Morris Minor Owners Club

Evening all,
Would anyone know where I can purchase one of these? Finally decided to fit some belts to my 61 rag top, open to any suggestions/advice, recently fitted a set of KA front seats and have the KA belts. Seats are great but they do not drop strait in and cannot be fitted to original MM bolt holes, when I get a chance will start a new tread and add some pics.
Thank You.[frame][/frame]

Hi,
TOM ROY do these 'L' shaped brackets for seat belts, I have a couple from them myself.
Link below - if your not sure give them a ring, their number is on the 'contact us' page.
Best wishes,
Mike.

http://www.tomroy.co.uk/parts.php

I REALLY don't think these brackets are safe. In a crash they will just bend over - very easily!!!

bmcecosse wrote:I REALLY don't think these brackets are safe. In a crash they will just bend over - very easily!!!

Exactly, look like the bkts will bend when the MoT man tests them!

I cant see it getting through am mot with them like that

Not sure about all of that but If they are secure,the mot should be ok.The tester isn't allowed to test to destruction and By the look of them would take a bit of bending by hand. they look fairly hefty guage ,and certainly better than just fitted to door post. Like I have had to do in my four door.Maybe they would bend under severe impact but better than no seat belt at all.

I am no engineer, but I would feel much happier if the bracket was redesigned to include an additional pick-up point for the bracket on the top part of the B-post. I don't know whether this would be possible for a rag-top though.

Don

Contact "Drivewasher" for his thoughts as he's an MoT man.

don58van wrote:I am no engineer, but I would feel much happier if the bracket was redesigned to include an additional pick-up point for the bracket on the top part of the B-post. I don't know whether this would be possible for a rag-top though.

Don

The post is just to hold the rear side screen, No roof to suport it at the top so probably not much more support,the only way to be sure is to fit the old style,non retractable belts where they are fixed way back on the body.

Full harness from the floor...

Ignoring the fact that they'll bend, they seem to be attached by 2 M6 bolts. That, combined with the bendy design, surely can't be safe.

It's not up to the NT (nominated tester) to decide wether they are fitted in accordance to any regs. We have to check that the belts if fitted work by pulling them out the full length and checking the webbing for cuts ,frays, stitching coming undone etc; Check that the buckle fits and lock into the receptacle AND that it can be released with the button whilst the belt is under tension.
The structure around the 3 fixings along with the stem fixing if to body need to be checked for corrosion, damage or inappropriate repair within 30cm. If the stalk is attached to the seat then the seat fixings become the seat belt "prescribed area".
So that bracket as long as the bodywork within 30cm radius of it's fixings is "sound" then it's a pass from me!

Welshrat,

If you have Ka seats fitted do they tip forward to let people in the back seat? If so the seat belt stalk must be fixed to the floor or some form of locking the back of the seat down to the floor. Otherwise under seat belt test the seat won't be secure and thats an rfr (reason for failure)

Thank you for your comments, been driving this minor off and on for 33 years without belts and thankfully no accidents. I recognise that the brackets may fail and that the seat fixings may be ripped out from the floor but I think that even if they do I will have a slightly better chance of survival than having nothing but the solid dash, metal steering wheel or sharp edge above the screen to bounce off. I guess its an age thing as its only recently that I have considered the risks involved, also driving today is so very different to when I passed my test in 1981 and very, very different to when the car was built in 1961. Any other ideas on how best to fit belts would be great.

If the seat belt "socket" is mounted to the seat then as long as there is no corrosion or damage to the structure (IE floorpan/cills) 30 cm around all 4 seat fixings then its a pass. I have seen KA type seats fixed to the floor at the 4 corners and the actuall seat back unlocks with a lever in the seat and tips forward to allow access to rear seat

My KA seats are fixed both front and rear, pretty confident that they are secure, if they are gonna come out the whole front floor section is going with them! My minor is a pre belt motor so no existing belt points and to complicate matters its a rag top so a little more fragile.

welshrat wrote:My KA seats are fixed both front and rear, pretty confident that they are secure, if they are gonna come out the whole front floor section is going with them! My minor is a pre belt motor so no existing belt points and to complicate matters its a rag top so a little more fragile.

Check body number mid 61 for seatbelt anchorage points.

Don't think theres much problem with the lower mountings on any of the minor range,even early models with no factory fitted mountings can be made sound via plates under tunnel and behind sill,its the upper mount that causes the problem,Two doors no problem, just fitted way back where there is plenty of metal to get hold of. Its four doors , and convertables where there is little bodywork to mount onto,even worse with ser11 where the B post is cut out to fit the trafficators, But as said anything is better than no belts.

Had a go at fitting those KA belts today. They are not perfect and await the comments regarding the flat bars and lower mounting points, however, I do think that they will increase my chances of surviving an accident. The flat bars are circa 1940/50 tyre levers and I failed to bend them when fixed in my vice by the way. Any how here are a few pics.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

12 is missing, here it is[frame][/frame]