Front and rear seat belts

[jonnyb]

My Aug 60 Mk2 has no seat belts and no built in anchorage points so I am starting from scratch. I have an engineering background so feel capable of doing this job.

I have purchased kits for front and rear from Securon. Both are inertia reel belts and will require reinforcing plates when fitted to the car chassis/body.

The front belt reel and belt tether will be fitted at the base of the B pillar with a guide loop fitted at shoulder height on the B pillar and the stalk fitted to the tunnel.

The rear reel will be fitted on the parcel shelf, the other end somewhere on the wheel arch, and the buckle web under/behind the seat squab.

If anyone else has done this on a mk1 or 2 I would value your input. If anyone has a mk2 or 3 with the anchorages in situ I would very much appreciate any info/photos as well.

Thanks as always, Jonathan

[ozieagle]

Hi Jonathon,

I did this on my Wolseley 1500, which is the same body, as the Riley, years ago

Herb

Attachments:

[ozieagle]

More photos

Herb

Attachments:

[tonyhosk]

Hi Jonathan

I've got a current photo of my restoration 1962 Mk3 showing my carpet trimming etc - this does show chromed bolts run into the inbuilt anchorage points on the B post. If you need more info - I can measure the distance of the upper one from the top of the post - the lower one is halfway down the inner sill.

Tony

[jonnyb]

That's brilliant, thanks Herb and Tony. Those pictures are very helpful. It looks as though the rears will be fairly straightforward so I will do those first. On the fronts it looks as though the B pillar shoulder loop will be the trickiest.
Herb can you remember where you got the female bolt for the B pillar outer skin?
Tony can you give me a vertical measurement from the top of the B pillar to the shoulder loop mount please. Is that pillar open at the top and do you think it would be possible to lower a plate down inside as another member (in another thread) said his fitters did?
Any more thoughts anyone? Hoping this thread will summarise ideas for other members in future.

[ozieagle]

Hi,

That female bolt was made, for me, by a friend. He made to extra long, so I could adjust the length to just fit through the pillar and clamp on the inside. The outside hole, in the pillar is just big enough for the bolt to pass through. On the inside the hole is smaller, just big enough for the inside bolt to pass through. When tightened the bolts actually clamp on the inside metal. This was standard fitment, back in the day, and all the bolts, and bits, came in kits.

Looking up "female barrel bolt" comes up with lots, and the different names they are called "Sex bolts, a.k.a. barrel nuts or Chicago bolts"

Herb

[tonyhosk]

I'll check it out tomorrow and let you know.

Tony

[tonyhosk]

Hi Jonathan

The distance from the top edge of the frame at the top of the B post to the centre of the upper seat belt nut is 75mm. There is a gap behind the B post, although narrower at the base of the upper horizontal frame. You may get a tapped plate like the one in the photo into the space, but I can't work out how you would hold the plate while lowering it to the level of the hole you would have drilled at 75mm below the top. The female bolt idea may be a lot easier, provided the head of the outside bold does not impinge in the edges of the doors when closed.

The lower captive nut in the inner sill is a bit easier as you would have access through the round 'inspection hole' a few cm to the rear of the captive nut hole for the seat belt bolt. Hope this helps and interested to hear how it works out.

Tony

  

[jonnyb]

Thanks guys again.
Herb I am still searching for that outer female barrel nut from a uk supplier. I could use internally threaded tube as supplied to fit in track rod ends with a shallow headed bolt in the outer end to produce the same result.
Tony thanks for that dimension and extra pics. It may be possible to lower a threaded plate, like your pic, with an extra hole at the top to take string/fishing line. Another small hole at the bottom of the plate could be used to rivet through to secure the plate allowing the main bolt to be removed/replaced. That pic of the inner sill is also very helpful.
Before deciding on final solutions I will chat with my local MOT tester to see what he considers best.

[tonyhosk]

"It may be possible to lower a threaded plate, like your pic, with an extra hole at the top to take string/fishing line. Another small hole at the bottom of the plate could be used to rivet through to secure the plate allowing the main bolt to be removed/replaced."

Yes, I think that would work - be a bit of a fiddle, but if the threaded plate had a couple of small raised points to engage the inner surface of the B post, it should help hold it in place without turning. A second small hole could be drilled through the B post and the plate, tapped and then an auxiliary setscrew fitted.

Tony

[canuck]

@ Tony
I know off topic, but I wanted to say Bravo to you on your progress with your car,

The Black colour is magnificent and you appear to be doing a bang up effort.

Keep well
Bruce

[tonyhosk]

That's very kind of you Bruce - it is coming on, but been so cold in UK this week at minus 10C or so that I don't last long in the garage, even with a couple of heaters! Wimpish compared with our Canadian cousins, but there you go.The plan now is to fit the steering column and front seats, then I can get the shell back on wheels and move it round a bit. Engine bay just about complete. I probably need some more primer and blocking on the doors, front wings and bonnet, but in the cold and damp I will bugger up the primer if I open it up. May have to wait until the early spring to finish it.

I never got back to you about the width of the replacement rear window seal - looking at it I don't think it is as wide as the original. I have decided to get a professional to refit the front and rear screens, so that is on the cards soon.

Tony

[jonnyb]

I have now fitted the inertia reel rear belts. I used Securon 254 kit for the rear and have the 500/30 kit for the front. For anchors I either used square 3mm plates with a welded on nut or 50mm x 25mm plate 6mm thick with a threaded centre hole; both available from various suppliers. In both cases the anchor plate was also located by an M6 bolt/screw to allow the main securing bolt to be removed when needed.

[jonnyb]

Fitting the center mounts in the boot for the buckles was fairly straightforward, just needed careful measuring to ensure the buckles projected a suitable distance between the seat squab and backrest.

[jonnyb]

Also the anchor on the wheelarch was easy with a good flat area in the arch and easy access.