Aftermarket 'Modern' 3 Point Front Seat Belts

[Road_Runner]

Both my 70 Roadrunner & 73 Barracuda have 'fixed' shoulder belts for the front passengers.  By fixed I mean once tightened they do not allow you to lean forward & back like the belts in modern cars do.  I tried driving with the shoulder belts on in the Barracuda and it was like being pinned into the front seat and even kept me from swiveling around to check my blind spot like I always do.  That got me looking for better alternatives and I've found a modern 3 point harness at XV that looks like what I'm interested in.  Here's the link:

http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/detail/index.cfm?nPID=113

Has anyone installed a set of these or something similar?  If so, are you happy with them?  Do the 74 Ebody belts retract like these or are they the same as the 73 belts?  Anybody try belts out of newer Mopars?  I'd rather have something that looks more original but I'm going to go with safety over originality where it makes sense.

Thanks, Jim

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I'm not sure of the mounting requirements. But I'd like to go for some of these retractable harnesses from Corbeau. I believe the reel mounts to the floor.

[Giveitawack]

The upper mounting point is too high for me. My belt cuts into the side of the neck. Not comfortable and probably not healthy in a crash...
Next time I will install retractable belts from a Dodge van -88. Those have a strap that lowers the mounting point just enough. Painted the cover with black vinyl paint.
And it's all Mopar   

[the_engineers]

Seatbelts.com has a 3-point with a drop leg that puts the upper mount in the right spot. Do a search, it's here somewhere.

[72bluNblu]

Jim,

I've got a set of the XV belts in my car now. They work great! The XV belts have a fixed drop to put the shoulder belt in the right place. I bought my set off of eBay after hearing about some delays with XV, but I didn't have any issues with them. They're super easy to install, and cost about the same as others I looked at. They're as comfortable as any modern belt, and a lot easier to deal with than the original fixed version.

My only real complaint is cosmetic, since the belts hang down from the upper mount point all the time. Not as photogenic when you roll down the rear windows. But that would be true of any modern belt.

[nqkjw]

US belts don't comply in australia so we have to change them out anyway.
Here's how I did mine.

[Doomed]

I have been looking at the XV belts as well. I'm going to go for it.

Kyle.

[the_engineers]

Main complaint about the XV belts is the GM-style release clasp.

[heminut]

I used these belts;

http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/resebe.html

They look like XV's but without the XV badging. I mounted the retractors inside the rear side panels and ran the belt through the holes where the ashtrays originally were, and covered the hole with plastic slotted seatbelt covers I got on Ebay. I also got the long drop piece to keep the shoulder belt away from my neck.

[72bluNblu]

Main complaint about the XV belts is the GM-style release clasp.

I've heard that one too. But they really don't look all that different. I could live without the XV badging, but it's just a detail point.

The only other issue I've heard is the retractor mounting on top of the carpet, since it's different than stock. But I didn't have the stock carpet anyway, so it wasn't an issue. According to XV you can arrange the carpet so that the different holes don't show anyway. And if you're really looking for stock, then modern 3 point belts aren't really an option, they won't look stock anyway.

[500Stroker]

I use the Wesco also.  A couple years ago there was discussion on Moparts that they were identical to the (at the time) way more expensive XV belts....Poof that thread vanished.  Just looked at the XV's they lowered the price to be the same as the Weso now.


I bought item # WELR-L with the 7" long sash to make it more comfortable at the neck and shoulder.

[Road_Runner]

Thanks guys, a lot of great info here.  Driving the Barracuda today I decided I'm definitely going to go with one of these setups as I just didn't feel safe running around with just the lap belt.  Funny, when I drove the Rodrunner back in the 70's I didn't use to buckle up at all ... young and immortal I guess.

The chrome hardware looks good on these at Seatbelts.com:

http://www.seatbeltsplus.com/product/WSCH256P.html

But I'd still have to figure out how to drop the shoulder attach point to the right location.  I'll probably go with the XV belts myself, the price is right plus the positive reviews here.

Thanks again, Jim

[the_engineers]

But I'd still have to figure out how to drop the shoulder attach point to the right location.  I'll probably go with the XV belts myself, the price is right plus the positive reviews here.

Take a look at the pic with the shoulder mounting options.  I have the extended shoulder mount.  The flap closes over the bolt and it looks pure stock and fits perfectly.
http://www.gotbelts.com/retractable-lap-shoulder-belts/m.products/81/view/23

[whitewatersky]

Hey there,
Does anyone have any before n after pics?
I,m curious about whether anyone has fitted to a 1st gen challenger convertible?

[whitewatersky]

Has anyone put front lap sash in a 70-74 in a tidy fashion that doesn't stuff  up the interior? That'll be on my list of required adaptations for full registration in Oz


Lookin for my first convertible 70 Challenger