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OK, so according to the 1969 Corvette sales brochure and a number of web sites that detail specs, shoulder belts housed in retractors mounted on the tops of the rear wheel wells were a standard fitment on all '69 coupes.
I'm in the market for a '69 coupe and so far of the half dozen or so I've looked at in detail, none of them have had any shoulder belt hardware fitted, only the lap belt.
So was it really a standard fitment or have a lot of people just removed the shoulder belt hardware for whatever reason over the years?
My 69 coupe had shoulder belts. If you find a 69 coupe you like, you can always fit it with shoulder belts. Buy a set of seat/shoulder belts from a salvage yard or eBay, have them restored and re-webbed and they should look like originals. I wanted shoulder belts for my 68 convertible. Snake-Oyl created a set of factory duplicate shoulder belts for me. Maybe they can create a set of 69 shoulder belts for you from their own inventory so you don't have to find a donor set for refurbishment.
OK, so according to the 1969 Corvette sales brochure and a number of web sites that detail specs, shoulder belts housed in retractors mounted on the tops of the rear wheel wells were a standard fitment on all '69 coupes.
I'm in the market for a '69 coupe and so far of the half dozen or so I've looked at in detail, none of them have had any shoulder belt hardware fitted, only the lap belt.
So was it really a standard fitment or have a lot of people just removed the shoulder belt hardware for whatever reason over the years?
Cheers,
Brian
Hi Brian,
You'll need to fit Aussie standard belts in any case, cannot use US originals for most 69 vettes.
Joe
Hi Brian,
You'll need to fit Aussie standard belts in any case, cannot use US originals for most 69 vettes. Joe
Hi Joe, yep was just about to explain that to our American friends.
Just curious as much as anything that something that was supposedly a standard fitment seems to be missing on so many cars...
My 69 coupe came with only lap belts , when I got it registered the guy joked I was lucky to have any belts in it . So I kept the U.S lap belts in it up until this rebuild. . Cops would drive up next to me and ask if im wearing a belt , I would just point down and say LAP BELT and they,d shake their head and carry on.
I think all 69,s have the mounting for the reel at the top of the wheel arch , mine just had plugs in the captured nut (s).
I just looked at a venor catalog. Looks like 69 factory duplicate shoulder belts and retractor reels can be bought. Seems bizarre that they may not meet Australian standards.
Seems bizarre that they may not meet Australian standards.
Probably not so much they wouldn't meet our standards, it's more to do with government regulation.
Any seat belt here has to carry a tag saying it has been manufactured to Australian standards - no tag makes it technically illegal regardless of how the belt performs.
A lot of owners removed the shoulder belts over time because they felt restricted by them or the retractors stopped working. But coupes had them as standard equipment, for convertibles it was an option. On a side note: In 69 the retractors were not mounted on top of the wheel well, but on its vertical sides.
A lot of owners removed the shoulder belts over time because they felt restricted by them or the retractors stopped working. But coupes had them as standard equipment, for convertibles it was an option. On a side note: In 69 the retractors were not mounted on top of the wheel well, but on its vertical sides.
Adding to the location of the rear shoulder belt retractors for a 1969 Coupe. These are unrestored original. Location photo attached.
2nd on optional for convertibles and standard on coupes. NCRS 5th Edition p.14, "Through December 1967, shoulder belts are optional on all cars. After that, all coupes are equipped with shoulder harnesses, while they remained optional on convertibles."
Adding to the location of the rear shoulder belt retractors for a 1969 Coupe. These are unrestored original. Location photo attached.
2nd on optional for convertibles and standard on coupes. NCRS 5th Edition p.14, "Through December 1967, shoulder belts are optional on all cars. After that, all coupes are equipped with shoulder harnesses, while they remained optional on convertibles."
Adding to the location of the rear shoulder belt retractors for a 1969 Coupe. These are unrestored original. Location photo attached.
2nd on optional for convertibles and standard on coupes. NCRS 5th Edition p.14, "Through December 1967, shoulder belts are optional on all cars. After that, all coupes are equipped with shoulder harnesses, while they remained optional on convertibles."
Kevin
Been looking at this thread and wondering about my 69 convertible. Built Oct 68. Not really worried about shoulder belts, but I am wondering what lap belts it would have come with when new. Right now I have two lap belts that don't retract. The male side is loose on the outside, the female side is in a plastic sleeve on the inside next to the park brake console. Don't think they are original - one at least doesn't have a GM logo.
Were the lap belts retractable? Don't think so but am not sure. Not having much luck finding non-retractable replacements with a GM logo. I'm not a restorer but would prefer it get the 'right' one if possible.
Been looking at this thread and wondering about my 69 convertible. Built Oct 68. Not really worried about shoulder belts, but I am wondering what lap belts it would have come with when new. Right now I have two lap belts that don't retract. The male side is loose on the outside, the female side is in a plastic sleeve on the inside next to the park brake console. Don't think they are original - one at least doesn't have a GM logo.
Were the lap belts retractable? Don't think so but am not sure. Not having much luck finding non-retractable replacements with a GM logo. I'm not a restorer but would prefer it get the 'right' one if possible.
Lap belts in 1969 did not retract.
The female buckle has a GM logo in the center of the release. Couple of photos of the lap belt loose on the seat, connected to the shoulder harness, and the buckle and GM logo, which is on both driver and passenger side. Hope this helps.
GM logo silver on blue square background male lap belt no retractor for the lap belt lap belt connected to the rear shoulder harness looped through the C chrome retainer under the head rest
Lap belts in 1969 did not retract.
The female buckle has a GM logo in the center of the release. Couple of photos of the lap belt loose on the seat, connected to the shoulder harness, and the buckle and GM logo, which is on both driver and passenger side. Hope this helps.
Many thanks for the photos and explanation. Yours is the first car I've seen photos of that still has the chrome 'C' retainers on the seats.
Just goes to show how few of these cars (including many labelled as unrestored survivors) still have their original untouched seats in them.
What was interesting is that the shoulder belts on 69's were retractable but the lap belt wasn't. You were supposed to clip it to the retainer on the front of the seat to keep it from laying around on the floor and had to adjust it. Below is my 69 with original belts.
What was interesting is that the shoulder belts on 69's were retractable but the lap belt wasn't. You were supposed to clip it to the retainer on the front of the seat to keep it from laying around on the floor and had to adjust it. Below is my 69 with original belts.
That makes perfect sense. I always have to fetch the loose end from the front of the seat on the floor, under the seat or behind the seat. Clip would be nice. I guess GM intended for the lap belt to be secured to the shoulder harness and used when driving the car. But, since the shoulder harness and lap belt can be separated, it makes sense that there should be a place to secure the lap belt when not in use.
Two questions:
1. what is the build date of your '69 with that front seat retainer clip. Curious about when the clips might have been added. My car is a October 31, 1968 build and there are no retainer clips on this car...or they were removed by a PO
2. would you mind posting another close-up photo or two of the clip retainer
Thank you in advance for sharing yet another variation to the seat belt assembly.
Couldn't sleep. Got the NCRS 1968-1969 Tech Information Manual and Judging Guide out of the man cave. Page 15, "After at least SN 9745 the outboard lap belt, when not in use, rests in an unpolished stainless clip attached to the lower front of the seat with chrome-plated cross-recessed oval-head screws."
My car is SN 6479. Sure wished they would have come up with the addition of the seat belt clip a little sooner in the '69 run. Nice way to keep the lap belt secure and out of the way....certainly better than just leaving it loose on the floor in front of the seats.
Mine is an Oct 69 build date but I believe the seat clips for the lap belts were standard on all 69's. The shoulder belts were the only retractable belt and clip onto the the lap belt. The lap belt hold clips are mounted on the bottom of the seat frame in the center on both sides and were supposed to keep the belt from laying around on the floor. They had a retractable shoulder belt that you had to clip into the lap belt but the lap belt was old school non retractable. Back in 69 not many people used the lap belt let alone the shoulder one. My first Corvette was an early 69 (Dec 68 build) that I bought back in 1970 and it was the same setup. All 69 coupes came with retractable shoulder belts and the lap belt with seat mounted hold clips.
What was interesting is that the shoulder belts on 69's were retractable but the lap belt wasn't.
In the equivalent year Mustangs the situation was exactly opposite: one side of the lap belt had a retractor but the shoulder strap was just loosely folded up and held by a clip attached to the roof lining.
Ironic that when new seat belts were at best completely ignored - shoved out of the way and forgotten, and now here we are half a century later going over every little detail
10-11-2020, 09:28 PM
'69 Seat Belt Question
