Help please? are these seat belts stock for a '66?

[haycait911]

they look a little hokey and clip into eyes in the body. are these stock for a '66? remains of a porsche decal on one but that doesn't mean much. any input much appreciated. Don.

[javadog]

Don,

I'm no expert on the details of the early cars but I'll tell you what I think. Seat belts were not standard equipment in these early cars. The mounting points were there; if seat belts were not ordered they were simply left out. Some sources indicate that the eye bolts were there for cars not equipped with belts but all period photos I have seen do not show the eye bolts in cars without belts. Some sort of plug was used to fill the hole.

I have seen more than one style of eye bolt. I have also seen more than one style of belt and buckle. I can't say with any certainty whether your belts were installed at the factory, or at the delaer, or somewhere down the line. They are mounted where they should be.

For what it's worth,
JR

[unimog406]

the 66 I had came with no belts, but... those do look about correct for that year vw, which would have been about the same as the porsche, I would expect... so its not out of the question
Bob

[javadog]

I remembered a web site that has some electronic scans of Porsche brochures. You can find the site at:

http://coochas.com/brochures/index.html

The pictures are from different model years but help to illustrate the points I was making earlier. There are a couple of brochures that have the pictures to show the belt locations with and without the eye bolts. One brochure (the 1964 911 one) has the first photo I've ever seen of the eyebolts installed without belts. There is a later brochure (ironically, from 1969) that shows a picture of the holes without the eye bolts, and with the holes plugged.)

JR

[Rich Lambert]

My '66 has those same belts.

[304065]

My '66 was ordered with a pair of seat belts and they mount in the same way and are similar in appearance.

If you are planning on driving the car, an update to a modern mounting location is in order. Remember, concours judges don't see safety equipment.