Seat belt anchor location in 53K

[ddub]

I want to install front seat lap straps in my 53K. Can some one tell me where to install the anchors?

53 Commander Hardtop
64 Champ 1/2 ton
WA state

[studegary]

Your car is too early to have factory mounting points. I have installed lap belts in '53 Ks. I usually place them centered to each front seat/passenger area, space them out to be as wide as the normal person and attach them to the rear floor in a position that makes a reasonably straight pull, but is not too much in the way in the rear. Drill a clean hole and use very large washers/plate under the floor for the fasteners. Since this is a safety item, I will use the disclaimer that this is what I do, not necessarily what you should do.

[chrysleritis]

I put lap belts in my 1950. The belts I ordered came with a tag and some instructions about where to put them in. They had you move the seat to its farthest back position, then drill your holes so that the belt would have a certain angle with respect to the floor when fastened -- not too steep and not too shallow an angle. I forget details, but I bet your belts will have some guidance with them.

[garyash]

Take a look at the Juliano's web site:

http://www.julianos.com/

They offer both 2-point (lap) and 3-point (lap + shoulder) systems for street rods and old cars, quality stuff. They also have quite a few web pages that show "how to" and where to put them in. Be sure to buy a kit like theirs in order to get the high strength bolts and very large washers/reinforcement plates to mount the belts. Stude International and others offer repro seat belts with Stude logos on them. I thought I saw some of the logo labels available separately recently.

I put the lap belts in my 1948 M5 truck. I wish that I had thought more about it BEFORE I painted the cab and I would have welded in the upper plates for the 3-point belts. One good aspect of the shoulder belts is that they come with automatic retractors so that the $#@*& buckle or tongue isn't always falling down and chipping the paint on the door sill. In old cars without air bags - but WITH hard steering columns, gnarly dash knobs, etc. - a shoulder belt is a little extra protection just in case anything ever happened to you.

Gary Ash
Dartmouth, MA
'48 M5
'65 Wagonaire Commander
'63 Wagonaire Standard

https://www.studegarage.com

[ddub]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

53 Commander Hardtop
64 Champ 1/2 ton
WA state