Got tired of dealing with subpar solutions. So i welded up a steel divider that fits into the head rest posts. ^^ thats without the bicycle tape. Could have taken more time with the welds, but its solid if not as pretty as it could be. Wrapped it with bicycle tape just to make it a little less industrial. thought about making another one that was cleaner looking than my first attempt and dipping it in that stuff that you can rubberize tool handles with. May add head rest padding to it so folks in the back have no change from regular setup. Also had the folks at Rack Attack install a roof rack capable of 165 lbs, which is the rating of the roof according to european specificications. Also had them put a hitch on so the bike rack we used with our 2006 could be used again. Love this car. I had originally made a form fit crate for the dog out of bending and chopping up and old crate. it slid in and out of the car with handles, but my dog outgrew it and stopped chewing things so we just put a dog bed back there now. Next we want to tint the windows and get the door ground guards.
That homemade setup looks pretty good. My dog would be constantly trying to stick her head through to get to the front I bet. Any pictures from behind with the hatch open?
Zen, that looks good. I'm thinking that for version 2, you could just use the center headrest post holes to mount your guard. You can make a couple of 90 degree or two 45 degree bends in the posts to offset the guard back for clearance to mount the side headrests. You might need to add an additional bar on the bottom near the angled bend to close off any space left open for your dog. This all depends on whether the guard will be adequately supported by just the middle headrest posts though. The plus is that people can sit in the two outer positions of the rear seat and have a safe headrest.
I believe the center posts will provide enough support, as the posts extend down pretty deep into the seat. Don't know how much your guard weighs but it looks very sturdy. Doesn't need to be very large gauge bar at all. If it works out, save any templates/jigs you mock up, as I have a feeling people will want you to make more.
Also considering buying another dog bed and making a form fit out of both that sits in the OEM rubber tray (not in car in pictures) thats up to the old lady though as Sewing is not my strong suit.
that looks awesome. i chopped an old crate up too. i have two dogs and one of them ( a husky) likes to chew seat belts, plastic trim, carpet, anything it can get its mouth on when its bored.
