66 Dart Convertible Shoulder Belt options?

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Señor Ding Dong

Señor Ding Dong

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I've read in some older posts that people were swapping in 1996-1999 Sebring convertible seats, front and rear, to get 3 point shoulder belts in their older A bodies, but being 2023, there aren't too many 25 year old Sebrings out there to get seats from. Are there any other options that you guys know about, or have done yourselves? I'm not a fabricator, so I'm hoping for something close to a straight bolt-in if possible.
Thanks in advance!
 
Señor Ding Dong said:
I've read in some older posts that people were swapping in 1996-1999 Sebring convertible seats, front and rear, to get 3 point shoulder belts in their older A bodies, but being 2023, there aren't too many 25 year old Sebrings out there to get seats from. Are there any other options that you guys know about, or have done yourselves? I'm not a fabricator, so I'm hoping for something close to a straight bolt-in if possible.
Thanks in advance!
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On the seats ?

I'd rather install some plates and a pin lock hoop to mount a shoulder belt to.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
On the seats ?

I'd rather install some plates and a pin lock hoop to mount a shoulder belt to.
Click to expand...
Yeah, sorry, I’m looking for options for a convertible dart, so I guess they’d have to be on the front seats? I don’t know what else you could do. And in the rear, I also don’t know what options there would be.
 
There really is no good way to install shoulder belts in a convertible that has low-back seats with no headrests, and no roll hoop. The high back Sebring seats had a built-in shoulder belt, meaning the seat was reinforced for that purpose, so that is a bolt-in solution. There are probably other non-Mopar vehicles with a similar arrangement, but you would have to do your own research. The back seat is pretty much hopeless, in that a shoulder belt would need to come up over the seat back through a hole in the convertible top well (making it useless), and without a head rest it would be a decapitation threat to the user. It would take some serious custom work to alleviate this.

My experience: I installed shoulder belts in my 1966 MG roadster. I had to swap in later model seats with headrests, and I had to fit belt guides to the headrest posts to keep the belts in place and keep them from cutting into your neck. Fortunately the vehicle already had anchor points in the rear shelf area for the shoulder belts, and there was no back seat to worry about.
 
You could always do like the option in 67.


Screenshot_20230708-151126.png
 
Señor Ding Dong said:
Yeah, sorry, I’m looking for options for a convertible dart, so I guess they’d have to be on the front seats? I don’t know what else you could do. And in the rear, I also don’t know what options there would be.
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Yeah i'd want a hoop in a convertible, but that's just me.
Camry seats?
 
Dana67Dart said:
Personally I drive my convert and do t worry.
Top up or down I'm not as safe as in a modern car.

I accept the risk and enjoy
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Yeah, I didn't worry about it with my Barracuda convertible. With the MG, I kind of wanted to be belted in tighter for those twisty roads.
 
The shoulder belts in older that were not retractable like new cars are useless.
With the shoulder on you are pined in the seat and cannot reach the radio, light switch, wipers...


Alan
 
Taken when I had a Sebring, no plan on doing this. Just showing others the seat in the car.
SebringSeat08.JPG



Alan
 
1996 sebring seats (front and back in my convertible) using the corvair kid wiring diagram so they DO work like they should. and they ARE comfortable compared to stock seat plus the power adjustable seats as great for my old bones.

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