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3 point seat belt 57 4dr HT

346 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  johnonetrillion, 
boybowser
Has anyone installed or attempted to install 3 point retractable seat belt in their 4dr HT. Seatbelt Solutions has a set they say should fit but instructions are a bit sketchy. Any suggestions appreciated.
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Pops @ Tri-5.com
boybowser said:
Has anyone installed or attempted to install 3 point retractable seat belt in their 4dr HT. Seatbelt Solutions has a set they say should fit but instructions are a bit sketchy. Any suggestions appreciated.
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Do you have a link to those belts?

I found this article (attached) in my stack of stuff...Not sure if it will help you or not

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ETriggs
I think all of the clean layouts are similar to the late 60’s/early 70’s design where the shoulder belt latches into the lap belt but tucks away in the roofline when not used. I’m not too wild about that design anyway. A guy I worked for back in high school had a 59 Olds 98 4 door hardtop and he installed 4 point racing belts. It looked silly, but I guess it was safe.
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boybowser
yeah that sees to be only realistic way to do it, that's how my 69 Camaro was setup, I wasn't that fond of it, one it sort of made it to much trouble to attach the shoulder harness and had a bad habit of not looking right or falling off the hold downs. Not sure where how I would attach to the roof line anyway
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angs1957
I have only seen lap belts, nothing over the shoulder
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johnonetrillion
boybowser said:
Not sure where how I would attach to the roof line anyway
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There's nothing sturdy to mount to up there. (And would look stupid hanging there ion a pillar less body style – although I have seen a hooked version mounted to a 2DHT roof by a member here.)

Otherwise, stick with lap belts and keep the seat slid back as far as possible. *

* Honestly, or should I say "fair dinkum", my 4'10" wife had the front passenger seat of our road car slid all the way back last week while we drove on outback roads – in case we hit a kangaroo and it came through the windshield.
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stoveboltgeek
Belts of any description do no good if their anchor bolts pull through the mounting sheet metal in a crash. I could figure out how to mount shoulder belts in a sedan, but a hardtop (2 or 4 door) would be much more difficult.

If you install a modern 3 point system where the belt slides to fit, if your roof mount fails in a crash, you essentially have no seat belts at all. The 1970s style shoulder belts do not have this problem (the lap belt can be used without the shoulder belt).

The never-seen shoulder harness for the '57 mounted on the floor behind the front seat. 1957 Chevrolet Passenger Car and Truck Accessories Installation Reference Manual Given the movement of your body in a crash, that's likely to result in severe spine injury. Your body needs to be able to move both forward and upward in a crash. That's why shoulder belt mounts are always above your shoulder.

I would go with properly installed lap belts and call it good.

I've heard "safety, safety" time and again about these cars, and how they're lacking in that aspect. Thing is - with properly installed lap belts, you're much safer than you'd be on a motorcycle. It's all relative.
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stoveboltgeek
johnonetrillion said:
* Honestly, or should I say "fair dinkum", my 4'10" wife had the front passenger seat of our road car slid all the way back last week while we drove on outback roads – in case we hit a kangaroo and it came through the windshield.
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Around here, we worry about deer coming through the windshield. From what I've heard, kangaroos are as big a nuisance but far more intelligent than deer.

About 2 years ago, I was driving one night in the North Carolina mountains. On the side of the road, just in the light of my headlights was a black bear. I thought "uh oh". He looked at my truck, and clearly decided to stay on the side of the road. Ever since then, I've said that proves bears are smarter than deer. :)
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vich57
If you're worried about safety, the stock steering column shaft is a pretty effective spear in the event of a front end crash.
I'm keeping mine stock, including the steering column, so I have to accept the risk...

I will be installing lap belts, and a low profile third brake light with turn signals on the package shelf.
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johnonetrillion
stoveboltgeek said:
Thing is - with properly installed lap belts, you're much safer ...
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angs1957
Wow even the door didn't hold him in :eek:
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stoveboltgeek
angs1957 said:
Wow even the door didn't hold him in :eek:
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Actually, this is one of the purposes of the seat belt - keeping you inside the car in a crash. While nothing is 100%, getting thrown out of the car greatly increases your odds of death or serious injury.
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johnonetrillion
stoveboltgeek said:
Actually, this is one of the purposes of the seat belt - keeping you inside the car in a crash. While nothing is 100%, getting thrown out of the car greatly increases your odds of death or serious injury.
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With my old AH Sprite Mk1 (roadster) I certainly felt way more held in by the lap belts.
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