2dr sedan rear seatbelts

[TheDeputy]

I'd like to install rear three point seat belts in my 1968 valiant 2dr sedan, so I can take my children out driving.
Are there some original solid mounting points around the roofrail to install the top part to?
Any ideas on where to mount the retractor?
I'm going to the junkyard to get all sorts of locks and retractors and make the seatbelt system myself, I just need some solid mountingpoint locations.

Thanks,

Antoon

 

[TheDeputy]

bump.

Antoon

 

[subcom]

Look at some of the hardware from Wesco to see if that will give you an idea. I'm in a similar situation with my 65 in that I want to mount a child restraining seat in the back to take my little one along for a ride. I bought a standard lap built from Wesco along with extra mounting hardware to drill and mount the lap built to the rear floor and then I acquired a tether hook anchor I'm going to install in the top speaker tray area or whatever that is called above the seat to anchor the top of the child seat. Wesco sales mounting plates and other hardware to help you install shoulder belts.
http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/boltkit.html

Best of luck.

 

[TheDeputy]

Thanks for the link. At least that's a starting point.

Antoon

 

[TheDeputy]

Well, it took some time but I've finally mounted the rear seatbelts on my 2dr sedan.
I will give a description of how I did it so everyone may have an idea how to tackle it.

First I searched the local used car wrecker for lots of seat belt retractors, belts, clips, locks and bolts (they are all the same thread size, so be sure to take them as well.
Be sure to get locks that bolt in the car with a belt, and not a bracket. This way you can alter the lenght of the lock with a custom lenght belt to your specs.

To install them properly you have to make sure everything is secured safely to a structural piece of the car. There are original mounting points for the belts on the floor underneath the bench. Be sure to use them, or the belt attachment point could fail when in an accident.

 

[TheDeputy]

To attach the retractor is a bit more tricky. Fortunately my 68 2dr sedan has original holes in the rear shelf panel to guide the belt through.
They are probably present on more a-bodies (sadly not on e-bodies)

 

[TheDeputy]

I then manufactured a stainless steel bezel to shield the hole, and protect the belt from tearing on the rough edges.

 

[TheDeputy]

As I said everything needs to be bolted down securely, and sheetmetal is not very secure, so I made a mounting plate to attach the retractor to. Be sure to weld on a nut with the same threads as original seat belt bolts. I think it's 3/8 unf but not sure. (they are the same as flywheel bolts)
The retractor fits nicely underneath the shelf panel, and can bolt to the rear crossmember.
There is a 1/2" hole in the crossmember. Drill through from the rear to the front, and then enlarge the hole on the bench side, so you can install a bushing in the ridge. If you don't install a bushing here the bolt will never be tight because it just deforms the sheetmetal from the crossmember.
Then just rivet the plate in place. The rivets are only meant to hold the plate in place. The plate makes sure the mounting point doens't break when in an accident, since it wont be possible that the entire plate is drawn through the sheetmetal.

 

[TheDeputy]

finished.

Antoon

 

[3404speed]

Good job! Nice detail on the pics.

 

[R4Sedan]

real nice job.

 

[myMoparHome]

Looks great what car did you pull the parts from? Also looks like you have done the same for the frounts can you show that too.

j

 

[TheDeputy]

I pulled the belts from various cars, but mostly from volvo 440's. Be sure to get long ones, since you have to cut of the attachment points to stitch on other ones, which go with the belt style locks.
I forgot to mention that you need to get the belts stitched by a shoe repair shop or something like that because they have strongs threads and good equipment to stitch through the tough fabric of the belts.

I will post some pics of the front as well.
I did that a couple of years back, before I had kids.

Antoon