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Seat belts in early beetle?
Kuchster - February 14th, 2010 at 05:44 PM

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

Camo - February 14th, 2010 at 06:05 PM

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

Kuchster - February 14th, 2010 at 07:13 PM

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?

Camo - February 14th, 2010 at 07:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kuchster
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

Kuchster - February 14th, 2010 at 07:28 PM

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?

71dub - February 15th, 2010 at 03:23 PM

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 - February 15th, 2010 at 08:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kuchster
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 - February 15th, 2010 at 09:56 PM

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?

57oval - February 16th, 2010 at 07:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kuchster
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 - February 19th, 2010 at 09:22 AM

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.