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Seat belts in Beetles.
oldturtle22 - March 16th, 2014 at 10:16 AM

Im looking at fitting seat belts to my Beetle. If anyones got pics of where and how your are fitted please post pics up. Thanks in advance

Joel - March 16th, 2014 at 10:29 AM

What year Beetle?

62 and later has stock mounting points, although the upper sash mounts of 67 and earlier are way too low.

oldturtle22 - March 16th, 2014 at 01:56 PM

Sorry it's a 59

pfillery - March 16th, 2014 at 09:32 PM

I don't think 59 had them so whatever you fit has to be engineered into there. I had a 66 that was set up for sash only belts so had the stalk mounting in the central tunnel and the one above the shoulder, none for the bottom.

Mine had been retrofitted by plating under the floor, directly below the pillar. Only easy place I think unless you plan to weld points into the body on the heater channel, still have to be engineered whichever way. I think that's why seatbelts are often still left off these things, any seatbelt has to be better than none but the cost and red tape to engineer is too much.

Also seen plenty bolted through the pillar to put in the shoulder mount.

Camo - March 17th, 2014 at 08:36 AM

Hi there,

this should help you as id did me with my 61 model.

http://www.thebugshop.org/bsp57_10.htm

And then click 'Resto Index' at the bottom centre of page for a lot more resto information.

Kev

oldturtle22 - March 17th, 2014 at 08:10 PM

Thanx for that link Kev. Quite helpful

Performance Upholstery - March 17th, 2014 at 09:30 PM

Might be best to get that done before the interior goes in Chris! Don't really want to be peeling headliners and carpets back to weld around them... If you need a little bit more time just let me know.

psimitar - March 17th, 2014 at 11:16 PM

If you go 3 point inertia belts then the tricky part is the upper B pillar strengthener but for both upper and lower plates you need to cut a letterbox opening in the side of the pillar to allow you to slip the strnegtheners in. I made some clamping plates of 8mm steel with 4 threaded holes in the corners so I could flatten the curve of the pillar to allow the strengthener to sit properly and used the 4 holes to plug weld the strengtheners in.
Tunnel can be done by welding thick wire to the strengther and then feeding it from the gear linkage cover down to the stalks mounting hole in the tunnel and then plug welded in place.
All the strengthener plates must have radiused edges and need the 7/16 nut welded to the back of them for the seat belt bolts. 7/16 is the world wide used standard for seat belts but so long as using high tensile bolts then M12 should work but you need fine thread M12 :)