'61 Bonneville seat belts?

[Bonne61]

Hey there everyone,

I hope someone can help me here?

I'm in SE Queensland, and am hoping to source some seatbelts locally (ideally supply/fit and compliance in a 1 stop shop).

If anyone has any recommendations or experience with a provider, I would really appreciate it.

My ride is a '61 pillarless hardtop Bonneville, so retractable would be great however, I don't want the reels & belts hanging across the open windows so not sure if this is even possible?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Ringo64]

@Fitzy is in North Queensland, unsure if he has any insight for you for anything local to you or regardless.

[Frosty]

Bonne61 - are you looking for stock, original / OER replacement seat belts that are period correct?

Or are you looking for like a more modern seat belt/chest belt (3-point) belt?

[Bonne61]

7 hours ago, Frosty said:

Bonne61 - are you looking for stock, original / OER replacement seat belts that are period correct?

Or are you looking for like a more modern seat belt/chest belt (3-point) belt?

Hey Frosty,

For the sake of safety a 3 point belt would be great, however I don't see that being viable because the car is pillarless? Also, these probably wouldn't really suit the car.

So...a set of colour coded (burgundy) lap belts for all six seats (complete with chrome not plastic buckles) would probably be a better fit, especially as the interior is completely original.

 

[Wrongway]

I know this place isn't local to you but I justa bought a set of seat belts for another car I'm working on. Was pretty impressed with the quality and pretty good prices. I can snap picks of mine if you would like.

www.retrobelt.com

[Bonne61]

1 hour ago, Wrongway said:

I know this place isn't local to you but I justa bought a set of seat belts for another car I'm working on. Was pretty impressed with the quality and pretty good prices. I can snap picks of mine if you would like.

www.retrobelt.com

Hey Wrongway,

The product looks good, but I have some reservations with regards to compliance, given these would come without Australian certification? Would you happen to have any knowledge of these being used in Australia?

I might get in touch with the company & ask.

Thank you.

[Wrongway]

I honestly couldn't say Paul. I sometimes forget about all of the rules and regulation that y'all have to follow over there. If you do find out keep us posted. I would be interested to know.

[Bonne61]

1 hour ago, Wrongway said:

I honestly couldn't say Paul. I sometimes forget about all of the rules and regulation that y'all have to follow over there. If you do find out keep us posted. I would be interested to know.

That I will mate, thanks for the info😊

[Frosty]

I obviously don't know anything about these companies, but they are definitely located in Aussieland.

https://www.apvsafetyproducts.com/

https://www.aveska.com.au/seat-belts/

https://autolux.com.au/products-services/steering-wheels-gear-knobs-seat-belts/custom-seatbelts/

https://restraint.com.au/

https://www.hemco.com.au/

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Frosty

[Bonne61]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

I obviously don't know anything about these companies, but they are definitely located in Aussieland.

https://www.apvsafetyproducts.com/

https://www.aveska.com.au/seat-belts/

https://autolux.com.au/products-services/steering-wheels-gear-knobs-seat-belts/custom-seatbelts/

https://restraint.com.au/

https://www.hemco.com.au/

 

Thanks Frosty👍

[64 kiwi boni]

18 hours ago, Wrongway said:

I know this place isn't local to you but I justa bought a set of seat belts for another car I'm working on. Was pretty impressed with the quality and pretty good prices. I can snap picks of mine if you would like.

www.retrobelt.com

May not be ozzy compliant mate …

wheres fitzy when ya need him 

 

[Bonne61]

Hi all, thanks for all the help /advice.

For the Australians on here, I'll provide a bit of an update to hopefully save another some research time.

Firstly (and I'm happy to be proven wrong here) I have been told that you are unable to purchase new belts that are Australian (ADR) complied, and are fitted with chrome buckles. So black plastic with red buttons it is, if you want/need to fit ADR compliant belts.

However, if your car does not require seat belts by law (and you, like me want to fit belts from purely a safety perspective ie: you don't need them for insurance purposes), there is another path...

You can purchase good quality (NOT Chinese rubbish), American-legal seatbelts that do have chrome buckles (can't remember the US compliance equivalent). To quantify-they are well made, safe, ARE compliant to a US safety code, and are routinely fitted to many thousands of US vehicles without issue.

Effectively you can have period correct seat belts fitted to your car, that WILL provide you with a considerable level of accident protection (certainly better than having no belts fitted). But you obviously WILL NOT be able to rely on any LEGAL protection in the event of an accident, from an insurance perspective.

Please understand, I am not recommending you take this route - I am merely passing on information that I have been provided (as it happens from an Australian manufacturer, whose identity I am obviously not going to reveal).

Feedback from the following companies whom I contacted below:-

1. APV-S - no coloured webbing, no chrome buckles

2. Autolux - only do re-webbing of existing belts

3. Hemco - No coloured webbing, no chrome buckles

4. Restraint Technology - some colours available, no chrome buckles

 

 

 

[Frosty]

Thanks Bonne61 for that. Is the Aussie seat belt regulation suppose to be more stringent than the America one? Or is really the native insurance companies down under saying you need to have "Aussie belts" in order for us to cover any potential legal liability in case of an accident?

[Wrongway]

Vary interesting Bonne, Thanks for the info.

[Fitzy]

I just saw this. My 65 GP has the original factory floor mounted retractor belts, with the chrome buckle ends attached to the transmission hump. Now, I may have been lucky. My safety certificate provider wasn't sure on the rules regarding old cars and my belts passed. They are factory fitted and so are deemed safe. When I got the car, they (along with the rest of the car) were a mess. I dismantled them as far as I could go and cleaned them up. For a laugh, I sat in the driver's seat with the lap belt fastened and in slow motion followed the trajectory of what might happen in a collision. Death was the conclusion. Those lap belts will stop you being thrown around but you are going to die from massive concussion as your torso slams into the steering wheel and dash. Have I cheered you up?

Once upon a time, old cars had to be modified to fit seat belts but that's no longer the case. Personally, I would source a set of matching original belts. I find that I drive far more carefully with just a lap belt, too!

For our American viewers, Australia has always been tough on wearing seatbelts. It was made mandatory decades ago and for us, it's an automatic reaction to enter a car and find the seat belt. I find travelling in a car without one just feels unsafe and they are a proven technology.

Did you have to change the headlights to RHD ones, so that the beams are biased to the left rather than the right? I did.

[Bonne61]

On 5/9/2023 at 10:15 PM, Frosty said:

Thanks Bonne61 for that. Is the Aussie seat belt regulation suppose to be more stringent than the America one? Or is really the native insurance companies down under saying you need to have "Aussie belts" in order for us to cover any potential legal liability in case of an accident?

Hey @Frosty,
As for who's regulations are more stringent I can't really say - that would probably come down to how the product is accident tested I guess? And that almost everything that moves over here must comply with Australian Design Rules (ADR's).

[Bonne61]

14 hours ago, Fitzy said:

I just saw this. My 65 GP has the original factory floor mounted retractor belts, with the chrome buckle ends attached to the transmission hump. Now, I may have been lucky. My safety certificate provider wasn't sure on the rules regarding old cars and my belts passed. They are factory fitted and so are deemed safe. When I got the car, they (along with the rest of the car) were a mess. I dismantled them as far as I could go and cleaned them up. For a laugh, I sat in the driver's seat with the lap belt fastened and in slow motion followed the trajectory of what might happen in a collision. Death was the conclusion. Those lap belts will stop you being thrown around but you are going to die from massive concussion as your torso slams into the steering wheel and dash. Have I cheered you up?

Once upon a time, old cars had to be modified to fit seat belts but that's no longer the case. Personally, I would source a set of matching original belts. I find that I drive far more carefully with just a lap belt, too!

For our American viewers, Australia has always been tough on wearing seatbelts. It was made mandatory decades ago and for us, it's an automatic reaction to enter a car and find the seat belt. I find travelling in a car without one just feels unsafe and they are a proven technology.

Did you have to change the headlights to RHD ones, so that the beams are biased to the left rather than the right? I did.

 

14 hours ago, Fitzy said:

I just saw this. My 65 GP has the original factory floor mounted retractor belts, with the chrome buckle ends attached to the transmission hump. Now, I may have been lucky. My safety certificate provider wasn't sure on the rules regarding old cars and my belts passed. They are factory fitted and so are deemed safe. When I got the car, they (along with the rest of the car) were a mess. I dismantled them as far as I could go and cleaned them up. For a laugh, I sat in the driver's seat with the lap belt fastened and in slow motion followed the trajectory of what might happen in a collision. Death was the conclusion. Those lap belts will stop you being thrown around but you are going to die from massive concussion as your torso slams into the steering wheel and dash. Have I cheered you up?

Once upon a time, old cars had to be modified to fit seat belts but that's no longer the case. Personally, I would source a set of matching original belts. I find that I drive far more carefully with just a lap belt, too!

For our American viewers, Australia has always been tough on wearing seatbelts. It was made mandatory decades ago and for us, it's an automatic reaction to enter a car and find the seat belt. I find travelling in a car without one just feels unsafe and they are a proven technology.

Did you have to change the headlights to RHD ones, so that the beams are biased to the left rather than the right? I did.

Yep you're right, whatever the car is fitted with should be fine, providing they are in good condition.

And also yes, the 2 probable outcomes from a severe frontal collision when wearing lap belts only are severe head trauma and spinal injury. However, they're perhaps somewhat better outcomes than none at all under the same circumstances. 

Some would say I'm lucky that I don't need seat belts at all, which means my choices are greater. Whereas if you needed to replace yours, they would most likely have to be with the current ADR compliant ones.

So atm I'm not sure what I'll do...

As for the headlights, they aren't great but given the thing has spent more time off the road than on since I bought it 8 months ago, they're not yet on my radar. I'd planned to replace them with better units, but haven't really gone any further with it.

[Fitzy]

Yeah, as far as headlights go I will NEVER drive my car at night - too many critters up here. I asked the question because it was something I never expected - LHD cars need LHD headlights. I'm curious if your inspection mechanic insisted on the same modification.

[64 kiwi boni]

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Yeah, as far as headlights go I will NEVER drive my car at night - too many critters up here. I asked the question because it was something I never expected - LHD cars need LHD headlights. I'm curious if your inspection mechanic insisted on the same modification.

Ozy = fitzy critters …. Snakes 

crocs . Spiders the size of crocs !!!!!! 
roos the size of crocs 

all things you do do not want to hit with your Pontiac !!!! 

Fitzy…. Sorry to tell you but there is no such thing as a left hand drive head light . They beam up and down in our old cars . Never left or right  when I complied my dodge Ram that came from ca 

all I had to do was adjust them left was all . 

[Bonne61]

14 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Yeah, as far as headlights go I will NEVER drive my car at night - too many critters up here. I asked the question because it was something I never expected - LHD cars need LHD headlights. I'm curious if your inspection mechanic insisted on the same modification.

The mechanic (not mine) who did the Safety Certificate didn't even pick up the fcuked wheel bearing, so I doubt he's capable of picking up a cold without some assistance...

[Fitzy]

13 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

 

Fitzy…. Sorry to tell you but there is no such thing as a left hand drive head light . They beam up and down in our old cars . Never left or right  when I complied my dodge Ram that came from ca 

Well, according to what's on the web there IS a difference. It's to do with the upper cut off point on the curbside beam. The theory is that the driver's side beam is angled slightly down so as not to dazzle oncoming drivers and the passenger side beam is slightly higher so as to better illuminate the verge. It's not just the height of the beam, also the left to right bias. It CAN be adjusted out but not on all cars.

[64 kiwi boni]

So I bought a brand new hellcat . It was shipped to nz . They adjusted the head lights for left side of the road . And they are perfect !

my 1995 Ram . Came off a ship from California and I adjusted the head lights and they too complied . Not sure why they had you change yours . I haven’t changed the 64 either . And they are fine . Very odd 

[JUSTA6]

Not touchin this one...........

[Wrongway]

Nope, sometimes it's safer to justa sit back and watch! 

[64 kiwi boni]

I do read on the web how some head lights can be adjusted , yet others need to be replaced  clearly both my ones didn’t need replacing .

I am seeing my new certifier shortly to go over my build plans for the 57 so I wil ask him