DShoes Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Hi Guys, I'm looking high and low but can't seem to find replacement retractor housings for the lap belts in my '65. The retractor spring is aggressive enough (and the old plastic housing brittle enough) that both have cracked and chipped pretty badly when the belt is released and retracts. I've tried a few online places (OPGI, Summit, Seatbeltsplus.com) but no luck. Thoughts here? I'm open to solutions that are not period correct - but hopefully just look good and do the job without exploding. Thanks, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC1968Riviera Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 (edited) The Parts Place (www.thepartsplace.com) has seat belt retractor covers for full size Chevrolets that my fit your needs. They are in black only and have to be painted to match your interior. If you select Chevrolet Impala then search for "Interior - SEAT BELT RETRACTOR COVERS" you will see three different models listed. You might want to call them for details. These covers are not listed for Buick Full Size for 1965 but they do show the following: (1965 - 1972 Skylark/GS/Regal/GN) SEAT BELT RETRACTOR COVERS RCF-300 (BLACK ONLY) - PR (FIT DELUXE & SOME STANDARD SEAT BELTS. FIT MOST ALL A BODY GM CARS WITH DELUXE SEAT BELTS OR METAL BUCKLE STYLE BELTS) If you can remove your old cover, there may be a part number embossed on the inside. Try doing a web search to see if any one sells a repro of that model or search Ebay for a seller. Good luck! Edited November 17, 2017 by NCRiviera (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShoes Posted November 17, 2017 Author Share Posted November 17, 2017 Right on, NC! Thanks. These are the best I've seen so far. eBay hasn't yielded anything. Now for that paint match to cover the black.... https://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/PopUp/PopUp.aspx?imageID=IN3694Z.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC1968Riviera Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 14 minutes ago, DShoes said: Now for that paint match to cover the black Check Classic Industries for the spray plastic paint dyes. Once you find the color you are looking for you can then search other retailers for a better price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 (edited) Before you paint the new ones, be sure to spray some "Bulldog" adhesion promoter on them before painting. It comes in an aerosol can and is available at any Auto painting supplies store. It is an absolute must for painting ABS plastic parts. Edited November 17, 2017 by Seafoam65 (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC1968Riviera Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 5 minutes ago, Seafoam65 said: It is an absolute must for painting ABS plastic parts Great recommendation. I was not aware of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 2 minutes ago, NCRiviera said: Great recommendation. I was not aware of this. Made good use of it when I repainted the plastic dash in my 84. Good stuff but not cheap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelman Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Try Ekler’s Corvette Parts. The Corvette uses a similar, maybe the same piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivman Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 I have been watching these myself ... 65-72 A-body Bucket Bench Deluxe Seat Belt Retractor Covers 2pc GTO SS W30 GS They are black too so would require a color change, they state they fit '65-'72. $38.95 with free shipping, might be worth a look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr914 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 SNAKE OYL products also has them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr914 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 they break because people unbuckle and just let the seatbelt go, it winds up and the buckle hits the plastic. BAD DESIGN. Need to watch it when you unbuckle and gently guide the seat belt back into the housing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 I would strongly suggest patronizing one of our Buick suppliers like Cars before going to other suppliers like The Parts Place, etc...when possible, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWB Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 (edited) Prepare to un-loop the belt and re-sew at the tab. I have found no way to get the tab thru the housing with belt on. And thats heavy duty nylon thread. $ Edited November 19, 2017 by PWB (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmiddy Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 2 hours ago, PWB said: Prepare to un-loop the belt and re-sew at the tab. I have found no way to get the tab thru the housing with belt on. And thats heavy duty nylon thread. $ I had the same issue here.... follow this thread: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Schmiddy........I can't tell what you are doing in that thread........it looks like you are using baby diaper safety pins to attach the belts to the buckle. Am I seeing things? Also, be aware that those faded red fisher body carriage emblems on your seat belt push buttons are available in reproduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmiddy Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 12 minutes ago, Seafoam65 said: Schmiddy........I can't tell what you are doing in that thread........it looks like you are using baby diaper safety pins to attach the belts to the buckle. Am I seeing things? Also, be aware that those faded red fisher body carriage emblems on your seat belt push buttons are available in reproduction. Seafoam65, what's the problem, these baby diaper safety pins are doing a great job, I never would take them off again!!! *hehehe* I'm kidding! No, seriously... Because of the tensile force of the retractor I had to fix the belt somehow, before I had it sewed by a saddler. ;-) This images supposed to show how to restore/clean your belts and that it is not possible to change the retractor housing without cutting the belts. I any cases let them reattach them BY A PRO! About the faded emblems, I wasn't aware until I red your lines... Where could I get some? Do they really look like the original fisher emblems? (Somehow I also like the original fades emblems though...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Beware! Not all those 60's GM retractor covers will fit your 65 Riv... as you can see in David's photo, the Riv covers mount on a diagonal surface. Most GM covers of that era mount on the floor & are flat on the bottom as seen in the ebay shots. They will not work. The ones you're looking for are the ones pictured in Shmiddy's post, and they are a rarity. I conducted a search for them years ago w no luck. Maybe a reader has a pair in their parts pile and will chime in. If so I call dibs on them, sorry. Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmiddy Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) These are the ones I took for my 65 Rivi... they will fit perfectly to yours! (I just had to paint them in the color I needed).https://www.ebay.ch/itm/65-72-A-body-Bucket-Bench-Deluxe-Seat-Belt-Retractor-Covers-2pc-GTO-SS-W30-GS-/182900779318? Catch them! ;-) Edited November 20, 2017 by Schmiddy (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) Schmiddy.........Original Parts Group is where I bought my push button emblems. They are gorgeous and look just like the originals. They are made of aluminum like the originals and you just pry off your old ones and the new ones stick on with adhesive peel and stick tape that is attached to the new ones. Mine were not faded as bad as yours but they didn't look new like the rest of my original interior so I changed them out. Fortunately on my original interior the webbing, buckles and retractors on my belts look brand new even though they are 53 years old. OPGI gets 24.99 for the pair. Here is a pic of them installed on my belts...they are gorgeous bright red........... Edited November 21, 2017 by Seafoam65 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmiddy Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) Seafoam65, Wow, your interior looks absolutely gorgeous!!! And the push button emblems too! (Can't figure out the right color on that pic... looks like dark green, right?). Anyhow... looks amazing! Since I restore my 65, I ordered a couple of items from OPG but I never stumbled over these cool fisher emblems... I will have a nearer look at these! Thanks for the information! Edited November 21, 2017 by Schmiddy (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 4 minutes ago, Schmiddy said: Seafoam65, Wow, your interior looks absolutely gorgeous!!! And the push button emblems too! (Can't figure out the right color on that pic... looks like dark green, right?). Anyhow... looks amazing! Since I restore my 65, I ordered a couple of items from OPG but I never stumbled over these cool fisher emblems... I will have a nearer look at these! Yes, the interior is code 620 Dark Green. When I decided to buy a 65 Riviera, I wanted to find a babied all it's life car with a mint original interior.After five years of looking for the holy grail of original 65's, I clicked on Hemmings .com at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, saw the pics of the car and nearly fell out of my chair. I bought it sight unseen because I knew somebody else would buy it before I was able to go look at it. The car was in Las Vegas and I was in Texas. When I first saw the interior of the car on the internet I thought I was hallucinating. When I take the car out, when people see the interior and I tell them it is all original they can't believe it. The same guy in Northern Illinois owned it for 45 years and kept it in a climate controlled garage, only driving it on sunny summer days 1,000 miles per year. The car hasn't been wet since 1967, except for one brief rain shower at the Buick Nationals in 2015. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivdrivn Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 The Parts Place has the red Fisher seat belt decals for $5 a piece 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmiddy Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Thanks Steve! I couldn't find them on The Part Place, but here: https://www.classicindustries.com/product/ce1504.html I just ordered Thank you guys for your cool inputs! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Looks like I got taken by Original Parts Group........I think their entire catalog has parts made by other people where they double the other people's price and put it in their catalog. I'm going to put all my OPGI catalogs in the dumpster where they belong. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david creneti Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 On 11/19/2017 at 12:35 PM, Schmiddy said: I had the same issue here.... follow this thread: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david creneti Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 Are these for sale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowvet Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 On 11/17/2017 at 11:32 AM, DShoes said: Right on, NC! Thanks. These are the best I've seen so far. eBay hasn't yielded anything. Now for that paint match to cover the black.... https://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/PopUp/PopUp.aspx?imageID=IN3694Z.jpg Corvette America sells a dye called medium saddle, that is pretty dang close Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr914 Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 snake OYL products sells the housings, that is where I got them for my two 65s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockinRiviDad Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 I thought I would add this newer thread here for others using the search function to see. The belts DO NOT NEED TO BE CUT in order to replace the housing. The belt can be completely disassembled & reassembled. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garysriv Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 (edited) On 11/17/2017 at 1:32 PM, DShoes said: Hi Guys, I'm looking high and low but can't seem to find replacement retractor housings for the lap belts in my '65. The retractor spring is aggressive enough (and the old plastic housing brittle enough) that both have cracked and chipped pretty badly when the belt is released and retracts. I've tried a few online places (OPGI, Summit, Seatbeltsplus.com) but no luck. Thoughts here? I'm open to solutions that are not period correct - but hopefully just look good and do the job without exploding. Thanks, David Parts Place. Notch it (see reference to my post Rividad noted), thread it, fill it, paint it. Unless you want to do some sewing. Edited March 10, 2019 by Garysriv (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockinRiviDad Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 2 minutes ago, Garysriv said: Parts Place. Notch it (see reference to my post Rividad noted), thread it, fill it, paint it. Unless you want to do some sewing. Housing doesn’t need to be notched Seat belt doesn’t need to be cut stitching doesn’t have to be undone & restitched. I posted a pic in that thread that shows my entire seat belt retractor taken completely apart. Once apart u can feed the drum (with the seatbelt still on it) into the new housing, rebuild retractor...done. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShoes Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 On 3/7/2019 at 2:19 PM, david creneti said: Are these for sale? Yes. I followed Mike's advice earlier in the thread. The key was spraying several coats of plastic primer before applying the new tan color. They turned out great. "The Parts Place (www.thepartsplace.com) has seat belt retractor covers for full size Chevrolets that my fit your needs. They are in black only and have to be painted to match your interior. If you select Chevrolet Impala then search for "Interior - SEAT BELT RETRACTOR COVERS" you will see three different models listed. You might want to call them for details." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmiddy Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 On 3/10/2019 at 2:39 AM, RockinRiviDad said: Housing doesn’t need to be notched Seat belt doesn’t need to be cut stitching doesn’t have to be undone & restitched. I posted a pic in that thread that shows my entire seat belt retractor taken completely apart. Once apart u can feed the drum (with the seatbelt still on it) into the new housing, rebuild retractor...done. So cool!!! If only I had been a little braver to take apart more... I already had the lid with the steel springs off! Good to know for the next time that nothing has to be cut off! 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now