53 Super Seat Belt Installation

[SJF1948]

After several years of restoration(?) I'm to the point of finally putting my Super on the road. One of my "must haves" was to make it safe to drive and ride in, meaning seat belts are a definite "must". I've decide on a retractable 3 point system and mounting the shoulder anchors above the quarter windows. Being a 56R, mounting the anchor plate is going to be a challenge! I've watched just about every seat belt installation video out there, but most of these deal with trucks or sedans. There are some YouTube videos on Tri-Five Chevy Hardtops, of course nothing to be found on the early 50s Buick Hardtop. Also I'm not interested in mounting the anchor plate at the top of the door pillar, too low. So my question to the group, anybody added seat belts to their '50-'53 Hardtop, anybody installed 3 point belts, most importantly, anybody mounted the shoulder anchor above the quarter window? Suggestions and photos???? OBTW, the interior is stripped, I have not dropped the original, almost 70 year old headliner yet!

[alsancle]

Are you an engineer?

[SJF1948]

So many different ways to answer that question....... I'll go with Nope!

[195354]

Lap belt is about all you can do in my opinion.   Early 70s GM had a separate belt mounted above the door in the headliner area. You  pulled down the belt and make adjustment to length and hook it to the lap belt. This is a royal pain if you use it. I Just looked at a 73 Camaro That is here in the garage. I don't think the shoulder belt  has ever been used.

I have lap belts in a few old rides and nothing in my 53 RM at this time. I will most  likely install a lap belt in the near future and leave it at that. The roof structure  is most likely not up to the stress of a belt tugging on it in a wreck. I think of all the other things that go along with belts, crumple zones and collapsible steering column list goes on. I tell my self drive like your on a motorcycle and no one sees you if they  look they still don't see you. 

 

Glad to see you are about ready to hit the road. You will have a blast with the car 

Steve 

 

[drhach]

It seems like it would be tough without the B pillar offered in a sedan. They had those tall  back seats that started in the 80's with the shoulder restraint in a loop. I wouldn't think you would want those seats in your car though. 

 

This is what I did, but it's a sedan. Maybe you could put something low on the B-Pillar. It seems like it would want to fall off of your shoulder though. 

 

 

 

This is what I was describing with the shoulder thing. 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by drhach (see edit history)

[Kestrel]

 

I felt comfortable with just lap belts. bolted through the floor pan with large hefty backing plates, on my '51 Super 4dr hardtop.

I wouldn't worry about shoulder restraints. Just be alert for idiots.

Cinched down tight, I feel secure enough.

 

 

[avgwarhawk]

I installed lap belts. Bolts through the floor. Large washers.  At the very least I will remain in the car so they can identify the body. 

[SJF1948]

Update on the install.

3 Point Retractable belts are installed. As it turns out, back in 1953, some engineer in the design department was thinking ahead. He must have figured that 69 years later, some dummy was going to try and install a 3 Point Belt System in his car.

I dropped the headliner (Piece of cake) and there before me was a mid roof cross brace supported by 1/8" plates at each roof rail, directly above the area I would mount the retractor on the floor. I fabricated new 1/4" backing plates, threaded for the 7/16-20 anchor bolts and two 1/4-28 "capture" bolts. I also fabricated a 1/8" plate drilled for the 7/16" and 1/4" bolts. The most nerve racking part was drilling the roof rail plates and not drill through the roof! But a piece of 1/4 plate between the plate and the roof took away that worry. I supposed the anchor plates could be mounted without any welding required as the roof rail plates are sandwiched between the 1/4" and 1/8" plates. Now, if the headliner goes back up as easy as it came down ......

Hope the photos explain the process. I'll post more of the completed install.

Another thing I learned concerned the seat backs. Almost every shoulder belt installation instruction warned against mounting the anchor point below the top of the seat back unless the seat backs had inertia locks to keep the seat back from folding forward in a crash. In '53, Super and Roadmaster did come with Inertia locks on both seat backs as part of the seat pivoting feature as the seat back is tilted forward.

I also learned that my brownish/gray/faded headliner was at one time a pale blue.

So, for all the design engineers that I cursed for placing fasteners in the most inaccessible places, I humbly apologize!!!!!