SC Seat Belt Removal

I heard that the retractable seat belts are ambidextrous. Are they?

The interior panel that sits over the mechanism has a slot for the belt to go through. It's about two or three feet long and a foot wide and leather. Interior panels are tricky because you don't see obvious fasteners What's the trick of removing this panel?


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'83 SC

Okay, when you're sitting in the rear seat (good luck) there are three panels next to you. The seat belt retractor is under the bottom one. The top of that panel seems to be under the lower edge of the panel above it. the top of that panel is under a strip just a couple of inches wide that runs under the window. The only visible fasteners are three screws on this top strip. When removed, the top strip still does not come out easily.

What gives? Anyone know what's behind these panels that holds them on?

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'83 SC

Super,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Bentley manual doesn't even mention seat belts, or retractors, or those panels ...

And, I doubt if Targa and coupes have much similarity, since on the Targa you have to take the upper trim for the Targa bar liner off first ... if I remember correctly!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

If it is a coupe I think you have to take the panel that holds the rear speakers out. Then the strip with the 3 screws needs to come out, from the rear just pry out. Then the big side panel will come out, pull from the rear. The seat belts are L/R only. I think you can put them on the wrong side, but the belt will be twisted.

Dean

Thanx, Warren and Dean. You both make sense. the more I got looking at it, the more it looked like the rear deck needs to come off. Sad face. Ah well, as long as I don't break anything.

Dean, it sounds like they'll come off easily in the right order - no hidden clips I need to know about?

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'83 SC

I took mine off when I installed my roll bar. Remove all the screws on the top trim piece, I think 4? Pull up on the entire section. There is a tab on the back of the panel that slides in a slot to hold it in place towards the bottom. You also have to pry the material in the front where it rest behind another trim piece. This may also require loosening the door sill trim. If you are only working underneath you can leave the belts alone. To full remove, you need no take off the seatbelts at the 2 mounting points and remove the trim piece that sits in the belt opening.

Thanx to all. Once you know how these interior panels come off, it's terribly easy. Go figure. A car that's made to be taken apart and reassembled with a minimum of fuss. Happy motoring.

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'83 SC