Did a 1965 bug come with seat belts installed?

[Jeckler]

They're not required. If they are installed however, they must be worn.
_________________
Andy
'63 Bug rebuild here.
Did you know that sellers can't charge a fee to accept PayPal?

[aeromech]

I'm trying to think of what the right documentation would be that I could keep in the car on this. I can just see me there on the roadside trying to explain to Johnny Law how I don't legally need belts and him telling me to "tell it to the judge" while writing the ticket. I guess I could print out the CVC and I suppose keep a copy of the original 1965 owners manual which states it's a dealer option. Any ideas?

[Jody '71]

Put seat belts in it, you'll feel a lot better and won't have to worry about it anymore.
_________________
'66 Beetle
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring

[aeromech]

[69judson]

Why would anyone want to ride around in a VW,or any car for that matter without a seat belt on? Even with my seat belt on I feel like death is near when ever I`m driving my Bettle on the highway. And that`s at 55mph!

[MckinneyBugs]

Even if you somehow get a ticket issued in error or ignorance, you would just have to contact the court the next business day and fax them a copy of the registration and the ticket would be dismissed...

The likelihood of the stop ever occurring are slim for the seatbelt infraction alone. You would probably be stopped for something else first.

Always be polite if you do get pulled over something to the effect of "Sir, you may have overlooked that this vehicle doesn't require safety belts since it was manufactured before 1967."
_________________
63 bug in progress
03 Jetta 1.8T

Previous VW's:
65 Type 1,73 Super, 89 Cabrio

[owdlvr]

[vdub]

I am pondering the same disishon right now.

I just got a 61 vert and shoulder harnesses are completely out of the question but lap belts are not very good.

I have an 8 year old daughter that I am worried mostly about. If it wasn't for her I would just leave the seatbelt out.

I have no mount points in the car at all right now. If I do install them I have to graft the mount locations in to the tunnel and channels. I don't know if I want to do that or even if that will be safe.

[edwinammon]

In kansas you have to have seatbelt or they will give you a ticket. My one owner 1965 bug has the original sticker on the back glass that says they were installed for 8 dollars. I wish i could upload that picture for you but im having problems. I have the original window sticker, and both car invoices that don't say anything about seatbelts so I guess he didn't get charged for them.

[Zundfolge1432]

Isn’t that odd ? One state over in Illinois Pops at the tender age of 86 renewed his license including driving test using a 1925 Model T sedan and I can guarantee that it was made without seat belts. He passed the test BTW😀

[Mohtly]

Greetings to all. We have a 1965 Deluxe that was purchased by my wife's parents in So Cal on May 1, 1965. We have the original purchase receipt, all documentation as well as birth certificate. The birth certificate lists a line item "M358 - US-equipment (cannot be identified)". However, on the dealer purchase receipt (Commonwealth Motors, Santa Ana) it also has a line item for seat belts that were dealer installed at a cost of $18.95.
Cheers !

[splitjunkie]

Seat belts were a dealer installed option in '65 but varied state to state.

According to this they were mandatory in Georgia or the dealer was lying.

_________________
Chris

You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld

[dustymojave]

Interesting timing to find this open again today. I just wrote about this subject today on another thread.

I bought my '65 from the original owner in 1974. He bought it on a Fly & Drive deal in Orange County California (Near Disneyland). VW used to sell new cars in America with travel arrangements through the dealer for a vacation in Europe. When the buyer got off their plane in Germany, someone was waiting with the keys to their new car. Then drive around Europe. Returning to the Airport and dropping off the car and keys. About 3 weeks later, the car arrived at the dealer in SoCal.

My 65 Bug, being a German Delivery car intended for the US market, was equipped a little different than US Market or even German market. But one facet is that it had mounts for 3-point seat belts all around, front and back. It had 3 points in the front and lap belts in the back. They all had Wolfsburg Crests on the buckles.

My US market 67 had similar belts (other than the front buckles having no Wolfsburg Crests on the grey plastic lobster claws, unlike the flap open chrome buckles in the 65 and the belts on the inboard side instead of the chrome hoop). But the body did not have bosses for the shoulder belts behind the rear 1/4 windows like the 65 did.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[janerick3]

All VWs from 1962 model year-on were built with mounts for three-point belts all around.

Most German-market VWs at this time were equipped with two-point, silver-blue "Klippan" brand front shoulder belts from the factory. The belts with the Wolfsburg crest are most likely a U.S. made, ZVW-numbered accessory (usually American Safety).

My guess is the original owner had the Klippan belts swapped out at the dealer upon delivery, as the Klippans were not SAE-certified. The Am Safety belts may have a SAE certification label with the year of manufacture sewn into the webbing next to the mounting point.

The 1967-only "lobster claw" belts were installed at the factory.
_________________
Thanks,
Jan K.

[bluebus86]

[bruce jones]

Interesting thread!

Here is a copy of a 1966 sticker from an Atlanta dealer (Bill Spreen) - and no seatbelt shown. It would seem that, if seat belts were required by law in Georgia, in 1965, they would have been required in 1966 as well.

[Disclaimer: I am not sure where the image came from. It may have been one I had, or one I found online. If I am reposting an image belonging to someone else, without attribution, please accept my apologies. I will of course remove the image if requested.]
_________________
Driving in the slow lane since 1969.

[Fred Winterburn]

The American spec 65 VW beetle our family owned came with shoulder belts, but no lap belts. They looked factory to me. Fred