1989 90 rear seat options

[Keeper96]

Hi all, 

I’ve got an extending family now and the old 90 only has 2 seats. 
 

what affordable options are there to put rear seats in that can accept child seats? 
 

 Cheers 

[miketomcat]

If your putting child seats in, your options are limited. They have to be forward facing (you might get away with rear facing), the next problem is most of the rear seats arrangements are not really suitable for child seats.

When our children were young we had Exmoor fold down rear seat in our 90, but I needed to bungee the child seats in place as they moved around a lot. The seatbelts didn't hold the seat at all. This also ment you couldn't fold one up to get in there to install child. We had to put them in from the front seats, whilst not impossible it isn't the easiest. The seats can be mounted further outboard but then only fold forward.

I believe the puma rear seats are better but require body mods to fit.

There is another problem that appears later on. Our kids got very good at climbing into their seats from the front, us just needing to check their seatbelts. This ment our seats often got wet or muddy. We also discovered that as they near the age/height limit for child seats, their heads get very close to the roof and feet near the bulkhead. We have tall children and had the seats mounted about 300mm forward of the back door to get the dog in too.

The bottom line is you can do it and make it work, we did. But you will end up needing a 110 or discovery etc (we have) as they get older at which point you might as well swap to one now and save a load of grief.

Mike

[Snagger]

Whatever you do will be a compromise, as were even the rear seats LR fitted to 90 and 110 SWs from 2007.  Head room will always be an issue.

You can see how I used Defender front seats in the back of mine to good effect here: http://www.nickslandrover.co.uk/only-a-few-jobs-left-to-do/

[Keeper96]

I had a feeling this would be the case, a 110 crew cab would be perfect but they’re about 3x over budget for me haha 

I’ve had discoveries and they do work well as a family vehicle but they just seem to be lacking something to me 

all I know is I’m going to end up with multiple cars now as the 90 is not going anywhere haha 

[miketomcat]

As I said it's workable, just requires commitment to live with.

Mike

[Anderzander]

There are a few threads on this topic - so worth doing a search for more info.

When you say extending - how many are we talking ? 

We have one and have made that work - finding the right child seat was a big part of it. 

When she was tiny we found a child seat that worked in a middle seat … it had a four point harness for the child - but was designed to fit with a lap belt…. And crucially didn’t interfere with the gear lever. 

When she was too big for that we found a second hand 2nd generation exmoor trim forward facing seat - it was a lucky find though because they are expensive. 

The 1st gen ones looked awful - the 2nd gen were very like the puma ones but worked with the square wheel boxes. 

They sell a 3rd iteration now - I haven’t really looked at them - but they seem to be even more expensive.

We are still using that single back seat for her (and the occasional adult) - and she’s just about to turn 12. 
 

 

One thing is for certain- Land Rovers and kids are a magic combination 😊

[Keeper96]

On 12/5/2023 at 8:31 AM, Anderzander said:

There are a few threads on this topic - so worth doing a search for more info.

When you say extending - how many are we talking ? 

We have one and have made that work - finding the right child seat was a big part of it. 

When she was tiny we found a child seat that worked in a middle seat … it had a four point harness for the child - but was designed to fit with a lap belt…. And crucially didn’t interfere with the gear lever. 

When she was too big for that we found a second hand 2nd generation exmoor trim forward facing seat - it was a lucky find though because they are expensive. 

The 1st gen ones looked awful - the 2nd gen were very like the puma ones but worked with the square wheel boxes. 

They sell a 3rd iteration now - I haven’t really looked at them - but they seem to be even more expensive.

We are still using that single back seat for her (and the occasional adult) - and she’s just about to turn 12. 
 

 

One thing is for certain- Land Rovers and kids are a magic combination 😊

Currently on 1, about to be 2. 
I’ll be honest and admit I think we’ve outgrown the 90, along with 2 children I’ve got to somehow find room for the 2 pushchairs and assorted items and quite often 3 spaniels 😬

Too true about kids and landrovers though, current child isn’t even 2 yet but loves her trips in the 90 and often points other defenders out in car parks 

anyone selling a 110 crew cab cheap? 😂😂

[Anderzander]

Yep … you ain’t fitting that lot in a 90!

I just had a look at the double cabs on eBay - they look to be wanting the strongest money of all of them these days.

I probably should have bought one ages ago - but 1 child, 1 pushchair, and 1 spaniel just about worked in a 90 😅

[andy.cowman]

I just put my old defender 90 back on the road - we have one little boy whose 5 now and he sits in the middle seat in the front now with a proper race harness replacing the lap belt. I have an old rear fold down forward facing seat in the back but will replace it with a new style Exmoor trim one as they have a head rest and also sit lower into the tub at the back which make more comfy I think. We also have the challenge that its a soft-top (don't worry it has windows) so the roof sticks will be replaced with the HD hood stick set  

I think the future has a 110 CSW in it as well but apparently I need to save up for that! Ridiculous....

 

[Keeper96]

6 hours ago, Anderzander said:

Yep … you ain’t fitting that lot in a 90!

I just had a look at the double cabs on eBay - they look to be wanting the strongest money of all of them these days.

I probably should have bought one ages ago - but 1 child, 1 pushchair, and 1 spaniel just about worked in a 90 😅

In the same mate, could have had a decent 56 plate from the estate I used to work on for £6k back in 2015 but money was tight, now I’m kicking myself haha 

I’m currently in a 530d touring as a daily driver but I might just bite the bullet and get a hilux or l200 🫣

[andy.cowman]

18 hours ago, Keeper96 said:

In the same mate, could have had a decent 56 plate from the estate I used to work on for £6k back in 2015 but money was tight, now I’m kicking myself haha 

I’m currently in a 530d touring as a daily driver but I might just bite the bullet and get a hilux or l200 🫣

Love that 3 litre diesel M57 engine - have one in an old X5 and the temptation to take it and the gearbox out and put them in the landrover is huge!

[Keeper96]

6 hours ago, andy.cowman said:

Love that 3 litre diesel M57 engine - have one in an old X5 and the temptation to take it and the gearbox out and put them in the landrover is huge!

That was half of my reasoning behind buying this one haha, run it it’ll the body dies then stick the engine and box in the 90

im sure there’ll be a way of making the zf auto work outside the car 

[andy.cowman]

On 12/8/2023 at 3:35 PM, Keeper96 said:

That was half of my reasoning behind buying this one haha, run it it’ll the body dies then stick the engine and box in the 90

im sure there’ll be a way of making the zf auto work outside the car 

Pretty sure I came across some company selling the mounts for the engine and box, the electric bits to let the engine and box run together with out being hooked into the rest of the car! If anyone has an old 110 CSW… do let me know, would love another concurrent project!