3 Point Seat Belts

[wighty]

Does anyone have advise on installing 3 point, front, seat belts?  My Custom 300 Tudor is freshly painted, so I don't want to do any welding on the Post or Pillar.  What make or brand of belt have any of you used?

[Ford Blue blood]

I have used Juliano's 3 point system in my 36 and a 48 F1.

For them to be effective that upper tie point needs to be really firm.  Not sure how you would get a plate big enough to hold without welding.  When I put them in a 48 1/2 ton there is a structure piece that ran from door jamb to door jamb and it was the perfect place to weld the reinforcement in.

[SkylinerRon]

Add a rollbar maybe?

Ron.

[John Palmer]

Add a rollbar maybe?

Ron.

While I'm a big proponent of using three, and five point restraint belts, I'm NOT in favor of roll bars in street driven cars.

You do not want your head flying around loosely secured, inside a car "with a roll bar" during an accident.  Roll bars (and roll cages) are for race cars, and then you need a helmet, proper safety seats mounted, and the restraint system to make it all work as a full system.  SFI roll bar padding is "not soft".

IMO, a better solution for a street vehicle application would be to install a stationary mounted seat back bar connecting the door pillar's.  Then attach the shoulder belts to that bar, and it would also support the seat backs during an accident.  NHRA, and Simpson both have some very good drawings showing the correct angles for the locations of seat belts, and shoulder belts.

This might be a workable solution for the four door, and Ranchero guys, but it would be a PITA on my "two door" Ranch Wagon, or any other two door model.

If anyone chooses to install the shoulder belts, make sure you get the pulling angles correct.  They are very important for safety.

[SkylinerRon]

I have a "street" rollbar in one of my street toys.  It's not NHRA legal because it is up against the headliner and
very well padded. More for side impact and chassis stiffness (unit body car) as it is a handler and long trip car not
a racer. It isn't harder than the steel body and way safer.

Ron.