VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 50 Deluxe - seat belt installation

Hi guys -

For the sole sake of safety, I'm installing front seat belts in my '50 Deluxe. But no worries - everything else stays original!

I'm having a bear of a time trying to slip the one-half of the belt into and underneath the bench seat so I can mount it underneath. Any tricks or tips?

All I can say is I installed lap belts in my 1950 4 door several years ago. And yes, it was difficult to get the belt though the passage between the seat bottom and seat back framework.....but it can be done.

I attempted to do this in my 54 4 dr be lair and found that I would have had to do some cutting of the material between the front seat bottom and the backrest so I elected not to do it.

hoppy

You didn't say if you have a 2 dr or a 4 dr.

If it's a 4 dr, I've attached some info from Chevy Talk.

No need to cut front seat material, getting the belt through can be done.

Click here.

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/s...37951/hl/seat+belt/fromsearch/1/#2437951

Yep, it's a four door. The link is helpful - my takeaway after reading this is to try snaking a smooth leather belt into the seat, and then eking a pair of needlenose pliers up the back of the seat to try to grab it. I'll give it a try. (I was hoping there was some insider trick!)

If you kneel on the seat at backrest, you can slip the belt thru.....Can to

I tried the belt trick tonight. Whether I go through the seat covers in the front or through the back cover it turns up the same way - the belt slips up behind the material in the back. So, I know there's a path but I can't reach it yet either way. I'll keep trying - !

When you speak of "seat covers", are you speaking of the factory upholstery or are you speaking of the "add on seat covers" that were installed to protect the factory material ?

Don't give up.

The factory upholstery itself. I can easily feel the belt slipping up and behind that upholstery, whether I'm slipping it under the seat in front, or, sticking it up the back. My impression is that there's an inverted L shape or U shape metal frame backing the bench seat where it meets the back rest; so, whichever direction I go, the metal frame just pushes the belt upward.

If I remember correctly I had to make a slit also. It is well out of sight. There is room to pass through but is tight.

Just to make sure I don't do anything too foolish (I can do that easily without needing to make a dedicated attempt!)...you're saying a slit on the bench seat where it's just tucked away under the back rest?

Yes, it was deep in the crevice and can not be seen.

Again, others have done this without cutting any material.

Hi guys -

I finally figured out a doable path, if this is helpful to share with anyone else.

As mentioned, I can push an old leather belt either in between cushions or up through the back, but in each case it won't work because there's a hard metal bar that pushes it up, either way you go, through the back material. It *finally* dawned on me after numerous frustrating tries that I don't need to fight it - instead use it. I saw that I could pull out the back passenger ashtray, push the leather belt through the cushions and have it snake upwards until it reaches to the ashtray space; and likewise push a thin piece of cable up the seat back material (on the rear passenger side of the approach) and into the ashtray space; then - *voila* - wire together the cable and the belt; pull the connection through; then hook up the seat belt to the cable, and pull *that* through.

It wasn't the prettiest or cleanest solution, but it does avoid cutting a hole into the seat material.

Good that you saw the project through and you got positive results!