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My question is: is it a 4, 5 or 6 seaters (as it has a front bench)? This car is now in France (and i'm french...) and for the official document, we need to get this information and i don't know where to find it (the original documents don't mention this point...).
Unfortunately, whoever took that video did not show us the interior at all.
How many seats it has depends on how you define "seats." That car can easily hold six people, three in the front and three in the back. But are there six sets of seat belts so that everyone can be buckled in? Your car likely has "strato bucket seats," and according to the 1969 Dealer Specs book, for the Cutlass S convertible (which was the only Cutlass version that could be had as a convertible in 1969), the car was originally equipped with five sets of seat belts. So in that sense, it's a five-seater. If it really does have a bench front seat, there would have been six sets of seat belts originally. Look at the car's interior when you can and count the number of sets of seat belts you find.
It is not required in the U.S. to list on a car's registration or title how many seat belt positions there are in a car. The only "documentation" that would have this is the original sales literature from the period or the original window sticker or build sheet for this car. But the latter two probably no longer exist.
I can see the bench seat in the video. While bucket seats were standard equipment in a 1969 Cutlass convertible, the bench seat was available as RPO A52. US Federal Law mandated a seat belt for every seating position. With a bench front seat, your car is factory designed to carry six people, three in front and three in back. There will be six sets of lap belts. Shoulder belts were not federally required in convertibles for 1969. They were an available option but are extremely rare.
I thank you for the answer. Indeed, the video isn't so usefull, but i couldn't find the photos...
I'll check again with the actual owner of the car, but if i well remember, he told me that there were only 4 seat belts, what is weird because in your documentation, this configuration doesn't exist. Could you tell me where come this documentation from?
In France you can have special registration card for vehicle over 30 years, and then you're not required to have the right number of seat belts if the vehicle wasn't equip when it was launched. And by the time, some 5 seaters had only 4 seat belts...
For information, I'm waiting for my 3rd child, that's why this detail is important for me
I thank you for the answer. Indeed, the video isn't so usefull, but i couldn't find the photos...
I'll check again with the actual owner of the car, but if i well remember, he told me that there were only 4 seat belts, what is weird because in your documentation, this configuration doesn't exist. Could you tell me where come this documentation from?
The document Jaunty posted is from the Salesman's SPECS booklet issued by the factory to dealerships for use in selling the product. From the non-stock color I'm assuming that the car you bought has been apart for restoration. Almost certainly some of the belts were not reinstalled for some reason. The missing rear seat belts are likely just under the bottom seat cushion. In any case, the factory simply bolted the center belts down using the same bolts that hold the current belts against the driveshaft tunnel. You can purchase new reproduction seat belts for the center seating positions easily. It's two bolts to install them. The Fisher Body Manual shows the seat belt installation. This illustration is an example of the type of drawings in the Fisher Body Manual.
