seat belt question... retrofit from something else?

[volaredon]

I have an 80 Volare 2 door. It is all apart at the moment, finally getting caught up enough that I can continue working on it once again.
This certainly is not something I need "tomorrow" but I like to pick things up I need (or at least think I do) while the gettin is good.

Now go ahead, flame me for this next part, but honestly I HATE them. Dang near every vehicle I have ever owned, the shoulder part not just rubs but tends to "dig in" to my neck and I feel like I am gonna be hung just like the old school noose from the 1800s.
Some of my newer vehicles have been more tolerable but still not what I would call "comfortable". IDK which I hate worse. the hanging feeling I get when I wear them, or the laws and such, saying "you HAVE to" use them... or they strip your wallet... (I won't go farther on that part of this)

I have actually finally started using them regularly, as in my job I have to test drive all sorts of newer vehicles. Good thing; they don't dig in like the older cars' belts did, and feel almost like they aren't there. Bad part; the incessant noises/dinging some of them make if you don't... even just to pull out of the shop and park in the lot, less than a foot ball field's distance, drive you even more nuts... on the older cars the 1st thing I would do to them was to disconnect buzzer and throw it away.
(cant do that on the State owned fleet that I help to maintain)

so this said, is there some sort of "better" belts that anyone has retro fitted into their F M or J?

even the ones in my 93 dakota are a lil better, the ones in my 01 durango are alot better about being able to wear them and not feel them.
think that any of these may be a possibility?

 

[Yellowdart69]

When my Cordoba was new, the shoulder belt had some kind of a ratchet, that held it away from one's neck. Over time the mechanism wore out, and it began to rub on my neck. I ended up buying a padded sleeve, that fits over the belt, where it passes my neck. It is better than nothing.

 

[volaredon]

yeah that's one idea/possibility but as long as I am dealing with a bare gutted shell, I gotta bolt "something" on when I reassemble the car, so now's the time to look around, ask and see what others may have done. It may well come to exactly what you suggest when all is said and done...

 

[Yellowdart69]

If you are in that position, maybe you can find the original part using a parts guide. When these cars were new, this ratchet system was the norm. Several years later, it was decided that a belt should always be against the passengers, as this would be safer. But newer belts also got softer.

 

[R/T Mirada]

I believe the 80's cars had a screw on plastic coated strap that screwed on to the head rest. Which kept the shoulder strap from going across your neck. Over the years they tended to brake, fall off or get lost. I finally got irritated and just took off one of the back seat belts and bolted it in place on the drivers side and now I just run with a lap belt. Choke free

 

[greymouser7]

I bet if you anchored the left side (driver's seat or {outboard belt}) of your set belt like what is in my 1973 b-body (which has an option to connect the shoulder portion of the belt), then you could enjoy no shoulder-problems and all of the younger people that would question it (like cops) could be told that 'that's the way it came from the factory'.

basically a lap-belt with shoulder attachment option

There are parts for the b-bodies, even thru 1974.

 

[F body Deconstructor Jim]

I believe the 80's cars had a screw on plastic coated strap that screwed on to the head rest. Which kept the shoulder strap from going across your neck. Over the years they tended to brake, fall off or get lost.

There's the answer.
Pretty common for those shoulder belt guides to be gone. Most of the cars I've had were missing them. There were 3 or 4 different shapes 76-80.

Moving the ratchet/spool would be difficult at best. The way its mounted would require a restructuring of the roof and reforming the headliner.

The padded sleeves work very well. Ive had a similar problem in several cars and the sleeve usually helped a lot.

 

[volaredon]

I have some extra of those "plastic coated straps" they are teh same as what is in my 78 Fury Sport (B body)

I didn't have my 80 Aspen long enough to get the chance to "worry" about that, but I have had several M bodies (83, 85, 89 plus the 84, 5th that my Mom had) and my Dad's 79 Aspen wagon
and though these were all 4 door cars (my Volare is A 2 door) the belts in these 4 door cars were a little different setup than my 2 door (because the seat didn't have to fold forward for back seat access) but I hated the belts in all those cars... the ones in my 78 B body is way too "rigid" while just driving, I'd like some that weren't so "tight" across the shoulder in addition to not digging in my neck, if that isn't too much to ask; the "law" says "I have to", every time I got nailed and forced to add to the revenue stream pissed me off more than the previous time, (total of 3-4 times over the years) if I gotta use the things I'd like them to at least be comfortable.
The laws about seat belts 1st came about here in the late 80s though it used to be that they had to have "some other reason" to pull you over but now that isn't the case no more.

I have finally gotten into the habit of using them, but all in newer vehicles.
I like the ride, handling, size, and over all "feel" of the older vehicles so much better than these new rattletraps, except for that one thing....

 

[greymouser7]

If he has them for his 78 b-body, I bet they sell new as well in places like year-one

 

[volaredon]

If he has them for his 78 b-body, I bet they sell new as well in places like year-one

Yeah I have extras of those pieces you mention (just enough for my Volare) but even with that in place on the Fury they are just too tight in normal driving, let alone a quick stop... the newer ones aren't like that... but "better" seat belts aren't enough reason to drive newer cars..... the differences in overall construction, and increased plastic in newer cars make them undesireable.....