My '69 Fasty needs new seat belts.... but if they don't have a sticker on the back saying AS2596 (complying with Australian Standards) then I can't use them. Where am I going to get original-style seatbelts that comply? None would have that sticker on them would they? They need to to pass Vic roadworthy, but I can't even be sure my Beetle has the sticker even though it was RWC a year ago.

If you've bought original-style seatbelts for your classic veedub, do they have the sticker on them somewhere? If they do, where did you get them from because I want some! Also... if you've recently bought new seatbelts and they don't have the sticker on them anywhere, did they pass VicRoads RWC without a problem?

Apparently, if your seatbelts used to have the sticker and it has worn off, you need new belts even though they originally complied. Police can pull you up and check (though they'd have to be a moron officer and having a crappy day to pick on something as useless as that...)

I don't know what to do now, the seatbelts I want are made in US from cip1.com and wouldn't have the sticker... even if I find seatbelts from an Aussie VW supplier, they wouldn't probably have the sticker either... especially if they are Empi seatbelts which are made in US anyway.



[ Edited on 8/6/2006 by Pretty_Blue_Bug ]

Hi Laura,
New Australian made seat belts would have the registered compliance numbers... AS2596
same as New cars coming in the country should aslo have them...

I was told by a fellow who had bought an imported used Japanese car , a few years ago, that the seat belts were cut in half so they had to be renewed... and the tyres were scrapped as they did not have Australian compliance tyres..
Thats all I can remember...

I have never heard or anyone checking those numbers in NSW...
the Mechanic doing blue & green slips locally here didn't check any of My seat belts in My Beetle..

I wouldn't be concerned Laura....
Police etc who can defect Your car etc are usually nice to people with old cars....
so long as they look in good condition....

Technically speaking... the USA seat belts would be the same as those made here...
just a number shouldn't make any difference...

I just hope there are No nasty police people reading this post....


cheers Laura

Lee

Klippan sell a large range of belts you might be able to use. Avaliable from Autobarn,Autopro,Supercheap etc
Australian Made so will meet AS2596

So can you get NEW Australian Made seatbelts in original-style (with VW logo clip-in-bit) from a VW Parts Supplier for OLD cars that DO have the sticker on them? I feel bad for asking 50 million questions! :P

You're baffling Me with Science Laura :P:P:P

Good Question....

My 68 Beetle has all the belts... original...
front & back....

I remember My Fathers 64 Beetle had all the seatbelt
mounting holes with plastic bolts in them....

We have licensed fitiings stations in NSW where You get child restraints etc fitted to Your car...
so, I think You may still have to restrain the children...

Lee

Now You have two Air Cooled Volkswagens Laura...

Is Two going to be enough??? :P:P:P:P:P

Whats the limit..??? :P:P:P

Have a good weekend....

no looking in the trading post or ebay either..:P:P:P

Lee

Hahaha, thanx Lee. Yeah I have 2 now, and that's how many I'm keeping with because 2 is my lucky number! :P


Back to the seatbelt thing, if I find some NOS seatbelts for my Fasty or suitable original-style VW ones, will they pass roadworthy without having an AS2596 sticker? I could just say they'd been in there since the car was born....

There should be some out there somewhere Laura...

They would have Volkswagen and maybe the date on them...
There would have been standards back then I presume..

but I don't think they can make You fit new ones unless there is something wrong with them....

I'll see if mine have anything written on a tag....

Lee

I bought new Wolfsburg West seatbelts and they didn't mention anything about it during roadworthy...though I guess you could have a real picky inspector?

....well Laura you could buy the imported ones to put in later and just buy cheap Aussie compliance ones to get roadworthy?

....just so long as you don't have to drill different holes or anything

I put Wolsburg ones into Bel but didn't need to go for a roadworthy...I'm sure you could get away with it like Canni said? :sandrine

I'm sure others have dohne it too...

Mine don't have any tags on them at all....

One other thing, the old seat belts didn't fray like the newer ones do.....

they are made of a harder material.....

then they made them nice & soft.... but they fray very easily over the years.....

I was going to replace My original seatbelts with new retractable ones but I've decided to leave the originals in.

Lee

Laura,

Not sure if qld rules the same...and im guessing not, but prolly a little similar. Just went thru all this myself....having registered two cars in 6 months...so here goes

with seatbelts...if u have anything other than the originals, they need to be up to aust stanards. Here in qld, ur also up for an engineers to say they meet safety standards. Reason is, apparently if ur fitting inertias, u need to change the bold hole to include additional plate for strength.

Cars pre 72 which didnt have belts in the back arent required to have them put in. but if you do, the passengers need to be wearing them...regardless of whether or not u put them in after the rego or not.

If u put different belts in, then the changes should be notified to transport authority, and engineers noted as well (if necessary) so ur car can be noted as road worthy, therefore being covered by ur insurance company too. If u've made the change, not notified RTA, and not obtained an engineers (if it was necessary) than ur insurance company doesnt have to pay should you or ur passengers be inhured in an accident.

If u have children in car, they must still be restrained.

If u have no belts in back, then they travel in front using the age appropriate restaints. Such as a baby caosule in the front, using the front belt in its appropraite way...that is...main belt restains the capsule...and baby in five point harness.

Now, the 'originals' can apparently include 'new originals' Klippan apparently make a range of 'new originals' (no VW logo) which meet aussie standards (as i recall) so that may be ur best bet....there what im planning in longer term to place into the car...front and back. I prefer these over the inertias...but will use inertias in Elton, as he is being used by a rev head daughter wont doesnt seem to have comcept of picking up belt after she leaves a car...doh!

Also, wreckers technically cant sell u 2nd hand seatbelts, in case they were stretched in an accident...but I do know some of them do anyway....but i'd consider it a bit dodgy...think of ur safety.

You might find someone on the forum has a set of front belts which they ketp after a car rusted ...not involved in an accident...which are 'old originals' which you can use.

For Edith, thats what i did...grabbed them out of a my super which was too far rusted to be saved, and used the in Edith. Hers were inertias, but under roadworthy would not have passed. they weren't the same brand, which stuck out like a sore thumb, and no sticker to say they meet aust standards.

Hope this helps.

on a similar topic, are there any seatbelts available that fit the front of a type-3, since there is major clearance issues with the front panel of the back seat, does anyone know of any (preferably retractable) that will fit?

It seems Laura that if the replacement seatbelts You have
look like the originals You should be OK....

but retractables have to be engineered....

You can buy used seat belts from cars at some wreckers
You take them from cars that haven't been crashed...
they can't take them out for You as its illegal...
they are sold as tow ropes....

Seat belt webbing is very strong, and even if from a crashed car will not break etc.... IMHO...

Lee

BBB, thanx so much for all your info! Must have taken a while to type that...

I think I'll buy some original-looking ones (will look at Klippan and see what theirs are like) and hope for the best. I'd like to keep it looking as original as possible. I'll also get some lap belts for the back, just because it doesn't seem right to not have rear seat belts!

i was told years ago the reason seat belts shouldnt be used after an accident is simply that the way their woven is to have a small amount of give in them when the pressure from a person is thrown forward...but once thats gone, and theres none left...and then pull them back.

This was before pre-tensioners.

Now todl the reason the buckle or plastics breaks is because under stress with the new ones...the pre-tensioners simply dont work well after major stress...say a accident.

They say it just comes down to safety.

And Lee, after speaking with insurance assessors, and also working at a prestige smash repair, you realise the cost of the seatbelts are next to nothing compared to the rest.

Maybe its just me... but i'd throw in something legal, then swap it back to what you want once the RWC's done.

Dads changed his seatbelts about 3 times and we still use the old 60's ones with the magnetic latch that pops open if you so much as sneeze

I figure that a seatbelt is a seatbelt and no sticker is gonna save you, no matter what arguments they use. Besides, elsewhere in the world our seatbelts, even with their sticker, would be illegal too.

That's the thing... police would argue that kids need to be restrained... but you could argue that the car doesn't have to have rear seatbelts.... but then the cops would probably do you for something else just so they win anyway. :P

Laura,
Just get the belts you want. They won't even look.

yeah i agree with 64 Busser.

:P Thanx Brad and McFly, I think I will!

Quote:

Originally posted by fekkinell Maybe its just me... but i'd throw in something legal, then swap it back to what you want once the RWC's done. Dads changed his seatbelts about 3 times and we still use the old 60's ones with the magnetic latch that pops open if you so much as sneeze I figure that a seatbelt is a seatbelt and no sticker is gonna save you, no matter what arguments they use. Besides, elsewhere in the world our seatbelts, even with their sticker, would be illegal too.

I think the nice policeman would book you for not having a restrained kid, and rightly so. I dont think there would be any arguing of any point, not by the policeman anyway.

Klippan wont make an original size belt, they will be all black plastic, red release button type thing. I think there are a few belt colours, but nobody will stock anything other than black, you'd have to order them in. They come in dozens of different lengths of belts ands stalks. I bought 5 different variations for my kombi.

I'd try getting it passed blindly with the non complying repros, maybe the inspectors wont look??? If it passes you win, otherwise you just have to pay out for the two front Klippans just to get it passed and then swap them back. You'll then be able to sell the Klippans to someone else who isnt concerned about originality.

Thanx Amazeer for your info.

I'm thinking to just go with original-style belts from a veedub supplier and see what happens.

Do they really have to have the AS sticker on them?

Or is the person you spoke to just too fat arsed and lazy to look up the equivalent overseas standard?


At least it isnt a race car, then you'd have to change your belts every 5 years.