I was reminiscing today about days gone by and the topic came around to seat belts. I remembered my father installing a set in my mom

 

My Dad had them installed (lap belt only) in our 1962 Bonneville.

 

My Dad installed lap belts into my very first car, a '64 Ford Falcon, 4-door with a three in the tree. I just loved those belts, manly because on fast left hand turns it kept me behind the steering wheel because those vinyl bench seats were slippery...

 

What sticks out in my mind about seat belts is the one I had in my used 1970 Datsun 510. When it would rain water would get stuck some how in the floor of the car. Me seat belt would get soaking wet so I wouldn't wear it. Then after my many speeding tickets and traffic school, and Red Asphalt movies, I decided not to have my brains spilled out on the highway and I wore it, wet or dry.

 

We installed lap belts into my mother and father's 1961 Chevy Impala, but they never used them. When my older sister and I inherited the car (about 1968) we started to use them. Ours were red too.

 

Wow! That question brought back some memories. My second vehicle was a 1963 VW Bug in 1969. I grew up in NYC where the driving age was 18. Having been a motorsports fan since the age of about twelve I understood the value of being held in place even at the ripe old age of eighteen. I don't remember how I acquired them but I got a hold of a pair of aircraft seat belts and installed them by drilling through the floor pan and using the largest flat washers that I could find on the underside of the "Bug".

Fortunately, I never had to test my installation.

 

The first Car I remember with belts was our 68 ford mustang. It was my Mom's first car , our second car , Dad had a 60 chevy bel aire , no belts. The Mustang was a 302 one of the first, 4 Barrel carb , Gold with dual back stripes across the hood, roof and trunk, auto on the floor. My brother was 17 when they bouht that car! Needless to say they traded it in a few years latter because of poor gas milage and excessive tire wear! My brother got all the good stuff!

 

This is an appropriate vintage thread.

I remember my first seat (lap) belts were also "aircraft seat belts" with the flip-up latche. I wonder why the automobile seat belts have evolved while the aircraft seat belts have stayed the same throughout the years.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by WhiteS2k
This is an appropriate vintage thread.

 

I had seat belts installed in my 1962 Fairlane, the first car I bought new. By 1963, Ford installed belts as standard equipment in all their cars.



Gerry