Minor seat belt history?

[LobbyLudd]

Doing a bit of academic research in connection with my local branch on subject of seat belts and the Minor.

Understand so far :-
The very first seat belt points were factory fitted within the last run of 948 model bodyshells in 1961. and subsequently with introduction of the the Minor1000 (1098 models 1962 on ) there was revised/improved seat belt anchor points.

Initially seat belts in these cases from 1961 were always an optional extra that could be fitted by dealers, up until June 1964, when legislation then led to static front belts being fitted as a matter of course by dealers with inertia belts available as an approved accessory.
I also understand seat belts were later factory fitted from Jan 1971 when seat belts became mandatory.
(However legislation requiring the actual wearing of seat belts did not start until as late as 1983)

It appears Britax were a priciple 'BMC approved accessory ' maker of the time of the Minor ?
I am sure Kangol supplied 'magnetic catch' belts etc. later for certain Mini's and 1100's direct to Cowley and as a dealer replacement accessory with the BMC rosette on the catch ?
Does anyone know who made the original Minor belts that were factory fitted ?

Any info gratefully received

[jaekl]

Most of my Minors are 61 and newer. I have one 67 and there is a bar spaced off the rear floor foot wheel in the corner near the rear seat. There also is a female threaded boss protruding in the rear fender well for what looks like a rear seat belt anchor. are these the seat belt anchors for that vintage?

[LobbyLudd]

Most of my Minors are 61 and newer. I have one 67 and there is a bar spaced off the rear floor foot wheel in the corner near the rear seat. There also is a female threaded boss protruding in the rear fender well for what looks like a rear seat belt anchor. are these the seat belt anchors for that vintage?

Jaekl - When you say "rear fender well" do you mean the small section just inside the rear boot lid (you call the trunk in the states) If so that has a female threaded piece to take the spare wheel holding clamp. Don't know about your other bar section bit afraid.
Would have thought someone would have had some idea for you - but you never seem to know what odd subjects are answered in larger numbers or not and why on this site ?

Also re my own enquiry, I am perhaps beginning to think there is probably so few 'old un's ' with any Nuffield Organisation/Morris Motors ( ex Cowley or old BMC dealerships) having certain direct memories that certain obscure questions may be getting increasingly difficult to answer.

[philthehill]

As an old un with BMC dealership workshop experience and having fitted many seat belts into the Minor retrospectively I can positively say that Britax seat belts were the preferred seat belt when fitting seat belts both pre and post seat belt legislation.
The first seat belts I came across and fitted in a BMC car which was well before seat belt legislation were made by Delany Gallay which though three point fastening had straps over both shoulders.
The British Standard for seat belts in 1961 was B.S. 3254.
Prior to the legislation there were a multitude of seat belt manufactures and suppliers
For example:-
Enfield.
Bradville Trading Co Ltd.
Britax.
Raydyot.
Irvine Air Chute of GB.
Regency Covers.
Western Machinery and Equipment Co Ltd.
Proctor Industries Ltd
Kangol Magnet - Largest seat belt supplier in Europe by 1969.
Materials used then were man made - nylon, terylene and rayon
There is a very good period article in Car Mechanics March 1961 relating to the fitting of seat belts.
Some manufactures supplied fitting instructions whilst others just left it up to the common sense of the fitter.
An interesting point - seat belts that ran from the door pillar to floor without lap belt were classifies as the Swedish type - used by Volvo up to 1960.
Details for the fitting of seat belts into the Morris Minor with change COM numbers can be found in BMC wksp manual Section R 34 - R 39.

http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice ... s-history/
http://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advi ... istory.pdf

[LobbyLudd]

The wonder still of this site
What a relief, that there are still 'old uns' like this willing to provide their past wealth of knowledge for the benefit of the next generation of classic owners.

Many thanks, thats all the info needed for my study piece.

[POMMReg]

Seatbelt anchorage points commenced - going by body numbers quoted in workshop manuals - 10k prior to accepted chassis number.

Around the 914*** mark(all models) less LCVs

[philthehill]

Could you please enlarge on the - "10k prior to accepted chassis numbers" - quoted by and accepted by whom?

Personally I would prefer to trust the various COM (body numbers) quoted in the BMC workshop manuals.
Phil

[POMMReg]

I think the OMM book states introduction chassis number as 925xxx (all models), but w/shop body numbers indicate 914xxx (all models).

For example; a M/AW3 925*** would have body nos. c95***, yet the w/shop manual lists 90769 - remembering each varients had its own series - was discussed on the morrisminorowners site several years ago.

Prob. before 914***, (as using 2013 list as reference)

NO idea with LCVs, anyone on here with a 1964/5 LCV to check please? Will have BS1965 on chassis plate.

[philthehill]

Many thanks for the explanation.
Phil

[LobbyLudd]

Wondered how those very first factory fitted anchorage points were revised/improved in the subsequent 1098 series and wether there are earlier cars knocking around with the first version still being used satifactorily and presume still all safely ?
Good Greif a little ashamed to remember with hindsight that I fitted my own anchorages in my old Minor convertible in the early 1960's that originally had none at all with a 'kit' from Halfords Just drilled and bolted through the floor to the nearest, what appeared, suitable 'guessed' point. (But a huge number of us did this in those days! ) Then soon followed later the two 'red bucket' type child seats again to the nearest 'guessed' fixing porsitions in the back. Hope if that car survived and others similarly D.I.Y. fitted has had all the fixings checked or if necessary modified for present day use suitabilty !!

[POMMReg]

What did I do on my Birthday?!

Talk about Minor seatbelt anchorages and chassis plate stamping!!

Yesterday, DID dig out the Rolls Royce badge from the bumper of SUH 721H, the partition from a Metro mailvan and find an alloy PO Engineers bin/GPO FA box I never knew I had!

WoW!!

[philthehill]

Whilst the seat belt mountings may and that is a 'BIG MAY' have been improved the crashworthiness of a Morris Minor has not.
The location of the seat belt mountings have not changed just the incorporation of strengthening plates into the body wereas before their incorporation the seat belt kits were supplied with strengthening plates to sandwich the body metal.
Fitting seat belts into a Minor was and still is a bit of an afterthought as the Minor body was never designed for the fitting of seat belts from original conception.
There is no way that seat belts currently fitted in the Morris Minor can compare with the those fitted into recent & current production vehicles as the vehicle body is designed to accept and transmit the severe loading encountered when the seat belt is used in anger.
That said any seat belt properly fitted into a Minor in accordance with the instructions set out in the Minor Wksp Manual will be better than no seat belt.

[POMMReg]

Some late PO Engineers vans fitted with inertia reels, albeit retro fitted.

All Kangol's with duel retaining thingy's.

[jaekl]

I see mention of early and late seat belt anchors. Please define what the early anchors were and what the later ones were. We don't have many 1098 models in the States and nothing (official) after 67.

[philthehill]

Early Minor seat belt kits were supplied with sandwich/ strengthening plates as there were no incorporated seat belt points.
Later Minor seat belt kits utilised the incorporated seat belt mounting points.
Morris Minor Wksp Manual Section R34 - R39 gives details (with illustrations) of both early and later types of seat belt fixing.