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Author
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Topic: 68 Mustang Seat Belts
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Lennie
Journeyman Posts: 40
From: Denton, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 12-21-2001 06:03 PM
 
Well I finally got my 9" rear end slipped up under the car and was taking a break, sitting in the drivers seat, sippin a Mountain Dew and dreaming of the day I get my Stang on the road. Just need to mount the shocks, rear stab bar and adjust the traction bars.While sitting in the car I looked up and noticed that there was a shoulder restraint as well as a lap restraint on both the drivers and passenger side of the car. A quick check between the seats reveiled that there was only one buckle assembly for both driver and passenger. Am I missing a buckle assembly from each side of the center hump on the car or was this the original configuration from Ford? The shoulder restraint on each side attaches to the roof of the car just behind the "Clothes Hanger Hook" in the headliner. The restraint runs up to about the middle of the side window and then loops back to the point where it is attached to the roof and slides inside a rubber housing. Could this have possibly been something that was later added to the car after it was purchased? The buckle assembly, lap belt and shoulder restraints are black, however; the interior color of the car is maroon. Any clues?
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 48752
From: Saco, Maine
Registered: May 99
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posted 12-21-2001 06:31 PM
Yes, you probably have a triangular buckle at the end of the shoulder belt, and it has a rivet head on it, right? That rivet head fits into a keyhole slot on the tongue of the lap belt. It's a really crappy setup, and modern belts are on my list of thing to do on my Mustangs. Back then, seat belts were designed never intending to be actually used, from I can see. ------------------
'70 Mustang Mach 1 M code 351C 4V/FMX/3.25 open
'72 Mustang Sprint Coupe 351C 4V/FMX/4.30 Trac Lok
'94 F-150 XL 5.8L/E4OD/3.55 Limited Slip
'97 Probe GTS 2.5L DOHC
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Lennie
Journeyman Posts: 40
From: Denton, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 12-21-2001 06:45 PM
Steve,Both the ends of the lap belt and shoulder belt appear to be the same. I tried buckling both belts into the buckle one at a time and both belts latch into the buckle end with out any problems. I didn't think of it at the time but could it be possible that on the buckle end of the belt, the opening is tall enough to accept both the lap and shoulder belt at the same time? Unfortunately the car is on the other side of town and I can't just walk outside and check. I'm going over to work on the car tomorrow and will check then. I think that ultimatley what I'll wind up doing is going with a Simpson or RCI 5 point restraint system for both the passenger and drivers side. Also I'm going to put 85 GT bucket seat and remove the originals. Another of my hobbies is leathercrafts and I'm going to emboss a running Mustang into pieces of leather and die them maroon and then have them made into the forward top sides of both the driver and passenger seats when I have them reupholstered. Lennie
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 48752
From: Saco, Maine
Registered: May 99
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posted 12-21-2001 07:22 PM
I suppose it's possible. I can't remember seeing that. The leather work sounds like it will look great. Welcome to M&M, by the way!  ------------------
'70 Mustang Mach 1 M code 351C 4V/FMX/3.25 open
'72 Mustang Sprint Coupe 351C 4V/FMX/4.30 Trac Lok
'94 F-150 XL 5.8L/E4OD/3.55 Limited Slip
'97 Probe GTS 2.5L DOHC
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 4511
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 12-21-2001 07:30 PM
Lennie, I'm a little confused by your description, but maybe your shoulder belts are not original. As Steve says, the shoulder belts don't slide into any buckle, they just sort of connect to a hole on the lap belt.
As for that "clothes hanger hook", I found out from my Osborn manual that it's actually for attaching the shoulder belt to when you're not using it, to keep it from flopping around.
Simon
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mustangs68
Moderator Posts: 27681
From: Hampton Va MCA#39406 M&M #12 Member Mustang Club of Tidewater
Registered: May 99
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posted 12-21-2001 10:33 PM
The '68 has two set of belts and buckles.
one for the lap belt and one for the shoulder belt...thus two beltsWe had a great thread on seat belts a few months ago..I have it archived in my files. There's a great upgrade to 3 point belts on my site.
Look in Projects www.1968mustang.org
sam
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davids68
Gearhead Posts: 251
From: Louisville, KY, United States M&M # 351
Registered: Feb 2000
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posted 12-22-2001 06:39 AM
Sam there doesn't seem to be a projects link on your main page. David
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mustangs68
Moderator Posts: 27681
From: Hampton Va MCA#39406 M&M #12 Member Mustang Club of Tidewater
Registered: May 99
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posted 12-22-2001 08:52 AM
http://www.geocities.com/mustangs68.geo/68projects.htmlunder the date
sam And if any 1968 owners plan a project I'm more that happy to set up a page on it..just send photos and text and I'll do the rest.
[This message has been edited by mustangs68 (edited 12-22-2001).]
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T5owner
Gearhead Posts: 724
From: Germany
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 12-22-2001 02:22 PM
Indeed, 68s have 2 buckles for the 2 belts. The 68 has a metal (chromed?) keeper almost in the middle of the upper window roof line to hold the belt upwards in not used position. I am missing this part in mine. If anybody has a pair laying around, keep it for me. I actually don't need them as I have 77 Ford 3-point-belts in my 68 Fastback using the normal holes, but it would be good to have.
The 3 point belts are good for my drivers side, but cut into the throat of my co-drivers, if I would ever brake. But I rarely brake  and thus my co-drivers even do not dare to ask me for hard braking.
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Lennie
Journeyman Posts: 40
From: Denton, TX, USA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 12-22-2001 06:31 PM
Well if the car was supposed to have two buckle assemblies for each of the front seats.......then I'm missing one from each side.The metal keeper that you're talking about T5 is chromed on mine and if I change over to a 3 point seat belt or 5 point system then I'd be glad to hang onto them for you.
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 4511
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 12-22-2001 07:06 PM
Dang  I checked Osborn's closely, and mine are indeed the wrong belts. They have a part number CO-75, and the designation "By Bay Trim for Ford", the FoMoCo logo, and a 1971 production date. Only one buckle per side. Anyone know if these are Stang belts?
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68 S-code GT
Gearhead Posts: 3835
From: Sayreville, NJ, US
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 12-27-2001 11:22 AM
I once had a 69 Cougar that had belts like a 68 but there was an elastic strap on the shoulder harness to hang it up out of the way. The car was all original. Maybe they were an early production run of belts or left over 68s? quote:
Originally posted by mustangs68:
The '68 has two set of belts and buckles.
one for the lap belt and one for the shoulder belt...thus two beltsWe had a great thread on seat belts a few months ago..I have it archived in my files. There's a great upgrade to 3 point belts on my site.
Look in Projects www.1968mustang.org
sam
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68 S-code FB GT 4spd/3.25 PS PDB
68 J-code Cp Sprint"B" C4/3.00 PDB PS AC
99 F150 XLT Ext/cab, 4X4, 5.4L, 3.55LS
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PonyDoc
Journeyman Posts: 94
From: Ft. Lauderdale
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 01-06-2002 09:08 PM
The shoulder portion was a rare option for 68. The bottom belt actually is 2 sewn together. It was a weird set up, but I have one of these in my collection. Later, the 70's cars had the rivet/notch arrangement. My 73 Comet GT has this. If you look at a lot of 69's, you'll see the 2 buckle belts. It's like some 68's had head rests that were more common in 69's. Find a 69 and you may have what you need.
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68 S-code GT
Gearhead Posts: 3835
From: Sayreville, NJ, US
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 01-08-2002 08:32 AM
I?ve only seen the belts sewn together on the 69s. All the 68s that I?ve encountered with the shoulder harness had two separate belts.Ed quote:
Originally posted by PonyDoc:
The shoulder portion was a rare option for 68. The bottom belt actually is 2 sewn together. It was a weird set up, but I have one of these in my collection. Later, the 70's cars had the rivet/notch arrangement. My 73 Comet GT has this. If you look at a lot of 69's, you'll see the 2 buckle belts. It's like some 68's had head rests that were more common in 69's. Find a 69 and you may have what you need.
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68 S-code FB GT 4spd/3.25 PS PDB
68 J-code Cp Sprint"B" C4/3.00 PDB PS AC
99 F150 XLT Ext/cab, 4X4, 5.4L, 3.55LS
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mustangs68
Moderator Posts: 27681
From: Hampton Va MCA#39406 M&M #12 Member Mustang Club of Tidewater
Registered: May 99
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posted 01-08-2002 02:08 PM
Me too Ed.
And every 68 I have bought had the lap & shoulder belts.
sam
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460-67Stang
Gearhead Posts: 296
From: Idaho, USA
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 01-08-2002 08:05 PM
I added shoulder belts to my '67 coupe using the factory rear location mount which was not utilized unless you ordered the shoulder belt option.Check it out:
http://www.geocities.com/a460_67stang/index.htm Cheers,
Brian
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68 S-code GT
Gearhead Posts: 3835
From: Sayreville, NJ, US
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 01-14-2002 10:35 AM
My coupe was ordered with the deluxe belts so it had the mounting points for the shoulder harness in it but my FB was built on Dec 27th in Metuchen and had the standard belts with no mounting point for the shoulder harness. Ed quote:
Originally posted by mustangs68:
Me too Ed.
And every 68 I have bought had the lap & shoulder belts.
sam
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68 S-code FB GT 4spd/3.25 PS PDB
68 J-code Cp Sprint"B" C4/3.00 PDB PS AC
99 F150 XLT Ext/cab, 4X4, 5.4L, 3.55LS
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pthornton
Gearhead Posts: 607
From: Austin, TX USA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-14-2002 07:54 PM
I'm running these belts in my Boss. Attached to the factory locations with no problems. belts------------------
Boss 302 & Saleen S281
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