Finally installed a pair of retractable shoulder belts into the rear of the cruiser. A condition I set for myself so long ago was that I’d install no radio until I had the safety stuff up to snuff.
While there were already shoulder belts in place the shoulder belts were manually adjustable, they didn’t retract and the kids bitched and moaned about them. Adults would nod politely and not wear their seatbelts rather than deal with the adjustment. So… a few hours and the driver’s side is installed. Very frustrating to get the bolts, washers and nuts emplaced from the far side and such a small panel to reach through.
To install the retractable shoulder belts the C-Pillar needs to be cut a bit so that the retractor spool can fit inside. To make these cuts I daringly used my precious Bosch Jigsaw. God-damn but that thing cuts well. Amazing smooth cuts like a hot knife through butter. However I needed to be careful to prevent the reciprocating blade from contacting the far side of the enclosure. Enough of that and the blade breaks. Anyway, I’m guessing there is a better tool for this, perhaps the legendary sawz-all.
Next weekend I get down to installing the second belt. I borrow my neighbors Sawz-All and go to town. A huge mistake. Sawz-All is a tool for demolition and not for careful cutting of sheetmetal in a car. After a few disastrous trials I switch to a brand new metal cutting blade but it’s no use, the thing is awful. I go back to the magic Bosch and clean up the old cuts as best I can.
The spools bolts inside the c-pillar so there’s quite a bit of precise cutting to get it to fit. I used two huge bolts with washers, holes drilled through where 3 pieces of sheet metal overlap so feels very strong. Once the plastic liner is put back the spool is invisible. The belt runs from the spool upwards and out of the plastic (no cutting needed) through a ring that bolts to the c-pillar, then can be clicked into the female end that also bolts to the floor. The new female end is the same as what I already had. There is a fair bit of cutting to get a hole big enough for the spool to fit inside.
Second, both my front seatbelts would not… lock. I replaced them with newer belts that did lock. This was a pretty simple job, took about 45 minutes to do both sides.
Now that the belts are installed I’m morally unburdened and free to install a stereo.
CanadianBJ 