1970 C10 seat belt question.

[CJ Loeffelholz]

Hi, guys. I'm sorry if this has been asked before; I searched and didn't find anything.

I have a 1970 C10 with a bench seat and retractable seat belts. Are these correct? I thought I remember reading that those are only supposed to be on trucks with bucket seats.

I need to change them from green to black, and then add a center one that's currently missing. Was there originally a center seat belt, and if so, was it attached to the same points as the driver and passenger inboard mounting points?

[rusty baker]

My 1970 C-10 had a bench seat and no seatbelts when I bought it. I had to drill holes in the floor to install belts. I know they weren't required in 70, but don't know if they all had them.

[CJ Loeffelholz]

Do you know if they were available as an option in 1970?

[w3lfd]

My 69 Custom came with belts that retract at the sides of the bench with adjustable belts in the center. I also assume they were standard, as they are not listed on the options sheet.

[Longhorn Man]

every 67 - 72 GM 10 - 30 pick up (to include cab/chassis) blazer, burb and panel, all came with seatbelts. 67 had non retracting, 68 - 72 were retracting.

[BIG ORANGE]

Originally Posted by rusty baker

My 1970 C-10 had a bench seat and no seatbelts when I bought it. I had to drill holes in the floor to install belts. I know they weren't required in 70, but don't know if they all had them.

The threaded holes should had been behind your seat at the lower edge of the gas tank! All 67/72 truck,burbs,panles came factory w seat belts!

[rusty baker]

There wasn't any holes there. I called the HP and was told they weren't required for inspection because they weren't required when the PU was built, but I installed them anyway.

[Longhorn Man]

Rusty, either your floorboards were replaced, or you have the only truck that never had them.
Your local inspection goes against federal law too. All safety equipment installed when new, is required to be present and servicable on all autos operated on a public roadway

[michael bustamante]

my67 Has retactable belts also, It is listed in the spid sheet, In fact I ll be posting them for sale soon

[rusty baker]

Federal law didn't require seat belts in PU's in 1970.

[w3lfd]

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Passed Sep 9, 1966, is what created the seat belt requirement for manufacturers.

http://www.enotes.com/major-acts-con...cle-safety-act

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 required seat belts on all new American vehicles from the 1968 model year onward.

-- http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/07...oint-seatbelt-

All regulations took effect by the 1968 model year. Many manufacturers began standard installation of seat belts in 1967 my if not before.

[rusty baker]

That was for cars, it did not include pickups or trucks.

[w3lfd]

Not true. Support your statements with documentation. I think you are just making a blanket statement with no proof whatsoever.

[rusty baker]

http://www.lowestpricetrafficschool..../driver/en/3/2

http://www.buckleupnc.org/laws_cps.cfm

These were modeled after federal law.

[rusty baker]

http://www.health.wyo.gov/familyheal...kids/laws.html

[basemodel67]

Wow, rusty! whenever I prove someone wrong, I always follow up by saying, "I'm ugly, not dumb." But, if you are at least normal in appearance, which I am not, you can change the saying to suit your needs.

[48richard]

Longhorn Man, are you sure about the retracting/non-retracting? My 71 base model had non-retracting belts when I got it (since replaced with retracting lap/shoulder belts).

[697498chevy]

Just went outside and checked my '69 C-10 that my F.I.L bought new . It has retractable belts , but only two . No center seat belt .

[BIG ORANGE]

Wow! This thread is getting spicy! Havent seen a thread get spicy in yrs!
Glad I changed my ole ways......lol,lol

[67chevy1series]

so according to rusty bakers state a 67 c10 didnt have to have lap or shoulder belts i always thought it was funny when mt brither got pulled over for not wearing his seat belt then when the cop saw that they were lap belts then he said sorry and left it was stock height and im sure that they are taller than ford crown sh!$

[Longhorn Man]

the (admitedly very few) 67 trucks I've seen in person were not retractible, and the 68 dealer litterature shows retractible for 68 and not 67.
Coulda been a mid year introduction.

[rusty baker]

Originally Posted by 67chevy1series

so according to rusty bakers state a 67 c10 didnt have to have lap or shoulder belts i always thought it was funny when mt brither got pulled over for not wearing his seat belt then when the cop saw that they were lap belts then he said sorry and left it was stock height and im sure that they are taller than ford crown sh!$

Didn't say you didn't have to wear seat belts. Just said they weren't required by law until 1972. If they aren't in a pre 1972 here, they don;t ticket for not wearing. If they have 'em, you wear 'em.

[justahoby]

Originally Posted by rusty baker

My 1970 C-10 had a bench seat and no seatbelts when I bought it. I had to drill holes in the floor to install belts. I know they weren't required in 70, but don't know if they all had them.

I know this is two years old but for reference I have seen this where there were not factory bolt holes, but only one time. 1969 GMC, original color yellow, option list include 296 six, turbo 400 transmission ( no lie on the option list), and 3.55 rear posi. Truck was never modified, no bolt holes in the floor for a seat belt, running all motor/ trans/ rear end original. As a mater of fact my father part it out. As seat belts were standard equipment i have one theory on this. If joe blow went and bought a truck off the lot it would have seat belts. If ready mix guy bought 20 trucks they would have seat belts, nothing on an assembly line would change. Now if your local state department ordered 20,000 trucks for the road maintenance department ( hence the original color was all yellow), the contract would be set in stone after the bid was made, corners cut to meet or beat ford or dodge for price and dead line, affecting the outcome. Also making interesting longgevity heavy duty 1/2 ton packages of 296, turbo 400 , 3.55 gears. Just a theory. This is the only one I saw as well.

[Rogerlumibao]

Hey I'm new here but my 71 also was built without seatbelts. I was told from my father as second owner first being a owner of a dealership in California (truck built in Fremont at numi) . My father did install the seatbelts from those years . But at one point I was told my a califor is officer that if it wasn't installed you would 6 need it though its safer to just install and wear em . So there was some built without .

[Bearhawg]

Replaced the originals in my 1970 Custom. Retract at the end of the seat, adjust in the middle. No center belt from the factory