Seats and 3 or 4 point seatbelts

[Edbert]

I am planning on replacing my seats. I have a set of suede and velour seats out of a 1990s BMW 5-series I've been planning on using, but I am not so fond of their appearance anymore. The sides are black suede and the seating areas are black velour with grey pinstripes.

I also demand a shoulder restaint seatbelt arrangement. My plans were to use SCAT Elites or FloFits and replicate the 1967 Shelby shoulder retracts connected to my rollbar. This is problematic since the parts are not available and if I jerry-rig some sort of retractor to the roll bar it will not work well from a safety standpoint since the roll bar is too high. I've read many times that shoulder belts need to be anchored to a point BELOW the driver's shoulders to work correctly. Floor mounts are safest, but the kind sold in the magazines work okay and replicate modern OEM designs with their mounting points.

I am thinking that I should use seats with the cutouts for belts. I do NOT (!) want some of those wild boy-racer rice seats. I found these and they are subtle enough for my tastes

they are from Corbeau and cost just a tad more than the Scats. I know that a 4-point setup comes with headaches like not being able to reach the ignition, but I am not planning on having a radio so I am not too worried about that (I might use the factory AM radio but I would not be able to listen to it anyhow with the soft top and loud exhaust). This car is NOT a daily driver so i am more concerned with looks and safety than comfort, not to the point of using a boxed aluminum racing seat but you get the point.

So, what are your opinions and what are you using? Please post pics if you have the ability or email them to me if you do not have a webserver available.

 

[jerry S]

get the 4 points. I retrofitted 3 points (weren't cheap at $199). The one belt rides so high on my neck (really irksome and bothersome) that I have to wonder if it really is safer than a lap belt. Just the lap belt = a lacerated liver in a crash while my 3 point lap and shoulder restraint = torn carotid artery in a crash. I have swapped a possible death causing belt with one guaranteed to kill you dead like a can of Raid on a daddy long legs.

 

[65 fastback]

Edbert,

Have you checked out the Summit Sport Seats? I like the look of them over the Pro-Car seats and they are reasonable priced at around $200 ea. They are very similar in appearance to the Corbeau CR1's.

I couldn't link directly to the page with the seats, but if your interested you could just go to Summits On Line Catalog - http://store.summitracing.com/ - and cut & paste - SUM-G1159

Tim

 

[Edbert]

Those look nice, and the price is awesome. Here's the direct link:
http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?target=partdetail.asp&part=SUM-G1159

Here's the link to the brackets, but I cannot tell how these work with stock rails.
http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?target=partdetail.asp&part=SUM-G1150

Have you installed them?

 

[Edbert]

I know a lot of folks are installing SN95 seats into their classics, does anyone know if the 05/06 seats fit? I have the base model seats in my GT and think they'd look GREAT in my classic, they have little running-ponies all over the inserts. I love cloth seats and do not want leather/vinyl. I wonder if the 05/06 V6 seats are the same as the V8 versions.

 

[bnickel]

edbert, it shouldn't be too hard to make the inertia reel setup like the shelby's used. basically the inertia reel part you need is the lap belt retractor from a 70 stang/cougar. you will have to have the belts themselves custom made but that should be hard either. the hardest part i think would be the connection for the lap belts to the shoulder harnesses. as far as i know that piece would also have to be custom made and then chromed to get the right look, but i think it is very doable and that is the route i plan on taking. i still have a lot of research to do before i start on my project and i have to get the roll bar first, which will also need to be custom made for a coupe in my case.