were 1963 ford ranchero's built with, or without seat belts? (i got a ticket)

about 2 weeks ago i got a saftey belt violation
(im not dumb i know the click it or ticket rule, and i always wear mine, its the right thing to do!), but i was taking my 3 friends home who couldnt get a ride cuz their car broke down and they were about 2 miles from where we were, but we got stuck at a dui checkpoint.

while i was there i was in my belt, and so was the far right passenger, the two middle ones werent.

now, ive been doing a lot of research. i cant seem to find out if a 1963 ford ranchero were manufactored with, or without seatbelts. if some werent then i might can have a case? because me altering the ranchero would be affecting the historical value of the vehicle since it was built to the saftey guidelines of that year, right?

just need a little info that's all, thanks if you can help.

 

I thought 63 and earlier were optional. 64 and later were mandated.
I'd fight it.

 

ya thats what me and my dad thought. the officer said he checked and the cuttoff year for 'seatbelt laws' was 1962 so i missed it by one year..... but if its optional, then that means the car i bought was chosen without them. and later on they were installed, right? if anyone has any links to a website that clearly states this, it would be very helpful. this officer was being a dick to me and my friends. i was 17 at the time, now im 18, but i asked him if this saftey belt violation would be a point on my record or something and he said 'what are you stupid?' and he shook his head, and that was his answer to me...

 

I've talked to several cops about this, and they don't care if the car came with them or not, it is a safety thing.

My wife got a seatbelt ticket in her 94 Escort because she wasnt wearing the shoulder harness. It was one of the years of the stupid shoulder belt on a racetrack thing, and the motor had broken. She had her lapbelt on. The cop didn't care, and the judge didn't care either, she still had to pay the ticket.

If you try to fight the ticket, the judge might just tell you you have until a certain date to install seatbelts in your car.

 

did the officer go and check google while he was giving you a ticket?
Mel got stopped in her 59 Dodge Downtown, mainly for the broken taillight, but the car smoked a bit before. The Douche.. ugh ..cop asked, "Is this car smogged". We had to keep a straight face.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27315.htm

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27314.htm

nother thread about it
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-169439.html

fight the ticket, with the money you save get some universal ones from the swap and bolt them in.

 

well i should clarify a few things:
my ranchero has 2 seat belts installed already.
there were 4 people total in my ranchero that night.
it was at a DUI checkpoint.
i was wearing mine, the far right one was wearing his, the two middle ones werent.
there were more passengers than seat belts. so i dont have to install any more belts i should think.

and idk how the cop looked it up, he just said 'i checked and its 1962 sir'

 

oh yea its not really a ticket, its a saftey belt violation. i wasnt in motion or anything, it was at a stop at the checkpoint

 

If you have seat belts mounted in the car aftermarket or not, you better be wearing them regardless.....if you have more people than seat belts you opened yourself up to a problem.....if you would not have had any seatbelts at all you would have been fine according to the year of manufacturing.....1966 and newer require seatbelts, law in California.

 

.....well, not for nothing but four dudes in a '63 Ranchero (based on a Falcon) is pretty tight and from the cop's perspective it was probably a safety issue just having four people stuffed where two people were meant to be. Seatbelt laws aside, it wasn't a safe or smart thing to do and he probably could have been much more of a dick if he wanted to. Your lucky he didn't make your buddies get out and wait while you ferried them home one at a time. You were utilizing the belts installed in the car and thats a very good thing but your car was not equipped to safely handle three front seat passengers let alone four.

That being said, early '62 Falcons did not have seatbelts as standard equipment. From approximately Jan '62 and up they were factory installed in the front seat locations and optional in the rear seating areas. Since your Ranchero was built after Jan 1962 it had factory belts for two people in the front seat areas.

The smart thing to do would be to just pay the fine and not try and argue with a judge or DA about items installed around specific build dates regarding 46 year old cars.....especially given the circumstances under which you got the ticket. No Falcons came with four sets of belts up front....I don't even think I've ever seen them with three sets from the factory. In any case it sounds like you had too many people in the front seat and maybe you should take this as one of life's little lessons.

-Bigchief.

 

Engine running? Moving violation. Doesn't matter if you're not in MOTION. You can get a DUI if you are in the front seat and have keys. Just pay the ticket, and don't try to put 4 people in a 2 person car. You won't beat this one.

 

Yep, I bet the judge would find you guilty simply for having 4 in the front seat.

 

Court sucks!
pay it...it will be much less pleasant in the "cashregister"...er, uh...courtroom....

 

i'd fight it. i don't think 1963's were equiped, but rather an option. a friend has one that came with no belts.

 

Screw that! How's the ticket worded...if its simply a "seatbelt violation" and if the law is pre-66 in California you'll likely be cleared. In any case, its always worth it to go to court for traffic violations and state your case.

 

I didn't understand the question at first. yes, sorry to say you do deserve the ticket, 4 people up front on a bench is too many heads.
BTW too many dudes, I never see cops harrass the some chicky is sitting on someones lap in a hotrod coupe, I've seen it many times.

My suggestion mount a really low bench or stadium ass foam square to the bed or the ranchero,add some belts, you can have rider in the bed as long as you have seat belts.

 

My buddy sent you pictures of my trans and you never replied. I f you were not interested you should have said so.

 

i just want to know how you can fit 4 people in a 63 Ranchero!!

 

I know, at least here in Ohio, seat belt violations ARE NOT moving violations, I have gotten 3 of them, 1 when I was 17, I had to go to court since I was a minor, they reduced it to a faulty equipment ticket, I had to pay $24, but I clearly remember they said it was not considered a moving violation. Another when I simply forgot to put it on along with a speeding ticket, and the last in my race car WHILE I HAD MY 5 POINT HARNESS ON. The cop told me they weren't safe...right, they're certified until 2010 with a 10pt cage in the car but the harness isn't safe. I didn't feel like wasting my time to fight it so I just paid it off.

I'm still trying to figure out how you shoe horned 4 people in the seat of the Ranchero...I'm baffled haha

 

I agree, four people in the front, no chance........I never got hassled for seat belts in my 63 Impala....but was hassled for everything else!

 

Here's a law forum discussion that quotes the law as saying something about sold by dealer and date of manufacture. However most of the state laws that I have seen have a provision that, if the car has seat belts available, they must be used.


www.professionalcar.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3435

Not that this really applies to your case, with the four people on the bench seat I mean, but good info anyway.

 

Buy the cheapest seat belts you can find. You don't have to install them. KEEP THE RECIEPT! Go to court, plead guilty, but show the judge how you were a good little citizen who promptly took care of the problem. Most likely, it will be dismissed. Hell, just showing up in court will get most fines reduced anyway.

 

Royalshifter nailed it. the year that the seatbelts were installed in vehicles is null and void if you have already installed seatbelts...once you have put seatbelts in ONE location in the car every other passenger has to have one on, AND there cannot be more people than the vehicle was rated for (IE three)

In this case I'd wouldnt listen to all the folks that said fight it...you'll lose and end up paying court fees as well....I see stuff like that all the time, and it usually doesnt end in favor of the recipient of the ticket...

 

Belts have been an option in Fords since 1956, when Ford was car of the year for offering them. In Canada they became mandatory in '67.

 

who was the last person to get into the car? make them pay, they should have gotten in the back and you might have slid through.

 

Cops have to be able to make good judgment calls, and in this case this cop didn't. He should have let you off with a warning, IMO.
The Vehicle didn't come equipped with more than two belts to begin with, and he should have been able to tell that you weren't BS'n him about giving your bud's a ride because they were Broke down.

A warning would have been the thing to do.

And for those that feel 4 in the front seat was too many ? I suppose you guys would have gone back and picked them up one at a time ?

I can just hear it, Hey you guys, I only have two seat belts so I can't give you a ride. I'll have to pick you guy's up one at a time after I drop off Joe. I hope you don't freeze or get run over or mugged.

And if they weren't guy's ? are you going to leave a girl on the side of the road broke down ?

Heck in that case he should have been given a medal, not a ticket, he might have even saved a life.

Sure it's not safe for four up front, but in this case he was Helping two people from the side of the road.
And we've all read about things that happen to people that are stranded.

Tell that to the Judge and you'll get off.

 

Bingo. Once belts are installed it doesn't matter whether your car had them factory or not. You have to wear them.

In NJ, I believe that the mandatory seat belt law generally only applies to front seat passengers. However, even if this was the law in CA, you're still screwed because your Ranchero only has a front seat.

There's no getting around this one. Pay the fine and move on. It's not a moving violation so it's no big deal.

 

My parental units bought a new 63 Chevy and had to wait for the dealer to install seat belt because the dealer had taken delivery with out seat belts but the law changed and they couldn't sell it with out them installed. This was in Indiana and I'm not shure if it was state or fedral law involved.

 

In 1968 all the auto makers were required to install seat belts in the new cars and trucks,,,before that time the were an option.

I was stopped at a license check a few years ago driving my ol' 66 bug and the rookie officer told me to pull over to the side of the road where I was met by another officer of the law,,,this one was also a rookie and she pull out her citation book and started writing.

I ask her what was going on and what had I done,,,she was holding my license,,registeration,,and my tag was current,,,she replyed ,,I'm giving you a ticket for not wearing your seat belt.

I told her this car doesn't have seat belts,,never did,,,she looked at me an ask did I think she was and idiot?

You know what I was think and wanted to say but I kept my cool and said no ma'am.

I guess it was the officer in charge of the roadblock stepped up behind her and ask was everything ok,,that's when I spoke up and told him what was going on,,,,

He told her I was not braking the law because in 1966 vw's were not required to be imported with seat belts,,,he told me he was sorry for any inconvience and set me on my way. HRP

 

How much is the ticket. I think here a ticket for safety belt violation is like 25 bucks. I need 25 bucks as much as anybody but to me it's not worth having to go through all of that crap to save 25 dollars. Actually 25 dollars to stay out of court is a bargain.