Adding Headrests

[matthon]

I've searched here and other sources, and I can't find anything definitive on adding headrests to a 67 bench seat.

Since it was an option, do I just need the headrests and chrome pieces for the top of the seats?

Do only certain headrests fit properly?

Before I rip my seat apart it would be nice to know if there are brackets there to accept the headrests, or if I would need to make something, buy something, or get a 67/68 seat with the headrests already in it?

Anyone know, or do this already?

I want to add shoulder belts, and headrests for safety.

Its a split bench with the armrest.

 

[7071DartGTReg]

Save yourself time, aggrevation, and expense....
First of all;
SAVE your original Seats and start with replacements.

If you want the early style Pop up Style Headrests, use a set with the Headrests and Hardware from a '68-'69 A-Body. You can find these with the SplitBench/Armrest although few and far between (mostly in '68-'69 B-Bodys).

And in '71 they had the Split Bench with Armrest BUT High Backs only.
If you want the Later style with High Back Headrests use '70-up A-Body ones.

And that as they say is the short and sweet of it.
Best of luck and call with any questions!

As for the Shoulder Belts I have a set somewhere that bolt in fairly easy.
I will try to find the receipt and let you know where they came from.

Later,
Bruce B.

 

[7071DartGTReg]

Here is what I have (info) on the Shoulder Belts:

"HAVE XV MOTORSPORTS SHOULDER BELTS, NOT INSTALLED"

I know that's not much, but it is all I know about them.
Here is the ad for the car (I bought and sold it already so don't bug the poor guy!):
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=106228

Later,
Bruce B.

 

[Longgone]

Most of the seat frames are bored for headrests whether they are installed or not. You`ll need the chrome escutcheons, the plastic bases, and the metal spring clamps that mount inside the seat frame. The hardware for bench seats is different for the hardware for bucket seats. The headrests themselves are also different with bench seat headrests having unequal length shafts. The bench seat stuff is generally cheaper and easier to find than the bucket seat parts. If you choose to add headrests, I think I still have the hardware for a bench seat, let me know if you think you could use it.

 

[slantsixdan]

My thoughts as a traffic safety research specialist:

If you are doing this for safety and not for cosmetics—and I wholeheartedly endorse this effort to improve the safety of the car—then forget any of the Mopar head restraints (they're not head "rests"). All of them are far too low to do anything but worsen your likelihood of whiplash or worse. When you are struck from behind, your position shifts and your spine extends such that your head rises significantly from its at-rest position. That puts any of the original Mopar head restraints right at your neck, serving as a nice fulcrum over which for your neck to bend rearward. This is definitely not what you want! If you're going to the trouble of adding head restraints, put in ones that will actually do some good. My top recommendation would be to get the ones from a Volvo 240. Not only are they tall enough do a very good job preventing (or at least reducing the severity of) whiplash, but they are also see-through so they don't block your rearward visibility, and they're also quite comfortable. They're vinyl-covered so you can spray dye them to match your interior (see here). Installation wouldn't be difficult if the seat were already taken apart; you'd just need to weld some brackets to the seatback frame.

As for proper seatbelts: Yes, but pick carefully. See this post (and links off of it).

 

[matthon]

Dan, your first link is not working for me, can you repost it please?
Are the Volvo headrests you are referring to the front or rear ones?
From what I can determine, they are different, but the rear ones might work better, and possibly look better, with a bench seat.

 

[slantsixdan]

Oops, sorry -- I've fixed that first link. I had the front headrests in mind, but the back ones could probably be adapted, too. Not sure what year the rear ones started (sooner in Europe than in America) For the front ones, there are the early, up to '85 or so, and the late, '86ish through '93.