Unusual front seatbelts

[MorrisJohn]

Has anyone ever seen a front seatbelt installation like this? I’ve only ever seen them just a few inches behind the drivers seat, rather than on the upright?

[Chief]

On my four door they come down from the upright (though as a sliding adjustment), and attch to the sills' seatbelt mounting bracket. Then there's the secondary webbing that connects to the floor.

You can view them in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=71554

I think, looking at your photo it's a similar setup in terms of where it fixes.

[geoberni]

if you look in the workshop manual (R55), it illustrates a high up mounting like that for '4 door and Traveller'.

Convertible and 2 Door is supposed to be way back over the shoulder.
I can understand that for the convertible, but I don't totally understand why the 2 door should need to.
Unless it's that the design of the 4 door pillar, due to the original installation of trafficators on the 4 door, makes it the preferred position, but difficult to do on the 2 door.

[simmitc]

I think that the door pillar on a 2-door is considered too weak to provide an adequate mounting point. The belt is (at least for me) more comfortable and practical higher up, but if a belt is in use, then it needs to be able to do its job. I have seen a 2-door where the belt was mounted as shown in the picture, but the bolt was drilled right through the pillar from outside. Definitely not recommended.

[MorrisJohn]

Thanks for the replies. I think I’d be repositioning it to the regular position. Going to see that car tomorrow.

[philthehill]

The problem with the photo posted is that it does not show the top mounting and how it is fixed.
I agree that the correct position for a two door is on the bottom window frame.
I would also agree that the two door front window pillar or 'B' post is not strong enough to support a seat belt top mounting.
The basic problem with the Minor is that the body was never designed for the fitment of seat belts. Seat belt anchorages were a retro fit to the Minor and their position was determined as the best of a bad bargain.
The top mounting of the seat belt in the photo shown is in my opinion is too high anyway and so body contact is reduced and the angle of contact with the body will be wrong.
I certainly would not want to be sat in the seat with the seat belts orientated as they are. When it all goes wrong and questions are asked as to why the seat belt mount was not fitted as recommended by BMC - it could be a difficult reply.

[MCYorks]

I've never seen seatbelt mountings that high up on a 2-door. I would agree, that the top section of the B-pillar isn't strong enough for a belt mounting. They also have a habit of cracking where the top section is welded to the bottom section Which has been discussed previously on the forum. See photo and link.
viewtopic.php?t=30391&start=160

pillar crack.PNG (1.39 MiB) Viewed 2183 times

[MorrisJohn]

I cancelled my viewing of that car in any case. The seller described it as “solid” and when I got the photos of the underside through it was quite clear the chassis legs and sills were rotten and covered up with under seal.

When I pointed it out he said “well it is a 50yr old car.”

[jagnut66]

I cancelled my viewing of that car in any case. The seller described it as “solid” and when I got the photos of the underside through it was quite clear the chassis legs and sills were rotten and covered up with under seal.

When I pointed it out he said “well it is a 50yr old car.”

Perhaps he can use that as a defence in court when someone with less experience buys the car and is killed in an accident on the way home......
People with this attitude, only interested in making a quick profit, could cause no end of problems for the whole classic car movement. It may only take one fatal accident for there to be a call for restrictions on classic car use.
He needs to be made to point this out to potential buyers.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[MorrisJohn]

I quite agree. This particular chap owns a car garage too. Now I wonder why he hasn’t bothered to MOT this little Moggy?? Someone will get caught out because the bodywork and interior are beautiful.

A right little Arthur Daley!

[Rover2003]

Has anyone ever seen a front seatbelt installation like this? I’ve only ever seen them just a few inches behind the drivers seat, rather than on the upright?

I’m thinking of Lap Seatbelts for mine as it currently has that sort of seat belt and after about 50 minutes starts giving shooting pain

[les]

If you currently have lap belts, then check they are legal. I thought the 3 point type was required, I could be wrong, look it up. ——- and if they are painful for you, change them !

[don58van]

if a belt is in use, then it needs to be able to do its job. I have seen a 2-door where the belt was mounted as shown in the picture, but the bolt was drilled right through the pillar from outside. Definitely not recommended.

I have a 1970 UK import 2-door. Seatbelts were fitted when it was first registered in the UK. They used the factory upper mount on the sill rail. I found them unsatisfactory because they would not stay on front occupants' shoulders--therefore they could not do their job properly in a crash.

I fitted new belts with the upper mount near the top of the B pillar. In my view, not only are they more comfortable but they are much more likely to do their job in a crash because they will stay over the occupant's shoulder thus providing torso restraint. I understand the concern about the upper B pillar not looking strong, but I think it is stronger than its slender profile suggests. And it is anchored to both the cant rail and the roof. After a lot of deliberation and research, I decided that the B pillar upper mount is clearly the better of two less-than-optimal solutions.

BTW, here in Australia where production stopped in about 1962, nearly all Minors have belts retrofitted with the B pillar mounting point.

Lap belts are a solution of last resort. They cause almost as much damage to the body as they prevent.

I am now retired, but I worked in a government road safety agency for nearly all my working days. One of my many roles was to encourage (correct) use of seat belts.

Don