# Car Seat: UPDATED! pics of final product!



## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

this is the car seat im building so vixie and dodger can ride safely and in style...










here you can see just what the seats made from, those metal grids that you put the cube storage together with...yeah i have ALOT of those (i built a ferret cage out of them and when i rehomed the ferrets i kept the grids...)

its 6 grids cabletied together, the 2 in front and back to make the longer edge are overlapped (one cause i dint want to be cutting them and 2 because the extra outer framing crossed over eachother make it real sturdy (i stood in it and it heald my weight and im 260lbs) 
as i think you can see it has a raised floor in it for the puppies ot sit on, this shoudl bring them right to window height while still giving them a low "wall" of protection, the floor is agin 2 grids connected together to fit inside the baket like shape.










here you can see the seat from underneath, you can see the grids attatched to eachother to amke the floor of the seat, ontop of that i have 2 fairly thick layers of cardboard (the foam isnt thick enough, if the puppy stnads on the foam wihtout the cardboard the foam sinks through the holes in the grid...so 2 layers of good thick card, then a layer of foam. im in the process of putting the 1 1/2 inch thick foam inside the entier seat area as you can see from the first picture i have the bottem the back wall and one side done, i need a peice for the front and other side.










from this angle you can see the gap where the seatbelt is gonna go through to secure the rig to the origional car seat, (meaning it can go anywhere in the car that has a seatbelt to attatch it to) i used a small set of bolt cutters to remove enough 2 of the grids the seatbelt hole is 3 grids (3 inches) deep by 1 inch wide, should fit the belt perfectly. i will be getting harness clips (or making) that are a strong nylon wed loop with a clip attatched the seatbelt will slip throuhg the nylon loops before being clipped, and the clipps attatched to the nylon loops will attatch to each dogs harness.


to finnish it off as i said im going to add 1 1/2 inch thick foam around the remaing walls, then the WHOLE rig will be wrapped in batting *this is more for apearence on the lower part, but itll add extra padding in the seat area for comfort, and hide all the cable ties.

then its onto the sewing...got to find fabric to cover the whole thing, going to try and make it a slipcover so its easily removable for washing.

ill post more pictures once i get the rest of the foam and the batting...

(the whole thing should weigh about 8 lbs fully batted and covered...)


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Looks good!
Let us know how it goes!


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## SkyDreamer777 (Jan 6, 2006)

Wow! Great job!


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## SunnyFLMum (Apr 21, 2005)

Very cool...  

I am so lazy that I just bought one at PetSmart  ...LOL

Post pics when you are done!! :wave:


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## kipbug (Oct 9, 2005)

I bought one for weazle myself. I bought the one that attaches to the seat and has a little harness clip on it (made by outward hound). I'm sure my family thinks I've gone over the deep end because of that... lol


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## Courtney (Jun 2, 2005)

Nice!!
I have a ton of those grids because I built a guinea pig cage out of them. I eventually had to rehome the guinea pigs and still have the grids. I might have to give that car seat a try.

Let us know how much you eventually spend compared to how much the ones are that you looked at.


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

yeah i looked at the outward hound ones and the ones they had in all the catalougs and at petco and petsmart and none of them looked like they would comofrtably fit the 2 of them so they could lay down sprawl out and have little of their own space.

this desighn is based on the snoozer my buddy lookout style (a little shorter so it fits on a bucket seat) so its basically a cross between the mybuddy and the oversized.

so far because i already had the cubes the cardboard and a peice of foam its cost $3 for the cable ties
howeve rcurrently breaking it down

8 metal grids (i dont know how many come in a pack but i paid $12 for a full pack from walmart)
thick peice of cardboard $1 if you buy a packing box to use
foam 1 inch thick 3.99 a yard (need about 3/4 of a yard) so about $3
then fabric to cover it, so that will depend on what fabric you chose, im gonna go with a cheaper cotton duck for the outside and either fleece or faux sherpa for the actual seat part, will need about 1 yd of each estimated total cost around $20

Estimated final cost for this project from start $36
Cost for the Snoozer My Buddy Lookout $120
Cost for the snoozer Oversized lookout $100

probably would be enough room for 3 chis (4 very small chis) or any smaller dog. its strong enough for my parents spaneil to comfortably sit in...but puts him very high, id probably suggest for doxies shitzues nything around that kind of size.


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## SunnyFLMum (Apr 21, 2005)

Yea that's the one I have the "Outward Hound" one in the small size...

But now that I might be getting anotehr baby your right about two fitting in it...it would be wayy to tight


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

this might be the perfect thing for you then, so far its been real easy to make, the only part i can forsee taking some time (and working out) is making the slipcover for it out of fabric (im still pretty much a beginner with a sewing machine...) but the great thing about making them yourself is because you can overlap the grids you can make it fit most seats, i made it to almost the exact size of the bucket seat in the front of my "new" car but itll also real easily hook up in the back seat on the bench on either side or in the middle...


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## Courtney (Jun 2, 2005)

Is it going to have some kind of straps to hold your babies in?
I know Diesel, he would jump out of it. I really need something that I can strap him in so that I know he'll be safe.


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

yeah thats my next step once the seats done and covered...(i havent had a car to go out and buy the stuff to finnish it)

im debating how im going to go about the straps, im either thinking of speding the money and buying the straps that go with the seat i modled mine off, snoozer offers the straps for sale incase you have multiple pets, 
or if i can find the clips im going to make them
to make them im going to use the nylon webbing you can buy for making sports bags and stuff, then on one end put it on the clip fold it trough the clip thing and then using hot glu glue the webbing to itself and then use heat to melt it to be doubly secure, then on the otherend fold it over so thers a loop big enough to slip the seatbelt through and again hot glue and extra heat to melt it all together, then these will be clipped to the pups harness...ill check on the price for the snoozer ones and if there expensive ill see about making them.
because of the nature of nylon if you use hot glue it to glue the ends of it together then use heat on top and press it actually melts the stuff together to form a strong bond...so itll all depend on how much it cost to just buy them and how much itll cost to get the clips to make them myself, (nowhere round here sells them)
either way more pics commign soon...


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

http://www.storesonline.com/site/870877/product/555/Dog Pet Carrier Tote Discount

this is the kind of strap ill either buy or make, but i think i can make it for cheaper only i plan on no tusing the plastic buckle between the clip and the loop due to the fact they can break if not looked after and id hate to have the clip fail. but that clipped to the pups harness should keep him secured to the car seat, 
the other option im thinking of would be to perminetly attatch the clips to the seat itself so im not havint to rethread the seatbelt through the two straps everytime i move the seat..., and it would mean that they each have their own side.. and wont get tangled...


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

car seat update










here you can see it fully covered in batting, i put foam on the other 2 sides inside the seat then wrapped the whole thing in a layer of batting just to give it alittle extra padding.










here you can see dodger has no problems about getting in and sitting in there...he jumped in himself and i had issues getting him out, everytime i took him out he jumped right back in lol.









trying to measure up the fabric so i could cover the seat, as you can see dodger just wanter to help...










and here is the seat in the car, i finnished the cover off with red sherpa on the inside seat part and a black cotton quilting round the outside...
i left the black long so it just tucks under the frame against the seat, but also can just be pulled off for washing.

as you can see from the seat coveres i was going with a colour scheme...lol

the pic taken is in the back seat of my elantra, theres enough room for 2 small children or one large adult in the back with it...it also fits comfortably in the passenger seat in front where it will usually reside, but my sister was in the car with me today so... let her have upfront since the dogs wernt with me lol.

total cost to make (including the the origions metla grids and the foam i had (i priced them today)
total cost: $35.78
total cost to buy same sized snoozer oversized lookout carseat: $109.00 (inc shipping (couldnt get the colours i want)

i still have to make the harness clips to attatch the puppies to the seat, but after pricing up there gonna be cheaper to buy (i cant find clips for less than $10 a peice)
but if you can find the clips for cheap in your area a harness clip can be made for about $5 each...

hope you like!


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## Vala (Jul 8, 2004)

:shock: OH WOW...great job!!!


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

You really did an excellent job!
I have a Snoozer and I love it. Yours looks almost exactly the same!
:thumbup:


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## Alisha (Mar 11, 2005)

Wow great looking seat


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## Boogaloo (Mar 27, 2004)

AWESOME! Great job!


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## kealohalinaka (Sep 22, 2005)

HOLY COW!!!! THAT'S SO PROFESSIONALLY DONE! I AM EXTREMELY IMPRESSED! YOU SHOULD SELL THAT HERE AND E-BAY! 

AND I LOVE THE BLACK AND RED COLORS! JUST EXCELLENT!

LINDA & TINY


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## littleweed (Nov 21, 2005)

Really well done! I am also impressed!!! (I HAVE THE SAME CAR AS YOU...HEEEHEEEHEEE) :lol:


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## SkyDreamer777 (Jan 6, 2006)

Wow! You did a wonderful job! WTG!


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## Kari (May 13, 2004)

That looks awesome, good job!! :thumbleft:


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