Seat belts in early beetle?

Kuchster Insano Dub Head

762 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 14 Feb 2010, 5:44 pm

#762640

What do people do in early beetles, ovals, early square windows?

Retractables a possibility? What about if you run semaphores, if you bolt it up too high the seatbelt cuts into your neck, what about the base? ovals have small b pillars. Is it wiser to just run lap belts all the way around?

Retractable for the front would be good, dont mind about the back. Bolt to the floorpan instead of the b pillar?

Any ideas or pics of what people have done? Been searching for hours without much luck.

Cheers

Kuch's Laser Cut Products
http://www.kuch.com.au/laser

Camo Custom Title Time!

1,936 posts · joined Oct 2007 · 14 Feb 2010, 6:05 pm

#762642

Come on Rob, cant believe you didn't ask me !!

Try this link and scroll down to number 21
http://www.thebugshop.org/bsp57_.htm

Then this link and scroll down to 'The Beetle Body' and its the last point.
http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfqindx.htm

These are two good sites for a lot of other information also.

Kev

I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!

Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.

Kuchster Insano Dub Head

762 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 14 Feb 2010, 7:13 pm

#762663

Saw the second link already, the first one is good, but, i dont think he is running semaphores, as the seatbelt is bolted on in the semaphore region, and cant seem to see any semaphore holes in the pics.

What did you do on the bottom front seat mount door side?

Kuch's Laser Cut Products
http://www.kuch.com.au/laser

Camo Custom Title Time!

1,936 posts · joined Oct 2007 · 14 Feb 2010, 7:18 pm

#762667

Kuchster wrote:What did you do on the bottom front seat mount door side?

Do you mean for the lower seatbelt mount for the driver. If so, It will be a bracket off the floor similar to that in the link above.

If you are asking about the seat mount, I didn't touch them at all.

Kev

I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!

Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.

Kuchster Insano Dub Head

762 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 14 Feb 2010, 7:28 pm

#762670

Yeah the seatbelt i meant, seems to be the best option off the floor. Anyone else got any ideas for 3 point in the front with semaphores? Or is the only option lap belts or no belts at all and your life?

Kuch's Laser Cut Products
http://www.kuch.com.au/laser

71dub Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Sep 2008 · 15 Feb 2010, 3:23 pm

#762794

saw one at the nationals guy has seat belts out of a dawoo lanos bottom of seat belt was on a rail so when seat folded forward you didnt get caught in the seat belt when getting out of the car .

57oval Officially Full-On Dubber

305 posts · joined Oct 2006 · 15 Feb 2010, 8:36 pm

#762825

Kuchster wrote:Yeah the seatbelt i meant, seems to be the best option off the floor. Anyone else got any ideas for 3 point in the front with semaphores? Or is the only option lap belts or no belts at all and your life?

On my oval i driiled a hole just above the semaphores on the inside of the B pillar. Installed a 3mm plate 40x 40mm with nut welded on through the semaphore opening with a welding rod to hold it in place, then bolt it up from the inside.

Kuchster Insano Dub Head

762 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 15 Feb 2010, 9:56 pm

#762848

Isnt the seatbelt mounted too high? I did a test in the superbug i had and at that height is really in the way of your neck? And im quite tall as well so i'd hate to see someone shorter wearing it?

Kuch's Laser Cut Products
http://www.kuch.com.au/laser

57oval Officially Full-On Dubber

305 posts · joined Oct 2006 · 16 Feb 2010, 7:05 pm

#762942

Kuchster wrote:Isnt the seatbelt mounted too high? I did a test in the superbug i had and at that height is really in the way of your neck? And im quite tall as well so i'd hate to see someone shorter wearing it?

I am 6ft 1 and have no issues, if you are shorter you have to put the seat forward anyway to reach the pedals which changes the angle of the seat belt over your shoulder.

zayus Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 19 Feb 2010, 9:22 am

#763296

Check out the thread: http://aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=81893&page=1#pid762332

Phil74Camper posted a great old shot from a 1962 Australian VW brochure.

The pictures from the brochure show the anchor points used by Volkswagen for installing seatbelts.

The mounting point for the shoulderbelt is low in the B-pillar, making it less likely to interfere with the semphore.
Yes, I am aware that by 1962, VW was no longer using semaphores for turn signals 🙂

The position of the anchor point looks as though it placed there for strength (d'uh!), and so that it would be easier to retro-fit seatbelts to earlier cars from the '50's.

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