Seat belt question

[rkapteyn]

I have this one seat belt and it is a N.O.S. original Studebaker seat belt probably 1958
Anybody knows about these?

[rockne10]

I remember those hinged claw buckles. Definitely an original. Much like older aircraft seat belts.

[8E45E]

Perhaps for a truck?

I do know the Navy and other US Government agencies specified seat belts in their trucks.

Craig

[bensherb]

Cool looking buckle!

[StudeRich]

These must be the Pre-1959, Door Mounted type for the outboard half, and QUITE Early!

[Skip Lackie]

Good find. At one time, I had quite an accumulation of Stude seat belts, and never had one with that buckle design. The scissor mounting is the same as that used on the 62-64 belts with the gold decal (that SI now reproduces), but this buckle is different. Sometimes the front and rear belts use different attachment hardware, so this feature alone is not determinative.

The early belt sets (on which the outer belt was intended to be mounted to the door) were made by a company called Kar-Belts, and were marked as such. They had a round, red decal with the S-P-over-V emblem on the flat buckle, and were attached with a standard nut and bolt. They had part numbers in the SP-60060 series. John Poulos had a bunch of those for sale about a decade ago.

Just a guess, but I think they may be an early design for the 59-60 belts, maybe AC-3109 or AC-2990.

[HOXXOH]

You might try researching the SAE spec ( I couldn't read it clearly) to get a date and requirements.

[Hallabutt]

My first car, a 1953 htp, had belts similar to these door mounted examples. The car had been treated to a large diamond tufted upholstery job in Tijuana Mexico. It was 1961 and to us seventeen year olds it was cool. No matter that the car was a POS, and one for which there are dozens of stories, but few fond memories.

The door mounted side, had a chrome or stainless clip mounted on the door. You were supposed to store the neatly rolled belt when not in use. I don't think that I have to comment on the real world problems that these created. What were the designers thinking!

No offense, and I'm not trying to be sarcastic when I ask, what does someone do with these? They certainly make for good conversation but....

[Bellingham Studenut]

The webbing on the belt isn't original Studebaker (looks like someone just sewed an older label on it).
The buckle also doesn't look like original either.
It's nice to see original examples, but likely done for conversation. The newer and reproduction belts have the tight shiny woven belts like this (easy to spot), but have correct style buckles and mount.

[bezhawk]

I agree, the fine weave webbing is a later addition. Here is a Ratsey set from 1963 still with the course weave. I restored these for a customer. The coarse is impossible to find new.

[8E45E]

The webbing on the belt isn't original Studebaker (looks like someone just sewed an older label on it).
The buckle also doesn't look like original either.
It's nice to see original examples, but likely done for conversation. The newer and reproduction belts have the tight shiny woven belts like this (easy to spot), but have correct style buckles and mount.

That is why I think it is a truck seat belt, not one for a car.

Craig

[8E45E]

I agree, the fine weave webbing is a later addition. Here is a Ratsey set from 1963 still with the course weave. I restored these for a customer. The coarse is impossible to find new.

1966 seat belts have that fine weave webbing.

Craig

[bezhawk]

1966 seat belts have that fine weave webbing.

Craig

So do "some" 63s, and starting in 64 most likely all were the finer weave.

[Skip Lackie]

According to the parts book and accessory ordering forms, all 62-64 had the same belts. I have several NOS sets, and they're all made by Ratsey and have the coarse weave and the decal. The 65-66 have the finer weave and have the simple circle S emblem in the buckle. Obviously a dealer could have installed whatever he had on hand.