I'm need help from anyone that can help. I'm trying to install seat belts in my CMC speedster. can anyone help me with ideas and PICTURES so I know where and how to install the seat belts. as always Thanks for the help guys
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Have you decided on what type you want - standard 2 point mounting? 3, 4,5? 2 point are easiest to mount - such as the $50 Crow latch and link.
Or you can use the flipper quick release ones -
The safety concern is that the VW floor pan's metal is not thick enough (even with the large washers) to secure the seat belts. My suggestion would be to use a steel strip 1/8" x 2" from driver's side to passenger's side of the vehicle. (VW had threaded bungs in the thick center tunnel and side frame).
3,4,5 point mounting is much more involved as fiberglass is even less supportive than the thin floor pan.
Post about 1974, VW had a couple of big (6" X 6" X 3/16" thick) steel plates welded inside of the tunnel to bolt the seat belt anchors to. Each plate had (IIRC) a 12mm nut welded to the inside to accept the shoulder bolt anchoring the belts to the tunnel.
Worked great (passed the 1975+ safety standards) but impractical as a retro-fit.
What you CAN do is get a 1/2" dia. bolt, long enough to go completely through the tunnel at the point where you want the belts to mount. Drill a hole on both sides, put one belt on the bolt, slide it through and attach the other belt to the other end of the bolt. If you get the bolt length right, it won't interfere with anything in the seat area. There really shouldn't be much to interfere with the bolt inside of the tunnel if you keep it a couple of inches up on the tunnel, kind of in the lower-middle area.
Don't know if I have any pictures (I just trashed over a GB of old photos) but I'll look.
Worked for me, unless someone has a better option.
I can't help you on the outside anchor points - I used an enertial retracting shoulder belt and the roll-up wheel is bolted through the body frame behind the seats.
I am looking to install normal 2 point lap belts. I know this is going to sound crazy to as but where is the "center tunnel" located? I'm not mechanically inclined but have a friend who is and I want to be able to describe it to him. If you guys happen to have or could take a picture of where your seat belts are mounted it would sure help me out. Sorry for the hassle fellas and I really appreciate your help
The tunnel what your shifter and ebrake sit on top of.
Just pull the seats and use the same (2 rear) bolts to mount your seatbelts to.
I make up a 3 x 12" steel plate with the seat belt anchor bolt holes drilled through them affixing that to the underside of the pan. It adds thickness to the thin sheet metal pans and in the event of a crash, will help to spread the load.
If drilling through the tunnel avoid gas and clutch lines which are low in tunnel and shift rod in upper portion.