The Spider's "Back Seat"

DUCeditor · Post by **DUCeditor** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:23 pm

We've carried a third person on several occasions, sitting sideways.

As to belts.... I live in New Hampshire. The official state motto is "Live free or die." That is a large part of the reason I live here.

Adults choose whether to wear a seat belt or not. They choose whether to wear a motorcycle helmet or not.

I do both necause I choose to.

-don

Snoopy · Post by **Snoopy** » Sat Sep 25, 2010 3:12 am

freddie · Post by **freddie** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 11:57 am

You may find this strange but my 84 Pininfarina Spider has a "Parcel Shelf" as designed. I want to change that.

I think it looks a little crude for such a loverly and stylist design that I think Pininfarina went backwards in this regard. It may well have been a cost cutting excercise, but who knows.

I'm a bit of a fan of the rear seat as it seems to complete the area. So I'm going to retro fit a rear seat back into mine just because it looks good, and I would'nt mind sitting on something comfortable if needed.

Curly · Post by **Curly** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 7:08 pm

Snoopy wrote:

Great photo Snoopy

When presenting SPYDUH for it's engineering and compliance inspection after converting it to RH Drive, I was told that the vehicle could only be registered in Oz as a 2-seater and because of that, the back seat would need to be completely removed to prevent it being used as such.

It was duly removed and some carpet laid on the floor for the inspection.

Our Belgian Shepherd loves the backseat too

freddie · Post by **freddie** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:09 am

I take you point Curly, but what about all the late 70's and early 80's Spiders floating around that have back seats in them.
I can't see them doing a double clutch gig.

Also, plenty of Australian complied Alfa Spiders around with back seats (very similar) and they are rated as 2 + 2.

It will probably never be used for a passenger as such, but our little West Highland White Terrier will have a great time with the top down.

DUCeditor · Post by **DUCeditor** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:07 am

The seat/parcel rack distinction comes down, I think, too one thing: Seat belts. Or the lack of them.

Once belts went from an option to a mandate the "seat" could no longer be promoted as such. It then became a "parcel rack," or, for of many of us, a rolling kennel.

-don

4uall · Post by **4uall** » Wed May 01, 2013 2:06 pm

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Thu May 02, 2013 10:26 am

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Thu May 02, 2013 3:39 pm

4 adults would weigh almost as much as the car!

MrBill · Post by **MrBill** » Fri May 03, 2013 3:15 pm

i logged in to ask about the back seat. As i am looking for a spider, i have a teenage son. While he never wants to go anywhere with mom and dad now... that will change when i get the spider. Does any one sell seat belts for the rear seat/parcel shelf?

SeldomSeen · Post by **SeldomSeen** » Fri May 03, 2013 10:33 pm

Back in the '70s when I had my first spider, my girlfriend had an enormous harlequin great dane. Chopper would plant his butt on the exact center of the rear seat and rest his front paws on the top of the windscreen. His head ended up way above this. Whenever he got excited, he would stand up and mercilessly beat the back of our heads with his tail. It must have looked pretty odd.

During that same period I taught judo. When traveling to tournaments I was able to fit the aforementioned girlfriend (also a fine judoka) in the front and two, sometimes three of the really small, younger students in the back. They loved it. No one ever complained. Of course that was before seatbelts were required.

Another of my students brought an MG TC back from England when he mustered out of the Air Force. All TCs were right-hand drive which was not a familiar sight here in the States in the '70s. His sister had an Irish Setter that loved to ride in the MG. The dog would of course sit very upright in the left hand seat. Often when someone was approacing from the opposite lane, Kenny would duck down so that it appeared that the dog was alone and driving the car.

Not related to the back seat but I used to put my top down and tie a sixteen foot canoe over the spider. It only had to be transported a mile to the local stream. Fortunately I was never pulled over or got mistaken for a UFO.

My Alfa GTV has token back seats as well but they are just as useless for adult passengers.

4uall · Post by **4uall** » Sat May 04, 2013 12:45 am

I had two lap belts installed in the back. Got them from http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/index.html

BEEK · Post by **BEEK** » Sat May 04, 2013 9:42 am

back in the day, when i was young, and had my first spider. i can remember having 4 people in the car with the top up driving 200 miles. there was probably alcohol involved too.. maybe

hayesbd · Post by **hayesbd** » Sat May 04, 2013 2:38 pm

I still have four kids at home, aged 17, 14, 12, and 8. The 8 year old fits. Barely. It would have to be a real emergency for me to stuff any of the others back there.

I did get seat belts from Advance Auto. $15 each and they bolt right in to the factory supplied mounting points.

Brian

leeputmanjr · Post by **leeputmanjr** » Thu May 16, 2013 12:41 pm

Clyde is front seat kind of guy.

Way back in '86 or so, when I had my first Spider ('72), I was a young Marine stationed at 29 Palms. Anyone there who had a car had a LOT of friends! There were more than a few times we had at least 4 of us crammed in there, even with the top up! Of course, I was a lot skinnier back then, too...

-Lee

The Spider's "Back Seat"

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