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jfields62
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2012
Posts: 3
Location: GRANTS PASS OREGON
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 Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:38 pm Post subject: thing seat belts |
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| I want to put shoulder harness seat belts in my 73 thing. I think i can mount them from the roll bar in the front and back, is there a kit for this or do you have any ideas? |
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Semper_Dad
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3535
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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There is extensive discussion on this specific subject. You may want to use the search function and review what is already available. After that, if there's any specific questions, than ask. I'm surprised there not a "sticky" on the subject. Unfortuately, there no one thread that has the answers. Good luck!
I don't know of any kits available but you can get most of the parts needed at any offroad 4WD site.
Oh,...and welcome to the board.
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Banker
Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2010
Posts: 124
Location: OHio
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:40 am Post subject: |
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jfields62
Welcome.
I went to my local pick and pull on half price day and picked up new bucket seats along with the seat belts. I mounted the outsides of the seat belts to the roll bar. The only draw back that I have is that I catch my pants sometimes on the roller part for the seat belt. I need to see if I can fab up some type of cover to help prevent this.
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Brian
07 Charger Sublime
03 Goldwing
74 Thing |
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guppysoup
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Joined: June 07, 2003
Posts: 387
Location: Jalisco, Mexico
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:19 am Post subject: |
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I also got mine from a wrecker. I took them off a bug. They are 3 point non retractable fronts and lap belts for the rear. The bolts from the bug fit perfectly in my thing. I only had to buy 2 bolts for the roll bar.
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1973 Thing/Safari
1985 Bug/Vocho wanna be class 11
2014 Amarok TDI 4x4 |
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livy
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2011
Posts: 127
Location: Bloomington In
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| Seat belts? One of the main reason's for me driving my Thing, the year it was made does not require me to wear seat belts. |
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Semper_Dad
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3535
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:35 am Post subject: |
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| livy wrote: |
| Seat belts? One of the main reason's for me driving my Thing, the year it was made does not require me to wear seat belts. |
Must be a local or state thing. Seat belts 0n VWs have been standard since around 1968, maybe before that even.
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livy
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2011
Posts: 127
Location: Bloomington In
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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| OOP's I better check into that. I just assumed since the car is 38 yrs old it didn't come with seat belts. I did not know cars had seat belts till they made them the law. |
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kubelmann
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Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3268
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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We do have new German lap belts available. Also if you decide on a three point belt, I can assist you in getting high quality DOT approved belts at a good price. Contact: [email protected] if interested.
K-mann
Last edited by kubelmann on Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:07 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jfields62
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2012
Posts: 3
Location: GRANTS PASS OREGON
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Semper_Dad wrote: |
There is extensive discussion on this specific subject. You may want to use the search function and review what is already available. After that, if there's any specific questions, than ask. I'm surprised there not a "sticky" on the subject. Unfortuately, there no one thread that has the answers. Good luck!
I don't know of any kits available but you can get most of the parts needed at any offroad 4WD site.
Oh,...and welcome to the board. |
Thank you, I am trying to set this "thing" up for my son and the wife wants better seat belts for him. I will check out some other sites and dig deaper into this one. |
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kubelmann
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Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3268
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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| With your son consider this. After 10 years ALL seat belts are considered "out of date" technically require replacement to be certified safe. So that means that every seat belt in our vintage VWs are not technically safe. There are a number of manufacturers of seat belts that met high safety standards. |
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jfields62
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2012
Posts: 3
Location: GRANTS PASS OREGON
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| kubelmann wrote: |
| With your son consider this. After 10 years ALL seat belts are considered "out of date" technically require replacement to be certified safe. So that means that every seat belt in our vintage VWs are not technically safe. There are a number of manufacturers of seat belts that met high safety standards. |
I checked out www.seatbeltplanet.com they will custom make them and look pretty good with lots of options. Thanks for the tips! |
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citroen
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2010
Posts: 1578
Location: louisville ky
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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here is another option these are the belts in my thing they are from julianos hot rod parts www.julianos .com the make them in many colors and what i like they are retractable we used them in the last thing we built for a customer he used the 3 point shoulder mount and mounted the 3rd point on the roll bar we installed them at his house easy to install with their kit and used the stock thing mounts in the floor and the roll bar mounts on the top they are 40.00 for the 2 point and 100.00 for the 3 point
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Semper_Dad
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 3535
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| kubelmann wrote: |
| With your son consider this. After 10 years ALL seat belts are considered "out of date" technically require replacement to be certified safe. So that means that every seat belt in our vintage VWs are not technically safe. There are a number of manufacturers of seat belts that met high safety standards. |
K-Mann has a good point. Most if not all of seatbelts that are 35+ years old are well beyond their designed life. Kinda like using 35 year old tires. You're really taking a gamble. Same arguement goes for repurposing seatbelts from junkyard. You simply don't know what the belt has been thru.
If time and money permits, I would buy new some readily available 3 point belts for front and back.
One of the biggest mistakes I've seen with people putting in a 3 point system is NOT having the upper anchor point above and behind the user. Unless your front rollbar upright angles back, this may be difficult.
Volkswagen did have an OEM 3 point system on the 181 when it was marketed in England as the Trekker. This system used some uprights that were attached (bolted?) to the middle door upright. Surprisingly it doesn't follow the high and behind rule, just high.
Once again I must yield to the engineering and artistic talents of Captain Spaulding. This pic will give you an idea of a properly designed front system.
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Last edited by Semper_Dad on Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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kubelmann
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3268
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes, you are correct, The best way to install a three point in a car that did not come that way is to look at the engineering diagram of the angles of installation. The off road SCORE regs list this.. I would be happy to share this with anyone who does not have our RoMTOC Thing Data CD which has a separate file that covers seat belts/safety restraints...... I do have new German seat belts in all styles from lap belts to three point retractable. I have survived a few off road accidents that without proper restraint would have killed me and friends and family. But I am still here (albeit) broken and injured. Still I speak I breath. Seat belts only offer something worthwhile after something goes very wrong all of a sudden. The rest of the time they are just window dressing. Still I breath and post thanks to seat belts.. |
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Captain Spalding
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Joined: February 19, 2005
Posts: 2519
Location: . . . in denial.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| kubelmann wrote: |
| With your son consider this. After 10 years ALL seat belts are considered "out of date" technically require replacement to be certified safe. So that means that every seat belt in our vintage VWs are not technically safe. There are a number of manufacturers of seat belts that met high safety standards. |
Well, I think it means that they are not statutorily safe. Unless they show sights of chafing, wear, or UV damage, they are probably technically safe. I'd bet in most of our cars the seat belts are in better shape than the sheet metal they're anchored to.  |
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kubelmann
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3268
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree with the sheet metal weakness. As i posted earlier that is why I use the S.C.O.R.E. regs for back uo plates asn bolts to attach my VW seat belts. I also agree with your comments about actual straps asn latches asn so on. But still your kids being safe(regardless of their age) matters most. |
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Captain Spalding
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2005
Posts: 2519
Location: . . . in denial.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Semper_Dad wrote: |
| Once again I must yield to the engineering and artistic talents of Captain Spaulding. This pic will give you an idea of a properly designed front system. |
Thanks Semper Dad for the credit, but I seem to remember in another thread on the subject someone mentioned a potential flaw (I think it was UberAutoWorks) which is that sometimes the inertial lock on the retractor will only work if the retractor reel is oriented a certain way. So beware all who might use my drawing as a reference. |
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el_safari
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2005
Posts: 399
Location: Nouvelle Aquitaine,France
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 2:20 am Post subject: |
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| Semper_Dad wrote: |
Volkswagen did have an OEM 3 point system on the 181 when it was marketed in England as the Trekker. This system used some uprights that were attached (bolted?) to the middle door upright. Surprisingly it doesn't follow the high and behind rule, just high.
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181's first sold in France from 1974 on have also the OEM 3 point system .
It is welded to the middle door upright . [img]
[/img] |
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