47-55.1 Bench seat with built in seatbelts?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Sadly We lost a club member just 10 days ago in a T roadster. I was looking at the seat belts just days before and wondered how they would fare in a crash and rollover. Folks gotta remember the chance we take in older/custom cars. Airbags. crumple zones, modern auto lock doors and seat belts and computer crash avoidance makes many forget.

I have noted this^^^ many times.

We are driving 60+ year old vehicles. NOTHING about them is consistent with the safety requirements of modern vehicles. Not only do they lack airbags, crumple zones, auto lock doors and seat belts but also the interiors are filled with neat chrome knobs to skewer our bodies in the event of even a minor crash. Our teeth will be knocked out on steering wheels that are solidly hard. And on and on.

Injury is the price we WILL pay for driving these beautiful vehicles if or when a collision happens. Possibly even a relatively minor one. This is especially true if we're driving a totally stock one with manual drum brakes, manual steering, big steering wheels, solid steering columns, etc.

[dsraven]

The avalanche seat fits pretty well because it is made to be short, so driver can see out back window, but also has head rests that dont take up the whole back window. They sit on a frame so they can pivot and lay flat to become the floor of the box when the rear wall of the avalanche is removed. Yeah, they dont look period correct, but if it's not gotta number match then pick what works for you. These seats are pretty comfy as well. Nobody complained after long road trips in the back of my 03 Avie.

[28TudorAZ]

Keep them coming. I want a seat with a fold down console. Anybody found something? I currently have a early 90's chevy truck bench seat. Picked it up at a pick n pull for $55 and reupholstered it.

[vintovka]

How close is the wheel to that seat???

[leegreen]

My '88 Chev truck had a seat something like this


But I think if you had that wide a seat with the offset armrest in an AD cab it would push driver over towards door and no longer be centered behind wheel.
Maybe try an early 2000 buick lesabre bench. I think they are narrower, 2 part bench, drivers side has a console / armrest that folds out. These have built in shoulder harness mount.

I have Sierra buckets circa 2000, The sierra centre console would have fit with the doors closed but the driver would be sitting with the steering wheel center to their right. Seats are mounted to the floor with four grade 8 half inch bolts each that go through 1/8" 3x5 plates with rounded corners sandwiching the floor. Seat mounts are stronger than the cab mounts.
Sierra buckets have built in shoulder harness too. I wont apologize, that look does not bother me and I have a crash tested shoulder harness mount.

[dsraven]

some of the 88-98 seats were a split bench set up. some had the wide part on the left and some on the right. they had a low back with headrests. not sure of the widths but a trip to pick n pull would easily figure that out. also a good time to check some other options from the car category.

[dsraven]

I had an 88 ext cab. the seat was a 60/40 split and hinged to be able to access the raer seat area since there was no rear side door option. not sure of the width but it was pretty comfy.

[leegreen]

this older post might be useful
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=404453

28tudoaz might like post #9 there
Olds Cierra is same platform as Buick century these split benches don't have the integral shoulder mount I mentioned for Buick Lesabre

[28TudorAZ]

Originally Posted by vintovka

How close is the wheel to that seat???

Yeah that was my crappy knock off steering column that I threw in the trash. The picture was from when I was doing my build. Its since been fixed.

[vintovka]

Much better!

[whitedog76]

This topic got me thinking about my 54 again. So, I got the tape measure out and started investigating.

I came up with late model Honda Odyssey seats, which look promising. However, they do mount on a rail system, so I don't know if that can me added to the truck or if they would need custom brackets straight to the floor.

[whitedog76]

The Ford Transit has a 55" bench seat too. It may put the driver too far over to the left. However, they have a 36" and 31" double seat that could be combined with a nice bucket.

The Ram Pro-Master has similar seating arrangements too.

[dsraven]

when looking at newer seats with integrated seat belts also look to see if they need to be connected to a body control module to make the seat belts function properly if a crash happens.

[whitedog76]

Originally Posted by dsraven

when looking at newer seats with integrated seat belts also look to see if they need to be connected to a body control module to make the seat belts function properly if a crash happens.

Good point. I never even thought of that myself. After some research, I found that some vehicles have small charges in them that go off in the case of an accident. Chances are, if the air bags deployed, the seat belts are shot too. I 'm willing to bet even the seats with just inertia activated belts need some attention too.

[fauXGT]

We can do our best to be totally safe while motoring, but one scene from a movie I keep reminding myself is from the car crash in 'Demolition Man'. Encased in foam at the moment of impact and breaking yourself out of said foam after impact with not a scratch. I'm currently working on the lap seat belt points under the cab for extra strength. It probably won't totally save me in a impact, but I'm not driving a '2000' self driving, auto braking, auto lane retention, auto everything vehicle also.
If you want total safety, don't drive a 70 year old vehicle. My honest opinion.

[leegreen]

Anyone know what year they started putting seatbelt pretensioners in? ~2008?
I understand once the pretensioner fires, after the belt is unbuckled it will no longer retract, so unless you get the seats/belts from someone that 'fixed' it for resale the problem of a expended pretensioner should be obvious.

As for replacing inertial belts after an accident, our provincial monopoly auto insurance provider refuses to replace seat belts that are not visibly damaged.

If I ever redo my belts to be mounted to the cab, I'll probably go with non retracting 3 point belts where you just tighten shoulder and waist the desired amount, I like how you can snug yourself down into the seat.

Our trucks will never be as safe as a new truck but they will be safer than a Harley, or base jumping in a wing suit, or any number of other hobbies.

[whitedog76]

These trucks never came with seat belts or double actuation doors, so anything that keeps the loved ones from falling out the door and keeps the steering wheel from tattooing your face is a bonus.

I've been upside down a couple times and rear-ended hard enough that my car seat broke, so I know the value of a seat belt.

[dsraven]

being a firefighter and rescue unit operator for quite a few years, before and after air bags and pretensioners got to be an everyday thing, I have seen what happens with no seat belts, lap belts only and 3 point seat belts. also the results of what happens in an accident when you ride with your feet up on the dash or out the window. I've picked up or marked out the location of many body parts not in the vehicle upon arrival. say what you want but seat belts save lives. I get it, these old trucks never......but they also didn't drive around very fast and most other vehicles on the road drove slow too.
it's your project so build it how you want, within the safety parameters of the local jurisdiction and your own conscience.

[fauXGT]

My father has had his 58 Impala convertible for years (35+ years after finding a replacement). It was his H.S. car that he reluctantly sold when I was conceived. We have never worn a seat belt in that, but mostly cruising. When I was a sophomore in H.S., someone ran a stop sign while they were doing 40+mph while we were in a '75 Chevy Nova in the 80's. Broad sided my side as a passenger, and if I had been wearing the seat belt it would have been much worse. Fractured skull and shattered pelvis+, is what was described by the ER doc. I slid across the bench seat rather than being buckled in on that side and suffering worse conditions.
I had a 65 Mustang in H.S. with only front lap belts. Didn't think much of it. I loathed the day they inacted of the seat belt laws, but that was 35+ years ago. I do much faster speeds now, but think of all the extra air bags and safety belts that newer vehicles have.
You are what you drive... and have to deal with it.