How to install seatbelts
 

Hi, I have a 69 tempest and oddly the seatbelts came in a box. I was wondering how these things are installed. I figure I had might as well get them installed and hopefully it's not a huge project (I scratch my head as to why they were taken out in the first place)

Front seat or back seat (or both)?

all of them :(

There should already be attaching nuts located below the floor pan (welded into a small reinforcment resembling a "soap dish") and holes in the floor.

Should be a matter of just positioning the belts and running the bolts in.

Front belts became standard around 1964 calendar year, and rear belts shortly thereafter. They may have been removed (a) because the previous owner didn't use them (we always just jammed them down between the seat cushion and seat back or (b) maybe they put new carpet in and never re-installed the belts.

K

there is new carpet in there. So the holes for the front seatbelts are through the floor pan? or is that the rear?

I installed new carpet in my '69 LeMans a few months ago. For the front seats, there should be a hole for the bolt (fairly large - nickel sized) below where the retractable belt holder would go. You'll have to cut a hole in the carpet for it. Note that the bolt requires a LOT of torque to screw in. My rear seat belts are attached behind the seat back. If you remove the rear seat cushion (that you sit on), and lift up the back (that you lean against), you should see bolt holes there (not too far up past where the seat starts).

Both.

I assume there are no holes in (new) carpet?

You could look up from underneath the car and see the weld nut/soapdish affair. You then should be able to stick an awl or screwdriver up through them poking through the carpet to locate from the topside.

For front buckets, there would be one outboard and one inboard of each seat (and slightly behind).

Rear seat would be similar (one at each end and then a set near the center of the vehicle). As heups mentions you can see those from the top once you remove the rear seat cushion.

K

okay...and the bolts didn't come with them. Are they unique or something I could find at a fastener store?

technically, they're unique but you could get away with hardened grade 8 bolts from a hardware store. Not sure if a standard hex bolt will fit with the retractors though. thread is 1/2-13 as I recall. I may have an extra set of bolts in my piles at home. I'll check tonight. is this a hardtop? if so, there'll be different size hardware to hold the shoulder belts up in the roof. All cars starting Jan 68 came mandatory with front shoulder belts so if you're missing them and they're enforcing the seatbelt laws, you need them on there too.

some more info for you here. Note in that diagram, you'll have two female buckles in the locations for the forward belts, one for the retractor and one for the shoulder belt.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...seatbelt+bolts

If you got to Performanceyears.com, and search for "seat belt bolt", there are several types. They note that: "Seat Belt Bolt holes are tapered! They get progressively harder to screw in. An impact gun is recommended. Coarse thread for 66 and up only!" It looks like there are different bolts for front vs. rear too.

here's a pic of them. The shouldered bolts go in the front female positions, it allows the lap belts to swivel. Retractor/rear/roof shoulder bolts are all cranked down tight. The small ones are for the roof anchors on the shoulder belts

No, it is a convertible. I found the bolts. I took the seat out and I see no soap-dish....just the floor pan. Kind of odd.

oops, after re-reading is the soap dish underneath the car...not inside under the carpet. My bad. I will take a picture of what I think your talking about.

The seatbelts are in ugly shape...maybe thats why they didn't put it in an otherwise nice interior car

Oh, going by what I read I was visioning both the male and female part to connect pretty much in the middle of the seat. I thought they'd attach both in the same hole, but the drawing shows different for sure

I found the spots. I so thought it was underneath the seat. Guess taking the driver's seat out was useless :(

I have 2 of the oddball bolts and 3 regulars so I guess I can track down some extras. Where do the oddball ones go? Somewhere at the front I assume, but I'm not sure. (im just in the process of cleaning the belts and they are looking near good as new)

the "oddball", I'm assuming you're referring to the shouldered ones (threads stop short of the head with a smooth section about 1/2" long), go on the center hump (inboard sides of the seats) and it's for the female buckles for the front seats. Do you have the bolt covers? Rubber boots that will cover the bolt head and bottom anchor plate.

belt boot pic

I have one of them :)