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Okay I am not stating that my seats in my 70 have the original covers. But they are the correct comfort weave perforated material. But the outside opening on both seats has never been trimmed out so the belt could run through it. I have seen a few others the same way. Is it possible the factory may have missed this on some?
Doubtful if the the rear shoulder harness assemblies are installed. It would have NEVER left that facotry with the option that someone paid for could not be used.
Or as least I have never heard that the customer or dealership was responsible to cut the seat covers....it just does not make sense.
Hi m,
Any chance that your car is a convertible? The shoulder belts were still an option for the 1970 model year on convertibles.
Are you saying the vinyl wasn't cut or that the upper trim is blocked?
What's on the back of the seat where the belt passers through?
From what I read a car without shoulder belts got different upper trim on the seats. There wasn't an opening in the outer portion for the belt to pass through.
A photo of of the seat cove will pretty likely show if it's the original or not.
Regards,
Alan
Hi M, You're quick!
This is what you'd see on a seat intended to have shoulder belts but the vinyl hasn't been cut yet.
This would be the appearance on a seat on a car without shoulder belts.
The vinyl cut.
This the rear of the seat on a seat for shoulder set up for the shoulder belt. The vinyl hasn't been cut yet.
The vinyl cut. You can see the screw holes for the small bezel.
Verts had shoulders as options (I believe his is a coupe)
Alan, I've wondered about that window. The drivers and passengers are identical and the AIM only lists a single part number (3976579 for my 72) but never mentions punching out the left or right window.
It does show how to trim the cover but nothing about opening the window in the metal trim piece.
I can only guess they came with both sides closed and either left both (vert 70-71) and opening them on assembly as needed.
Just odd it's not called out
M
Hi M,
I too see only 1 number (L&R) upper trim listed.
I've seen the trim with both sides 'sealed' so they exist, but I don't know how they ended up on cars without shoulder belts.
???
Are they carry over parts from when cars with shoulder belts had them run up over the seat back rather than through it?
Regards,
Alan
My guess is they all had the little windows in when delivered to GM and the people assembling the seats knocked out the correct one (left/right/none) when they installed.
If you look at the back they are only held in by a few small "tabs" and would be easily popped out.
Just hard to imaging GM leaving how and when to do that to the lowly worker and not detailing it in the AIM
M
I don't have my AIM with me but had a look at CC as they often have GM part numbers. The seat back trim without the hole is said to be 3976548 and the part with the hole is said to be 3976552.
Wonder if gone away from the OPs question far enough yet
M
Probably
The seat frames are different, as the ones without shoulder belts don't have slots to pass through. The seat covers, however, are not precut and are used for both. I would presume that it just wasn't cut when the cover was replaced. When I got my car, it had new seat covers, the correct trim (with hole) and retractors, but the slot wasn't cut in the seat or the foam and the bezels were missing. Actually took a bit of work with a utility knife to make it right.
Hi M,
The list you posted does seem to indicate 3 possibilities:
No hole
Right hole
Left hole
The numbers for the 2 escutcheons with holes seem to agree with the usual right 'even', left 'odd', number system.
Regards,
Alan
Hi M,
The list you posted does seem to indicate 3 possibilities:
No hole
Right hole
Left hole
The numbers for the 2 escutcheons with holes seem to agree with the usual right 'even', left 'odd', number system.
Regards,
Alan
You're right… much ado about very little!
Yup, my AIM doesn't seem to distinguish between right and left when they installed that insert.
There is a single word "DISCARD" pointing to the general area where the knock out would be on the later page where it shows how to cut the vinyl and also shows to install the escutcheon (also L/R PNs) on the rear.
If the prior years are the same it's like they installed the inside guide and fully blocked plates on all seats and then punched them open, trimmed the vinyl and installed the rear escutcheon as needed
Question on shoulder belts
