Tech43

Printed in The American Tri-Five magazine in Volume 7 : Issue 7
It’d be an outright lie to say that the cars we love and enjoy are the safest things on the road. Let’s face fact here; safety technology has come a LONG way. With the advent of crumple zones, side curtain airbags, collapsible steering columns, and more, the cars manufactured in today’s day and age, where not nearly as aesthetically appealing as a timeless icon like a Tri-Five, are lightyears ahead when it comes to safely surviving any kind of hairy situation on the road. It’s all a game of calculated risk, and what risk you’re willing to accept above all.
But what if we could make the cars we pilot on the weekends safer in the event of total catastrophe?
Sure, there’s every bolt-on aftermarket component under the sun to make our cars look better, go faster, handle better, or stop more akin to a new vehicle (the last two, arguably, are safety features all the same). But there’s very little in the way of add-on, outright, safety-oriented aftermarket equipment available. People have been putting lap belts in these cars almost since new, but there’s certainly a better option available. Seatbelt Solutions has stepped up to the plate, making modern-style three-point seatbelts available for most all Tri-Five models.
Three-point seatbelts have been in production since 1959, when Swedish car manufacturer Volvo designed and implemented what we know as the modern version. And as much as many of us like to hate on anything not American, Volvo pulled a total “good-guy” move by taking out an open patent, and not enforcing any patent violations, allowing any manufacturer to use, implement, and better them in the name of safe driving. Funny enough, Volvo still implements these practices today, sharing crash safety across the board. The United States NHTSA made three-point seatbelts mandatory in 1968.
Ever since Woody’s owner and ATFA President Chris Sondles and wife Faith were in a head-on collision a few short years back in their ’56, and walked away with nary a scratch, Seatbelt Solutions’ 3-point belts have become almost standard practice in not only Woody’s in-house builds, but on the Golden Star Giveaway cars built by Woody’s as well. And frankly, with no real extensive modification required, ease of mounting makes this one upgrade that’s a total no-brainer for one that might just save your life. Let’s take a look at what goes into the install…..
First thing to be tended to is the b-pillar mount for the seatbelt. This has some level of adjustability, depending on your height. So, use this as a mock-up stage to figure up what, and where, works best for you. When you’ve got your height, mark the b-pillar with your favorite marking device.
With your mounting holes clearly marked, drill all three. Two small locators, one large anchor.
Once your mounting holes are drilled, you can insert the reinforcement bracket into the b-pillar through the factory opening. A touch tricky, indeed, but not impossible.
Use the two screws provided to mount to mount the backing plate into the B-pillar.
Two small screws may seem small for the job, but remember, these are in place for nothing more than to hold the backer in place while tightening. The seatbelt mount, and mounting bolt for such, will bear the total load along with the backer.
With your upper mount squared away, its time to move onto the bottom. All that’s necessary here, is to follow the centerline from your upper mounting point to keep your belts, and stress points, in line. Mark the centerline with your favorite marking device, mark the height of the mount hole for the retractor/anchor, and drill away!
Now, notice a few extra holes in the floor here. There’s a reason for that…….
Brian Graber at Woody’s Hot Rodz has installed enough of the seatbelts to know how to make life easier, and possibly even safer. He’s come up with a lower mounting bracket that provides another point of contact for the body, ultimately strengthening the whole deal, and making mounting the retractor to the inner quarter almost effortless. Look for these to go into production at Woody’s here shortly!
With all your mounting holes drilled, you can now install the retractor. This is thru-bolted, and a dab of Loctite here is extra insurance both for safety, and for peace of mind to not have to remove the quarter interior panel to re-tighten. Quarter interior panel is left off in this case for illustrative purposes, but you will need to measure and drill your mounting hole through it as well.
With retractor installed, it’s time to finish installation. The b-pillar trim board needs to be measured, and a hole drilled in it for the mount bolt. Seatbelt Solutions provides a nylon bushing to keep the upholstery on that panel looking fresh, shown installed here.
The upper mount bolt comes with a spacer as well. Don’t forget this, as it (combined with the shoulder on the bolt) allows the upper mount to pivot both for comfort, and for proper function.
A dab of hi-strength red Loctite here ensures the upper mount bolt stays put.
Upper bolt is now installed and torqued to spec.
And just like that, your tri-five is brought one step closer to the 21st century safety-wise. Seatbelt Solutions offers these belts in colors to match most any interior, stock or custom, all available through Woody’s Hot Rodz!
For our selection of seatbelts, click here.

Phone Hours are Monday - Friday

SEARCH

SEARCH

Printed in The American Tri-Five magazine in Volume 7 : Issue 7

But what if we could make the cars we pilot on the weekends safer in the event of total catastrophe?

First thing to be tended to is the b-pillar mount for the seatbelt. This has some level of adjustability, depending on your height. So, use this as a mock-up stage to figure up what, and where, works best for you. When you’ve got your height, mark the b-pillar with your favorite marking device.

With your mounting holes clearly marked, drill all three. Two small locators, one large anchor.

Once your mounting holes are drilled, you can insert the reinforcement bracket into the b-pillar through the factory opening. A touch tricky, indeed, but not impossible.

Use the two screws provided to mount to mount the backing plate into the B-pillar.

Two small screws may seem small for the job, but remember, these are in place for nothing more than to hold the backer in place while tightening. The seatbelt mount, and mounting bolt for such, will bear the total load along with the backer.

Now, notice a few extra holes in the floor here. There’s a reason for that…….

With retractor installed, it’s time to finish installation. The b-pillar trim board needs to be measured, and a hole drilled in it for the mount bolt. Seatbelt Solutions provides a nylon bushing to keep the upholstery on that panel looking fresh, shown installed here.

The upper mount bolt comes with a spacer as well. Don’t forget this, as it (combined with the shoulder on the bolt) allows the upper mount to pivot both for comfort, and for proper function.

A dab of hi-strength red Loctite here ensures the upper mount bolt stays put.

Upper bolt is now installed and torqued to spec.

And just like that, your tri-five is brought one step closer to the 21st century safety-wise. Seatbelt Solutions offers these belts in colors to match most any interior, stock or custom, all available through Woody’s Hot Rodz!