Upgrading seatbelts on a '75

[damienh]

Does anybody have any advice regarding upgrading the seatbelts. They are driving me crazy. A friend tripped getting out and nearly took the passenger window out with her.

They don't retract very well, but is this just a bad design ? if I replace them with a new pair from Jaymic, will it actually make a difference ?

They are the type that have the roller behind the rear seats, and the little triangular bit on a hook under the rear windows.

Thanks for any help.

 

[bengal taiga]

Seat belt alternatives??

I do not have an answer regarding upgrades, but have a related question.

I have an early CSI that has only front lap belts. Since the car was Federalized (imported to the US) many years ago, I do not know what was removed or what was added as far as passenger restraints. I suspect that the fronts always had seat belts but were they just lap belts or lap and shoulder belts? Looking at other coupes makes me thing that coupe passenger restraints were always a hodge-potch of poor design.

I recently saw a Black CS which had an interesting design that suspended the shoulder belts from a very thin coiled cable. The cable was affixed to the roof. Someone spend considerable effort to make it appear that roof liner was designed to accommodate the cables (both passenger and driver sides). My car has an unblemished roof liner which I am naturally reluctant to destroy. Is there another means of installing a 3 point belt that is actually workable? I sat in one car recently (thank you BT!) but the belts are so ridiculous that the car is definitely a 2 seater!

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

 

[chicane]

Re: Seat belt alternatives??

Is there another means of installing a 3 point belt that is actually workable?

Rollcage. OR, eye hooks mounted to the frame in the floor.

 

[bengal taiga]

Eye Hooks?

Where on the floor would the eye hooks be installed? How would this alleviate the over-the-shoulder strap from tripping any rear seat passengers?

Using a newer reel assembly from another model seems the most logical choice, but the few workable examples seem to have the roof attachments, to suspend the shoulder strap. This may work, but it requires some alteration of the headliner and or roof structure (if there is no preexisting bolt). Besides, the roof attachment tends to spoil the view. I suppose another possibility is to suspend the shoulder strap from the seat and/or head rest, as has been performed on convertibles.

Any pictures of how this annoyance has been resolved would be very much appreciated.

 

[decoupe]

For many of the same reasons you mentioned, I'm going to retrofit a set of 320i based 3 point seatbelts with the retracting assembly inside the rear quarter section cavity closest to the door opening.

Paul Cain did this in his restoration but used belts from a 735i. I like the 320i belts because of the pivot arm that swings the buckle end of the belt back and upright to keep it out of the way but also swings forward to position it properly with the seat.

 

[David]

I have often wondered if the retractor could be mounted high on the rear quarter section, just behind the door opening and just beneath the window--with the ability to unclip the belt from the retractor (when letting people into the back) as well between the front seats.