Installing shoulder belts in non shoulder belt car

swisherred

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Im in the process of making a headliner and I remembered that I would need to make sure the shoulder harnesses would go in...

I acquired an entire set of seat belts with shoulder harnesses and all the hardware, BUT my car only has holes in the roof where there should be NUTS. I'm not sure how to go about this, but I want to install shoulder belts. Anyone added these?

67 newport fast top.
 
I'm sure the majority here will say no, don't do it. This comes up every now & then here and it boils down to did the car come with shoulder belts, and are the provisions there to make it a bolt it without tons of fab. Your kinda answering your own questions on this, but others will chime in one way or the other. I think they started coming on the scene around 69. My vote is a no. Good Luck
 
I removed them from a 68 300...everything is there except the nuts. Thinking I can fish them up from behind the panel and weld them in place from inside.
 
The bolts that retain the seat belts are of the "Self Tapping" design. The thread is different from a regular nut. This was done to aid in installation at the factory. The good thing is as well as I can remember they are the same bolts today. Cut the threaded portion out of any car and have them welded in.
 
@swisherred I have been toying with doing this on both my 66s... but no holes or places/braces to weld the nuts exist on mine so I've just about given up.

I'm interested in how you do it, so please take detailed photos.
 
when you cut them out make a nice hat around the nut------then you have more edge to weld in--or you could just use 4 self tapping screws and that new epoxy that they glue body panels on with....
 
No need to reinvent the wheel you guys. Look up the article Richard Ehrenberg did on this subject for Mopar Action magazine. They did a factory type lap belt to shoulder belt conversion. The article was in depth and went into the pratfalls of doing this half assed and killing yourself off. All I remember from it was if you do it wrong you pretty much die.
 
The bolts that retain the seat belts are of the "Self Tapping" design. The thread is different from a regular nut. This was done to aid in installation at the factory. The good thing is as well as I can remember they are the same bolts today. Cut the threaded portion out of any car and have them welded in.

^This^

It's been a been a while since I've seen one, but IIRC, the bolts thread into the sheet metal piece and there's no nut. They are a 7/16-20 thread and it will be much easier to tap the hole rather than trying to drive a self tapping bolt into it.

Just try fitting a bolt to the hole. If it slides through, then I'm completely wrong.

Some ideas for hardware if that isn't right. he "B" pillar brackets could be a solution. Installation Hardware

Personally, I never liked the way they did the shoulder harnesses in the early cars. They were mandated in 1968, IIRC, starting on the first of January, but it might have been the entire '68 model year.
 
^This^

It's been a been a while since I've seen one, but IIRC, the bolts thread into the sheet metal piece and there's no nut. They are a 7/16-20 thread and it will be much easier to tap the hole rather than trying to drive a self tapping bolt into it.

Just try fitting a bolt to the hole. If it slides through, then I'm completely wrong.

Some ideas for hardware if that isn't right. he "B" pillar brackets could be a solution. Installation Hardware

Personally, I never liked the way they did the shoulder harnesses in the early cars. They were mandated in 1968, IIRC, starting on the first of January, but it might have been the entire '68 model year.
It wasn't the complete model year for 68, because non of the 4 68's I've owned have had shoulder belts. They were an option though.
 
Optional at some point in the 67 model year (likely made available after Jan 1, 67), optional during the 68 model year from production start up to Jan 1, 68, then mandatory after that.
 
The way I look at it is that if I use the original components it can't be any worse than not having any at all.
But there's also nothing wrong with keeping it the way it came from the factory! Like my old saying, "If it works good, just use it!" Good Luck
 
The way I look at it is that if I use the original components it can't be any worse than not having any at all.
I don't think there was anything really wrong with how they did it, I just found a second belt with latch wasn't "user friendly". I don't think many people used them, although they did start using set belts more. The later systems were better thought out and easier to use. Inertia reels made things a lot easier.

It was really funny... We did a trip in my '65 Barracuda and Mrs. Big John kept reaching over her shoulder for the shoulder belt.
 
I've liked the idea of fitting shoulder belt system as a just in case since with my spinal issues would likely end my walking days(what I have left) in a heart beat if I was in a collision and relying solely on the waist belts. (It's a chance we all take hoping the day will never come that we are involved in a frontal crash)
I'm still toying with the idea but time money & ambition & physical abilities lately prevent me from acting on this wish.

One day though, one day...
 
You need to spread the load out wide with attachment to sheet metal. Preferred would be behind existing sheet metal to force a pull through, if at all possible.
Safety first.
I would like to put a modern 3 point belt in my 68 Charger but much like everyone else no time, no ambition, at least till that 6000# SUV comes across the centerline.
 
I put 3 point shoulder belts in my wagon 5 years ago. I bought a kit from Andover Restraints it included a bracket with a nut welded to it for the upper mount similar to the video of the 56 ford wagon featured in Big John's post # 9 . have worked well for the past five years. I also had bought a kit from them years before for a 41 Chevy streetrod that I had. well engineered kit included everything needed for installation and well written instructions. floor mount reinforcement plates included also.
 
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