Relocating SWB seat belt mounts

[buddeman]

Hi all... have done lots of reading thru the registry, pelican and 912BBS to get ideas on how to relocate the seat belt mounts on my '67 911. Wanted to share my plan and get any feedback on the plan and if there are other options to consider.

I'm planning on sticking with the 3-point, non-retractable seat belt for my spirited drives, auto-x and DE days. Have the '67 correct sport seats without headrests. The plan is to use the existing mounting point below the rear side windows, but relocate the lap portion mounting points.

Best I can tell, most effective would be to install the inner eyebolts onto the tunnel. I've seen two variations mounting the eyebolt coming off the side of the tunnel, or off the top (similar to the later mounting position).

For the outer eyebolts, was inclined to mount similar to the pic (from speedo over at pelican)... where the nut plus thick metal stock is welded into the longitudinal.

Any opinions or concerns with this direction? Best tunnel mounting position? Thank you in advance!

[tfiv]

I've never been able to bring myself to drill holes in the floor, or weld anything to the car. If didn't have all original metal, I probably wouldn't care though.

I've been thinking about making a bracket that fits under the sport seat frame, held by the four bolts, that has ears for seat belt mounting.

You want the lap belt low, over your pelvis bones. The diagonal shoulder belt should really be looped, rather than attached direclty to the lap belt, so it tensions, rather than pulling the lap belt up into your abdomen on impact.

[buddeman]

Good comments Tom, thank you. Made me pause and rethink my approach, as similar to yours it still has original metal all around and I wasn't a fan to have eyebolts sticking thru the floor... I just installed a seat to test fit and like your idea, although will perhaps look to replicate the LWB approach with installing a bracket to the seat directly, rather than the seat frame. Not sure I trust those (4) 6mm allen bolts to hold the bracket down.

Oh yeah, and just so you are not surprised at the Campout if you go, mine is also a '67 Irish green... finally getting put back together after the previous owner started the restoration 32-years ago.

[304065]

There is no room on the outboard side of the seat (well, at least with stock seats with chrome sliders). I can't comment on the sport seat mounting.

When my '66 was in bare metal we thought hard about welding a receiver into the longitudinal outboard of the seat rail. Not rocket science: this is exactly where the factory put it in the later cars. Ultimately we concluded that a bracket sandwiched between the seat and the rails would be the best option for attaching the lap belts. The original seat belt eye bolts are abdominal trauma waiting to happen.

The existing receiver below the side window is in the wrong spot-- you should mount something up on the parcel shelf. We welded in some receivers with big backing plates (actually a stock part from SCHROTH) so they won't tear out of the metal- centered behind the front headrests to provide proper angle of pull over a later high-back seat The problem with the stock receiver for the shoulder belt is that it's actually lower than the back of the front seat and gives you the wrong angle of pull.

The 69 LWB approach was to sandwich an angle iron bracket between the seat pan and the rail. These actually come off if you unbolt the rail. Again, I'm about a year away from sport seats so I can't really comment on how to install those, but I can tell you that there's precious little clearance between the sides of the seat, the longitudinal and the center tunnel- so I would install the seat first, then figure out where you can fit the belts.

We also cut the B-pillar open and welded in a piece of steel bar stock tapped for a seat belt bolt, again in the identical place the factory did in later cars. That will give proper angle of pull for a conventional 3 point shoulder harness, and it's invisible under the vinyl and pad if you ever decide to abandon it.

Good luck! Would love to see photos of what you are thinking about. Ill send you mine (but could be a few months!)

[tfiv]

Patrick,

I'm thinking you could use tapered shoulder flat top screws countersunk, to utilize the other threaded holes.

I'm not sure if I'm going to make it emory's, but I'll look forward to seeing your car!