Console Loop "Thingies" That Hold Seat Belts Up

[Road_Runner]

I'm not sure if all E Body consoles came with these, but I recently bought a used Mopar console for parts and on one side it had a plastic loop toward the back that looks like it was there to hold up the short seat belt to make it easier to buckle.  Its just a loop of plastic which is why the one on the other side was probably broken / missing.  Theres a hole on each side of the console for these.  Does anyone make this part?  I thought about trying to make one out of a black twist tie.  I haven't seen it listed anywhere but my Baracuda doesn't have these and its a pain digging out the seat belt between the seat and the console every time! 

Later, Jim

[Jamiez]

Around page 2 of this thread you'll find them mentioned and a link to another thread where I was looking for them:

www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=80362

I managed to get a pair from a place called Texas Acres, but they appear to have gone out of business since I picked them up.

Here is the other thread which includes some more details:
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=79985

[Road_Runner]

Around page 2 of this thread you'll find them mentioned and a link to another thread where I was looking for them:

www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=80362

I managed to get a pair from a place called Texas Acres, but they appear to have gone out of business since I picked them up.

Here is the other thread which includes some more details:
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=79985

That's them.  Doesn't sound like they work that good.  I read the threads and it sounds like I can tighten the seatbelt bolts to get them to stay up, may give that a try.

Thanks again, Jim

[Jamiez]

All the seat belt bolts (at least on the 74) have a shoulder so you can only get them so tight.

The loops do a decent job of keeping the belt where you want it, but they are fragile and make removing/installing the console a bit of a pain.

[Grec]

And I can tell you they don't last long. I put a new set in a few months ago, and the driver's side one already frickin broke. Keep in mind the car wasn't really driven at all during this time.

There's a reason no one has these in their cars anymore... they all broke in the 1st year! :-)

[dodj]

All the seat belt bolts (at least on the 74) have a shoulder so you can only get them so tight.

I found if you put a rubber washer in there it holds the belt up and you can still move it around. Drops down occasionally. I used some rubber gasket material cut to fit. 

[Road_Runner]

Thanks for the heads up on the rubber washer, makes sense, I'm sooo tired of digging my big hands down between the console & seat.  Something down there scrapes the back of my hand to the point I'm bleeding just buckling up.  I wonder if there's a better way of doing this, maybe using a  black zip tie somehow, those things do not break easily!

Later, Jim

[Jamiez]

You could easily, they are just loops roughly 10" in length.  You'd have to figure out a way to attach them but if you take the console off you can get to the back of them and just use some type of bolt.

If I wasn't a fan of originality I would have used some braided steel wrapped in black heat shrink.

[dodj]

* caution - - brief hi-jack - - *

If you are a fan of originality, I have a '74 front seat belt re-tractor, webbing, and upper mount I want to get out of my garage. You want it? Not sure if it is pass. or driver side. I believe you have a '74 right?

[Jamiez]

I do have a 74 but all my original belts are in good shape.  Thanks for the offer though 

[Grec]

If you wanted to use zip ties, it would be simple...

Take the console apart so you could run the zip tie through the hole from the inside of the console. Make a loop, run it back through the hole and zip it.

Once it's zipped, it would be to big to come back out through the hole.

I did this on my heater hoses in the engine compartment after the 3rd $5 + shipping heater hose strap broke. :-)

[MEK-Dangerfield]

If you wanted to use zip ties, it would be simple...

Take the console apart so you could run the zip tie through the hole from the inside of the console. Make a loop, run it back through the hole and zip it.

Once it's zipped, it would be to big to come back out through the hole.

I did this on my heater hoses in the engine compartment after the 3rd $5 + shipping heater hose strap broke. :-)

That's a great idea.  It should hold up much better than the original straps. And who is going to see them anyway?   

[burdar]

They could be made out of woven nylon strap...like seat belt webbing.  They would never break and would look nice.  I'm sure you could buy some nylon strap at a craft store.   

[Grec]

That's a great idea.  It should hold up much better than the original straps. And who is going to see them anyway?   

True that.

Honestly, I was completely underwhelmed when I 1st got the NOS pieces installed. Really cheap looking, feeling. I can't see zip ties being that much below what Mopar put there and like you said, they'd actually last for more than a few times of moving the bucket back and forth. :-)

[Road_Runner]

If you wanted to use zip ties, it would be simple...

Take the console apart so you could run the zip tie through the hole from the inside of the console. Make a loop, run it back through the hole and zip it.

Once it's zipped, it would be to big to come back out through the hole.

I did this on my heater hoses in the engine compartment after the 3rd $5 + shipping heater hose strap broke. :-)

That's exactly how I thought about doing it myself.  Just need to find some black ties, think all mine are white.

Later, Jim