Can't Find Restoration for 1972 Seatbelts

Henrius

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Plenty of people re-web seatbelts and repair retractors. Not many deal with the buckles.

My Newport, like other cars of the early seventies, had a detachable shoulder harness. This allowed a person to wear only a lap belt, or the lap and should belts together.

The two were attached by a mushroom-shaped tab on the buckle with a nylon grommet. The grommets got brittle and broke, leaving the shoulder harness to detach very easily.

I can't find anyone who can repair these. I would be satisfied with a different style of detachable buckle, but cannot seem to find any to substitute.

Think 1971 and 1973 used the same type. Anyone got a work-around? I really feel uncomfortable driving a car without using secure shoulder belts.
 
Years ago I used a place called Sssnake-oyl products, I think they were out of Texas, they restored seat belts.
 
That later style of shoulder harness attachment came after the shoulder belt having its own separate buckle beside the driver's lap belt buckle. Same on the passenger side. Going back to 1970 would get you the prior system, I suspect, with MORE buckles and belts.
 
Thanks all. Snake-Oil products is one outfit to stay away from, if online ratings can be believed. I will check out Bill and Robin Edwards. At the time I was restoring my Pinto, I couldn't find anyone to restore the same sort of Ford detachable system. The lap and shoulder belts were merged as on subsequent years. On the Newport, I want to stay as original as possible.
 
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