Who doesn't have seat belts in their pre- seat belt era VW???
When did seat belts become Compulsory?
1968 or earlier. I know Aussie made 1964 beetles had the seat belt mounting points and plastic bolts in the threads..
My VW info says the mounts came out in 1962.. not too sure in Aussie made
Beetles.. I wouldn't be without seat belts.
- not that I have an early model beetle...
Lee

My 62 has seat belt anchors

my commercial vehicles dont have seat belts. they are 62 and 65. but i think it became compulsory for all passenger cars in 64.

My old 70 bug had mounts in the back but as it didn't come out with belts fitted they weren't required in the front. I did eventually install them tho.

Once you modify a vehicle the rules change however and in most cases you will be required to install them.

thankfully my ride is not old enough to have this problem, but having been for a ride in a Jaguar of this vintage with no seatbelts, doorhandles that fell off at 70mph along the freeway, i feel that seatbelts are indespensable for piece of mind in any car.

EH Holdens are 1964 and if on club permit plates or never been re registered they can remain with no seatbelts.

I am pretty sure the law came in in 1965 as Holden had a promotional stunt to show the new standard fitment of seatbelts and their strength. The stunt was to suspend a HD Holden from a crane using seatbelt webbing.

Yes,
I remember a fellow years ago had an EH holden and the police were always pulling him up as He didn't have seat belts.... and He didn't put them in either...
Interesting, if You let the rego lapse.. You have to install them.. and 1965 may be Correct, as My fathers 1964 Beetle didn't have them.. What about the Beetles with lap belts only?? I've seen a few of them..
Not very safe....
Lee

my '54 beetle didn't come out of the factory with seatbelts, and therefore won't have any seatbelts.

(while it still has the 36hp in it anyway, just wait till it gets the 1968cc in it, then it'll have harnesses, but that's a different story )

:sandrine
61 were the last ones to come out with no seatbelts...
I have no seatbelts in her & have gone through many rego inspections all the years I have had the ol girl.
She doesn't have any anchor points either so I know she never had any in her.
Even changed states from Qld to NSW & through that inspection no one ever said anything.
Nothing has been said either when I went through police breathalyzers either.
And the ol girl stands out too I must admit, a blonde driving a shiny black VW
No one has ever said anything.
Judy :0)

I think seatbelts went compulsory (rear ones at least) with the advent of ADRs in 1973/74 ish. No idea when VW started fitting them.

My 65 Beetle had lap belts installed by the dealer, at the original purchasers request, in the front but none in the rear. Never had any trouble at rego time, or when we got pulled up by the cops.
Rob..

Yes I had a 1970 type 3 many years ago, and it had all belts.... 71 super bug had them too.... You really need a soft steering wheel & padded dash with lap only belts...

Lee

my aus 56 didn't, (no suprise there ) but the cage and harnesses make up for it.

in answer to your question i would never drive a bug without belts fitted which is why my oval has harnesses, the 60 ghia and my dads oval have massive belt plates welded in

:alien

I'm almost positive that seatbelts were made compulsory in 1968.I had to regester a 67 Fairlane for a friend and I was told it just scraped through without them as it was plated 11/67.

I've always put belts in my VW's. A very tactical and zig zag cutting and fitting of later pillar parts and channel sections was one way I did it in a car.

However, I saw a gorgeous cal look beetle, owned by some of the DAS guys from Belgium. It had 4 point simpson harnesses fitted over a mint condition stock interior. It looked fantastic! And this way you could just fit them to your floor, which is easily fixed if you ever want to go back to no belts.