Installing Seatbelts in Your Classic Car! Airplane Style Safety Lap Belts. Retrofit

[@johnkendrick7304]

I cannot believe how clean the sheet metal is on that car. Absolutely incredible

[@chuckkolancz4969]

I have a 1953 ford sedan that I’m about to put seatbelts in. Thank you for doing a video because otherwise I’d be too scared and bring it in someplace

[@ObsoleteAutomotive]

Should be a relatively easy install!

[@olikat8]

I'm adding bucket seats to my '69 BB Dart. Like seatbelts, make sure that the floor is reinforced where you anchor it down. If not, the seat (in my case) or the seat belt will tear out at the worst possible moment. If you are over in Graham, you can stop by US Car Tool and see the "Texas beauty" in all her glory (I live in Chapel Hill and Pittsboro)

[@jonathangrissom7606]

I love how much you stressed the importance of that big "ASS" washer. Lol

[@ObsoleteAutomotive]

It’s critical!

[@gasser66]

I would hit a gas line, then the brake line, then the gas line again, and then my hole would be too close to an obstruction to fit the big azz washer. Then, I would do the exact same thing on the other side.

[@ObsoleteAutomotive]

😂

[@olikat8]

LOL

[@duncanmacrae6384]

Might never matter but, I always want to use at least grade 5 bolts for things like seat belts. Enjoyed the video, thanks.

[@jeffreyrigged]

gaping hole jokes will be avoided

[@waynecysensky4797]

That “Big Ass” washer is called a fender washer.

[@haroldwolk4508]

Happy Friday. I was wondering if you recommend bolting the seat belt brackets tightly to the floor, thread points, or if you allow for the bracket to swivel around the bolt. Thanks.

[@ObsoleteAutomotive]

The brackets must be bolted on tight. Recommended to have nothing between them such as carpet. Mounted directly to the floor pan.

[@haroldwolk4508]

@@ObsoleteAutomotive Thanks for the quick response; much appreciated. BTW this is for 67 Plymouth Valiant bench seats. The service manual/parts book shows a anti-rattle washer between the metal washer and bracket, so I was wondering if things were intended to rotate slightly. Thank for you help!

[@ObsoleteAutomotive]

@@haroldwolk4508 I’m going off the seatbelt manufacturers installation instructions. The factory seatbelts may have differed in engineering/design.

[@haroldwolk4508]

@@ObsoleteAutomotive Good stuff. Thanks for your help and insights. Helpful video!

[@P_RO_]

A seat belt saved my life as a passenger once, so I'm all for them. But there's a hidden problem here: unless you're exactly replicating a factory install you have assumed the role of design engineer, so now you're legally responsible for any potential harm your work causes or contributes to even after you sell the car. My 'lifesaving' incident most likely initiated a series of health problems I now have as it was a rather severe crash with huge bruising where the buckle was. It was a few years between the occurrences and factory seat belts so no hope to recover anything for me but at least I am alive so I call it a win. I have to also think about the crash my Mom was in where the old Plymouth seat-backs were low; the doctors said if she had been using the seat belts it would likely have snapped her upper back and killed her. If there were no factory belts in the car model you have (too old) then try to find as similar a car with belts as you can and mount yours like that. I would also prefer to use new or junkyard-sourced seat belt hardware where possible to0 eliminate question of strength or design. I'd also question certain installs, such as my two old pickups which had the gas tank behind the seat; you wouldn't want any chance of entrapment if the tank was compromised. Old Jeeps with the tank under the driver's seat too. If you sell the car, remove the seatbelts and let the new owner deal with the legal questions of putting them, back. Just know what you're doing and the possible ramifications because nowadays you can't trust the legal system to have the common sense we have and you can potentially lose everything.

[@bradparris99]

Sounds like you just had lap belts. Even in older cars with the separate lap and shoulder belts most people just wore the lap belt only.

[@P_RO_]

@@bradparris99 Yep, but it was effective, Lap belts do most of the life-saving in most crashes because they keep most of your torso where the vital organs are from bashing into things. Shoulder belts help a lot but will often crack or break some bones in a really hard frontal impact; still a good trade-off. But the most effective thing? Don't crash and if you must try to aim/steer into the softest target you can- a lesson learned from many miles of motorcycling. Better a ditch than a bumper!

[@bradparris99]

@@P_RO_ In the mid 70s when I turned 16 I got my grandfather's 1970 Buick Electra to drive. After about a week of seeing the "FASTEN SEAT BELTS " printed above the steering column I decided to try the lap and separate shoulder belts mainly out of curiosity. I was amazed at how much better the car drove and handled with the belts buckled, holding me securely in place when I drove. I quickly was a dedicated belt wearer. It became a ritual to get in the car, turn the ignition, push the cigarette lighter in, buckle up both the lap and shoulder belts, light up a cigarette and then drive off. One weekend I was coming home from college when a drunk driver in a Chevrolet suburban crossed the center line and hit me head on. Because of the size and quality of the Electra along with the fact that I was wearing both belts, I walked away with only minor cuts and scratches and bruises from the belts. The drunk driver was wearing a 3 point seat belt but he had the shoulder belt under his left arm, basically a 3 point lap belt. He had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel and his unbelted passenger was ejected through the windshield and landed on the hood of the Electra. He unfortunately didn't survive. The paramedics arrived and knew for sure the the worst injuries would be in the Electra, not the Suburban. It all came down to who was wearing a lap and shoulder belt properly. I was only 20 years old at the time and only 4 miles from home.

[@bradparris99]

On my Electra, the lap belt had the small buckle and the shoulder belt had the large buckle which I always thought was backwards. After hearing your seat belt story, I guess the smaller buckle sitting in the middle of my abdomen was safer the the bigger buckle would have been. The main thing is that I was wearing both belts. Aside from the obvious safety aspect, I really got in the habit of buckling up for the enhanced driving experience.

[@bradparris99]

@@P_RO_ I always thought that a lap belt only offered minimal protection since it only restrained the lower body. It would prevent you from being ejected but your upper torso and head would go forward hitting the steering wheel or the dash. That's why I always buckled up my shoulder belt in conjunction with my lap belt for maximum protection. With just a lap belt, did you hit the dash or steering wheel? Sounds like you ended up with what's been called "seat belt syndrome" where you get injured by the belts.

[@biancacardenas3046]

Hi! Where did you purchase your seatbelts ?

[@ObsoleteAutomotive]

Several companies sell them. Just google classic car seatbelts or airplane type seatbelts. One company is retrobelt.