Seatbelts for '55 Conestoga

[Spamcan]

Dad installed some retractable lap belts for the front seats of my '55 Conney. Now that the car is (hopefully soon) going to get it's rebuilt 289 back into it, I'm looking to step it up a notch for the family (of 4) to go on joy rides. I'm looking to either install these lap belts linked below from SI into the rear seats (for 4 seatbelts total, 2 front 2 rear). Has anyone installed rear lap/seat belts to a Conney? Is there a best spot to drill thru the floor?

I'd also consider swapping to 3-point belts. I'm just wary of drilling into the B or C pillars to do so. I'm open to suggestions and feedback.

[StudeRich]

Hi David.
Since you do have a Solid "B" pillar all the way to the roof (not a H/T or Convert.) the front seats should not be too hard to install the better Shoulder Harnesses.

I am not sure I would try that in the rear though, Lap belts are better than nothing.
The floor pan, just to the rear of the bottom cushion is where the factory reinforced, threaded Nutplates were on '62 and newer models ahead of the 1964 DOT requirement.

Speedway has a couple dozen 5 point Shoulder Harnesses listed, but they almost all say "Racing", so I don't know if that would be good for a Street driven car.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=shoulder%20harness

[Spamcan]

Thank you Rich. I’ll investigate a 3-point seatbelt for the front, especially since it’ll mostly be just me in the car. Then just do lap belts for the rear.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yeah, all of the "racing" belts are 2" wide. I use those, some don't like the extra width. You (I) get used to them fairly quickly. There is a "wide" and a "narrow" latch available. YES...buy the narrow latch belts if you go that way.
The shoulder harness (as part of the race belts) part NEEDS...a cross bar, just below the shoulders, normally as welded to the main hoop of a roll bar/cage. So they WILL NOT be usable in a car without this cross bar.

If you want a cross type shoulder harness, you should go visit different cars and choose what you like. And no, like Rich says, I would not bolt into the "C" pillar for that. In my opinion, it's too small for a hard crash, unless you go in and weld in stiffener plates/bars.

My 54 Conestoga has just the lap belt in it. And yes, the 2" wide, "race" type belts. Been using them on all of my cars, that is...many years !

Mike

[BRUCESTUDE]

I installed 3 point belts (from Yogi’s) in my ‘51 Land Cruiser. I drilled and tapped the shoulder harness reinforcement plate, that goes in the B pillar, and drilled 2 corresponding holes in the inner B post. Thus after I fished up the plate ( using string) I fastened it to the post with grade 8 bolts. Of course you have to remove the upholstered panel to do all this, and make a couple holes in the board, not fabric, to accommodate the bolt heads.
Photo shows B post before upholstery.

[clarkwd]

I did just what Bruce did when I put shoulder belts in my 56 wagon. The nut plate had a nut welded to the back side. I pulled it up into the B post and welded it in place. Bill

[Spamcan]

Thank you all for the feedback. Good to know I have the option to add a 3-point shoulder seatbelt. For now, I'll keep the front lap belts and add the rear lap belts (though will likely buy cheaper lap belts than those SI ones). I'm just so ready to get the car running again - rebuilt engine put in and some other stuff has been done. It's been 2 years since the engine was removed.