1960s New member - 1962 Coupe Shoulder Belts

[dixoncj]

My thoughts are...if safety gets to a certain point of distraction???

Just forget about driving an old car where such a thing was less of a production concern?

I enjoy a motorcycle, but when safety concerns distract the enjoyment,  then don't ride one. I do not have a motorcycle for this reason.

I do ride a bicycle and must accept those risks. I have been "hit and run" by a car and left with life threatening injury. Fortunately,  i gained full recovery.

There are all kinds of risks just living.

A friend has a vintage 1940's Cadillac drives to several events with family. , could have put air bags, crash helmets and onstar on it ...  but it was an automobile unrelated flight of stairs that tragically ended a life.

Can't stop living for fear of dying.

Life is cost vs benefit.

I concur. Hell, I still skateboard in the local bowl. Though that may be winding down after the last shoulder fracture.
That said, when the family's riding in the caddy, the equation changes a bit. Funny though, I very clearly remember riding with like, 7 family members to church in my Granddad's 1961 SDV - with no belts of course. Hell, I used to stand up over his shoulder on highway trips in that car - peppering him with questions for hours.

[V63]

I concur. Hell, I still skateboard in the local bowl. Though that may be winding down after the last shoulder fracture.
That said, when the family's riding in the caddy, the equation changes a bit. Funny though, I very clearly remember riding with like, 7 family members to church in my Granddad's 1961 SDV - with no belts of course. Hell, I used to stand up over his shoulder on highway trips in that car - peppering him with questions for hours.

🤣✅

[dixoncj]

Google led me to this thread by a dude who installed a 92-96  Ford E-series van seatbelt on his Mustang with a very interesting bracket that came on the van to bring the belt higher up over the shoulder. What do y'all think of this? Obviously he's got a headrest too. I'm still thinking on that one.
Here's the first thread:
https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads/installed-3-point-seat-belts-in-my-convertible.661137/
Then his post about doing the build.
http://68vert.blogspot.com/2013/05/safety-first-shoulder-belts.html

[dn010]

He installed that bracket onto a very flimsy piece of sheet metal that helps hold the convertible top arm and a fiberglass quarter trim interior piece. I recall that piece of metal flexing when putting the top up. "For safety", I once spent the time, effort and money installing a roll bar kit in my 1967 mustang convertible I once owned when I was younger. It was more hassle than it was worth. I never ended up needing it, and it never would have saved me anyway due to the lack of proper floor support. Made everyone "feel" safe though, but ultimately ruined the fun of the car.

[V63]

The 1962 seats also have an issue with the seat backs that do not latch.

[dixoncj]

The 1962 seats also have an issue with the seat backs that do not latch.

Yup.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I don't like that method either as when pressure is applied, the horizontal arm will go downwards, as the belt tightens, and with all that slack webbing, there will be a lot of upper torso movement.

The only way for it to work would be to have a vertical support to hold the arm up where it is.

Trying to fit head restraints to original seats (to work correctly) would require a lot of engineering and manufacturing to get it to work.   Plus, without actual crash testing, it would be a pointless exercise if it didn't actually work.

Bruce.