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Seatbelts in a 56 Oval

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desminton Learner Dubber

16 posts · joined Mar 2010 ·

#773435
Dear all

The previous owner of my 56 Bug must have had seatbelts as there are plates welded to the pillar suitable for a 3 point belt. Can anyone recommend a good after market belt, I've spotted some on a US site which look period (see pic)

Cheers

Des

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Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#773484
True - wouldn't be allowed on a car made after the ADRs came in in '71.

But should be fine on a '56 that didn't come with seatbelts in the first place.

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#773524
erm I think regardless of pre rules if it's a recent aftermkt fitout Aussie standards would have to be adhrered to as I'm sure the insurance co would pull any claim without oz standard being followed
if it didn't come with belts why have em?
if ya really want em maybe a lap belt will suffice
cheers paul
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grumble Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,672 posts · joined Jun 2008 ·

#773527
The seat belts & mounting points should be engineer certified as it is a modification to a standard vehicle.Another reason for this is for your own safety,I did a vehicle recently that had bels fitted,they looked neat but the top mounting points used 1/4" coach bolts and the lower points were very weak also,possibly would have pulled through the pan in an impact if the top points didn't let go first.I know this argument has been had before but when it is a safety issue why risk geting injuredor killed to save a couple of dollars.h you say why fit them or just a lap belt? How many race cars or production vehicles use lap belts?

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#773663
Many cars use lap belts in the centre of the rear seat - my '95 Golf does. Lap belts were a common 'aftermarket' kit for front seats in the 1960s when cars didn't come with seat belts as standard. Many of them used aircraft-style belts and buckles, which planes still use. I remember our family '59 Beetle had a set, and having to root around under the seat every time trying to find both ends.

We are talking about a 1956 model car. It was not made with seat belts, and spent much of its 54 years driving around without seat belts - as every other car made in the 1950s did. VWs did not even have seat belt mounting holes until 1962. No Australian state even required cars to have seat belts until 1968 (VIC). Insurance companies would recognise that a 1956 car is a 'vintage' car, like they would if an accident involved an FJ Holden, a WW2 era Jeep, a Model A or Model T Ford, or any other car that wasn't built with seat belts.

That said, of course if you do fit seat belts to a 1956 car, you still want to do it properly.

grumble Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,672 posts · joined Jun 2008 ·

#773681
Phil that is exactly my point,there is nothing more devastating than coming to the scene of an accident and finding someone who is very precious to you being put in an ambulance with life threatening injuries because a car load of old white leghorns who had been at the club all afternoon came around the corner on the wrong side of the road ,smashed into the little Datto,tore the front off and the seat belt failed causing untold injuries that still give grief to this day.The Datto was still fairly new at that stage but that didn't help. But I make no apologies for my thoughts in this area,even if the cars are 60 years old it doesn't mean no one will be injured in a crash.

clinker42 Officially Full-On Dubber

381 posts · joined Aug 2008 ·

#773743
VW54

Why are US made seat belts not allowed in Australia, Camaro,s Corvettes and Mustangs etc, all have USA made seat belts and they comply with the relevant ADR's

57 oval Oval type 4 Fuel Injected

184 posts · joined Feb 2008 ·

#773749
No they dont my nephew just bought a mustang in from the states and one of the things he had to do to get it passed was change the belts, this is in SA
1957 Oval type IV
1956 Oval poss project
1954 Oval impossible project
Ass 70's Beetles
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Plipton Learner Dubber

2 posts · joined May 2010 ·

#780389
desminton wrote:Dear all

The previous owner of my 56 Bug must have had seatbelts as there are plates welded to the pillar suitable for a 3 point belt. Can anyone recommend a good after market belt, I've spotted some on a US site which look period (see pic)

Cheers

Des
Hi Des,

I am restoring my 54 oval and would also like to add belts for safety. I know it'll never be as safe as a new car but with over 100BHP in the back and an 18 month old daughter to consider I want to make it as safe as possible.

Could you possibly post up or email me some pix of the front top mounts please. The rest is a doddle but the area between the bottom of the rear side window and the bottom of the semaphore aperture seems like the only realistic option for the front belts' top mount (similar to 62 on cars I guess).

Thanks in advance

Cheers
Rick
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