Dans 68

[G-man]

Hey

Since you know all about these 68 chargers I was just wondering since Im not home to check and wont be until the weekend... with the "front shoulder belt option".

If a charger was optioned with front shoulder belts, it came with them... fine...

BUT

If the charger was not optioned with them, did that mean the headliner covered the metal plate where the shoulder belt would normally bolt on

OR

does it mean since the car is not optioned with it that the car doesnt have a place where to bolt the shoulder belts on and therefor I would have to get all that welded on the car and spend a few good $$$ to get it in there? If this be the case any dimensions etc where it goes and measurements to get it in the exact spot it should be in?

[Dans 68]

First, I don't know all about the '68's, but I'm learning.    But it was awfully nice of you to think so.   

I would guess that provisions for the shoulder belt would be on every '68 just to make it easier to install the shoulder belts on the assembly line if required by the buildsheet. I'll try to find out more, or perhaps one of the more knowledgeable members may chime in. You require them down under?

Dan

[G-man]

No shoulder belts = no registration. No shoulder belts in todays society incase of accident = no brains (after the forhead conects with the steering wheel) 

[grdprx]

I had looked into shoulder belts for my 68, I have an early build..  I'd searched for info..  found some good threads, but looking in my body, there were no bolt holes on the roof.

here is a thread.  http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,44716.0.html

I decieded I would tackle this at a later date...

[472 R/T SE]

8WHEELER should have some wonderful insight on this if Troy or someone else doesn't mention something.

[rooks]

G-Man .. what State are you in?

If you're in NSW, you don't need shoulder belts. Lap belts are legal.


To answer part of your question. The provisions for seat-belts were identical across the board. My '70 Challenger is the same. The connection points (places to screw in the bolt) are all there. If you have a vehicle not optioned with shoulder belts, those areas are simply covered by the roof lining.

[Cooperman]

If you have a vehicle not optioned with shoulder belts, those areas are simply covered by the roof lining.

Not on mine...

I have the same issue. Any car in the UK made after 1966 has to have three point belts... 

[rooks]

Wow! So the hole is there, but not the required thread?

That's a bit of an inconvenience.

[G-man]

I am in NSW. You sure it is not needed?

I mean I would want it in but if it wont impinge on me getting the car regestered then I will get it regestered without!

Talk about miss-information from one resto company in sydney. First they wanted to take my 'reproduction' seatbelts that were for my red 68 charger and charge me 800 dollars on top of the original 600+ I baught them for because they are not legal without being 're-webbed' according to Australian standards and they would have to send it out to perth to get done etc. To only find out from another mopar company that they are legal as they are pre 1970.

Now you are telling me I dont even NEED shoulder belts... at this rate I better wait one more year and It wont even need breaks to get regestered 

[CB]

I live in Belgium and when you get a Charger inspected as 'oldtimer' they only check the brakes, verify the vin number and if the safety triangle is present.

But then again they didn't pass my car 'cause the front end was weak.

I'm going with the modern XVmotorsport belts since I care more for safety.

[rooks]

You only need to change them if it is being converted to RHD, but if you are leaving it left-hook, then that company is taking you for a ride mate. Piss 'em off.

I'll start scouring the net for all the info I came upon doing this research for my Chally.

If you're leaving it LHD, let me know, and I'll post you a bunch of links that will give you all the info you need.

If you are converting it to RHD, then you will need to change them to ADR compliant belts, fixtures, and get it engineer approved.


Regarding the seatbelt "re-webbing" bullshit: Australia has the most stringent seatbelt laws in the world. Even with modern cars, a 2010 model car in the US would have different seat belts than the same model in Aus - why? Australia has an "underwater" test on their seatbelts which no other Country does. Basically, they submerge a belt for 30 minutes, take it out, then re-test its break strength. That's it! Retarded thing about this law? If a vehicle is sub-merged under water for ANY length of time, all seatbelts legally have to be replaced anyway, rendering the "water-test" redundant.

That's bureaucrats for you.

... and to be perfectly honest. If I'm in a vehicle that's underwater, I absolutely want the seatbelt to be able to break so I can get the fuck out of there.

Anyhoo - regarding the re-webbing fairytale, all you need to do is go buy compliant belts (about $100 each), and switch over the fittings.

[68r/t]

I was in the same boat, I am in Perth and I had bought repo seatbelts then was told buy the seat belt company here that those would never pass. so I called  the licensing department and he said 68 and earlier in WA  don't need to have seatbelts, So I said what about the tinted front screen as most of Australia are not allowed these, he said that is OK, all I need to do was put a passenger side mirror on.

[rooks]

The only thing you have to do in NSW for a '68 is change the headlights so they dip to the left (away from oncoming traffic) - LHD vehicles lights dip right.

If you are keeping it LHD, that is the ONLY thing you have to do on a '68 in NSW. And you don't need an Engineer. Standard Blue Slip is all. If someone tells you otherwise, they either have no clue, or are just trying to rip you off.

[G-man]

Thanks for that.

Looks like the car will get regestered this week then 

Btw- It is staying left hook. If I was to convert it ($12 000) I would do it as the last thing... so before then I would put that money either towards a Hemi, A ferrarri handling suspension setup, a dana 60 with new wheels tires and discs 335 out back, I would respray it show quality, I would stick a 6 speed manual in it... Looking at all that, the conversion will never get done

[Darkman]

Ahh the joys of the Eastern States, where they have all the money and can rip off the unsuspecting! $12,000 to do a conversion - either you had a guess, or someone wants to rip you off. If I was to get the conversion done by a workshop would only cost half that, but since I am doing it myself, it is only going to cost me for parts (all up approx $2K)

[bull]

I would imagine the way they did it at the factory was to install the brackets in place with screws as needed. It doesn't make sense to me that they would predrill all the holes if they knew they weren't going to use them all. Perhaps they could have stamped the metal with the holes there already but then the assembly guys would have to find them which would have been inefficient. They probably had a screw gun on the line with the brackets, checked the line ticket to see if it got the shoulder belt and if so they grabbed the gun, screws and bracket and installed it.

[G-man]

12k is what this resto shop is charging. Its not just putting the steering wheel on the right, its cutting the entire fire wall out and remaking it 'mirror' image so that everything is flipped over, blinkers, handles, wiper motors everything. That is also a rack and pinion power steer conversion.

Either way I not doing it even if it was 6000 cause I so bad want a hemi and some serious suspension... yeah I know what I want = 50 000 in 2 bits but still... 6000 is closer to it than 0

Bull what you said seems to make sense... how hard would it be then to get the correct thing installed to be able to get shoulder belts for safety?

[rooks]

If you want shoulder belts, but don't have the factory mounts installed - consider going at it a different way.

Because you are creating anchor points, you'd have to get it engineered - why not go for a more streamlined look and attach the top point to the b-pillar at shoulder level, rather than have it hanging and flapping from the roof?

Here's a pic of what a bloke from QLD did with his Challenger.




Clean and tidy, doesn't flap around in the wind, and out of the way for anybody getting in & out of the back.

It's just your standard Lap/Sash retractable belt, and they cost about $150 each (Klippan brand).




Regarding the Hemi situation. If you keep it LHD and go for a Hemi (426) you don't need it engineered, as it was a factory available option.

[G-man]

Thanks rooks

I plan to build the car like Mike did, a pro-touring sort of charger but with a 528 hemi in all aluminum. This is all IF funds ever appere to do it. I can dream cant I?

[Laxy]

G-man, as rooks has said above, get away from that shop as they are trying to bullshit you. I don't know as many specifics about NSW, but in Vic anything 1968 and older you don't require any mods as the ADR's had not come into effect until 1969 - headlights and seatbelts can stay factory and no engineering certificate/mod plate required. Got mine rego'd with a standard roadworthy check and the import document. Front lap belts and no rear belts.

Better off trying to get it rego'd first and see what they pick you up on