Subject: retractable seat belts for a 68 bug rear seats
ned
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posted on September 28th, 2004 at 12:39 PM
retractable seat belts for a 68 bug rear seats
Having just had my 68 bug pass its blue slip it is now a legal NSW vehicle . My "mini" resto now begins and i am starting with the seat belts.
Whilst i can put retractables in the front, is this model bug suited to retractables in the back or am i better off putting the older style webbed
version in? There are no belts currently in the rear but the manufactured holes are there.
The reason i ask this question is because, as you know the rear of the bug is sloped and when the Repco guy and i were looking thru the brochure,
there was mention of three different types of belt depending on degrees/angles of the anchor point. The brochure was, and i cant remember so i am
guessing at the brand name, but it was something like "klipsel" or "klipart" or some such name. It was mentioning some belts suited to 10 degrees
angles etc. hence my question.
thanx volks
i plan to live forever.....so far so good.
penguin
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posted on September 28th, 2004 at 06:49 PM
I think you mean Klippan, and I have looked at this for the rear of my 56. But then again I am taking the VW seat out and dropping a Mazda 121 rear
set in as well :duh where you will/may hit problems is that the retractables require more holes than the straight webbing ones (or at least in my mind
they do).
One hole in the shell for the female part (the locking bit okay) at the back of the seats, one hole up high on the outside edge for the pivoting point
(usually just above and behind your head), one down low at the side of the seat for the sash anchor point, then another down low around the parcel
area floor for the spool. So a total of four holes when I am fairly sure you'll find the bug only has three, The one you will be missing is the one
on the parcel shelf area at the rear.
Now it sounds easy to just get another put in, or to just put the spool up high, but be careful as they have a locking mechanism that may activate at
certain angles, so you have to play about to find what works.
So in short, no your bug wasn't fitted for retractable rears, yes the older style fit, but you can put retractables in with a bit of effort.
Up to you as to whether it is worth it.
Confused :duh
'Ah, whatever................'
ned
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posted on September 29th, 2004 at 09:17 AM
thanx for your reply
i can put them in the front, so i may put my old front ones in the back as the holes are already there and match. At this point i am waiting on a set
of high back seats for the front, just as a safety thing.
and yes, "Klippan"!!!, thats them!
cheers ned
i plan to live forever.....so far so good.
penguin
A.k.a.: Chris
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posted on September 29th, 2004 at 12:15 PM
Sweet
I could suggest that if you aren't fully aware of the history of your front belts, then when you buy retractables for the front, splurge and get two
new lap-sash ones for the rear as well
I know that its an expensive exercise, but can you be sure of what your seat belts have been through in their probable 34 yr life so far? are they
original? if so REPLACE THEM!!! if not, how old are they? have they been through a crash? exposed to too much UV etc etc.
As you can see I am a wee bit paraoid about belts. Especially as you are going to the effort to put good ones in the front, who is likely to be in the
rear of the car? and are they worth the effort/cost of buying new ones as well?
As for high back seats... well, I have a set of 72 high backs that I am getting rid of... but thats a different subject and post...................
