ksimpson

I did a search and there's not much info on this.

I purchased a Porsche Prince child seat from my OPC a few months back. It said in the 993 accessories booklet that it's suitable for the front and rear of the 993 (front only if air bag is disabled).

However, when I went to use it recently, I realised that the rear seatbelt is not long enough to install it as shown in the manual. Both the lap and lateral shoulder part of the 3 point rear belt are threaded through the seat to secure it. However, due to the belt being too short, I could only get the lap part through and had to leave the lateral part behind the seat. It seemed pretty secure, but I'm not happy with it for obvious reasons.

Has anyone used one of these seats in the rear of their 993? Did you need to replace the seatbelt - if so, do you have a part no?

Thanks,

jorisg

I have same experience, bottom part through the table, upper part of the belt I just put slightly over the top of the child seat to prevent it tipping forward when breaking really hard!

But I do agree it is kinda stupid that the belt is not long enough! Seems to be safe though!

Phil

You should be able to get an extension clip for the belt

ksimpson

I find it very odd that the 993 accessories brochure says that the seat is suitable, but doesn't mention the fact that it's not possible to install it as directed in the manual due to the belt being too short.

Kolbjorn S

The "Prince" seat I bought, is obviously designed for a 996 - I found out afterwards. But I also wanted to place it in the rear seat. So I did the easy fix - installed a 996 rear seat belt! However, in doing that, you have to use the original 993 "roll" (that sits behind the back seat, bolted to the chassis) - and not the 996 roll, that in my case did not fit. A problem with this, is that the 996 belt is very much longer than the 993 one - in fact, a metre or so can't fit on the 993 roll, and remains loose in the back seat while not in use (giving an untidy look). However - when in use, it does fit well around the Prince seat, in fact I've used it with other types of seats (infant) as well. Just be careful when "rolling" it back after use, as not to crumble it on the already full roll (sorry for poor explanation!).
Now our baby enjoys safe, forward looks of desert dunes and mountains each time we venture out of town!
Hope this helps, if questions please feel free to ask. Good luck!

Nol, 95 993 C4

Ken, Joris,

I strongly recommend you fix the short belt issue with your child seats in the rear. If you ever watch a crashtest video you will NOT believe how far forward the kid is thrown with seat and all even with a fully threaded child safety seat. It is a real eye opener. Also the rotation induced by the diagonal nature of the belt is significant. I can offer Two solutions posted before on rennlist:

The easy fix: order a longer belt for the rear (possibly a 996 item) your Porsche parts service will surely help you. However, in my opinion this leaves a very scary forward thrust and the rotation from diagonal constraint. (Edit: Sorry Kolbjorn our posts crossed)

The safe fix: buy a child seat with an anchor that secures the top of the backrest to the engine compartment bulkhead. The 993 is fitted with hardpoints in he bulkhead to receive the anchor. This does require cutting a hole in the rear deck to feed the anchor through. But there is an official Porsche part "cover" for such a hole in case it is no longer needed later on.

I went for the anchor supplied with my Century Brevara seat and cut the hole in the rear deck. A small price to pay for for total peace of mind.

If you do a search in the archives you should find many a relevant thread on the subject. I sincerely hope this is of help to you and the other listers.

Enjoy

Nol

Nol, 95 993 C4

A picture is better than a thousand words, even a bad one.

Enjoy

Nol

Kolbjorn S

I tend to agree, if I were to do it again, I would not buy the "Prince" seat, but like Nol says, a seat that can be anchored. Definetely the best solution. And prior to fitting a 996 seatbelt like I did, I would first explore the possibilities for an approved seat belt extensioner (not availabe in Oman, so I could not test it).

Nol, 95 993 C4

I found one of the best links on the subject:

AJ's chld seat link

Thanks to AJ's Porsche page where I first picked it up. It contains detailed instructions for the anchor install as well as the relevant Porsche part numbers. This link also advocates the use of a 964 lap belt with smaller fitting to receive the seatbelt buckle as a further method to reduce movement and improve safety. After re-visiting this issue today I think I'll go and order one.

Enjoy

Nol

jorisg

Thanks guys, this is good advice, never knew that there is possilbilty inside the 993 of anchor points for a child seat! Will start working, for happy motoring for the whole family, and peace of mind for daddy of course.