hunter

What's the best way the go about a shoulder belt installation without making the interior look tacky. Thanks

oldspackrat

Convertible shoulder belts were a factory option. Ive got them on my '72. I can get you a few pictures later if no one else beats me to it.
Scott

hunter

That's good to hear, I've never seen a mounting bolt, I'd love to see yours to get an idea of how I'll go about putting them on,

thanks a bunch!

stevengerard

I have it in the body manual somewhere, I can post it as well. My car came with them, a rather rare option. Actually even the rear seats could have come with shoulder belts, never ever seen a car with those though.

hunter

That's awesome, seems VERY rare of an option to me, been to a few shows and never seen them, I'm rather jealous! Gotta get lap belts fixed (they dont click in) or shoulder belt since my mom is concerned,

Regardless, I have limited options of what to do, seems impractical to drill bolts into the frame, so I guess I'll visit Fusick and get some new belt buckles, or is the shoulder option more easy than it seems

starfire

The bolts go into existing holes in the convertible top frame. They are located under the Upper Piston Panel (the interior trim piece that covers the convertible piston at the side of the back seat back).

Get yourself a 1972 Fisher Body Manual and you can see exactly how they install.

oldspackrat

Hunter,
I have many factory seat belts & might have what you need in the color you need if you want to give me a call.
Scott
c. 317-727-7041

brown7373

They are a nice option that I do not have aon my 72 convertible. I do have them on my 1970 Bonneville Convertible and you really do feel safer belted in with the shoulder belts when you're cruising the interstate with the top down. It's a totally different feeling than when in a closed car.

I did find and bought the retractable rear seat lap belts for my 72 Cutlass convertible. They really clean up the back seat, not having the long belts laying across the seat.

hunter

Awesome! Hopefully this won't be an inconvenience to you, but I won't get the car until October 21st (this year). Thanks for giving me the info, I definitely will hold onto it.

edit: Many of you might appreciate what I found thanks to MDchanic

http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-b...=9910340732039 has the FSM/Chassis Manuals

stevengerard

Yep that's where the info is, a great resource too.

rcorrigan5

I don't know if the fastening for the '72 vert is the same for a '69 vert, but here are pictures of the way the shoulder belts are attached for my '69, plus a couple of pictures of the clips on the lower quarter panels where the belt goes when not in use.

Randy C.

hunter

awesome, is that a metal frame pole inside the door in which it is mounted on? thanks for the picture, hopefully I'll have that too

MDchanic

You're welcome!

- Eric

stevengerard

yes same way with both. My female belt has a clear (what was once clear) plastic sheath to protect the belt going through the side panel. It also has a black plastic band that keeps the extra length of strap from flapping around while its connected to the plastic mount as well.

oldspackrat

My '72 'vert has the same set up with the belts, yellowed clear plastic & black band. But the shoulder belt buckles don't match the other buckles. I think the shoulder belts are the shiny female ends & all the other lap belts are the black painted ones. Didn't know if that was the only way the shoulder belts came maybe?

stevengerard

Sounds like they may have been added later but who knows, I hear very few dealers went through the hassle as those were added after the car was delivered so an owner had to be vigilant about ordering them. I believe shoulder belts were able to be ordered when you selected "deluxe" belts. The "deluxe" style is the chrome buckle style, not the painted. The shoulder belts are the wider style as well. There were two levels of deluxe belts. Take a look at the next car show and you will see some cars have front lap belts with the wide buckles, some have the small tiny buckles.

My front lap belts are narrow width and the shoulder belts are the wider buckle so occupants do not get them mixed up. None the less its still cool you have them - maybe as you said the only shoulder belt was that style and yo could get it even if you got color coded belts (black, dark green, etc.)

rcorrigan5

The piece the female side of the shoulder belts is attached to is definitely metal. It looks to be a sort of cover protective piece in front of the rod that comes out of the hydraulic cylinder for the power top on each side. There is a washer and a nut on the back side that holds the bolt (and belt end) in place. I'm wondering, if you don't have a power top, if that metal piece would be there. And maybe all tops were powered by then - I don't know for sure on that.

Mine don't have the "...clear plastic sheath to protect the belt going through the side panel...". It makes me wonder if there is a slight difference in the way the shoulder belt was routed between '69 and '72. Mine do have the "...black plastic band..." so the seat belt ends aren't flopping around. Another thing I noticed - my front seat belt buckles (bucket seats) are smaller than the rear seat buckles. All the rear seat buckles, including the buckle for the front shoulder belt, match.

Randy C.

stevengerard

That's how mine are. All buckles in the back are deluxe wide buckles. Front bucket seat lap belts are small buckles, front shoulder belts are wide buckles - all are chrome deluxe.

hunter

Also I found that the front lap belts won't click in. At this point should I

a) repair the lap belts
b) find a shoulder belt set that is compatible with the 72
- http://parts.replacementgeneralparts...ement&s=1&my=1

How hard would it be to fix a lap belt regardless?

I get the car in 20 days or so, it also does have the hydraulic top, so it should be able to have shoulder belts if I am reading this right

stevengerard

Also do some searching on shoulder belts, I don't know if these old belt positions are the safest. IIRC a shoulder belt should be mounted no lower than 10 degrees below your shoulder and no more than 30 degrees above. the mounting position in these old cars are closer to 20.