Seat Belt Installatons

[samprinci]

Hi all,
Just wanted to get a few suggestions on seat belts


I know the law, if they were not fitted in factory u dont have to were them. But as we will be using this car a lot & want to keep me & my misses safe...

Want to fit seat belts to my ute, as it has not had any installed over its life. But I have a few problems????


Lappies of older style over shoulder?? No retractables, too modern.

Idea with lappies is they r more easily hidden & wont affect the originality of the interior. But then over the shoulders are safer then lappies, right???

But to install either there are concerns with both styles.

1. Dont want to drill holes in the pillars , because this would warrant removing the hoodlining. Its in such good nick I dont want to disturb it. plus i dont like that look of a bolt hanging outside. I know some felars have weled plate inside the pillar, witch is great idea?? but you still have to remove lining


2. Then thought OK over shoulder install in rear section behind seat... But same problem with the seat / hood trim. Its so good, i dont want to distrust.

3. So I guess it only leaves the lappies with floor mounting?????


Any suggestions or ideas would greatly be appreciated fellarz.

TA
Sam

[FB MAD]

I think you will find that the law in NSW will only allow lap belt for centre seating positions only,passenger and drivers must be lap and sash ( across the guts and over the shoulder ) or retractible lap and sash.

If you are the driver and have a lap only belt you are going to sustain terrible crush injury to your chest and face in an accident due to your top half of body being able to extend itself from the pivot point ( that being the lap belt ) and hitting the non collapsible steering wheel and column very hard.Have a look at some crash test dummy footage of a person wearing a lap only belt and you will see what I mean.

Lap and sash are better because the upper half of the body is restrained as well ( if the belt is adjusted correctly ) and whilst still able to hit the wheel, the amount of impact force is diminished because of the belt holding back some of the bodys momentum.Thats also why collapsible columns were made mandatory because of their ability to collapse and absorb some of the bodys impact and thus help to save lives.

If you are worried about you and your family/passengers safety don't compromise, do it right and do it correct.

Find an RTA approved seat belt fitting station and discuss it with them.They will find the correct position for the seat belt anchors.
You just can't drill a hole anywhere and bolt a belt in.If its not in or near a structural part of the car then in an accident you may as well not be wearing any seat belts at all.

In short, forget lap only as they are ONLY JUST a seatbelt.
Install lap/sash belts according to the recommendations of an approved installer.
Don't compromise you and your familys safety.

My thoughts,

[samprinci]

Thanks FB MAD!!! much appreciated that comprehensive answer.

Definitely safety first..

Lap sash are the go then.. But I guess talk to RTA approved seat belt fitting station see where they recommend to install them & then do whats necessary to install them correctly.

I was wondering if any one els has had a similar experience?????? on what they did to protect the interior??? any tips?

TA

[Oldnblue]

Hey Sam
A reputable shop will be able to install seatbelts without touching your hoodlining, and with no visible bolts/anchors on your exterior. The way mine were done was to drill a hole of correct dimension into the pillar on the inside. A plate was then inserted and fitted into place, which allowed the installation of the top mount. The hole was fitted with a removable plug to allow access if required and the seatbelt itself completely covers the plug, effectively hiding any signs of installation.
Similar story in the back seats where they have fitted them to the rear parcel shelf. well disguised and nothing was removed/damaged in order to do the install (apart from the obvious drilling of anchoring points).
As others have said, if you're looking for a degree of safety, correctly fitted seatbelts are a must. You can do it yourself if you are handy and are willing to check/follow all legal and engineering requirements, but otherwise, a decent installer will be sympathetic to your wishes re. maintaining the integrity of the vehicle, and will ensure they are engineered for blue plate as part of the install.
Expect to pay a decent sum to have the job done correctly and delivered with full certificate/plate, but rest easy that it will be money well spent. My Falcon's were done by the last owner and are total crap. they sit in the wrong position, don't retract properly, have bolts on the outside of the pillar etc. They're blue plated but I'm sure the engineer who signed off on it must have been drunk . My EK's on the other hand have been faultless, look fine (not period, but fine), feel strong and reliable, etc etc etc. When I have the finances, I'll be having the &*#@'s re-done by the same mob.
In the interest of keeping you and your friends/family safe, I'd recommend doing them properly and accepting that they will slightly compromise the originality of your ride.
Cheers, Scott

[samprinci]

Hey Scotty.

WOW! I've said it be fore n I'll say it again... thats why I love this forum. Blokes like ya self n FB MAD, taking the time to pass on their experience & knowledge to guys like me... Thanks a million for your reply.

Thats great advice. r there any installers you or anyone can recommend? I'm in Sydney.

TA mate
sam

[Oldnblue]

Hi again Sam
I'm in Brissie and don't have any contacts down your way, but it would probably be worth contacting shops that restore/build classics, rods etc. This will be the type of work they can help you with and a good shop that is putting out quality workmanship/cars will be more likely to cary out the job with care and consideration. They'll be accustomed to doing work that requires attention to detail, maintaining a sense of originality etc etc. A good shop will also have a solid working relationship with engineers who trust the work being done and can sign off on the job without any issues.
I reckon start researching shops on the web, get an idea which shops have a good record/rep, and then make a few calls to see if they will do the work you need in the manner you want. Just make sure you stress that you want an unobtrusive install with as little visible signs of mounting as possible. I'm sure you'll find something pretty easy.
Cheers, Scott

[FB MAD]

Sam,

Have a read of this, in particular section 5.It's from the DOTARS site and forms part of the National Code of Practice for Light Vehicle Modifications of which all states use as a basis for their particular detemination for allowable modifications.

The info might help you.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/ ... eb2006.pdf

[FB MAD]

And here's the whole link to view the other sections of the NCOP.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/ ... _ncop.aspx

[Blacky]

An ambo once told me "the only thing lap belts are good for is they make it easier to find the bodies "

[samprinci]

And here's the whole link to view the other sections of the NCOP.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/ ... _ncop.aspx

Thanks mate... I'll look into it.