VikingBlue

Have a 1970 442 4 speed car with console. Dealer invoice sheet indicates sports console as a factory install.

Just noticed something odd. Retractors with the 'male' belt clip end on the floor by each door, as you would expect.

But each belt with the female end by the console has another strap also with a female end. So there are two sets of two-female connectors, one on each side of the console. (4 total female connectors) in the front.

This wouldn't even make sense if the car had a bench seat at one time since there's still one female connector too many, and one less male end that would be needed.

What gives ?

oldspackrat

The other two female ends are for the shoulder belts, assuming they are there?

Koda

Those are the buckles for your shoulder straps. Look up above the door, there should be a belt there. If it's gone, someone redid the headliner and the female counterparts are still there. The really odd ones are the benches with shoulders and center seat, because you get 5 female buckles there. In 72, or at least by 72, they had made a special male tab with a keyhole for a pin on the shoulder belt, so you'd plug the shoulder belt into the main belt, then plug that into the buckle. A little less clutter.

VikingBlue

wow I am so embarrassed. something so obvious yet not obvious to me !

am ashamed. yes, that makes sense now.

66-3X2 442

In 66 they used a male and female buckle for the shoulder belts in the middle so you can't mix them up.

joe_padavano

If the two inboard female buckles are the same, what difference does it make if you "mix them up"? In any case, I find that one of the female belts is always shorter than the other once I adjust them, so it's pretty easy to tell which goes where.

66-3X2 442

You will have to ask GM about why they did it that way in 66. I find it odd they would do that and go away from it in later years. It doesn't make a difference I wouldn't think,just trying to add to the topic.

joe_padavano

Not odd at all. In 1966, the outboard part of the shoulder belt was stowed by sliding the buckle over a tab attached to the rear quarter interior panel. Obviously, this required a female buckle on that part of the shoulder belt. When GM went to the two wire clips on the roof rail for stowing the shoulder belt, the buckle didn't matter and the male buckle was smaller, thus the change.

66-3X2 442

Yeah,I know that and if you remember,I sent you the installation instructions. If they had used a male buckle on the shoulder belt,I bet they could have found a way to park it when not in use. I suppose it was easier to use the female on the shoulder belt.