Seat belts
- Thread starter Johnny
- Start date
No you don't have to have them ... mine is titled as a 23 in Texas, but I put seat belts in mine.
jimbo01
Member
Why would you even consider doing without them? Build some safety into your car. Cheap & easy too.
Johnny
Member
There ya go!
Johnny
Member
I can't see them bringing too much safety in a fiberglass car.
jimbo01
Member
While there may be some truth to your thinking, why skip a step? With a seat belt being used it may keep you in the car during a minor incident.
I have a question for those of you that have belts in your fiberglass bodies. Did or do you anchor the belts to the frame or just to the body. I've pros and cons to both ways of mounting the anchors, some say mount to the body only in case the body separates from the chassis. Others say to the chassis for a solid mounting, but what if the body does come loose, your hips can get crushed.
Telman2
Active Member
I'm in Illinois and my bucket is titled as a 1923 and has antique plates. I drove it for 30 years without seat belts until the grandchildren started coming. The kids wanted rides and the law says that they have to be in a car seat that's belted in so I installed them. To my surprise I found that I was more comfortable driving around belted in then unbelted.
EX JUNK
Moderator
I mounted my seat belts to the body. Since my body was done by my son it is much thicker in the mounting area than most bodies, up to 1/4". He also used special high strength mat in certain areas. The belts themselves are mounted to a 3/16" bar that sandwiches the body between it and another bar that is mounted on the outside of the body. The body has ten mounts, five down each side, and the bolts go through 3/16" plates that are glassed into the fiberglass floor that is constructed with the same high strength mat. The reason for all this is to have any forces, due to an accident for example, to be spread over a large supported area to keep the body from coming loose and to keep me safely belted in.
There are those that would "hope" to be thrown clear of the accident so they choose not to install belts properly nor to use them. I much prefer to remain safely belted in and able to have some control of my car. I've attached the only picture that I have of my set up. I hope that it explains and give some of you a better idea of what I did.
Jim
There are those that would "hope" to be thrown clear of the accident so they choose not to install belts properly nor to use them. I much prefer to remain safely belted in and able to have some control of my car. I've attached the only picture that I have of my set up. I hope that it explains and give some of you a better idea of what I did.
Jim
Hotrod46
Member
I have belts in mine and they are attached to the body (floor). I used large steel washers on each side of the fiberglass.
I have only heard of one person that was "thrown clear" of an accident in a bucket and survived. That was a girl on the HAMB called Chevygirlrox. Her car locked the rear wheels at speed on the interstate and spun violently into a guard rail. If she had been in the car, she would have been crushed against the rail. I try to keep track of all the wrecks I hear (probably 4 or 5)about involving buckets (or similar type cars) and most people that get thrown out don't survive or suffer serious head injuries.
There was a guy on here (TFeverFred) that was involved in a fairly slow collision at an intersection and was very nearly thrown over the windshield. He said it took all the strength he had to hold onto the wheel and that was what kept him in the car. I figure your chances of having a minor accident like that are pretty good given the number of distracted drivers on the road now. Fred's story was what prompted me to put belts in mine.
I also find no sliding around on the seat makes for a more enjoyable ride.
Mike
I have only heard of one person that was "thrown clear" of an accident in a bucket and survived. That was a girl on the HAMB called Chevygirlrox. Her car locked the rear wheels at speed on the interstate and spun violently into a guard rail. If she had been in the car, she would have been crushed against the rail. I try to keep track of all the wrecks I hear (probably 4 or 5)about involving buckets (or similar type cars) and most people that get thrown out don't survive or suffer serious head injuries.
There was a guy on here (TFeverFred) that was involved in a fairly slow collision at an intersection and was very nearly thrown over the windshield. He said it took all the strength he had to hold onto the wheel and that was what kept him in the car. I figure your chances of having a minor accident like that are pretty good given the number of distracted drivers on the road now. Fred's story was what prompted me to put belts in mine.
I also find no sliding around on the seat makes for a more enjoyable ride.
Mike
