Seat belts ?
- Thread starter JOHN CT
- Start date
Sunnybrook Farm
Senior Member
The problem will be to find anything strong enough to hold the belts. The main thing is to not get thrown out of the car as the door latches aren't the best. I haven't installed any but have been thinking about it after hearing about some of the wrecks.
Gary WA
Well-known member
How to Restore Your Model A- Vol6-pg51 and vol8-pg119 has some info on seat belt installations. Don't know if there is room for the re-tractors.But standard lap belts can be done. Also in the"Model A Ford Mechanics Handbook VolII" Green book by Les Andrews excellant article on Seat Belt installations on various Model A's. More: Restorer M/J 1993 pg25 and S/O 2005 pg 12 lap and harness type. Good Luck.
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Synchro909
Well-known member
I've installed seat belts in all seating positions but not retracting ones. I couldn't find a way of doing it satisfactorily. I put lap belts in for all of the passengers and a racing harness type for the driver so he (I) doesn't get impaled on the steering column. The harness one is a bit of a nuisance to put on (a small price to pay) but I think would work well should the disastrous happen. Installation was easy.
Y-Blockhead
Well-known member
I have a set of seat belt retractors similar to these ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Webbing-Ret...ash=item3ce5d2004a:g:060AAOSw6aVUotm-&vxp=mtr) to keep my unruly seat belts in my Town Sedan under control... Two in front, three in back.
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attached my belts to a piece if 2 X 2 1/4" angle mounted below the cab. as to retractors there was a set in common use in the 60s and if you search ebay you will see them but a used one costs 20+ here is one on ebay that should work for 1/2 that price..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Webbing-Ret...ash=item3ce5d2004a:g:060AAOSw6aVUotm-&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Webbing-Ret...ash=item3ce5d2004a:g:060AAOSw6aVUotm-&vxp=mtr
JOHN CT
Senior Member
Thanks Gary WA. I found the articles in less Andrews green book. That's a big help.
Clem Clement
Well-known member
Remember those retractors that Pep Boys used to sell? They work sorta good. I see them on eBay
armchair67
Senior Member
I installed seat belts front and rear in my car, but lap belts only. I would love to install 3 point retractables, but it seems to me that the only way to do it so they would actually function in a crash, would be to have a close fitting roll bar made and installed.
Jon
Senior Member
[SIZE=+1]Try Juliano's - www.Julianos.com for retractable seat belts. I got the idea for how to install them in my Tudor from a Fordbarner. Forgot his name and haven't seen any of his posts lately.
I'll try and post some pictures so you get an idea of how they were installed. I installed regular lap belts and then replaced them with the retractable ones. I wouldn't even consider the non retractable belts. They are always in the way.
I installed a piece of steel into the channel that supports the floor directly behind the front seats and under the floor. In the pictures you can see there is an offset on each end. That puts the ends right at a body to frame bolt. These are tight to get to but it can be done.
I later installed different seats and from the one picture you can see how the retractor sits at the back corner of the seat. Hope this helps.
[/SIZE]
I'll try and post some pictures so you get an idea of how they were installed. I installed regular lap belts and then replaced them with the retractable ones. I wouldn't even consider the non retractable belts. They are always in the way.
I installed a piece of steel into the channel that supports the floor directly behind the front seats and under the floor. In the pictures you can see there is an offset on each end. That puts the ends right at a body to frame bolt. These are tight to get to but it can be done.
I later installed different seats and from the one picture you can see how the retractor sits at the back corner of the seat. Hope this helps.
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ModAfan
Senior Member
Hi, John,
I installed the belts in the photo in my 1928 Tudor last year. They are secured to a channel under the floor, just behind the front seats. I opted for 4-point belts because the front seats in the ’28 Tudor are quite heavy and hinged at the front. I thought the combination of seat belt and shoulder straps might keep the seats from going too far forward, keep me from being thrown out of the car and keep me from being impaled too deeply on the steering column in a front end collision. I also put two layers of heavy rubber “washers” under the rectangular plates the bolts are secured to within the channel.
All of those assumptions may be dead wrong, but that’s what I did and I’m happy I did it – it makes me feel safe, anyway.
I ordered them from this place: http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/am4point.html
I installed the belts in the photo in my 1928 Tudor last year. They are secured to a channel under the floor, just behind the front seats. I opted for 4-point belts because the front seats in the ’28 Tudor are quite heavy and hinged at the front. I thought the combination of seat belt and shoulder straps might keep the seats from going too far forward, keep me from being thrown out of the car and keep me from being impaled too deeply on the steering column in a front end collision. I also put two layers of heavy rubber “washers” under the rectangular plates the bolts are secured to within the channel.
All of those assumptions may be dead wrong, but that’s what I did and I’m happy I did it – it makes me feel safe, anyway.
I ordered them from this place: http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/am4point.html
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barkleydave
Well-known member
Julianos is where I got my belts. Good service and nice product. They have retractors available for one side. (keeps belt from falling out of the door) I especially like their backing plates. By far the best available. They are rectangular shaped with and are designed to distribute the load over a wide area of the pan.
SeaSlugs
Well-known member
some kind of seatbelt is better than no seatbelt in a crash. even if the bolts tear or bend out its that much less force of you hitting something inside.
mhsprecher
Well-known member
I second the Juliano's anchors. I got some with the retractable belts for my 39 sedan. As said earlier, fantastic people to work with.
barkleydave
Well-known member
I ordered the add-on belt retractors from Juliano's . One for each outboard belt. Tired of them falling out the door. 27.00 incl. shipping.