Replacement seat belts
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 3
From: Goshen IN
Replacement seat belts
Where is the best place to purchase seat belts for my 82? Actually I only need to replace the drivers side, it's been caught in the latch to many times and is frayed. In looking for one, it looks like they can only be bought in pairs.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 781
Likes: 113
FWIW..fraying can be abated a bit with a hot steel carefully applied to the frayed edge..Grease grime etc can also be soaked-cleaned to make the original look much better.Best done by removing the belt from the fastening spot behind the trim back of the door frame-pillar..A few trim screws and properly sized Torx bit are needed..
A bucket of simple green with belt immersed after pulling it out far as you can will do a decent job with use of a small scrub brush and thorough DRY-OUT before retracting.A frayed seat belt isn't a safety problem so long as the belt isn't cut..Much depends on the level of restoration to pristine you are seeking..Jim
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,682
Likes: 3,135
From: Shamong, NJ
It seems that it's quite common for the 78-82 belts to get caught by the door strikers.
Seatbelt Solutions can re-web your belt(s), they have the knowledge and testing equipment to do a safe and proper replacement of the webbing. They also make some very nice replacement belt sets.
Personally, I wouldn't be to quick to just stop the fraying and clean the belt, once it's become damaged and frayed. The damage caused by catching it in the latch, very likely has affected the integrity of the webbing. I'd be very careful about the using cleaning fluids on any seat belt too, but especially on old ones. The strength of the belts and stitching, may be effected by the chemicals in some cleaning materials.
Maybe I'm a little over cautious, but after being around racing, most of my life, I'm a big seat belts.
A previously damaged belt, may not be much good when you need it most.
Seatbelt Solutions can re-web your belt(s), they have the knowledge and testing equipment to do a safe and proper replacement of the webbing. They also make some very nice replacement belt sets.
Personally, I wouldn't be to quick to just stop the fraying and clean the belt, once it's become damaged and frayed. The damage caused by catching it in the latch, very likely has affected the integrity of the webbing. I'd be very careful about the using cleaning fluids on any seat belt too, but especially on old ones. The strength of the belts and stitching, may be effected by the chemicals in some cleaning materials.
Maybe I'm a little over cautious, but after being around racing, most of my life, I'm a big seat belts.
A previously damaged belt, may not be much good when you need it most.
