New seatbelt question

[Deputy Toddler]

I've got a '68 that has the really cool (IMO) red lap belts. I would like to replace them with three point retractable belts from these guys:

http://www.seatbeltsplus.com/product/WSCH300.html

Has anyone ordered red belts from this site? Is the color reasonably close to original?

I want to keep my lap belts for use on the jump seats, so it would be nice if the colors werent too far off.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

I ordered these ones...


http://www.seatbeltsplus.com/product/WSCH256P.html

Good website. No problems. Can't speak as to the color.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

I ordered the third latch type of these and am happy with the quality but also can't speak to the color.
http://www.seatbeltsplus.com/product/CH201P.html

 

[Fast Eddy]

I ordered these ones...


http://www.seatbeltsplus.com/product/WSCH256P.html

Good website. No problems. Can't speak as the color.

Really good deal and closer to stock than the others I've seen, including the link in the OP.

 

[GregRay]

I hadn't come across that web site before -- interesting.

 

[lcwizard]

since when did the seatbelts come red from the factory?

 

[Fast Eddy]

since when did the seatbelts come red from the factory?

With this color upholstery. What's this called? It's hard to find in a search.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

With this color upholstery. What's this called? It's hard to find in a search.

Coral?

 

[DSRTRDR]

I bought from them in grey with the airplane latch style - can't speak to red color

8 years later, the belts have held up well

 

[Fast Eddy]

I bought them with the airplane latch style.

8 years later, the belts have held up well

And if you forget how to unbuckle, you can just think back to the last flight attendant safety briefing.

 

[Tin basher]

Doesn't answer your question but my 6 month of 68 has red belts in it
But don't know what color the seats were

 

[1MAC]

With this color upholstery. What's this called? It's hard to find in a search.

I think it's called Sea Coral. My '65 has it and red seat belts.

 

[Deputy Toddler]

My '68 has black/dark grey seats with the red belts.

Glad to hear the belts from these guys are quality. Anyone ordered the red ones???

 

[pavieSD]

If you're getting three point belts, then you're going to need to have a mount spot above the shoulder. Even if you have a hard top, it's not recommended that you mount the seat belt to the top. The hard top pole near the seats is not really a strong frame style mount point like on newer vehicles. AFAIK the three point belt wasn't issued in the FJ40 until they added the roll bar, so keep that in mind. I also would like to go with three point belts, but have held off on that, until I can get a proper roll cage. FYI, metaltech (and other vendors) will sell you metal tabs that can be mounted to the roll bar, and allow you to attach an above shoulder third point for a later seat belt. That's the direction I will go once I finally get a roll bar installed.

 

[SteveH]

Nit - 1976 FJ40s had 3 point seat belts with the upper anchor attached to the hardtop. It makes removing the hardtop a pain, needless to say. The rollbar mount (by Toyota) is a better idea.

 

[pavieSD]

Nit - 1976 FJ40s had 3 point seat belts with the upper anchor attached to the hardtop. It makes removing the hardtop a pain, needless to say. The rollbar mount (by Toyota) is a better idea.

Do you have any pictures of this mount point? Curious to see how Toyota did it. After taking my top off and seeing the dimensions of the hard top bow, I wouldn't expect it to withstand any real load in an accident, so I'm surprised Toyota was able to get this DOT approved.

 

[Deputy Toddler]

Here are a few pics from CCOTs site on mounting the seat belts to the factory cage

 

[Deputy Toddler]

One more a little closer up

 

[Bear]

Toyota used 3-point seatbelts mounted to the upper hardtop sides for some front-seats until 1985, and also for the front-facing rear seats on the FJ40LX models. This in addition to many with the factory "roll bar" mountings.

None of these would likely pass today's safety regulators. Without a true properly-anchored engineered rollbar or similar sound attachment, severe crashes would likely disable the upper mount, and thus the seatbelt protection.

Years ago Honda lost an expensive liability lawsuit for a seatbelt design that had its upper mount contained in the upper door frame, above the window, but within the door itself. Apparently in an accident with multiple impacts, once the door was jammed open on the first impact, subsequent impacts rendered the seat belt system useless, and the driver/passenger was left unprotected.

Point being, designs change over the years as lessons are learned. Cannot really expect a 40-year old design to meet todays standards and levels of protection.

So drive an FJ40 for what it is, add a little protection as you can, and realize you're not in an MRAP that expects to be hit by a land mine or IED.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

Toyota used 3-point seatbelts mounted to the upper hardtop sides for some front-seats until 1985, and also for the front-facing rear seats on the FJ40LX models. This in addition to many with the factory "roll bar" mountings.

None of these would likely pass today's safety regulators. Without a true properly-anchored engineered rollbar or similar sound attachment, severe crashes would likely disable the upper mount, and thus the seatbelt protection.

Years ago Honda lost an expensive liability lawsuit for a seatbelt design that had its upper mount contained in the upper door frame, above the window, but within the door itself. Apparently in an accident with multiple impacts, once the door was jammed open on the first impact, subsequent impacts rendered the seat belt system useless, and the driver/passenger was left unprotected.

Point being, designs change over the years as lessons are learned. Cannot really expect a 40-year old design to meet todays standards and levels of protection.

So drive an FJ40 for what it is, add a little protection as you can, and realize you're not in an MRAP that expects to be hit by a land mine or IED.

I remember some GM cars from the late 80s where the seatbelt was automatic and mounted to the door.