Hot Rods Does your rod have a shouder harness

What I dont get is that some states have mandatory seat belt laws and optional helmet laws. I'm actually a firm believer in both.
My 69 VW van (sorry guys, Dad bought it new) is like being strapped to an Aztec alter anyways. I got launched outta a T-bucket as a 10 year old and learned then.

 

I have aircraft style lap belts for the 40 PU. I took a buddies 32 5/w for a cruz a few days ago, NO belts, really felt uncomfortable without belts. TOOO much movement in the cab.

 

I think to much of myself and anyone riding with me. They will be in the 56.

 

No shoulder harness yet. If you have it you are required to use it here in the mid west and if not then you are not required to use it.

I may go that way eventually. Today my wife has a shoulder that was ruined by a factory shoulder harness. If you must run one it needs to be a racing type of harness that holds both shoulders firmly back against the seat.

 

I have them in the rear of the wagon (for the kids) and none in the 31'. The kids don't get to ride in the 31' because there isn't any belts. I went junkyarding on the way home looking for a good belt solution. It looks like the seat belts from the second seat in a dodge caravan would work good. I am trying to figure out a way to mount the top for a 3-point. If I use thye b pillar the mount would be forward of the seat. (I think that would defeat the purpose). One van even had removable seats with built in belts. They are too tall for my 31' but would look great in alot of other cars.

 

lap belts only,no shoulder harness

 

Zman, you can't be serious. Have you ever looked INSIDE the doors of a 55 Chevy truck? They are hollow, with ZERO thought or provisions to resist/protect occupants from side impacts. Today's cars are constructed to withstand side impacts, the outer skin is just that: skin to cover the skeleton system. You think the thicker sheetmetal of a 55 Chevy truck is going to be safer than the side impact beams found on new cars, not to mention all the other safety features (ever hear of crumple zones, collapsable steering columns, etc?) found on modern cars? If so, I don't know what to say.

 

yeah I have, and the frame of that door is much better than the new ones, the quality of the materials is way beyond the new ones, yeah it doesn't have the side impact bar portion, but I've seen both hit from the side, not a lot of difference. Don't believe the hype. The big difference would be crumple zones and air bags. But structure wise the 55 wins. You could easily add reinforcement if you wanted and you'd be way beyond the new car stuff. I hit a newer car with a 57 Buick a few years back, totaled the newer car, I drove home.

 

3 point belts mounted to the rollbar in my my '30 Tudor.
Henry's Model A bodies were made out of chickenwire, horsehair, wood and some flimsy metal!

 

What frame? The door is comprised of an inner skin and an outer skin, separated by 3-inches of air. New cars have impact beams in them. How can the 55 resist a side impact better than a new car? I just don't see how. Maybe I'm blind.

 

If you want to risk your life I think you should be free to do so. Just don't put the rest of us at risk.

 

zman, this is a no-win discussion. I'm admittedly on the fence with the topic. I coudn't imagine driving a 34 Packard with seatbelts. Can't imagine them in my bubbletop belair either but I'll probably put the standard lap belts in. As far as structure and all, early cars were built with a mindset that appears to make the car survive an impact with less regard to the occupants. Later of course, we all know where design has gone. When I hear the gratuitous "...they don't build em like that anymore..." I have to agree and say it is a positive thing. I did 5yrs in crash and safety for a major OEM and I can tell ya for sure, today's safety isn't what they want you to believe it is. Advances in occupant protection are plentiful but there's nothing that's crash proof by any means. We simply survive higher speed impacts these days as we well should...we fuckin drive faster!

If I belted a 30s hotrod I'd use a race harness. But even then, no guarantee that you won't get popped by Johnny Law. Years ago a buddy got a ticket for wearing a Simpson 5pt harness instead of the shitty lap belt in his early 60s Chevy. He took the harness to court and the judge threw it out but it was a hassel none-the-less. You may hear about the sad event here in MI where a man and his family suffered loss of life in a Duesenberg. Seat belts would probably not have saved them. It was awful. I personally hate em. I walked on a no belt ticket attempt when a major rain storm started as I was "fumbling" for my paper work. I knew it was going to rain and purposely didn't wear my belt. I don't like to be FORCED into anything. Nobody does. Pick your poison.

 

You're gonna die man, you're gonna die. sell all the old unsafe stuff. Better yet crush it so no one gets hurt.

And if you can't tell which part is the door frame and what part is the skin you're even less likely to get it anyway.

 

I got stopped in one of our seat belt checks this summer while driving my 63 Falcon convertible.

The cop came over, looked inside the car, saw I was wearing the lap belt and said that since they were not mandatory in 63 I didn't need to have them in the car, but if I did have them, I was required to wear them.

I wonder about the best way to install shoulder belts in an old convertible?

 

I must be missing something here. In an open car without a cage or a really good over the head hoop, doesn't using a shoulder harness or a five point turn YOU into the rollbar?

 

I started wearing belts in mexico after I developed problems with my back. They kept me pressed into the seat and my back didn't bother me as much on a long drive.

I'm not a roadster guy per say but if I had a roadster and didn't have a good hoop I would not wear a shoulder harness, period. I think the reason should be obvious if you think about it.

Once in a blue moon I take a ride with the Raven in his '27. Pretty nice little hooptie, but I regress. He has Simpson harness complete down to the anti-sub strap. Unfortunately I can't wear the shoulder harness, too long from the waist up, the car wasn't built for me it was built for him. So even though the harness is a good idea it doesn't work for me in his ride and one in my ride probably wouldn't work well for him.

Anyway getting back to it I wear belts because I want to I just don't care about the rules.

I can't suggest that not strapping in for the sake of being cool is such a good idea,but on the other hand I can't suggest that you should live like me either. My life is good for me but you probably wouldn't like it.

 

The body on this car is a shell only, no floor. The seats and interior sheet metal (and everything else) is secured to the frame. So if the body ever leaves it's on it's own. If the car had a floor thou, you might be right about making that the anchor point...