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04-13-2023, 08:59 AM | #21 | |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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I had seatbelts save me, my wife and daughter once. My daughter was in the back seat and had taken the shoulder belt off, and after a guy blew a stop sigh directly in front of me, I hit him doing 55mph. My daughter had severe lower intestine damage from the lap belt and lost 4' of her lower bowel. She had to be Life Flighted to the hospital to save her life. Their importance is certainly not lost on me. The door latches were my biggest concern. I know they can pop open very easily in any accident, and remaining inside the car was my main goal with the belt. I don't want to modify the car for claw type latches. And yes, angles can play a big role in shoulder belts. Your set-up doesn't look bad, that's for sure. |
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04-13-2023, 10:40 AM | #22 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
I have seat belts/shoulder strap in my (fiberglass) roadster. For some reason in the steel reinforcing around the back of the cockpit just below the tack strip there is a 1"x1"x1/4" plate. The geometry for the shoulder strap is not perfect, but in the event of a sever frontal impact I believe some restraint is better than none. "Speed doesn't kill... stopping too quickly does".
I served 40 years as a volunteer firefighter in a district with one US highway (US26) and three major state highways (OR212, OR211, OR224). I have seen many crashes and am of the firm belief that a 3-point harness (at a minimum) is necessary to be prudent if driving at highway speeds. I think the answer to seat belts/shoulder harness should be not only YES, but He!! YES. |
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04-13-2023, 11:23 AM | #23 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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04-13-2023, 11:24 AM | #24 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
I have them in my '32 roadster (one of your body's Karl #989) and '46 Woodie, both set's were from Juliano's. I would check with my insurance company as to what they think. You never know that if you do have an accident and get hurt you never know what they say about your coverage.
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04-13-2023, 11:27 AM | #25 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
Sorry, double post.
Last edited by woodiewagon46; 04-13-2023 at 11:29 AM. Reason: double post |
04-13-2023, 01:52 PM | #26 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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04-13-2023, 06:09 PM | #27 | ||
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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The bottom of the harness uses an L-bracket to make the 90 degree turn and bolt to the floor pan with a backing plate. You can see the vertical part of the L-bracket in the picture. The bottom part that bolts to the floor pan is under the carpet. The bottom of the lap belt portion just bolts through the floor pan with a backing plate. All the parts come with the kit. It's a good kit. Quote:
Last edited by SoCalCoupe; 04-13-2023 at 06:17 PM. |
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04-13-2023, 06:35 PM | #28 | |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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Ditto on modifying the car for claw type latches. Here's a couple of more pics showing how they look every day. On the one without the lap belts, they're just stuffed between the seat cushions. The picture in a previous post showing the shoulder belts buckled with no passengers was just for demonstration. |
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04-14-2023, 12:59 AM | #29 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
Thanks, it took a while, but she fully recovered.
That's barely noticeable. It also gives me the idea that I could make an upper bracket with a roller that would have more of a vintage look to it. Something similar to the factory hand straps and brackets used in sedans. All it has to do is hold the belt in place. Making a brace for it wouldn't be hard either, and I have plenty of the shouldered bolts. Thanks for those pics, it gets me to thinking. |
04-14-2023, 04:41 AM | #30 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
Anyone try hooking this set up in a open car ?
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04-15-2023, 07:01 AM | #31 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
I use lap belts and anchor them as much as possible …..
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04-15-2023, 08:06 AM | #32 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
SoCalCoupe, I have a similar 3 point install from Julianos in my 51 Tudor, with the shoulder anchor nice and high. I was not able to get it as high on a Corvair hardtop I own, but came across some guidelines that shoulder height or above would be ok. I cant remember the source now and am questioning it now. How low is too low and what problems are you referring to? Thanks!
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04-15-2023, 09:08 AM | #33 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
That B-pillar bracket from Juliano's is a great solution for the 35-up cars with metal B-pillars. For a 32 sedan, the B-pillar is mostly solid wood so another solution is needed.
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04-15-2023, 09:54 AM | #34 | |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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At a minimum, you typically want shoulder belts to be no lower than your shoulder height. NHRA specs call for shoulder height also so that you remain held in your seat without compressing your body. BUT, having them above shoulder height makes them more comfortable, and still effective. It also allows some freedom of movement, which is nicer when driving. |
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04-15-2023, 09:31 PM | #35 | ||
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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Quote:
The gist of it though is that a primary purpose of the lap and shoulder belt is to reduce the crash g-force on the passenger by providing a little elastic 'give'. No seat belt in a 30g crash and you're flung into the dashboard/steeringwheel/windshield at 30g. If you're wearing a 3-point safety harness, it slows you down because the straps are slightly elastic whereas the dashboard isn't. If you visualize yourself strapped to the seat with belts at the same angle as the direction of the car you can imagine them not giving very much and not reducing your g force very much. Whereas, if you visualize yourself strapped to the seat with belts parallel to your spine, you can imagine that they might bow out a bit in a collision, enough to reduce the g-force on you. Sorry I can't produce the documentation I used a year and a half ago. It does appear that there's a significant difference between the design of a racing safety harness and a three point passenger car harness. Another reason for the seatbelt and shoulder harness which has already appeared in this thread is to simply keep you inside the car. |
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04-16-2023, 11:33 AM | #36 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
That is not how belts work. New cars have explosive devices that instantly tighten the belts around you in the event of an accident. The tighter the belt, the safer you are. The amount of elasticity in a belt is miniscule, so it will have no effect on the G-forces felt.
I only mentioned NHRA specs because they have the most stringent rules for safety. Same goes with land speed racers. A 5 point system is the safest. The crotch belt stops "submarining", where you can slide under the lap belt. Each system below that offers less safety. The 3 point is a compromise because in real life, out in public, you need to be able to move for various reasons. Obviously, turning around and checking for side traffic, reversing etc is not something you will worry about on a track. Road racers will have extensive mirror systems to compensate for a lack of being able to look around. That compromise of a 3 point lessens the passengers safety, and that is why they developed auto-belt tensioning devices. In a fraction of a second, they will cinch you tight in your seat. Everything is a trade-off and compromise. You certainly can't go driving around in public with a 5 point system, so you make compromises. The 3 point is a rational compromise. Moving the shoulder belt higher is another compromise that allows freedom of movement, especially when used with the retractors that allow forward movement, until enough force is applied that they "lock". It also allows for drivers/passengers of differing heights to fit into the same design. The auto-tensioners help correct that compromise in an accident. Last edited by cjshaker; 04-16-2023 at 11:40 AM. |
04-16-2023, 12:23 PM | #37 | |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
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04-16-2023, 03:46 PM | #38 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
The work consists of removing the interior trim to get at the B-pillar, drilling a hole in the B-pillar, fiddling the mount into place, cutting a hole in the trim, installing installing the bolt with the belt and trim, and reinstalling the trim.
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04-16-2023, 08:48 PM | #39 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
I installed both lap belts and shoulder belts in my 36 Ford 5W Coupe. The roll back is located behind the rear upholstery panel. They work well.
Lap belt anchors through the floor have large washers behind the anchor bolts. |
04-16-2023, 09:21 PM | #40 |
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Re: Do any of you guys put seatbelts in your '30s Fords?
That's a clever design on the shoulder belt. Nicely done. Thanks for showing that.
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