Andre Hedrick

This weekend's adventure is to install my 88s4 rear three point seat belts into MY81. One side is cut and modified, and will collect pictures of before and after between the two sides. Off to the hardware and auto store for bolts and such, then to the stereo shop cause now is the best time to install new speakers!

Anybody in the BayArea have a stitch welder? There is a need to stretch and tear the pocket to allow the new roller to fix correctly.

Raw Images no write up of driver side

I am about 60% through one side which is the experiment one.

TOOL list:

Respirator mask, dust
Dremel with cut-off wheel blades/disks 5 dozen and 2 dozen sanding drums
10 oz ball pein hammer
16 oz hammer
4 pound hammer (rounded large face)
Industrial Box of JBWeld (red/black) 10oz
Duct Tape (fill and tape off to prevent JBWeld spreading)
various screw drivers (magnetic tip desired)
Set of sockets and wrencheds (sop)
Allen wrench set, ball heads are highly desired
Utility blade/knife
Paint can opener
Contact cement or other fast bonding glue
Small board painted white
1 medium sized quick-grip, needs to have a foot big enough to cover hole for bonding but small enough to not warp the rear panel.
canister vacuum

Extra Parts List:
2 7/16x20 1" long grade 8, yeah these are metric heads not metric threads
10 7/16 grade 8 washers
2 3/4" grommets
extra set of retaining bolts/collars/washers from the center clasps or the oem ones for the rear. (Hey Mason, do you have a set or two of seat belt bolts ... ?)

More to come ... JBWeld is currently curing on driver side metal tear.

Also a lot of patients, when the top of the pocket tears, relax it is okay.

ACG

Hi Andre,

I have been wanting to install the 3-point seatbelt on my 84 for a few months. I bought the seatbelt parts on Ebay. It would be great to see your pics and installation guidance.

Good luck on the project!

Andre Hedrick

Anybody have an extra set of bolts/collars/washers around after they upgraded to after market seat belts?

jon928se

Don't know if your MY81 internal trimmings are different to S4. Did it have retracting rear lap belts or static lap belts to start with ?

I know when I put 3pt retracting belts in the 88 that previously retracting 2pt (lap) the 3pt roller fitted straight in where the 2pt one came out from, the 3pt receiver fitted straight where the 2pt had been (they are different to suit the different buckle) with no modifications and the only internal trim mod I had to do was to poke a hole through the leather on the C pillar to bolt in the top mount.

heinrich

why did you cut stuff Andre??? No need to cut. The rear receivers are different though ...

Andre Hedrick

The rear belt rollers are vastly different and you can not even insert into the hole without cutting.

Andre Hedrick

Driver side rear converted raw pictures complete.

I have a template and will lay it out on graph paper and copy it to scale so one can print and paste.

The passenger side is stenciled right now, and will begin the photo series during next weekend, part II.

There are days when I wonder if I should have bought an s4,gt, or gts ... lots of alive, motrin, and aspirin are highly desired and some flexibility stretching!

Andre Hedrick

Templates and forms of the stock area and cut out. The template is based on the driver side and the mirror image is what will be used for the passenger side.

3" 7/8 x 3" 7/8 is the starting square.

I forgot one set of dimensions in the image: 1" 1/4, 1/2", 2" 1/2

This is the vertical side that is towards the rear axle.

During the installation of the passenger side I will note and record the changes in pocket depth.

I will add image with the updated dimensions later.

Bill Ball

Andre: Hurry up and finish this before your kids outgrow the rear seats.

Hey, is this really necessary? Wow, you really want these belts badly.

Andre Hedrick

The wife made it a requirement for the kids to have three point seat belts, since I did not have to push them out in the birth process ... well you get the idea.

I want the kids to come on the fun runs, and give mom a break for a day

Andre Hedrick

First pictures from passenger side. This side went faster for the cut out. It also tore as expected, but not as much or as large. The lesson learned from the first is to pound and stretch the pockets slowly over 20-30 minutes of light pounding with the 10oz hammer.

The first photo is the "J" cut out in one piece.

The second photo shows the diagonal cut is parallel to the ground so the photo is taken square to the box. I will take some more with the reference frame being level with the frame/ground.

The third photo shows the silver insulation form generated from the driver side maps correctly into the passenger side. This is a first order fit, and I will need to make a second form to better map geometry of the expansion cut.

The fourth photo shows how far the top of the roller will stick out if the pocket is not expanded. Additionally, there will be pressure and stress on the plastic end cap which house the retractor locking means.

The fifth photo shows the original roller in the new hole (original pocket) being flush to the surface of the frame.

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This is a good time to re-glue the vinyl or leather interior, clean the black strip running down the back of the B-pillar and along the bottom of the rear window glass, update your sound system/panel speakers, and wash/clean the surface of the panels. Also vacuum all the spaces one can never get to.

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Final write up to come once I am done and collect all of my notes in to a pile.

Chuck Schreiber

I tried this on the 79 and found the same thing, receiver holes too small. My mindset was the same, need over the shoulder straps for the kids in the back. Once I found that I'd have to modify the body, I said F-it and sold the parts I bought for the upgrade.

Probably around 83-85ish, should be a complete bolt in as the receiver holes for the retractor grew to the same size. Even on the 79 cars there is a provision in the C pillar for the shoulder strap which I think was actually for some type of child restraint system in Europe?? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Andre Hedrick

IT IS DONE!

Chuck,

It really is not that bad, and I suspect that if one has completely patience and goes slowly on the pocket it will not tear. The second side had almost not tear, as I started stretching the metal from the bottom first and using the smallest hammer for 90% or more of the time.

This is very doable, it just takes time and may done on a really warm day so the metal is more forgiving.

Note to self, get spray on under-body coating, as the metal stretching cause it to pull away some.