Seat Belts

[Eneto-55]

After posting that, I went out and felt around under the floor and under the seat.  The through the floor idea really is 'hair-brained' - total nonsense, in fact. The under floor brace is right there under the floor at the B pillar. Moving forward it either goes under the seat frame area, or it gets into the rubber door sill area.  Go farther back and you trip the people getting into the rear seat.

 

So it's either as you describe, or revamp (replace) the seat sliders to be located farther in-board, leaving room for the retractor to be set into the side of the lower seat frame.  But it would have to be all the way at the lower edge to have room under the seat cushion, and maybe even that wouldn't give enough room.  So I think your idea is the best one I've seen yet.  I would still want to replace the seat sliders with something out of a modern vehicle - something made to deal with the weight of the seat in a head-on collision. I wouldn't want the weight of the seat itself coming against the seat belt restraint, with only me in between.  (I mean if the seat tore loose from the floor, because I would still want to attach the in-board side of the lap belts to a reinforced rear part of the seat frame, not through to the floor in the rear passenger's foot well area.)

[Plymouthy Adams]

well if you really serious about installing belts and NOT having them to trip over....you got to get a bit proactive and hit the wrecking yards for those that are concealed behind quarter panels and built into the framing of the vehicle.  Covers are not that difficult to fabricate nor is the mounting and needed plating for strength.   The end results is basically a reflection of what effort and time you put into the install.  Exposed and loose lap/shoulder belts or neat and trim full functional retractable 3 points.  NOT a Plymouth but my lastest retrofit....original belts were just flopping about loose with no manner to retract or lay in less than a cluttered manner.  

 

 

Edited August 1 by Plymouthy Adams

[Eneto-55]

On the 4-door P15s, if one wants to avoid modifying the rubber tread plate, then the retractor support will probably need a brace over to the B pillar as well as to the floor, as Sam suggested above.  That floor mount will need to go under the seat, roughly where the seat bracket is bolted to the floor.  Then because that bracket will not be able to come straight up from the floor attachment point, I'm thinking that a flange can go over to the inside edge of the B pillar.  I haven't tried to design this bracket in cardboard yet, but that would be the next step.

 

I do have the retractors I saved out of a Chrysler T&C I scrapped out about 14 years back, and that's what I've been looking at for ideas so far. If my memory serves me (which it too often doesn't anymore), think it's the rear seat retractors that have the best design for this application.  (As I've said in other similar discussions here in the past, I also plan to use the shoulder height adjusters from that minivan.  I don't think any are necessary for the rear seating area, but will install the shoulder belts there as well, if I can make it work.  Also child seat hooks.  (Now I just have to get back to the car before all of my grand children are grown up, and no longer need anything like that.  Youngest ones - twins - are now around 15 months. After that, it may be up to my two unmarried sons to get married and make some more....)

 

EDIT:

Your project there - Are you building a PU?  Looks like a good start, what ever it will be.

Edited August 1 by Eneto-55

[Plymouthy Adams]

Morris 1/4 ton van 

[Eneto-55]

I have done some measurements in consideration of mounting the seat belt retractor on the side of the seat 'box', as shown in the photo I posted (off of someone else's post on FaceBook), and unless the aftermarket retractors are much smaller than the ones I saved from the 2nd Gen Chrysler T&C, there simply isn't room for it there, unless you create an indented area in the door panel.  The 93 T&C ones require around 3" clearance. (Without any kind of a cover on them, maybe as little as 2 3/4".)  

I ran the seat all the way back in my 46, and there isn't that much room between the seat box and the B pillar either, as many have already said, in various different threads here. (Even though I'm 5' 10 1/2" tall, I'm long in the torso, and also tend to keep the seat closer to the steering wheel than most guys my height, so I would possibly never need to put the seat all of the way back myself, but would still want to be able to. But sitting closer to the steering wheel is another reason to do all possible to avoid that "spear" in a front-end accident. Or, a reason to develop the habit of sitting farther back.)

 

I felt around the bottom side, then pulled out the seat cushion, and I think that if the retractor is mounted as close to the floor as possible, it would be possible to build a recessed area into the bottom rear corners of the seat box. I think that this can be kept entirely below the structure inside the seat box that supports the cushion itself.  From what I can tell so far, this recessed area would only need to be set back around 3/4 to an inch inward. I think this could be done in such a way that only the real P15 Affectionados will notice it as non-stock. (Of course the mere presence of the retractor and seat belts in the car would be a dead give away anyway.  I'm not that sort of "stuck on original" kind of guy. Safety Before Originality.)

[OUTFXD]

I use my 46 Special Deluxe as a driver.  Not QUITE a daily driver.  I figure the chance of my getting into an accident is greater than zero.  My plans to increase the safety of my old car are thus.  Convert to disk breaks.  15 MPH bumpers, the hydrolics can be attached to the original bumpers and hidden benieth the Valance so the external view stays the same. 

 

and.  three point seat belts.   To this end I have procured the seat out of a 1975 charger sport (Thats Cordoba to you).  I plan to reinforce the frame and seat latch. Bolt the seat to the frame.  and run the third strap over the back of the seat.  through a metal loop to hold it in position.  and bolt the seat belt ends to the 3/8 tube steel that I med my three inch seat risers out of.

 

I figure its enough to keep me out of trouble in any 35mph mishaps I might be in.  As my car  only sees freeway speed once or twice a year. I figure its enough.

Edited August 5 by OUTFXD

[BobDeSoto]

I flew yesterday.  Luckily I learned how to open and close a seat belt!

[Mikec4193]

So my old Plymouth Jalopy is nothing like anything on here but here is what I have mounted in my 1939...I have not driven it yet but at least I should be somewhat safe...I had these belts from my last oval track car...I made a steel frame for the aluminum seat...3/8" or 1/2" grade 8 bolts to the mount the belts and the seat too...everything mounts to the frame...