I know this is a bit untraditional, but I was thinking of putting in modern seat belts, in my roadster. Safety keeps us in cars and not the hospital, right? So, has anyone tried this? The biggest hurdle seems like it would be the top mount. Would a pillar or soemthing need to be fabricated, and if so, is there a way to do it, and still look good? My car is a 29 Ford body on a 49 Chrysler frame. Still a long way from done, so plenty of room for this stuff.
If you're gonna go shoulder harness, go with a racing harness. A four point sounds like it would look cool in your ride. They're kind of a h***le in a daily driver but look mondo cooler than some Toyota Tercel belts. And as long as your goin' with harness and don't want to lose your block in a accident, throw a cool rollbar on there too. <---There's your top mount. And what is this 'safety' that you speak of?
I would say that a lap belt is the way to go. You could certainly attach SHoulder belts by welding plates where it attaches to the body...I dunno how good it would look but it could be pulled off.
I have been looking at putting a 3pt harness in my F100 and have come across 3pt belts specifically designed for convertibles (i.e. '60s Mustangs). That might work. Try this link for some ideas Mustang Belts
I like the 4 point idea and the roll bar. But would the rollbar look out of place on a high boy? Did I say safety? I meant "for pasties". No really, I got a 5 year old future hotrodder who is going to ride shotgun. So I'm going to try to make this car reasonably secure. But, I don't want it to look wrong.
Yeah, I remember those. My dad had a 69 when I was little. I always got caught on the belt, getting in and out of the back! That could work.
Those convertible belts look like the top mount is still too low and could do more harm than good. The top mount shouldn't be lower than your shoulder. I put one of those universal 3 point kits in my 69 Mustang. It worked nice, but I later found that a set from a Kia(I think) is a much cleaner install. (talking only drivers seat here)The universal kit mount the retracter near the door, the male end of the belt on your left(factory lap belt location)a bracket on the pillar and then your buckle mount on the right side(factory location) of the seat like most common belts. This other set up mounts the retacter at the factory spot on your left, the buckle on the right and it ends at the bracket on the pillar.
Im pretty sure it was in Rod & Custom last month or this month, that they had a section on new shoulder seatbelts, looked pretty cool.
Whatever you do, do NOT mount the belts to the frame under ANY cir***stances. The reason is simple: in a severe collision, the body will shift on the frame; if the belts are mounted to the frame, YOU will be cut in two when the body shifts. If you are going to put in belts (I highly approve), it's definitely worth doing it right. Cosmo
I think a roll bar and 4-point harness will look good IF you're doing even a mildly drag race themed car. I'm sure you could find the old style Simpson belts and latches.
I want to see a 29 Ford on a 49 Chrysler frame. I cant believe that would work. Wouldnt the frame be way too wide?
[ QUOTE ] I think a roll bar and 4-point harness will look good IF you're doing even a mildly drag race themed car. I'm sure you could find the old style Simpson belts and latches. [/ QUOTE ] I think the problem with race belts is that you cannot move at all (which is good in a race car, but bad in a street car). How could you pull a map from the glove box, turn up the music, etc? If they are loose, there isn' much reason to have them on (from what I've heard).
Chopperdaddy, use some old *****hose, tie it around your waist (maybe through a belt loop to be extra safe) and the most structural part of the seat you can find without looking too long. (I believe that p***es Kansas inspection, you'll be golden. [ QUOTE ] I want to see a 29 Ford on a 49 Chrysler frame. I cant believe that would work. Wouldnt the frame be way too wide? [/ QUOTE ] I have seen said frame... it's ummm... modified.
[ QUOTE ] I want to see a 29 Ford on a 49 Chrysler frame. I cant believe that would work. Wouldnt the frame be way too wide? [/ QUOTE ] Here's a pic - it's crazy, but it works
[ QUOTE ] So, I guess it's a 4 point *****hose harness, with sissy bars? [/ QUOTE ] Crotchless, so you can still see where you're going
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I think a roll bar and 4-point harness will look good IF you're doing even a mildly drag race themed car. I'm sure you could find the old style Simpson belts and latches. [/ QUOTE ] I think the problem with race belts is that you cannot move at all (which is good in a race car, but bad in a street car). How could you pull a map from the glove box, turn up the music, etc? If they are loose, there isn' much reason to have them on (from what I've heard). [/ QUOTE ] well if you want you could only buckle the lap belts, or only buckle the lap belt and one of the shoulder belts. you have some versatility.
Yeah, I agree with what some of the guys here have said -- a race harness is a big PITA for a street car. Not worth it unless it's a really ********, race-ready kinda' thing. And even then it's marginal -- can't just jump in and throw the belt on, can't move once it's on you, etc. etc. As for lap-and-shoulder belt versus just a lap belt, I don't think a lap belt alone does much good -- with the forces generated in many crashes, you can easily slide out of the lap belt. And, since some people also mentioned used belts, be careful there, too -- safety belts have a finite lifespan, even if they're not in a crash. (that's why many of them have a tag with a date, particularly racing belts) If I remember right, the material degrades and loses strength over time. Whatever route you choose, follow the manufacturer's installation directions to the letter. There are so many little details that most of us wouldn't think of. It was, after all, a safety harness mounted just a little bit wrong that contributed to Dale Earnhardt's death. Simpson himself warned him several times that mounting his belts in that position could really work out badly. Much more precise of a science than it sometimes looks. Dave
Here's a pic - it's crazy, but it works [/ QUOTE ] I ain't sur, but I don't think them yella seat belts in da pic is gunna werk so good. mit get a little hard on da doors getten em tight enuf to werk. Gene
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