USAC Racing Forum

General Chat => Point .25 => Topic started by: QSL on June 23, 2009, 03:03:38 PM



Title: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 23, 2009, 03:03:38 PM
What is the general rule for the size of child and what size car they can fit in?


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: RBurns17 on June 23, 2009, 03:20:50 PM
I don't know that there is a general rule on it, we just always consider whether or not we can get the pedals to where they need them and if they can see over the hood. A seat can do wonders to make a kid comfortable in a car.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 23, 2009, 04:37:32 PM
Our car sizes began with our budget. 

Our oldest is 13, he started in an 80” car when he was 8.  With bracket extenders and a 2" piece of solid insulation foam under his butt the first 1.5 years, he was able to reach the pedals and see over the hood and did well.  Good thing is he has grown into the car without having to buy another car.

Our middle is 8 and he will need to move out of his 78” car in the next year or two because he will be too big for this one.

Our youngest is 5 and has pedal extenders and 4" of boost under and behind him to get him where he needs to be in a 78" car.  Again, couldn’t choose what was for sale at the time, just went with the good deal.

Would I rather have him in a 74” or 76" instead, of course.  But my budget won’t allow me to upgrade cars every year or two as he grows, shoes are expensive enough to do that with.

As long as he can handle the car, reach the pedals and see where he is going, do what fits your budget or the deal.  If you have the money, start small and buy him a new one as he needs them.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: RBurns17 on June 23, 2009, 05:39:54 PM
Totally, if you have the budget to upgrade every few years, then by all means, do so. But I know a lot of people, myself included, are on a limited budget so we just fit the kid to the car. Kids grow too fast.

Although, I will add, we did try to fit a 3 and 1/2 year old to  an 80" pro 2000 that he loved when we first started his parking lot training, but it just didn't work. We spent three months trying to get him higher in the car, and it just really didn't work and there's nothing more scary than a kid who can't see over the hood.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 23, 2009, 08:55:51 PM
LOL, I hear ya, mine started out with 5" of boost under his bottom and 5" behind his back, down to 2" on each now.  Going to feed him more now...  ;-)


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 24, 2009, 01:03:08 PM
Thanks for the tips guys. My son is a small 7yr old and we scored a 78" car. Fortunately the car has nice pedal adjustments in it, but I need to work the seat to raise him.

My daughter is 13 and small. She can fit in the car, but she has trouble getting in and out. I found another nice 78" car, but was just worried that she could not fit it well.

I agree, you get whats ever out there for a good deal. I dont even think we can afford to put my daughter in right now. Kinda sucks.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: Walker23 on June 24, 2009, 03:21:43 PM
I went with an 80" car for my 7 yr old with a randy lajoie seat. He has room to grow into it and can move the seat as he grows as well.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 24, 2009, 11:43:07 PM
does anyone have a pic of how and what they used to boost their kid up? What about weights? Are they under the seat area?


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: RBurns17 on June 24, 2009, 11:58:46 PM
I've seen people mount their weight in all different places, but we always use the kind you can slide right under the driver. We just used thick padding under the driver, and designed a special firewall pan that was extended out, for behind him. I'll get a pic of it in the morning and post it up.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: two_tenths_off on June 25, 2009, 12:56:10 PM
I used Steel Plates as they were cheaper and less toxic than Lead. The sheets I found at a Metal Supplier are about 11x11 inch and maybe 3/8" thick and weigh about 6#-7# each. We mounted them directly under the driver (we have no seat). Then as he got heavier I was able to remove 6# "slices". Now we have no weight under the driver as he is up to 95 lbs or so, we made a small "brick" by cutting up some of the Steel Pieces and have moved it up to the front left wheel area now. It is only about a 5# brick.

Hope this helps, it worked ok for us.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: .25DUDE on June 28, 2009, 07:53:49 AM
BUY THE DRIVER  A CAR THAT FITS . DONT BUY A LARGER CAR AND HOPE THEY GROW INTO IT . WHEN THE CHILD GROWS SELL THAT CAR AND BUY A LARGER ONE


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 28, 2009, 10:03:23 AM
That would be the preferred method, however, the reality is that some of us have to buy what we can afford and do not have money to buy and sell cars as the child grows.  Then you loose money selling because most of the time when you buy a car you go through it fixing and upgrading items like bearings, shocks etc and you loose that and have to start over if you sell it.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: .25DUDE on June 28, 2009, 02:55:58 PM
Its hard for me to believe you got a 6 year old child a car and expect him or her to drive that same car until they are 14 or 15 . Be SAFE put your child in a car that fits even if it means loose 5 or 6 hundred dollars every 2 to 3 years . You can look at it this way  if you buy a car now for 3000.00 drive it for 8 years you will have a 500.00 dollar car . Keep an updated car that fits and loose 300.00 a year it ends up close to the same money but your child has a lot safer car and a lot better car the whole time


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 28, 2009, 03:09:07 PM
A 78" car will work for MOST drivers 5 years and up and will last a long time.  A 80" car will work for MOST drivers 7-8 years old and will last their career.

My son started in an 80" car at 8 and did excellent, lead points and finished 2nd due to getting crashed out the final race of the year.  Still in the same car today and will retire from the same car, Always safe and handled the car well.  Would I put my 5 year old in it, NO, my other 8 year old, YES.

It’s easy for you to say lose 500 here and there but you have to remember, MANY of the families cannot afford to lose anything and if they can get a 3000-4000 car for 2500, they should jump on it IF they can make it work.

Not everyone has money and some must live within their means.  The price of the car they find could be a deciding factor if the kid even gets into the sport or not.

Its always important to remember to keep everyone's best interest in mind, not those financially able or capable, everyone, even us little people.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: RBurns17 on June 28, 2009, 08:55:11 PM
Claiming that a kid is less safe in a larger car is for the most part untrue. Car size has little to nothing to do with safety. If the kid can see properly, and is properly secured, it doesn't matter how big the car is. In our experience, our drivers seem to feel the hit less in the big car no matter what size they are.

I wouldn't sway someone from the sport by saying they are being a cheapskate because they are being fiscally responsible, because in reality, if you take away all of us who find the bargains and have a limited budget, you wouldn't have anyone to race against.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 28, 2009, 11:31:27 PM
If thats the case, the same would apply to buying your child a full size station wagon for their first car...  ;-)


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: .25DUDE on June 29, 2009, 12:04:02 AM
THIS IS NOT A MONEY ISSUE YOU CAN BUY A CHEAP SMALL CAR SELL IT CHEAP AND BUY ANOTHER CHEAP  BIG CAR POINT BLANK GET THE KID A CAR THAT HE CAN SEE PAST THE FRONT WHEEL  SO HE IS NOT WRECKING EVERYBODY ELSE AND THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 29, 2009, 12:29:00 AM
In case you haven’t noticed, people are cutting back and yes, money is an issue for MANY and buying and selling cars every year isn’t feasible.

As for wrecking others, I know of quite a few people that are actually in small cars that wreck people and it has nothing to do with the size of the car.  It has more to do with the basics, like comfort, consistency, knowing the rules etc.  You also have small kids in large cars that drive perfectly so the car size isn’t the issue if they are setup properly.

You don’t have to charge or hit another car in order to pass, you do occasionally in a race have to lift off the gas or use the brakes, and for goodness sake, if your kid runs a different line every lap and is all over the place, put the stop watch away because you have more important things to worry about than lap times.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: Swartz on June 29, 2009, 09:37:34 AM
Gee, Scott, you are missing this guys point entirely. If the kid is strapped in propper QMA style with his shoulder dragging the ground he will never be able to see over the hood or past the front wheel in a big car. 


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 29, 2009, 10:44:32 AM
Thanks Myron, I forgot about being able to see over the left front tire...  Who even looks over the hood or right side anyway.  ;-)

Never understood why it was so important to ensure that the kids arm restraints were so short they couldnt have their hands or arms outside of the nerf bar only to let their head and shoulders outside of it to drag the ground and bounce off the track.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 29, 2009, 12:01:34 PM
Well, we have the car almost back together. I am adjusting the car for seat height. Do you guys think this is too high?

I would also like to add about the size and price of cars. I agree its a cost issue. Sure we found different size cars for all around the same price, problem is the shape and quality of the car. We scored a 2yr old car vs a 10yr old car and the newer car has better stuff on it.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 29, 2009, 12:31:52 PM
Looks like a nice piece, 1000 shocks on it and looks to have been maintained well.  He looks fine and as long as he can reach the pedals without stretching his legs for them you will be fine.  Have fun and good luck!


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 29, 2009, 12:42:33 PM
Well, it was not maintaned very good. It was OK, but not great. Everyone has their own standards to how things should be taken care of, so to the previouse owners it may have been fine. Like I said, it was OK, just not great.  We tore it down and powder coated the chassis and bumpers. Had to replace the front and rears. Cleaned everything real good and replaced a few things here and there. We have the pedals on the closest setting to him. His knees are slightly bent and when he presses all the way down his knees are almost straight.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 29, 2009, 12:46:54 PM
Make some brackets and try and get them a little closer so his legs dont get close to straight.  With my 5 year old it helped him alot more.

Did a good job on the car, looks great.  Dont you want to sell next year and buy another one after all that?  LOL


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 29, 2009, 12:57:29 PM
So his knees need to stay slightly bent the whole time when he is pushing on the pedals? His throttle is like that, but not the brake. Then again, i need to put fluid in there because I changed the lines.

Nope, dont feel the urge to do that again. It was a bunch of work. It will be much easier keeping it up now that a baseline has been established. :)


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: goffin20 on June 29, 2009, 06:32:51 PM
My 5 year old seemed to have more strength for the brakes with a slight bend in his knees, plus, he didnt run out of push.  ;-)


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: heimboyz89 on June 30, 2009, 10:21:49 AM
Keeping his knees slightly bent is also a great way to avoid a knee/ankle injury. Pressure from a front impact on a knee in the "locked" position is never a good thing. 

                                             Eric


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 30, 2009, 11:36:41 AM
thanks for the tips guys!!!


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 30, 2009, 04:16:07 PM
OK guys, one more question. Should I mount the belts on the left bar like I originally found it, I assume so the driver is leaning out the car or mount them one on each bar so he is sitting up right?


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: sfreitas20 on June 30, 2009, 04:40:48 PM
Sitting up...No need for a driver to lean out of a car.  Some claim they must lean out to get the weight distributed correctly, but I have seen more kids win sitting upright than leaning so obviously setup can be figured out without putting the kids head in danger.

I would recommend a seat to keep your kid where you want them.  We went with a Joie of Seating seat and still to this day think it was the best purchase we made.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on June 30, 2009, 04:54:57 PM
where is a good place to buy seats?


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: two_tenths_off on June 30, 2009, 09:00:17 PM
I agree with sfreitas20. I mounted the seat belts to force him "straight up". My driver cannot lean left/out at all....and we are the minority in that regard.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: sfreitas20 on June 30, 2009, 11:54:12 PM
http://www.joieofseating.com/ - Is the best place.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on July 01, 2009, 11:37:03 AM
I did not see any prices on the site. What kinda investment are we talking about here?


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: Swartz on July 01, 2009, 12:10:49 PM
The price I got on the LaJoie full containment seat was $1200. You can buy lots of good seats for $200 to $600 but the instalations I have seen make it impossible to get the kid out quickly or without cutting the cage if there is a problem (in a QM). You can set a kid up in the car just as well without a seat and if you want the shoulder, rib, head containment they can be bolted to the firewall / seat back. Big difference, by the way, depending on kid size, dirt or asphault, where you want the C of G and RC.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: sfreitas20 on July 01, 2009, 12:40:54 PM
Our seat for Joie of Seating was $575, but keep in mind your second seat is almost free.  If you child grows out of the first seat and you need a new one, you have what you paid originally as credit with them towards the new seat.  For example, in two years if we need a new seat and the price is up to $625 then, we send the old seat and $50 for the new seat.

Hope that helps.  Call Tammie Smith at the Joie of Seating and she will go over all that with you.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: QSL on July 01, 2009, 12:44:34 PM
thats really interesting... seems like a good deal.


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: sfreitas20 on July 01, 2009, 01:10:05 PM
We had originally looked at a Kirkey Seat, but after talking with our Novice/Rookie trainer he commented on how skinny our son was and how he might be better with a custom seat so he wouldn't bounce around inside a standard seat.  That lead us to Joie of Seating.  In the end we spent a little more than double what we expected on a seat, but when we trade up that will offset it.  When AJ rolled his car a few weeks ago, the Joie of Seating seat proved to be worth every penny!


Title: Re: car size VS child size?
Post by: LLR on July 02, 2009, 08:28:36 AM
I agree Scott. That Lajoie seat is more the first cost but after you upgrade it will be worth it.I have a Lajoie seat in Lauren 600 and it's the best seat out.