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Seat Belt (Camaro/Firebord style) Conversion Finished
Another small job that took way longer than I thought it would.
F-body belt conversion with too many pictures, maybe help someone down the road.
My original shoulder belts were showing some wear along the edges of the webbing and I wanted to update then anyway (cause, well just cause) so I went the F-body Camaro route as others have done.
Got a set of rear seat-belts from a 1995-1997 Camaro, black but really they are closer to dark charcoal grey but that actually works for me.
The rear seat belts on the Camaro/Firebird have the retractors mounted horizontally rather than vertically as they are in most cars. This means the pendulum system that locks the belt works properly when installed in a case like this.
The orientation of the belt (front or back) doesn't matter as long as the pendulum swings (even side to side) and when it does it lifts that top bracket and locks the ratchet wheel preventing the belt from feeding out
95-02 will work (some say 93 and 94 also but I can't confirm that), the pre 98 version rears have a male part that is closer to the original vette style while the 98-02 has a longer skinnier tab like most newer cars.
Cut off the existing guides and bits. Drill out the rivet and remove the plastic cover so just the retractor remains. (lots about that in other threads)
Remove the plastic cover on the male latch by gently prying on the corner
The locking bar can be slid ahead but you can't get the belt out without removing it
Clamp the piece in a vise and pry the side up just enough to slip the bar loose
Comparing the old retractor and the new one, they sit differently compared to the mounting hole and the belt is coming off the top rather than the bottom
Some people have cut the opening in the quarter trim to allow the retractor to protrude. Others I've seen left the Camaro plastic trim on to hide it.
I decided to cut off the original mounting tab, drill a new mounting hole and mount them backwards. The pendulum doesn't care which way it swings to lock the ratchet and the belt is still pulling out the same rotation so functionally it's the same. Lots of meat still around the new hole (slightly more than what was on the tab that got cut off actually)
Then feed the belt 1/2 a turn off so it's on the bottom going up like the original
Mounting the retractor is a bit of a PIA since the bolt is now under the pendulum but after some playing it's in
Comes out of the cover same as the original
For the receivers, I didn't like the look of the bland red/orange button
So I wanted to use the original ones. The Camaro latch was really close to fitting into the original receivers but I didn't want to screw them up so I dug through some old stuff to find something to practice on.
What I found was even better. A set of buckles off a early 80's cutlass have the same method and sizes of hooking onto the webbing as the Camaro belts but the male tab will connect directly to the stock vette receivers
Plus, the cover is metal instead of plastic
And since the finish was a little worn, and it's metal, why not another trip through the mill and some powder coating for a subtle custom look that no one will likely notice
Installed new sleeves on my existing stiffeners and receiver belts. Left the covers out in the sun for a couple of hours to soften them a little (ok I forgot about them for a bit) and used a string to help pull them through
Here you can see the metal stiffener clipped under the buckle and helps hold the belt sticking straight up beside the seat.
Because the belts go through the rear of the seats, installing the lower bolt is a PIA since the seat has to be there but can't be in the right place and cover the bolt....
I put the seat in and sat it as far ahead and slightly out the door as I could.
Removed the trim from the back of the seat to allow the belt through.
I fed my trusty string through from the front and through the bolt hole and looped back through the seat
Here is where you need to flip the belt the wrong way so the bent tab will go through the seat back
Once through the seat it's easy to flip the belt back over to the right way
Fed the belt down and through the giant footman style guide and bolted it into place (after checking that I didn't have a twist in it many many times)
Installed the original belt covers
If I had originally planed on this I wouldn't have cut the carpet at all and just bolted through it and left the covers off
Then moved the seats back to where they should be and bolted them down. Including my little cover socks for the fronts
Reinstalled the buckles
A little cleaning and....
Another job done, maybe even two if I include the seats being installed
Last edited by Mooser; 11-25-2017 at 06:42 PM.
Reason: fix photobucket mess
Great presentation Mooser! Love those milled Cutlass covers. Again Mooser's Mods Shop Making Money on some great looking products! Keep up the good work man! We ARE impressed! What will you do next?
Nice write up and photos. I'm not familiar with this conversion. What do the Camaro seat belts offer that the factory seatbelt did not?
Nothing really. My old belts were starting to fray a little on the straps where they went through the seat back and this is way cheaper than re-webbing or buying even the econo-replacements.
M
Thanks for the photos and sharing. I am doing this same thing on my 73. And now I have some extra information, especially about cutting off the tab, and flipping the unit around.
06-05-2016, 10:31 PM
Seat Belt (Camaro/Firebord style) Conversion Finished
