For an infant seat I think a manual lap belt is better
than an automatic belt. By pressing the seat base into the
foam cushion of the Westy and tightening the lap belt firm
across the belt loops in the seat base, I can get the seat
to feel very rigid on the rear bench.

In the wife's newer car we need to use the supplied manual
strap to get it properly mounted. It goes into special attachments
under the seat that seem to be present in newer cars. One
could of course mount attachments for this strap in the westy,
but it is simply not needed since the lap belt works the same way,
and is more convenient. (straps have to be fiddled with under the 
seat, while lap belt simply buckles in as usual. Just make it real tight
around the infant seat base.

On my Graco seat there is a provision for using an automatic, 
roller type, 3point belt on ether the mounting base or removable 
seat part alone, but I think this is for temporary emergency use 
when no other options exists. (Car breaks down and taxi doesn't
have the right gear or some such)

Martin

> From: Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Adding a baby seat to my Westfalia
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Received: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 11:27 PM
> Jeff,
> 
> Double-check me, but I don't think using automatic
> seatbelts with a
> baby seat is recommended.� I specifically remember
> that Graco said
> only static manual belts were ok.� Automatic belts do
> not hold enough
> tension.
> 
> On 4/21/09, Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@mts.net>
> wrote:
> > Thanks Ron.� I think you have the same part
> number twice.� The 3 point
> > belt for the drivers side should be
> > http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253857815D
> >
 

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