[opelgtman1973]

Finally got a chance to take a pic of the seat belts from Latest Rage that I installed in my '73 GT. This is just to show the issue of access to the rear compartment. As you can see, it does cross the already small opening pretty much right in the middle. However, I've already figured out that you can pull the seat belt down a bit and stick it beside the retractor to get it out of the way temporarily. Or if you're working in the back and are in and out, you can use one of the clips they give you to pull out the seat belt enough so that it just hangs. Overall, the benefits definitely outweigh the inconvenience for me

 

[nobody]

seat belt location

I've decided to open my mouth and remove all doubt. I have searched everywhere and have not found a picture or anything that talks about it. With a stock 3 point seat belt set you have the female side mounted to center section. Shoulder belt to the b column then there is a y shaped pivot that bolts on the outside back of the seat. Where does the retractor bolt to? I have looked this car over and without removing alot of interior vinyl I can't find it.

 

[houserc]

I got the set of belts from OGTS to replace the original ones in my GT. They look like the photos that Jimsky uploaded. I mounted my retractor lower to be a little more out of the seats way for reclining.

The only hole I had to drill was for the retractor. Then I used the bolts and nuts in the set to mount. Mounting the retractor took more time than all the rest on each side.

Chris

 

[nobody]

what I have are Opel seat belts but now I am thinking they are from a 73. Mine is a 71 sold as 72. They answer might be that a hole in the vinyl behind the door is required. I looked at those pictures and pulled that panel and I am still wondering.

 

[bear]

I just looked a my stock 72 GT seat belts and here's what I saw. The "Y" piece is bolted to the body about where the seatbacks pivot. The shoulder belt is bolted to the "B" pillar as you suggested. The retractor is bolted behind the door frame a little lower than the door latching mechanism. There is about a 1/4" hole above and to the rear of the retractor bolt in the vinyl for the seatbelt warning buzzer wiring. If needed I can take pics of the passenger side for you. The driver's side is the same. HTH

Ron

 

[nobody]

That's what I thought, but there is no threaded mount behind the vinyl anywhere. I pulled everything in the area trying to find one but there isn't one. There is a smaller hole where I imagine it should have been. It looks like a search for a metric blind nut is in order. There is also no wiring for this type of belt in the car, and like I said it is a 72 made in 9 of 71.

 

[kwilford]

GT Seatbelts

There are differences in seatbelt mountings between the various GT years.

Early GT's ('68 through early '70) had the shoulder belt mount down low, behind the "B" pillar, just below the vent window (which of course weren't "vents" in those years). The lap belt was separate, and mounted to the inner rocker panel down beside the seat. Not a good place to mount a retractor, and the shoulder mount also doesn't lend itself to a three point inertia belt.

Later '70's through '72 had the shoulder mount in a good location, up on the B pillar, but the lap belt still mounts to the rocker. You need to fabricate a new mount for the retractor, as I have shown in the attached photo, which doesn't show the mounting bracket. There needs to be a plate, at least four inches square, with a nut welded behind it for the retractor to mount to. But once that is done, they work great.

As I understand it, only the '73 had a shoulder belt retractor located in the normal location. And they still used a separate lap belt, so they are hardly user-friendly. But aftermarket three point inertia belts (and '86/'87 Hyundai Pony belts such as I supplied and Jimsky ended up with via James Coronato) bolt right up.

HTH

 

[kwilford]

And a view of the retractor mounting hole

 

[Jim Branham]

seat belt replacements

I was at the junkyard and asked if they had any Hyundai Pony cars and they looked at me kind of funny, is the Pony name a generic term or a model for Hyundai? Thanks.

 

[baz]

its the model name jim

 

[Gary]

And it was imported to Canada not the U.S.

 

[kwilford]

And you Yanks should be grateful. It was Canada's gift to the U.S.A., by being the only N.A. recipient of these cars from 1984 to 1987. It was a TERRIBLE car! But that meant the PYP yard was FULL of them, and more seemed to show up every week or so. But the seat belts were made in Japan, and are of excellent quality. And the only years that work in the GT are the '86/'87 Pony. FYI, the first Hyundai imported into the States was the Excel, in 1988 I believe, which was only marginally better.

Two years ago, when I was doing the "Career Hiatus" thing, I found these belts at the local Pick Your Part. Since they were only sold in Canada, I made a hobby out of it, and sold 15 sets around the country. But my days at PYP are done (for now, excepting today being Remembrance Day, aka Veterans Day in America, unless I can arrange another career break).

Kat McCoy had picked up the business when I went back to work, but she is now in Keizer Oregon, so no Pony's there. Perhaps a Canadian with more time on his or her hands could pick up the torch? Although I read a thread on this site that mentioned buying brand new aftermarket belts for $30, which is barely more than the cost of shipping from Canada.

 

[opelgtman1973]

Although I read a thread on this site that mentioned buying brand new aftermarket belts for $30, which is barely more than the cost of shipping from Canada.

I have a set of the aftermarket belts offered by Latest Rage on my '73, and they bolted up pretty easily after reversing the latches in their plastic sleeves and cutting away some of the carpet. I later realized that the carpet cutting may have been avoided by straightening out the piece that bolts to the chassis. It essentially gets straightened out when you tighten down the bolt anyway. I was going for a quick solution, since my carpet is crap and will be replaced within a year, so I just got out a carpet knife and hacked away. I'll be sure to make a nice neat cutaway in the new carpet when the time comes

 

[spdkilz02]

anyone have a lead on where i could get some of these pony seatbelts?..i checked and nothing on ebay, and on www.car-part.com they have 4 listed, cheapest i could find was 30 bucks a piece plus shipping from canada...

 

[maglinjosvinn]

anyone have a lead on where i could get some of these pony seatbelts?..i checked and nothing on ebay, and on www.car-part.com they have 4 listed, cheapest i could find was 30 bucks a piece plus shipping from canada...

yeah, i'd be interested in getting some of these too...

did you weld a bolt into the wall to hold the inertia box?

 

[jvandyke]

Received my belt set from these guys:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=330093928572&rd=1&rd=1

Haven't tried to install yet but they look pretty decent. $50 to your door isn't bad.

Part: US SBELT from US Auto Parts (out of Taiwan of course), on the box "PLINK P.O. #APX022307"

 

[Phoenix]

Like the earlier post, late first gen Probes had a "Passive Restriant System". It was a two piece belt system. The shoulder piece would move when the door was opened or closed and would automatically secure the belt across the chest. You then had to pull the lap belt across on your own. I had a 92 which was the last year of the first gen Probes. My 92 Thunderbird was the same way.

Trivia: The Probe was supposed to be the next gen Mustang, but the Cougar was supposed to be the third gen Probe.

 

[kwilford]

Sounds good. Are pop rivets enough? Do you happen to have a better picture?

If the plate is located behind the inner panel and is big enough to cover the sheet metal and the hole from the factory, it just needs to be held in place, so pop rivets should be fine. Unfortunately my GT has gone backward and is currently sitting on a body rotisserie waiting on a media blast to bare metal. I didn't attach the backing plate yet

 

[jvandyke]

Trivia: The Probe was supposed to be the next gen Mustang, but the Cougar was supposed to be the third gen Probe.

I read somewhere recently that people weren't too "comfortable" with the name "Probe" either.

I'm messing with my new belts tonight, saw somewhere here how to get the slip on cover off to get at the bolts on the old ones (Manta issue they tell me). Then I'll see how this pair I got sets up, sure look like the ones Keith pictured above.
Bolt right up so far, new bolts fit old threads in floor (by door) and tunnel (although to go through the carpet I used the bolt from my old belts as it was slightly longer) Didn't mount reel yet but seems like it will go like described above, will probably end up doing the 'flip" thing so the belt passes over the shoulder with no twist.
Will report later.

 

[jvandyke]

parcel shelf

I need to make the hole for the reel mount, I want the parcel shelf out of the way for better access. How does that come apart? searched and flipped through FSM but haven't come across it yet.
Also, it seems like the hole other's have used (the one where the clip goes for the interior panel) is up close to the wall of the door jam. Just a word of caution to others before grabbing the drill and having at it, check, you might come out OUTSIDE the car, by your door latch. (No I didn't do that, yet)

More info on the belts I have (see above): no mounting peg on the back of the reel to ensure verticle alignment and the latch/clip side is a bit long for the GT, sticks up a little too far next the seat, at least a few inches farther then my old Manta belts. I doubt it'll be a problem, just a mock up at this point. (probably the same as the Probe and OTGS ones).
Hope to have in today yet, just the hard part to go: make backing plate and bolt it all up, then to cover the holes in the vinyl from the PO's install, must be creative here, fire extinguisher mount....hmmmm