Were shoulder belts a factory option in a 1972 Blazer?

[1972Blaze]

If so and you have a picture please post it. Thanks.

[DeadheadNM]

Member Wes Hepp (of Classic Heartbeat Truck Parts: http://www.classicheartbeat.com/ ) removed a set not that long ago from a Blazer. These were correct belts for a truck but IIRC weren't listed on the K5's SPID and were black not saddle like the rest of the interior. A possible dealer add on in this case? If someone has a factory so equipped K5 I'd like to see the SPID.

[Tony454]

I may be wrong but my hard top has factory threaded holes in it for shoulder belts. Unless they were used for something else.
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[skorpioskorpio]

My '70 Jimmy had factory shoulder belts, front *and* rear actually and they are on the SPID as 4A85AG. I don't have a good pic of them though, but they were completely separate from the lap belt, so 2 buckles on the inboard mount point and separate lap and shoulder outboard, no retractors, but a boot over the belt mount point with an integrated tongue hanger so you could choose not to use them, ah the '70s. If you've ever used shoulder belts without kinetic retractors on a everyday driver, you'd know you probably don't want them, you know when you are reaching for something while you hit the brakes and you get strangled by the shoulder belt, well it's like that all the time. Get retrofit kinetics.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

My '70 Jimmy had factory shoulder belts, front *and* rear actually and they are on the SPID as 4A85AG. I don't have a good pic of them though, but they were completely separate from the lap belt, so 2 buckles on the inboard mount point and separate lap and shoulder outboard, no retractors, but a boot over the belt mount point with an integrated tongue hanger so you could choose not to use them, ah the '70s. If you've ever used shoulder belts without kinetic retractors on a everyday driver, you'd know you probably don't want them, you know when you are reaching for something while you hit the brakes and you get strangled by the shoulder belt, well it's like that all the time. Get retrofit kinetics.

I have a set of the OEM type on my K10 and they can be a PITA on a daily driver. Can I buy your old Blazer shoulder belts?

[skorpioskorpio]

There is nothing to buy really. The center rear buckles went with the rear seat, the shoulder belt outers are dead from 40 years of California sun, the straps stiff like cardboard and the tongue hangers are the consistency of fruit rollups, one belt is cut, and the buckles are pretty badly pitted. There is really no part of them that is serviceable. I have seriously thought about trying to take them apart and have the buckles and tongues rechromed and then see if I have enough left to have a set rewebbed as kinetic 3 points, but I will probably just go with custom made reproduction aircraft style lift buckles with kinetic retractors. I am putting in Recaro seats out of a Porsche 930 with Trans Am Recaro pace car headrests that have shoulder belt guides in them and plan on to put the belt retractors in the bedside panels. My back seats will be Tahoe 3rd row with integrated belts that I will have rewebbed with vintage buckles.

I'm going to look at them again, if they are at all restorable, I will probably use them. I bought my truck in running but not drivable condition, so I never had the opportunity to click one before I took them out. Anyway, if you are trying to be original these belts aren't Blazer (Chevy Bowtie) belts they are Jimmy (Fisher Carriage) belts. Except for the tongue hanger there is nothing unique about the belts, and mine are lifeless and therefore useless, they are just 2 sets of lap belts per seat, if it's what you really want you could just get another set of buckles that match yours and have them all rewebbed to the right length.

[DeadheadNM]

They sound rough - thanks for the follow-up.

[skorpioskorpio]

They are but what matters is the buckles and the rings, the webbing is faithfully reproduced and if you want the belts to work and not just look like belts it would be a wise move to reweb what ever you have. I really don't think a seatbelt can survive 40 years and still have even half it's original strength if the vehicle was stored or used in anything but a climate and UV protected environment. I know there is seat belt hoarders on this board, but I don't really get it, keep the hard pieces and replace the soft pieces. If you really want to get crazy about it you can even seam rip the tags off if you have them from the old webbing and I doubt the reproduced webbing (if you pick the correct pattern) would raise a flag at even the most critical concours competition.

[Vandy5]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Member Wes Hepp (of Classic Heartbeat Truck Parts: http://www.classicheartbeat.com/ ) removed a set not that long ago from a Blazer. These were correct belts for a truck but IIRC weren't listed on the K5's SPID and were black not saddle like the rest of the interior. A possible dealer add on in this case? If someone has a factory so equipped K5 I'd like to see the SPID.

Yeah i bought this K5. They didnt match and wernt on the SPID but i believe at some point he had some paperwork showing them on a order sheet. Sorry no pic tho

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

They are but what matters is the buckles and the rings, the webbing is faithfully reproduced and if you want the belts to work and not just look like belts it would be a wise move to reweb what ever you have. I really don't think a seatbelt can survive 40 years and still have even half it's original strength if the vehicle was stored or used in anything but a climate and UV protected environment. I know there is seat belt hoarders on this board, but I don't really get it, keep the hard pieces and replace the soft pieces. If you really want to get crazy about it you can even seam rip the tags off if you have them from the old webbing and I doubt the reproduced webbing (if you pick the correct pattern) would raise a flag at even the most critical concours competition.

Agreed - I have two re-done sets of 68 Cougar belts (VERY close match to OEM truck belts). The pieces that are crucial are the 1) metal ends that affix the belt to the upper cab and 2) correct rubber boots. The webbing and buckles can be scrounged. Nice K5 build BTW...

[pound41]

My guess is they will be very close to the shoulder belts that were in cars My 70/71 Monte has them as does my 69 camaro