3 point seat belts

[bulldurham]

Almost ready to install seat belts in a 63 GT. Interested in where you may have installed the retractor.
Pictures might help, if available.
Thankyou

 

[DanR]

Doug, I too am interested in where to fasten the seat belts.

My GT is on the rotisserie and the first three PICs are showing from the inner fender view. The last two are from inside the rear seat area.

Here are a few PIC's of a hole in the inner rear fender panel that has a Phillips head screw utilized to plug the hole I suppose to protect the threads until the seat belt anchor is screwed in ? The bolt hole size and threads are 3/8-24. CORRECT TO THE BOLT & THREAD SIZES: 7/16 -20... Did a double check per comments in following POST

Is this for the shoulder harness ?

 

[puff4]

I have original style Kangol belts, but they never came with a retractor. However, they are connected in the factory holes (the two floor locations and the shoulder on the rear wheel arch, as shown in the photos posted). The belt has a hook loop mounted to the wheel arch that stores the shoulder/lap belt when not in use and the buckle end has a storage attachment bracket on the rear of the center cubby, to which the buckle attaches via its magnet (Kangol belts have magnetic latches).

You can sort of see it all in this photo. The passenger belt and buckle are stowed.

 

[alpine_64]

has a Phillips head screw utilized to plug the hole I suppose to protect the threads until the seat belt anchor is screwed in ?

Is this for the shoulder harness ?

Yes this is the shoulder belt mount..should be on all alpines, late si onward.. They usually had a nymon/ plastic screw plug from factory to protect the threads

 

[Bill Blue]

Dan, the holes on my Series V cars have all been 7/16" - 20, which seems to be the industry standard for seat belt mountings.

Bill

 

[DanR]

Bill, I'll re-check the bolt hole and threads, Thanks for the alert.

 

[bulldurham]

I am aware of the holes in the fender well and have the bolts that secure that position. Am aware of the floor mount, rt and lt and will use
them but not the tunnel side holes as my belts will lock into a seat mounted extension. My concern is to where best mount the retractor?
If it is low on the wheel well there is some interference w/ battery door opening, shelf padding/seat; also I understand that the retractor does not work well or maybe not at all if it is tilted too much[ works best in a vertical position, and that is what I see in modern cars ] .
Given the lack of a roll bar, Puff4's solution seems about optimal, so scuttling the retractor is , it seems , a good solution.
Thanks for all the info/responses and I'll let you know the results.

 

[Aladin Sane]

Getting a better mounting point for my shoulder belt was the main reason I decided to add the roll bar. My retractor will be mounted vertically at the base of the roll bar, the belt will go up to a weld in bung in the roll bar and then forward over my shoulder.

 

[Bill Blue]

Mount it on the fender and see how it performs. My retractor is mounted there, works fine and is an easy bolt on mount. I have to confess it is about fifteen years old and was marketed as a replacement seat belt, not specifically for an Alpine. The problem seems to be a good belt feed from the seat to the retractor, which is part of the Sunbeam seatbelt problem. The fender anchor point is simply too low, especially for safe shoulder belt usage. That's why we have tower seatbacks, not because we do not like the Alpine seats.

Bill

 

[Toyanvil]

Here is how I did mine, I built the roll bar to put the shoulder belt mount in the right spot. My series 2 never came with the hole in the inner rear fender panel and if it did I would not use it, it is to low to be safe for me.

 

[Aladin Sane]

Yes, that is just what I plan to do.

 

[Slainte]

I'm approaching this point in my project, too, and this looks like a great solution. I've used the fender well hole, and the angle drives my wife nuts, plus, the retractor doesn't do its job. Does the aft strut on the roll bar interfere with the battery access? I'm not familiar with Series 2 anatomy, so perhaps this isn't an issue. I don't have a problem moving the battery to the boot, if need be.

 

[DanR]

Bill, I'll re-check the bolt hole and threads, Thanks for the alert.

Mr Bill, I double checked the measurements and you are correct, they are 7/16-20

Thanks for making that point,

 

[dansun22]

Here is how I did mine, I built the roll bar to put the shoulder belt mount in the right spot. My series 2 never came with the hole in the inner rear fender panel and if it did I would not use it, it is to low to be safe for me.

 

[dansun22]

Beautiful interior. Do your seats have head rests? Is it the case that all roll bars will be mounted in the back seat area (making it useless). I am wondering how to make the car safer than '63 standards...

 

[Toyanvil]

I'm approaching this point in my project, too, and this looks like a great solution. I've used the fender well hole, and the angle drives my wife nuts, plus, the retractor doesn't do its job. Does the aft strut on the roll bar interfere with the battery access? I'm not familiar with Series 2 anatomy, so perhaps this isn't an issue. I don't have a problem moving the battery to the boot, if need be.

The battery is easy, it's the soft top that's hard. Where I live I don't need a top.

 

[Toyanvil]

Beautiful interior. Do your seats have head rests? Is it the case that all roll bars will be mounted in the back seat area (making it useless). I am wondering how to make the car safer than '63 standards...

Thank you. I built my seats out of Miata bottoms, Datsun backs and Sunbeam tops. I think the only safety that my roll bar adds is to hold the seatbelts in the right place, if I can come up with a way to mount the seatbelts without it I would. I think the back seat area is useless, I don't know how you can use it as a seat. The funny thing is, I try to build my car so it looks like it may have come this way from the factory.

 

[bulldurham]

So, I ended up mounting the retractor on the wheel well at about a 45* degree angle. I use Miata seats so the belt is coming out at the
initial taper of the seat back. I don't really like it but it will kind of work. Hopefully safer than not having it.
Thanks for the input.

 

[DanR]

The battery is easy, it's the soft top that's hard. Where I live I don't need a top.

The point Toyanvil actually makes is "I don't need a top".

Very few of the Sunbeam Owners' are in the same region as "Not Needin a Top.

Like Bulldurham (Doug), we need the tops ! How to install a Roll bar, Shoulder harness that function, Seats that are comfortable, a Soft top that can be utilized timely is the key to all of this discussion.

I am trying to install the shoulder harness in a GT that "never" had one. The "original plastic screws" are still in place.

A nice set of Miata seats will be fitted so that the shoulder harness can me made usable.

The Roll Bar I have hopefully will also be functional as intended after installation.

Doug, Can please post (or send me) some PIC's of your setup ?

 

[bulldurham]

I will text and maybe you can post on the forum, Dan.
One possibility for the shoulder strap is to fabricate a bracket that will attach to the bolt that attaches the seat back to the bottom.
It acts as a riser the will hold the belt in a higher position and keep it there. The belt would be in the way if trying to access the space behind the seat
Very nice interior, Toyanvil.