After reading some of the recent posts about installing things the right/safe way I decided to check out my car. I really need seatbelts in the backseat of my '63 ChevyII wagon. My question is, what is the proper way to install them when they were never installed from the factory? What kind of support would you guys use, etc.?
Lap belts can be bolted through the pan, but only if you use the special plates made for mounting them. They're a very heavy sort of washer, with a rounded lip to prevent them from tearing through the sheet metal. Other than that, avoid a perpendicular pull were the belt is pulling at a right angle to the pan if possible.
Thanks for the replys. Yeah, I checked last night but didin't see any mounts. The front seat has 2 factory lap belts and the back seat has none. Go figure.
I actually installed a set of lapbelts in my 1962 Nova wagon a few years ago. The bolts and the holes for bolting the seat to the floor are quite heavy and reinforced - I unbolted the seat and installed the seatbelt "brackets" under the existing hardware. This worked on the outside, if I remember right I had to drill two holes for the reciever ends in the middle (next to the driveshaft hump)... I just picked a spot where no fuel lines were running and had easy access for my fat knuckles and drilled. I then got the highest grade bolts, lock washers and nuts I could find... and the thickest, biggest diameter flat washers on both sides (spreads the surface-grabbing area out) and installed the female ends. Make sure and check your nuts every month or so for awhile, just to make sure everythig is still tight. Not much for writing "how-tos' but this is what I did. Greg
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