Seat belts

T

Tigrrr

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OK, my car is back on the road again. Well, It could be on the road more if I had the time to drive it! The one thing that really bothers me when I do drive the car is that it has old lap belts installed. I am really not comfortable without shoulder belts, so I would like to install three point retractable belts in my car.

What such seatbelts have others installed in their Tigers? How did you install them?

I am aware of the fixing point on the rear wheel well under the vinyl. My question really has to do with where to mount the inertia reel. On every car I have had, this is mounted to the outside of the seats near the floor near the end of the belt. Then, there is a sort of hanger shaped hoop nearer to the outer shoulder the occupant that the belt feeds through towards the inner latch mounted to the floor. I would think this "feed hoop" would be mounted on the wheel well mounting point in a Tiger or Alpine. I think I have seen an inertia reel mounted on the wheel well in some Tigers/Alpines, which seemed strange to me.

How have others installed three point retractable seatbelts in their Tigers or Alpines? Pictures would be worth several thousand words. What brand and model belts have others used, and where did they buy them?

Thanks!
 
I have the non-reel type and got them from Sunbeam Specialties. They only have black I believe. As I recall, Victoria British sells both types and have several color choices.

There is a feature article with pictures on installing both types of belts on the Tigersunited.com website.

Gene
 
I had the non-reel type in my XKE and just could not get used to it. I read the Tigersunited article, but it does not really answer my question of the possibility of mounting the reel down low beside,the seat somehow. Has anyone mounted the retractable belts? How did you do it? Thanks.
 
Thanks. Those are nicer than what I have. Where did you get them? As I mentioned, I do have lap belts and really would feel much safer using shoulder belts. I would like to use retractable shoulder belts, not fixed shoulder belts. Has anyone installed retractable shoulder belts? I know you're out there! :)
 
Tigrrr said:
but it does not really answer my question of the possibility of mounting the reel down low beside,the seat somehow. Has anyone mounted the retractable belts?
Click to expand...

I don't think it is possible as there is not room for the real. The real will have to be high near the mounting point.
 
Excellent question

There were several at TU that had shoulder belts. The exposed reel living down low on the side of the conv. and its angle along the well is a barely adequate but passable fix. Some with roll bars have a mount up high above shoulder level.

While lap belts did not become a F.M.V.S.S. Federal case for short, or Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. till 1967 The Home market cars had em and some had should belts even back in my 1962 122 S Volvo.

One of the other "probable" little known reasons Chrysler killed the Tiger was the 1967 padded steering wheel like the butt ugly Mustang one with the styrofoam coffee cup horn button pad,. Auto stylers wanted chrome horn rings on the and the Feds wanted rubber rooms on wheels.

In addition to the dual master cylinder etc. It is truly a wonder that any MK2's were allowed to sneak in under the Feds noses.

It really is a bummer to have the loose lap belt get dropped and smack up the paint or sill plate.

My old school mechanic friend tells me the old wife's type tale of how badly seat belts degrade in the sunlight and should be replaced every seven years.

It would be great to have a retractable set with a un exposed reel,

I also want to retain the stock seats and am looking at headrest options.
 
Warren,

there are actually optional headrests for the Microcell seats used in the alpines/tigers. They were used on the works rally cars (funnily enough only on the passengers side) I will find my pictures of them and post.
 
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