1957 aftermarket 3 point shoulder belt

[valhalla 4771]

I need to install safety belts in my 57. Is there a way to install a 3 point seatbelt that would that is both effective and also is reasonably unobtrusive? If so is it worth getting the retractor kit? My car will be strictly for my driving enjoyment and for Cars n' Coffee drive-ins. No juried shows for me. Thanks for whatever advice.

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[74 Harley]

Not sure a 3 point system would work very well, maybe someone else has better experience. I would think the 2 point lap belt would be fine, just use a big enough plate on the bottom.

 

[Ward 57]

Not sure a 3 point system would work very well, maybe someone else has better experience. I would think the 2 point lap belt would be fine, just use a big enough plate on the bottom.

It was still an option in'57 I think but mine had the mounts already there so it was easy to just attach and added a middle seat belt also but tuck it in unless needed.. I have almost every option but power seats. I would just stay with the 2 point as it's still safe for a road car.

 

[biddle]

I need to install safety belts in my 57.

Use the 4 digit model year in your subject on future posts. This aids with searches. Updated to 1957.

 

[paul5456]

A friend of mine installed a three point belt system in his 57. He attached the over the shoulder strap to the rear wheel well.

 

[55blacktie]

If not installed as designed, they could do more harm than good.

 

[TBoidMark]

I installed a three point seatbelt in my ‘55 and did so without much trouble. It’s comfortable and I’m sure affords more safety than the conventional lap belt. Not knowing if the metal framing behind the seat is the same on a 57 as it is on mine I would hesitate to say it’s possible in your case. Mark

 

[paul5456]

I installed a three point seatbelt in my ‘55 and did so without much trouble. It’s comfortable and I’m sure affords more safety than the conventional lap belt. Not knowing if the metal framing behind the seat is the same on a 57 as it is on mine I would hesitate to say it’s possible in your case. Mark

Where did you mount the shoulder belt?

 

[Frankie the Fink]

If not installed as designed, they could do more harm than good.

Correct. There is more engineering and geometry involved than just finding a strong spot to munt a bracket. Ever wonder why modern cars have headrests in addition to shoulder belts ?

 

[willcarterdc]

For those of you who have installed 3-point retractable seatbelts in a ‘57: where exactly did you install the retractable spool unit? My shop called me yesterday to say that the seatbelt kit that they initially recommended won’t work because there’s not enough space with the soft top folded down behind the seat for the retractable spool unit to fit where it’s supposed to go on the floor. That seemed odd to me, since I know that others have successfully installed such units in their Early Birds.

 

[JimLeanna55Bird]

I installed a three point seatbelt in my ‘55 and did so without much trouble. It’s comfortable and I’m sure affords more safety than the conventional lap belt. Not knowing if the metal framing behind the seat is the same on a 57 as it is on mine I would hesitate to say it’s possible in your case. Mark

Can you provide info on what belts and how the install went. I just picked up a 55 and really want 3-point retractable belts. Photos would be great.
Thank in advance

 

[TBoidMark]

I’m currently out of town and away from my tbird. When I get back on a few days I’ll take some pictures and try to explain exactly how it was done. Just so you know, I removed my soft top and lowered and pushed back the seat by removing the stock seat bracket and motors. It was quite a rework of the seating area, but increased knee space and simplified the three point harness installation. I’m very happy with all the modifications.
T-boid Mark

 

[JimLeanna55Bird]

I’m currently out of town and away from my tbird. When I get back on a few days I’ll take some pictures and try to explain exactly how it was done. Just so you know, I removed my soft top and lowered and pushed back the seat by removing the stock seat bracket and motors. It was quite a rework of the seating area, but increased knee space and simplified the three point harness installation. I’m very happy with all the modifications.
T-boid Mark

Sounds like a great idea as I am 6'1" and it is a bit of a struggle to get in around the steering wheel. Would love to see how you lowered the seat as well. I do not have the soft top so that is not an issue for me. I also do not have powered seats so no motors.

 

[Thunder rd]

I need to install safety belts in my 57. Is there a way to install a 3 point seatbelt that would that is both effective and also is reasonably unobtrusive? If so is it worth getting the retractor kit? My car will be strictly for my driving enjoyment and for Cars n' Coffee drive-ins. No juried shows for me. Thanks for whatever advice.

The important part of seat belt shoulder is that it does not ride on youre shoulder because in an accident it will push down that part needs to be above youre body so force is evenly spread. Lap belts are pretty dangerous and don't keep you from the steering wheel . Head rest are designed for whip lash and some seat belt positions. I put 3 point in my 60 but I have a point above my shoulder. In conclusion the shoulder part has to be above youre body not wrapped around the seat and youre shoulder.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

Mere lap belts saved my life and if you are in a proper seating position and the belt adjusted properly you will not hit the steering wheel....unless the wreck is so bad that you would have even bigger problems and prob lose your lower extremeties.

 

[JimLeanna55Bird]

I am very familiar with seat belt dynamics and know the good and bad of how they work and don't. I think the only thing worse than no belt is a lap belt only. I have seen gruesome injuries from someone wearing only a lap belt. There is a reason that car manufacturers no longer do lap belts only in the rear seats and went to 3-point belts years ago. I have no option to have the shoulder point above my shoulder but think it is worth the risk to have that as opposed to nothing.

 

[Thunder rd]

Mere lap belts saved my life and if you are in a proper seating position and the belt adjusted properly you will not hit the steering wheel....unless the wreck is so bad that you would have even bigger problems and prob lose your lower extremeties.
View attachment 32228

Depends on the accident been a certified body man watched the films etc . Inertia is un predictable some people have been pulled all the way out of there lap belt and through the windshield . Youre pretty lucky in youre accident a lap belt may keep you from being thrown out of the car in low speed say 15 mph they work. I don't recomend retractor type in a car that the seat belt shoulder can't be mounted high . The best would be rase car type 4 point fixed and the best would be to put a roll bar in and mount them on that. Thunder road auto body.

 

[Tom Alpers]

Lap belts are better than no belts in the big picture.

Seat belts

Information from IIHS-HLDI on seat belts

www.iihs.org

From that link....
Similarly, a lap belt alone is better protection than no belt in a crash. Today’s vehicles have three-point belts in all seating positions, but vehicle built before September 2007 may only have lap belts in the rear center seats (NHTSA, 2004).

In a study of potentially fatal crashes involving back-seat occupants age 5 and older, lap belts reduced the risk of fatal injury for outboard occupants by 32% in cars and 63% in vans and SUVs (Morgan, 1999). Although lap-only belts weren’t as effective as lap and shoulder belts, particularly in frontal crashes, using lap-only belts provided more protection than being unrestrained.

 

[SkidJames]

I don't know if this is of any help but a few years ago I fitted 3Point fixed belts to my 57. I bought them from Seat Belt Planet along with two sets of their mounting kits Nos. 2 and 5, plus I bought some additional nuts and thick plate washers from a race and rally preparation company here in the U.K.
The belt's floor mountings went on the same locations that lap belts would be attached to and for anchoring the shoulder strap I used the triangular brackets under the rear deck that connect the deck with the side body structure (not sure if these are on a 55 but I would have thought so). As the pictures show, the long length of the ring bolt from Seat Belt Planet allowed additional plate washers to support the whole assembly by going behind the lip that runs across under the deck, and the carabiner means that the mounting can be quickly removed out of the way whenever the soft top is raised or lowered.
Other than hole drilling it was necessary to cut the outside edge of the round washers that went immediately behind the brackets so that they would locate correctly and I also had to increase the 'notch' in the trim panels behind the door so they did not foul the new mounting.
The belts do look untidy compared with an inertia reel set up but if I am showing the car everything gets hidden behind the drop curtain.

 

[Tom Alpers]

I don't know if this is of any help but a few years ago I fitted 3Point fixed belts to my 57. I bought them from Seat Belt Planet along with two sets of their mounting kits Nos. 2 and 5, plus I bought some additional nuts and thick plate washers from a race and rally preparation company here in the U.K.
The belt's floor mountings went on the same locations that lap belts would be attached to and for anchoring the shoulder strap I used the triangular brackets under the rear deck that connect the deck with the side body structure (not sure if these are on a 55 but I would have thought so). As the pictures show, the long length of the ring bolt from Seat Belt Planet allowed additional plate washers to support the whole assembly by going behind the lip that runs across under the deck, and the carabiner means that the mounting can be quickly removed out of the way whenever the soft top is raised or lowered.
Other than hole drilling it was necessary to cut the outside edge of the round washers that went immediately behind the brackets so that they would locate correctly and I also had to increase the 'notch' in the trim panels behind the door so they did not foul the new mounting.
The belts do look untidy compared with an inertia reel set up but if I am showing the car everything gets hidden behind the drop curtain.

Is that an aluminum carabiner with a simple "jaw" closure?