The Ford Barn

LordMatt · 01-04-2023, 03:57 PM

I've got a 1929 Town Sedan (Murray) and need help on how to install front and rear seat seat belts. I've been told to use the wood seat frame and a two inch flat washer if the wood is in good condition. If I do that, how do I place the seat cushion with its wood frame on top of the bolt head? Others say to use strap iron/angle iron bolted to the seat frame. Again, how do I place the cushion with its wood frame on top of that? Thanks

Synchro909 · 01-04-2023, 04:39 PM

What type of seat belts do want to install? IMO, the simplest ones are "lap" belts but they re pretty useless for the driver and front seat passenger apart from keeping them in the car. They are OK ish in the back.
Lap and sash belts are better in the front because they will prevent the passenger's face hitting the dash and the driver being impaled on the steering column but where to attach the top of the sash? From what I can work out, our regulations on this are more stringent than you guys have so you might be able to get away with attaching the top of the sash to the B pillar in a closed car. Doing so in a car not designed for that will weaken the pillar making the whole thing self defeating. BTW, it is NOT a good idea to attach a seat belt to wood, in fact it is banned here and any seat belt installation in a car built before seat belts became compulsory must be inspected and approved by a licensed engineer.
A piece of angle iron bolted between the chassis rails on each side is a good fixture and there is a pretty strong boxed section across the back of the body down at floor level. I have used that.
In my 1928 Tudor and 1929 Phaeton, I had made a special seat belt for the driver (me). It is "Y" shaped with the bottom of the Y anchored to the boxed section I mentioned and one of the top of the Y coming over each shoulder, attaching to a lap belt. It is like a racing harness and will stop me being impaled, should I run into anything. The down side of that arrangement is that it make things difficult for a passenger sitting behind he driver.
In the end, what you do is up to you but I think it is worth thinking about your legal liability if someone was wearing a seat belt you installed and was injured, They could argue that the belt contributed to their injuries and without any formal crash testing of your setup, you'd be at the mercy of a court. Good luck with that!!!

1930artdeco · 01-05-2023, 12:25 PM

Mine are set up with bolt and fender washer right in the middle of the wood. Bob cut a hole in the metal seat pan at the bottom and the belts go up through the hole and up and over the seat cushion.

Like Synchro said the belts are there mostly to just keep people in the car. They probably don't do much else in an accident.

Mike

Ed in Maine · 01-05-2023, 02:32 PM

Like it has been said the lap belts serve to keep you in the car but not only for accidents but also in case your door flies open going around a corner. I think this is a very likely scenario especially for all of you who have broken return springs on your door handles! I have always considered Model A door latches as a very weak link. Does anyone wear a safety helmet? Ed

Synchro909 · 01-05-2023, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed in Maine

Like it has been said the lap belts serve to keep you in the car but not only for accidents but also in case your door flies open going around a corner. I think this is a very likely scenario especially for all of you who have broken return springs on your door handles! I have always considered Model A door latches as a very weak link. Does anyone wear a safety helmet? Ed

We call them a "Brain Bucket".

Gary WA · 01-05-2023, 07:46 PM

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01-04-2023, 03:57 PM	#1
LordMatt Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Dahlonega, GA Posts: 1	Seat belt installation on a 1929 Town Sedan I've got a 1929 Town Sedan (Murray) and need help on how to install front and rear seat seat belts. I've been told to use the wood seat frame and a two inch flat washer if the wood is in good condition. If I do that, how do I place the seat cushion with its wood frame on top of the bolt head? Others say to use strap iron/angle iron bolted to the seat frame. Again, how do I place the cushion with its wood frame on top of that? Thanks

01-04-2023, 04:39 PM	#2
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,497	Re: Seat belt installation on a 1929 Town Sedan What type of seat belts do want to install? IMO, the simplest ones are "lap" belts but they re pretty useless for the driver and front seat passenger apart from keeping them in the car. They are OK ish in the back. Lap and sash belts are better in the front because they will prevent the passenger's face hitting the dash and the driver being impaled on the steering column but where to attach the top of the sash? From what I can work out, our regulations on this are more stringent than you guys have so you might be able to get away with attaching the top of the sash to the B pillar in a closed car. Doing so in a car not designed for that will weaken the pillar making the whole thing self defeating. BTW, it is NOT a good idea to attach a seat belt to wood, in fact it is banned here and any seat belt installation in a car built before seat belts became compulsory must be inspected and approved by a licensed engineer. A piece of angle iron bolted between the chassis rails on each side is a good fixture and there is a pretty strong boxed section across the back of the body down at floor level. I have used that. In my 1928 Tudor and 1929 Phaeton, I had made a special seat belt for the driver (me). It is "Y" shaped with the bottom of the Y anchored to the boxed section I mentioned and one of the top of the Y coming over each shoulder, attaching to a lap belt. It is like a racing harness and will stop me being impaled, should I run into anything. The down side of that arrangement is that it make things difficult for a passenger sitting behind he driver. In the end, what you do is up to you but I think it is worth thinking about your legal liability if someone was wearing a seat belt you installed and was injured, They could argue that the belt contributed to their injuries and without any formal crash testing of your setup, you'd be at the mercy of a court. Good luck with that!!! __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

01-05-2023, 12:25 PM	#3
1930artdeco Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Lynden, Wa Posts: 3,552	Re: Seat belt installation on a 1929 Town Sedan Mine are set up with bolt and fender washer right in the middle of the wood. Bob cut a hole in the metal seat pan at the bottom and the belts go up through the hole and up and over the seat cushion. Like Synchro said the belts are there mostly to just keep people in the car. They probably don't do much else in an accident. Mike __________________ 1930 TownSedan (Briggs) 1957 Country Sedan

01-05-2023, 02:32 PM	#4
Ed in Maine Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cty., ME or Flagler Cty., FL Posts: 1,106	Re: Seat belt installation on a 1929 Town Sedan Like it has been said the lap belts serve to keep you in the car but not only for accidents but also in case your door flies open going around a corner. I think this is a very likely scenario especially for all of you who have broken return springs on your door handles! I have always considered Model A door latches as a very weak link. Does anyone wear a safety helmet? Ed

01-05-2023, 07:46 PM	#6
Gary WA Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Clinton,WA/Whidbey Island Posts: 4,106	Re: Seat belt installation on a 1929 Town Sedan Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) this help __________________ www.whidbeymodelaclub.com Last edited by Gary WA; 12-30-2023 at 02:37 PM.