Did a 1966 series 2a have seat belts?

[nicklediemme]

Hello,

I am taking my 1966 2a RHD in for State Patrol inspection next week and want to be legal. The car has never been registered in the States so it needs a VIN and safety inspection before I can license it. I do not think I will have to add any safety equipment if it did not come on the car from the factory.
The 88 interior was in pieces when I got it. The rig came with a few boxes of old parts including some pieces to belts,but they do not look original to the vehicle.
It may seem like a dumb question...I already did a search and sort of determined they did not come originally with seat belts, but I thought I should make sure.

Regards

[stomper]

My 66 IIA came with seatbelts installed by the previous owner, but they were not original. At far as I have been able to research, the 66 did not come with seatbelts, so you should be fine. I'll save the mantra about why you should have them up to you, but as far as a legal standpoint, you do not. Now, if you can find a patrol officer who understands vintage vehicles to inspect it, that's another story.

[LaneRover]

Usually if you explain that they never came with seatbelts the person will listen as they don't know every vehicle out there.

I remember hearing a story about someone who had to click his blinkers manually because something was wrong in the system. When the inspector asked about it, he just told them,"Oh thats how you have to do it on these old British vehicles" - he passed.

[4flattires]

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Highway_Traffic_Safety_Administration

Quoting...
In 1966, Congress held a series of highly publicized hearings regarding highway safety, passed legislation to make installation of seat belts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belts) mandatory, and enacted Public Law 89-563, Public Law 89-564, and Public Law 89-670 which created the U.S. Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966). This legislation created several predecessor agencies which would eventually become the NHTSA, including the National Traffic Safety Agency, the National Highway Safety Agency, and the National Highway Safety Bureau. Once the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards came into effect, vehicles meeting the ECE safety standards but not the U.S. standards were no longer legal to import into the United States.

I read this as Oct-66 as being the cutoff between legal for import or not. My personal experience with 1965 USA vehicles does include seatbelts, as well as my 1965 VW with factory installed belts.

[Wander]

My 64 does not and doesn't appear to have had them in the past. I will add them.

It is probably different in WA but in NC anything over 35 years old is exempt from safety and emissions inspection. I was all set to take it to the guy I get my other vehicles inspected to find out what I needed to pass when he told me to not bother, there is no inspection for anything that old. He did want to check it out however.

[LaneRover]

Even if it doesn't require seatbelts to pass inspection I would definitely lean towards putting 3 point belts in.

Getting it thru inspection is not the same as how you feel driving it.

[nicklediemme]

Thanks for your replies and input folks......I will eventually install belts for sure.

[JimCT]

Rolled our bug eye on black ice at about 50mph, shoulder harness kept me in place and in one piece. Would never think or driving a series without at least a lap belt, that metal dash is not too face friendly.

[nicklediemme]

Rolled our bug eye on black ice at about 50mph, shoulder harness kept me in place and in one piece. Would never think or driving a series without at least a lap belt, that metal dash is not too face friendly.

I bet you were feeling real lucky after that one. My Rover has a soft top on her, no roll bar, so I would probably end up dead in a roll over. I live in the city and it is pretty scary to drive it among all the other cars that are going light speed in comparison. I would hate to get T-BONED in a old Rover by any car of past or present.

When I was 16 I watched in my rear view mirror as a old jeep cj came over the hill behind me. I sat parked on the side of the road in front of a girls house I was picking up. The driver was going like a bat out of hell probably doing 50 plus when he hit his brakes. The drum brakes pulled him to the right side of the road into the drain ditch and caused him to flip into the girls yard. He was not wearing his seat belt and he almost got his head smashed by the roll bar. He got his head out just before impact and the jeep kept rolling as he stood there in the yard on his two feet. It was bizzare and he was one lucky SOB. The cops showed up and asked if he was alright and if he would pay for the damages. He agreed and apologized, they left without a ticket.....man how things have changed since.

[Jeff Aronson]

My '66 Corvair has factory lap belts; since it was marketed as an "economy car," I'm guessing that Chevy was obliged to include them or it would never have installed them at the factory.

My '66 has lap belts but I don't know whether they were US dealer installations or aftermarket. I have a dealer option list somewhere and I can check it later. Other British cars of that era had seatbelts as standard; I remember that my '63 Spitfire [purchase in 1968] came with seatbelts.

Good idea to have them. I've been sideways in my II-A after hitting a horse and overturning in a ditch.

Jeff

[SeriesShorty]

My 66 did not have factory belts. Mine is an ex-MoD so I highly doubt they would have had them anyway. Using ratchet straps to lock yourself to the seat isn't a good idea either. :p

[Donnie]

Hello,

I am taking my 1966 2a RHD in for State Patrol inspection next week and want to be legal. The car has never been registered in the States so it needs a VIN and safety inspection before I can license it. I do not think I will have to add any safety equipment if it did not come on the car from the factory.
The 88 interior was in pieces when I got it. The rig came with a few boxes of old parts including some pieces to belts,but they do not look original to the vehicle.
It may seem like a dumb question...I already did a search and sort of determined they did not come originally with seat belts, but I thought I should make sure.

Regards
Hi, my 1967 RHD series 2a, 109 2 door wagen has what appears to be factory lap belts. they are attached at the floor at the rear of the seat. The material is a canvas like material with aluminum clasps that take some doing to get strapped in. They are not a click & push the button to release...They are a wind through and a snap over center buckle. There is an emblem on the buckle but I was unable to read it with out a loope today. Am I making any sense..If need be I will read what the buckle says tomorrow and report back..........Donnie

[nicklediemme]

Hi, my 1967 RHD series 2a, 109 2 door wagen has what appears to be factory lap belts. they are attached at the floor at the rear of the seat. The material is a canvas like material with aluminum clasps that take some doing to get strapped in. They are not a click & push the button to release...They are a wind through and a snap over center buckle. There is an emblem on the buckle but I was unable to read it with out a loope today. Am I making any sense..If need be I will read what the buckle says tomorrow and report back..........Donnie

That sounds like the same setup I have in the extra parts boxes. Now to figure out how they work since it is one long web belt with a adjuster in the middle. They Say Britax on the buckle of mine.

[Donnie]

That sounds like the same setup I have in the extra parts boxes. Now to figure out how they work since it is one long web belt with a adjuster in the middle. They Say Britax on the buckle of mine.
My buckle is aluminum & it has a blue & white parachute with wings on it. The word "IRVIN" is on what would be the tail if it were an Eagle. it is very small , had to use a loope to read it. It looks like it could have been enameled at one time...?????????