Seatbelt Attachment

plate with retractor mounted on floor next to seat...

Yeah Mike, but these belts have no retractor. Early 71.

I have a '71 also (1797) which has retractors.

quote:

Originally posted by RRS1:
How is the seat belt attached to the floor on early models without the retractor. Is it mounted to a plate and the plate mounted to the floor, or is the belt itself just bolted to the floor?

Although the Ford parts manual shows retractors used on 1971s I've never seen a 1971 that has them. In that case there is no cut out in the inner rocker for the retractor and the belt end is bolted to the inner rocker for the outside belt, the floor for the inside belt and the shoulder belt at the back window bolt. No plates are used, just the metal end of the belt.

Knowing how the production worked at the de Tomaso factory they might have used retractors on later production 1971s, but the serial numbers don't always match the out the door sequence. So who knows!!

Mike

Thanks, that's what I thought.

In both of the '71s that I have owned, ( 1889 and 1086),the outside belts are attached by a small threaded insert just like the inside belts. Mark, I believe the retractors were added to your car. The cars that came with the retractors have a large hole punched ,not cut,into the inner rocker with threaded inserts spot welded to retain the plate.

Ron

quote:

Originally posted by r mccall:
In both of the '71s that I have owned, ( 1889 and 1086),the outside belts are attached by a small threaded insert just like the inside belts. Mark, I believe the retractors were added to your car. The cars that came with the retractors have a large hole punched ,not cut,into the inner rocker with threaded inserts spot welded to retain the plate.
Ron

Hmm. Mine has that hole with the threaded inserts, but the holes are a different distance than the later models, so is there a different plate out there? Mine is 1479