I had the same deal with my Dad when I started driveing.I had a 64 Merc,No belts no driving...

 

I plan to install a 4 point harness for each side once I choose the seats I want. The thought of my face slamming into that giant steering wheel disturbs me...

 

whether you install 3 point, 4 point, or 5 point understand this in a 48: the seat folds forward, if installed as suggested above (and as I did) they do NOT prevent you from hitting the steering wheel - sudden stop / front end collision the seat back pushes you forward into the column. You'd have to add a B pillar bar or some other hard point to attach / run the seatbelts through to keep from having that forward motion.

I went with a SFI approved 4 point (do your homework and you will find almost no aftermarket belts are SFI approved - most are just "good luck" racing rated).

In Colorado at least (and I think that's inheiriting the federal level NTSB based law) if you have no belts you can't get a ticket for not wearing your seatbelt, ANY belt installed and then you are under the seatbelt law and have to wear it or face the no seat belt ticket.

Also the sheet metal is rigid and strong, but I advise you to put a piece of strap or some other reinforcement. Relying on the sheet metal alone to hold in a violent collision and you most likely will pop free unrestrained.

My 4 points when properly adjusted do not allow you to 1) turn the heater on / off 2) release the emergency/hand brake.

And yes the NTSB (and SFI rated belts) requires grade 8 bolts, nuts, and washers of at least 7/16 (the kit I used wanted 7/16 in the center point and 1/2 on the two outside points).

 

They are really clamping down here.All the fasteners for car seats have to be approved for car seats.This rules out all old cars.A friend of sold his 49 ford sedan because this.I would find out for sure what is needed.Our local city fire department does our inspections,I don't see why someone could not just build something safe and have it inspected.I think the big issue is having shoulder belts for the kiddy seat.
That is of course if your kids young enough to need them...

 

I have the original bench seat but the feet broke off so I am going to discard it and try to find bucket seats and a center console. Corbeau 3 inch 5 point seat belts are SFI 16.1 approved. Don't know if I would consider that type. I plan to run a bar under the cab for the mounting and use grade 8 bolts. I tend towards overkill when it comes to safety.

 

First off, if I was putting in seatbelts and was concerned about extra holes and the like I would mount them using the seat mounting bolts/location or fab mounts to the seat brackets. No matter where or how you mount them having anything is better than what you had stock. An old sying I used when building cars at a speed shop I worked at was "Anything is better than stock". That being said most SFI seat belts are not DOT approved, and there is a big difference. Before you go off saying that SFI is the governing body for racing, I agree that racing stuff is better than stock but if your state requires (it is a state issue, not a federal one) DOT approved belts most SFI equipment will not pass.

Some states like CA can't make you retrofit seat belts but states like IA do.

 

I am in Keller- I had an old 62 F-100 I bought when I was 14- Drove it through high school and college. Unfortunately when you are a kid you do a bunch of not smart stuff to your truck, I remember doing so much of that work with my Dad so I wanted something that my kids (8 and 6) can "help" me with. Found this '50 a couple of years ago and now am in a position where the kids can "do" some of the work. Want to be able to let them ride with me hence the seat belt question. I want this to be a driver so the matching numbers comment is a misnomer. I have a fairly complete maintenance history from 1950 (truck stayed in the same family- father to son to us) and they were pretty detailed- so for example I know where and when the rear end got rebuilt in the 70s etc.... Thanks for the help.

Although when you find out I am an Aggie, your Baylor son might be mad your talking with me.

 

Although when you find out I am an Aggie, your Baylor son might be mad your talking with me.[/QUOTE]

So....you probably know how to have a bonfire!!

Great to hear that you're taking on a project to do with your kids. They'll have that experience forever! My kids were required to rebuild a project car if they wanted to drive. I think they took it easier on their cars in high school knowing that they personally would have to be involved in the repairs if they broke something.

Dan

 

Duplicate posting- sorry

 

A friend of a friend pointed me at Python Restoration- They do replacement belts for 60s to 70s Fords (mostly mustangs), but good thing is I can find something that might look more like what would have been put in (if they had been put in.) I included the website just in case anybody else wants to look into it www.pythonrestoration.com

 

Hey Mcnewt,
I'm ok on the Aggie thing though my wife & I are lifelong Longhorns. My oldest daughter somehow didn't get the message & is in Med School over at A&M. My son Zack & I still work on the truck together - He has it up at Baylor & I delivered some new door lock parts to him yesterday. It's good to have a project to work on together - though don't expect it to compete with girls & beer..

Are you good with advice on seatbelts? The "safety" stuff we did on our '50 was:
- (3) point seatbelts bolted through the floor with reinforcement.
- (2) chamber master cylinder so both front & back brakes don't go out.
- Front Disc brakes - Austin drivers are the worst - I just couldn't stand driving around here without being able to stop fast.
- Moved gas tank out of the cab & put it under the bed with a Rollover vent.

Welcome again - Sounds like fun over there in Keller!

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

Dan and Ben are right. 3" washers will help eliminate the possibility of the bolts pulling through the hole in a crash. I see alot of seatbelts in older 50s cars/trucks now. Many use old belts from junk yards from 60s - 70s cars. I suggest buying new belts from Macs or Mid Fiftys. Personnally, I like the plain chrome buckle with the lift up release mechanism. They look more 50s than most. Let us know how they turn out. Good luck, Jag
(How about a 3 point?)

 

AMEN! Preach it brother! Actually there is a big difference in the materials and testing methods used by SFI and DOT, and that criteria makes the DOT belts safer than SFI for the street.
DO NOT install/use racing style 4, 5, or 6 point racing harnesses in a street driven vehicle, no matter who they are certified by, they are both illegal and dangerous, and may be used as a reason for your insurance company to cancel you policy, or deny a claim. Use DOT approved 3 point harnesses with inertia reels, and mount the upper (shoulder strap) mount within the manufacturer's recommended location range. If you install a lap belt only in the center seat position, do not allow a child to ride there.
Safety always trumps OEM, I am not aware of any group that would devalue a vehicle for improving it's safety. Do not cut corners or try to save money on safety equipment.

You can use SFI guidelines in installing DOT belts though if you lack any other guidelines: Belts should be mounted with 3/8" NF grade 8 bolts, nuts and washers through metal tabs attached to the belts, not through the webbing itself, and reinforced sections of the body or chassis. If they must be attached through a single layer of sheet metal, such as the vehicle floor pan, both sides of the metal should be reinforced by sandwiching the mounting point between two 1/8" thick plates with a minimum 3" diameter. These plates should not be welded in place. Do not attach them to a secondary structure such as a seat frame.
If it were me and my kids, I would also retrofit seat back locks to the seat frame.
I once had the unfortunate experience of seeing first hand the aftermath of a front impact collision of a pre 60's vehicle not equipped with seat belts on the driver and passenger by the fixed steering column and windshield.

 

It can't be said too many times. I've seen results of someone impaled on a floor mount gear shift lever, the big dents in the metal dashes and faces that bore the scars of hitting the windshield, still visible years later. And then there was always the body or bodies that were ejected. A family friend of my parents, a beautiful woman, had a scar the full length of one side of her face from hitting the windshield.
On a personal note, I sat for an hour one night holding my handkerchief to a mans forehead and nose to stop the bleeding as he drifted in an out. He had gone into the windshield in a 'headon'. Sad part was, the '59 Ranchero had lap belts but he did not have them on.
Sorry to drift off topic.

 

Why exactly are 4 or more point seat belts not safe for street use? Ive seen it posted elsewhere but ive never seen it explained.