensely pleasurable at times, baffling and completely frustrating at others, but overall very much worth the effort. The only thing is, babies don't come with any user manual, getting spares is a no-no and every single one is completely unique (so whatever worked for someone else, is only serendipity (for them) and at best a rough guide for you!)

So, congratulations all round. I hope the pregnancy is a breeze for Rachel and that you are ready to forget what sleep is. Good luck!!

Best regards!

Martin Mc

Well this is excellent news! I am so happy for you guys

While I have no experience of raising a child myself, as a former child I can say that you will have some amazing times! Just be careful about what influences you expose them to - My father still hasn't lived down the fact that his firing up of the quattro when I was a 2 year old hot wheels collector almost certainly set me on a certain path

Maybe yours will have the Born Identity

Absolutely amazing news, best of luck to you and I am sure this community can rally round

Stay Safe and best of luck

Congratulations guys.

I brought Fox home in my red ‘94 ES. Although, that was 2008 and seats and prams have changed considerably since then! In fact, with one of the back seats down, I used to transport a two part (body and wheel base) Marmet coachbuilt pram in there too!

I think you get a base anyway, which is usually what will get strapped in so it perhaps doesn’t have to be too long?

As for older baby/child seats. I think the general mum madness now is about keeping the child rear facing until it’s 25 so perhaps you may encounter issues when it gets to that point?

Take care and lots of love to Rachel.

Many congrats James hope all goes well for you both. Regarding seat belts and child seats no the belts are not long enough for the rear facing seat,the one where the belt has to go round the back and over the front of the seat at least. I discovered this recently when transporting the latest grandchild (now one year old). The belt is fine for forward facing seat where the belt goes through the back of the seat frame.cheers Norman.

Well I did wonder when James casually ended a pm with the words 'A LOT has happened since we last met up.' Left me chewing my finger nails, hoping it was all good .... and it is !!

Congratulations to you both James, it's a big change but the 480s have prepared you for it all Glad the house move went ahead, I wondered if the LOT might include that falling through. Well done on the course as well, you certainly have been a busy bee. Love to Rachel, tell her to put her feet up and keep you running around after her, it will certainly change with the arrival. Wonder how long it will be before the new Carruthers wields a spanner

Congratulations Rachel & James,
no advice except the boy-scout motto 'be prepared', except no-matter how you try to prepare: you can't.
Just look forward to meeting your offspring and get on with your new life - it'll be a ball!
Love to you all- Rachel, James & 'trouble'.

Superb blummin news!

Now, start planning the baby shower gifts.

Mig welder, 2 post lift, Induction heater - you know, for "pram maintainence"

Martin Mc wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 27, 2021 1:21 pm

The only thing is, babies don't come with any user manual

Oh I don't know...



Hopefully less lies in that than the 480 version

Many congratulations.

Many congratulations to you and Rachel, James. Given the amount of training you must have gained from battling with a string of 480s, I'm sure the baby will be a breeze...

I hope everything goes smoothly for all three of you; all the best

David

Congratulations!

I had no idea about the seatbelt issue. Just a thought have you considered retrofitting Isofix?

jamescarruthers wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:30 am

Alan 480 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:27 am

congrats, don't do face-book

I had a the 'longer belt' on the last one and only as previous owner fitted it for his baby seat.

BUT I thought that the later models ALL had the longer belt, for USA market ?

I'll have a rack about in the loft to see if I still have an old one and will compare it to the red & celebs version,

will that help?

Thank you Alan. And that would be very helpful-- for sure I have the non-fatty seatbelts!

Sorry James,
I can only find one belt, I was sure I had one used short and one used long

jamescarruthers wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:53 am

So, while Rachel and our families announce this on Facebook, etc., I'm very happy to announce to my little gang that she is pregnant and we should have a little one with us in late April, May.

Wow, I have missed this because I didn't look at the forum for a few days, but what a great news James and Rachel! I can't share my experiences with babies in the 480 because my daughter was almost 4 years old already when I bought the car. Though the 480 is a two-door coupé, taking children with them is doable (unless you are planning to have more than two). I hope all goes well and then there are 5 months left to prepare for a very, very different life.

I could have sworn that I'd replied to all you lovely people but clearly this slipped my mind! Thank you for all your warm wishes and also Alan and David for your offer of seatbelts. Its getting close to the time where I will have to buy the car seat so I may be bothering you both.

ISOFIX would be a lovely addition and I noticed on the C70 that they just bolted a bar with the correct mounts on to it when this became necessary. Sadly, I worry that if there were an accident and I had home made ISOFIX that I'd either be put in prison or on the front page of a newspaper.

No news is good news in this case and the pregnancy is progressing. The house move is still uncertain and delayed but fingers crossed that there is movement next week (our sellers pulled out of their next house last year, but have an offer in on a new one this week).

jamescarruthers wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:51 pm

ISOFIX would be a lovely addition and I noticed on the C70 that they just bolted a bar with the correct mounts on to it when this became necessary. Sadly, I worry that if there were an accident and I had home made ISOFIX that I'd either be put in prison or on the front page of a newspaper.

I'd reckon that a section of box section secured with 'penny washers' of the two inch x 3mm thick would be more than adequete, think how flimsy the lower seat rails are?

and if you don't think that is strong enough then the Reliant Robin & Fox just used the MAIN front seat belts mounted onto a threaded stud welded to the 'frame' and that 'frame' was box section was around 20mm with 1.5mm wall thickness. I admit the whole section was buried within the GRP shell so spread the load over a large area , even if the box was NOT welded to the chassis at the base!!

On the SS1 the seat-runners are held down with M8 bolts into the floor and a pair of M6 hold the seat to the runners at the rear, so in reality 'not a large cross section of steel'

Surprisingly the original very short rear seat belt just fits in to this Maxi Cosy Easy Fix seat base. The baby seat clips on to this. There would be no chance of getting around an actual baby seat to fix one in using the original belts on the early car.

Well done James !
Look forward to meeting the youngest generation of 480 enthusiasts maybe later in the year.