I need somebody to go look at their inertia reel seatbelts on a '73 for me PLEASE!

[wolfturbo]

Greetings to All,

I just removed a non-factory roll bar from my RS. Since the PO had carefully cut holes in the cover panels to make room for the roll bar, these pieces are of no use to me without the roll bar.

I sourced new cover panels from the internet to mount over where the inertia reel seatbelts attach to the car. Unfortunately the slot where the belt passes through the panel is located right near the leading edge of the panel. (See attached pic). The intertia reel, however, is about 4 inches further back than this slot, meaning the belt won't pass through the slot. It's simply too far from being vertically aligned if that makes sense.

I am surmising that there are different panels from different years with different placement of the slot for the belt. And wouldn't you know it, I've got the wrong panels!

Can somebody go look at their panel on their car and verify for me that the slot for the belt is located about 2-3 inches further back than the slot on the pic that I have attached.

If what I am saying makes no sense, just PM me your phone # and I will try to talk trhough it. Thanks to all.

Wolf

[wolfturbo]

Here's another pic

[pwd72s]

wolf, keep in mind mine is a '72, so the years may be different. Measuring in a straight line from the forward edge of the belt slot to the forward edge of the door opening trim, I get 5"....hope this helps. Paul (edit) Another way to put it...the slot shown in your pics is inches closer toward the front of the car than the original in my car...

[wolfturbo]

Paul,

Just what I thought - kind of like the different seat belt tongues & receptacles for the various years. Aaaah, the joys of these old cars.

Thanks for looking for me!


Wolf

[RandyWebb]

I can tell you that the '73.5 is different from a normal '73, but I forget what the differences are.

[fryardds]

Rob,

Here is the what the cover for the driver's side retractable belt looks like in my RS. It is a seperate piece that goes over the reel and side panel.





Here is what the reel looks like with the cover off.



I still don't know the answer to your question about keeping the original webbing but putting them on a new reel. I do have the answer to your other question about the plating issue. See the PM.

[RandyWebb]

One bad thing to do is to keep, old original webbing that doesn't have the strength anymore to help in a crash...

[pwd72s]

Bingo! My '72 and Brian's '73 look exactly alike...only I haven't pulled the cover. My seatbelt straps are colored black though, with no stitch pattern in the middle. So Rob, tell 'em you want the '72 or the '73 pieces, I guess...

[fryardds]

Rob,

You will also need the black painted bracket that goes behind the reel when it is bolted on to the car. The plastic slot that the belt goes through, screws into the 2 holes in the top of the bracket. I was missing one when I worked on the reels in my car. I bought another one from Parts Heaven. As Paul said, I would try several of the West coast parts places to see if they have any of these covers and brackets.

[wolfturbo]

Brian,

I have the two metal brackets. I actually have the cover pieces that I am looking for as well, except they have holes cut in them to accomodate the roll bar that I just removed.

Parts Heaven, here I come! Thanks Brian.

Rob