Has anyone ever fitted seat belts to a 63 ish wildcat/lesabre/Invicta? Just wondering if it's easy before I spend the money. I'm going to put in a new rug and that would be the time to do it. thank you tom
Yes, my wife and I installed them on our '62 so we could take Grandkids (or anyone else safely). We located where, on the floor we should drill the holes. I checked underside to be sure we were not drilling into any lines, etc. I drilled pilot holes first. Then opened them up so we could use regular seat belt bolts with nuts I found to fit them. For the underside, I cut thin cardboard templates to fit the areas where the bolts came through. The ones in front were triangular near the tunnel and rectangular near the rocker. The rear 4 were all just squares and that area is completely flat. I held them in place and my wife used a marker from inside the car to locate where the holes needed to be. I took the templates to our steel supplier and the cut them out of 3/8 stock. Cost was $7.50 for all 8! I took them home and, with the templates taped to the top, drilled the holes on our drill press. Wife installed the belts and bolts. I was under the car with the plates and lock nuts. Worked great. Looks factory. I even painted and then undercoated the bottom side of the plates.
Thank you so much, great description and I will use it. I am confused about one thing though. If Buick offered seat belts as an option, why did they not have factory mounting holes? Or was it not offered on the 63? Thanks again Tom
Having owned several '63 GM cars back in the day that came with factory installed seat belts, I would have to say it was at least an option. Like a lot of stuff back then, the holes were not always pre-drilled for them, but it should be easy enough to determine where they mount.
Don't recall when in '60s Buick started putting seat belt anchors on all floor pans. Worth a look underneath. Install was icepick thru carpet into rubber plug in bolt hole, cut "X" in carpet/jute at icepick, remove plug and install bolt. Only tedious part was slitting seat back on 4-doors...
I put some in the back seat of the 65, I ordered the long ones so they will work with the grandkids car seats. If you ever want to take young kids along you may need the longer belts. Our stock ones were definitely not made for child car seats.
Had two '62 Chryslers. Seat belts were an option, and both had them. Since the 300H was capable of 140 mph + it was a good idea that the original purchaser (Ronald Reagan - not THAT Ronald Reagan) bought them. :grin:
. Seem to recall reading somewhere that when installing these kind of seat belts in originally non equipped cars, there are specially manufactured anchors bolts that are specifically manufactured for and are curved somewhat that allow the G forces not to shear the lag end of the belt that attaches to the anchor bolt. This apparently can and does happen if just simple hardware store sourced parts are used . Just saying.
My guess is that a grade 8 bolt would have sufficient shear strength that the chance of failure would be between slim and none. I believe the strength in single shear is north of 13,000 lbs. for a 3/8" bolt. BTW - there were seatbelt kits that came with thick 3" fender washers to reinforce the floor. Some place like Fastenal or a really good hardware store might have something that would work.
Seat belt anchor plates http://www.ebay.com/itm/safeTboy-10...ash=item5683a00a84:g:PJcAAOSwh-1W6Am6&vxp=mtr
