Seat belts

1002 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by alfaparticle, Oct 17, 2007

dcalfa

Discussion Starter · Oct 17, 2007

I'm the new owner of a 78 spider and I want to add three-point belts (I'm sort of surprised they still had lap belts at that point). Given the design of the lap belts--which feed through a guide next to the seat anyway--I'm assuming that the new "third point" would simply bolt into the spot where the guide now is. (hope this makes sense).
So two questions:
1) Is this basically a bolt-in job or am I overlooking something difficult?
2) Is there any (attractive) way to feed the retractable part over the seats in such a set up? I know the later Spiders have those doo-hickies (scientific term) attached at the seat corners.

Thanks

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john.harrill

· #2 · Oct 17, 2007

There are a couple of good threads on this subject. Use the search function and you will find them.

Others have up-fitted later-model seats that have the guide for the shoulder belt, to good effect.

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Alfacliff

· #3 · Oct 17, 2007

in my 74 spider, there is a lap belt and no sign that it ever had sholder harness. the factory owners manual shows lap belt, sholder harness. did they just put in what they felt like?
cliff

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Farace

· #4 · Oct 17, 2007

Alfacliff said:
in my 74 spider, there is a lap belt and no sign that it ever had sholder harness. the factory owners manual shows lap belt, sholder harness. did they just put in what they felt like?
cliff

I think it depended on what each market's requirements were at the time. My '71 had only lap belts, but in each rear corner of the vinyl drape behind the seats is a plastic plug. Turned out that each plug was filling a seatbelt mounting point complete with nut welded behind the panel. I'm hoping one day to find a set of the three-point Klippans that clip onto the stainless steel hoop between the seats. I'm fairly certain they exist, but I don't think they were on US cars.

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alfaparticle

· #5 · Oct 17, 2007

Unless you are stuck on originality, I would look for a pair of seats from an 86-on veloce or Quad. They are much more comfortable than your seats (unless you have a wide ***) and they have seat belt guides. I got a pair from a junk yard for next to nothing and had them re-covered.

Ed Prytherch
79 Spider
2 x 88 Milano Verde's

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