Shoulder belt question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 455
Likes: 7
From: Lewes Delaware
Shoulder belt question
I've searched and can't seem to locate the answer to this nagging question. My '72 has the rear housings for shoulder belts minus the belts and retractors. My seat backs are solid without the slot in the top for the shoulder belts.
So, were the shoulder belts mounted differenty for '72 with the solid back seats? Do I have non-original seats? Were the shoulder belt housings put in all '72 Vettes regardless? I give up?
So, were the shoulder belts mounted differenty for '72 with the solid back seats? Do I have non-original seats? Were the shoulder belt housings put in all '72 Vettes regardless? I give up?
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I would think that someone changed something but not the seats. The rear quarter trim panels had an extension on them for shoulder harness cars, but the seat back molding usually never lies... IMHO
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
If you had solid seat backs, it is likely that the [optional] shoulder belts were not ordered with your car. The rear/side panels with the cut-out for them could have been installed later...or, the factory may have put the wrong panels in because they were out of the others on the assembly line at the time. GM factories did that kind of 'stuff' in the 70's/80's.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 193
From: Scottsdale Arizona
You didn't say if it is a coupe or convertible. I have a 72 convertible that does not have the shoulder belts. The back of the seats do not have a hole for the shoulder belts. I also wondered why shoulder belts were an option for convertibles.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 455
Likes: 7
From: Lewes Delaware
Mines a coupe. There is no connection or hardware on the B piller for the shoulder belt to hang from. I'll have to look into the cost and involvement in installing them. May just leave well enough alone and stay with the laps. Thanks for the info! As always, you guy are the best!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
you could remove the seat back and fold the skin back enough to see if your seats have the brackets for the "pass thru" type shoulder belt. it should if the seats are original to the car. if the brackets are present, it's not much of a job to install the hardware and cut out the decorative strip on the seat front. then the belts could pass thru the seat without a b pillar support(which i didn't know 72's had).
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
you could remove the seat back and fold the skin back enough to see if your seats have the brackets for the "pass thru" type shoulder belt. it should if the seats are original to the car. if the brackets are present, it's not much of a job to install the hardware and cut out the decorative strip on the seat front. then the belts could pass thru the seat without a b pillar support(which i didn't know 72's had).
Last edited by Paul L; Sep 21, 2011 at 10:53 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,302
Likes: 4,391
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi m,
Since your 72 is a coupe it certainly had the shoulder belts originally.
I'm curious what the piece of interior soft trim looks like since all those pieces should have been set up with the shield for the shoulder belt retractor. Perhaps the shield as been unscrewed from the rest of the trim piece since it was a seperate molding.
Here are a couple of clues as to what you should be seeing back there.
Regards,
Alan
Since your 72 is a coupe it certainly had the shoulder belts originally.
I'm curious what the piece of interior soft trim looks like since all those pieces should have been set up with the shield for the shoulder belt retractor. Perhaps the shield as been unscrewed from the rest of the trim piece since it was a seperate molding.
Here are a couple of clues as to what you should be seeing back there.
Regards,
Alan
