ian.osprey Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Hi, Working on a Herald convertible, and looking to improve the current arrangement for the front seat belts. The top anchor point is currently the top of the B post, and does not include any reinforcing plate. I plan to remedy that, but think I should also install reinforcing straps from the b post to the wheel arch, as indicated by the red lines in the photos. Would this arrangement foul the hood/hood mechanism? (The hood is several miles away) Do you think this is sufficient, or should I simply reinstate the original mounts on the wheel arch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 I run a 68 Vitesse convertable with inertia reel front seat belts, the drum being on the rear wheel arch. Had to move the mounting point to clear the folded hood as very tight behind the trim panel. You need the units with adjustment for vertical and horizontal and a long belt length. I also have a early 2L Vitesse convertable as a long term project which has the seat belt connection on the top front of the hood well. Still undecided to leave as is or change it to the later design as this looks to my untrained eye a lot stronger. After being hit while driving the Vitesse take no chances with the strength of the seat belt fixings. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian.osprey Posted January 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Thanks for replying Paul. 'top front of the hood well' do you mean through the rail at the top of the B post? There were mounting points on the original rear inner wings, but not used in the current setup. The car has inertia reels, with the reel is mounted on the floor, the upper mount is on the top of the B post. The hole can be seen in the first photo. No reinforcing plate. I can't believe this is strong enough to be any more use that a chocolate teapot. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishmosh Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 The set up you have is very common. Indeed its what i have had twenty plus yrs. i agree however that it may be better with strengthening. If i could have found ones to attach to the wheelarch I am sure that would be preferable. Either way its an improvement on the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juppy Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Ian, I run with the system you have suggested in that I have a piece of sq. section steel tube with plates welded at the correct angles so that it runs from the behind the hole I have made at the top of the B post to the original mounting place on the wheel arch. It took a bit of trial and error to get the right shape and angles to clear the folded hood frame, but at least now there is some strength behind the B pillar. One other idea that was suggested by Securon themselves was that the force on the seat belt is always going to be in tension so you could use a properly made strap ( i.e. seatbelt material with propper fittings either end) to provide the tension reinforcement in the event of an accident and this would not get in the way of the frame so much. The only problem with that is that you would have to get someone like Securon to make them up to make sure they were strong enough so I suspect the cost would be too high. A welder some tube and 3mm plate seems a better option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve C Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 The original 1200 convertible top mountings were to the rear inner arches, (via the slot in the 1200 rear trim panel), while saloons were mounted on the top of the B post, although remember that none of these cars were required to have belts when new, and they tend to come with a mix of either dealer-option Stanpart belts, or various after-market alternatives from Britax et.al. The original Stanpart saloon mounting was to a tapped steel block behind the steel at the top of the B post. The problem with replicating the original convertible style was that it was designed around static belts, not today's inertia reels. The inertia reel relies on being mounted vertically, or it locks, because it has a little pendulum device in it designed to lock the belts if the vehicle is flipping over. (this can drive you quietly insane with steep road cambers when parked...)This is why the inertia kit comes with a wedge plate to sit between the reel and the floor pan to keep the reel at 90 degrees to the floor. Ergo, if you want static belts, stick to the original design, but if you want inertias, you will need to use the top of the B post to run the belt through down to the reel on the floor, but with suitable reinforcement behind it. Extra strengthening is certainly a good idea if you can do it without fouling the hood, but the convertible B post is stronger anyway because of the additional steelwork, and I seam-welded mine up when I restored the car. I would suggest that any accident capable of deforming that lot is not one I am going to be walking away from anyway, but opinions differ! Good luck Steve C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Yes top front of hood well, so bolts to rail at top front of quarter trim panel. So not where yours appear to have been fitted, but just round the corner towards the rear of the car. The inertia reel belts I have are securon, the reel has two adjustments so can be mounted at any angle. As I have the seat right back the length of belt is not a problem and securon used to have an extension belt available. If this is still available it is adjustable and the plate on each end is the same as a the non reel end of the seat belt, so designed for bolt attachment. I just think it is neater and stronger to have the reel behind the rear quarter panel but that is a personal choice. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.leah Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 the reel has two adjustments so can be mounted at any angle. Sorry to but in chaps...... I have securon belts but haven't seen anything about reel adjustment. My problem is with the reel vertical, the belt has a bit of a twist before it goes through the guide on the b-post, with it not being directly above the reel. Any chance you could describe the adjustments? Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve C Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I would be concerned about putting a seat belt top mount through the channel section that forms the top of the inner hood well panels, as that is fairly lightly constructed. On mine the mount is further forward, through the metalwork of the B post proper, and there is a small radiussed cut-out in the front top corner of the trim panel to accommodate the belt eyelet swivelling. Regards Steve C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian.osprey Posted January 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Thanks for the replies. nice to know I'm not making unnecessary work for myself. There's enough work in this car as it is. Garth. I like your solution, but, with no seat belt mounts on the new inner wings, I'll need to make some up. Worth it though, yours is a much neater solution. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Off securons web site. Angle ajustable retractor looks like the ones I fitted in the late nineties. http://www.securon.co.uk/fitting/extras/514fitting.htm Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.leah Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Off securons web site. Angle ajustable retractor looks like the ones I fitted in the late nineties. http://www.securon.co.uk/fitting/extras/514fitting.htm Regards Paul Thanks. But how annoying that I bought the one's recommended for the Herald/Vitesse that don't have an adjustable pendulum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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