Seat belts in non seat belt cars

[Jojax]

What is opinion like out there? Anybody fitted seat belts into an older pre-seat belt car?
Safety v Originality? I have to say that I'll probably feel a bit vulnerable without being strapped in......

[LouiseM]

There was an article in a classic car magazine a few years back about a Minor owner who had spent several years restoring his series II to original spec. He subsequently died in a crash and the coroner concluded that his life would have been saved if he had been wearing a seat belt. It's your choice but I'd choose safety over originality!

[philthehill]

Ease of fitting depends upon the age of your Minor as some Minors have the seat belt fixings incorporated into the body work but not the seat belts.
When I worked in the BMC garage I fitted lots of seat belts into Minors both with and without the incorporated fittings.
Whatever you fit make sure that the bodywork around the anchorage points is sound and use spreader plates or special mounting plates i.e.
https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/sp ... nf-wil-plt
If the mountings are not incorporated into your car body.
Make sure that you follow the manufactures fitting instructions especially regarding the location of the anchorages and the angle of the belts in relation to the person being held by those belts.
There is a whole section (Section R) in the Minor Wksp Manual regarding fitting of seatbelts to the various mks of Minor.

[mike.perry]

It only takes one idiot to pull out in front of you

[philthehill]

On the other side of the coin:-
Many years ago my sister lost control of her BMC Mini on black ice and ended up in a water logged ditch. The policeman who attended the accident said to her that if she had been wearing a seat belt she would not have got out alive as she would have drowned.
I have always had seat belts in my Minor and would not drive without them holding me in place; and with my modern car the same but of course the law expect now you to wear them if fitted and if you do not wear them two things can happen you can get fined for not wearing them and if you are in an accident even if it was not your fault your compensation could be reduced.
I would always advise persons to wear a seat belt - the risk to ones person (and wallet ) is too great to ignore.

[Dean]

Would fit a seat belt every time. We could discuss or argue the physical benefits in an accident until we are all blue in the face. In my opinion they are legal for good reason.

Not really a fitting guide as such, but should help if this is the route you choose to go down.


Rear.

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... 40#p318940

Front
http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=43231

[Jojax]

Would it be easier to fit the old static belts?

[jagnut66]

Hi,
I have static ones fitted in mine. They are the original grey ones and better than nothing. That said I would prefer (and feel safer with) inertia ones, so as soon as I find a nice set of (classic looking) grey ones with chrome fittings I shall refit the original static ones in the rear, where they will do fine and look better than the modern black static ones fitted in there by a previous owner.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[Jojax]

Hi Mike
Are they 2 point or 3 point static? Feel as if I should fit something......

[ASL642]

If you want seat belts fit inertia ones.

[ASL642]

Jagnut66 These firms make them in all colours

http://www.hemco.com.au/seatbelt-divisi ... -seatbelts

http://www.quickfitsbs.com/seat_belts.php

[GBond]

Hi Jojax, if your car already has the fixings for them then fitting is quite easy and about an afternoon's worth of work.

I went with the inertia ones from ESM since they were very well priced and don't look that out of place in my pickup. I did search for some with chrome or metal fasteners but in the end the added cost was just too much.

Earlier cars without fixing points will be a bigger job with welding involved but I would still recommend doing it. Go for 3 point belts, they're much better.

In the first month after finishing a full restoration I had two or three close calls which made me decide to fit the seatbelts, many passengers nowadays also expect seatbelts and some might refuse to get into a car without them.

[Jojax]

No fixing points in my car, unfortunately. That's what's concerning me a tad.
Couldn't live with myself if I caused any injury or worse. I knew there would be drilling involved....but welding?

[philthehill]

When fitting original type seat belts into a Minor with or without the incorporated safety belt fittings you DO NOT have to carry out any welding!
So long as you follow the instructions in the BMC wksp manual Section R you will be alright. Only if the body structure is of poor quality i.e. RUSTY in the area of the anchorage points would you be required to weld repair before fitting the seat belt anchorages.
As I said in my earlier post I was working (as a mechanic) in a BMC garage when the requirement for seat belts came about and never had to weld. Previous to the legal requirement for seat belts drivers of Minors and of other BMC cars wanted seat belts fitting and again I never had to weld but had to make sure that the seat belt anchorage points were located in a suitable position and the bodywork around the anchorage was sound.
The biggest headache in fitting seat belts to a Minor was getting the hole in the traveller door wooden capping just right.
Use spreader plates behind the metal when fitting the anchorage points. These help spread the load when the seat belt is required in earnest.
If you want to fit some fancy seat belts into a Minor you may then have to weld in suitable anchorage points but for what you are intending to do NO welding is required.
Good luck with the fitting.

[GBond]

Sorry for causing confusion, I assumed the fixing points had to be welded along with the spreader plates but I stand corrected.

[jagnut66]

Jagnut66 These firms make them in all colours

Thanks ASL642, when I have a spare couple of hundred I'll go for it.

[ASL642]

Agreed - they're not cheap which is why most people stick to the boring black ones, but they do look good

[Jojax]

Are there any belts from another car......maybe a Metro......that could be used in a Minor, without any modification?