C1 Seat Belts

[Richard F.]

Whilst checking the condition of the wires for the power windows and power top I got thinking about seat belts. My '59 has NO seat belts. Never did I'm thinking.
Looking at RTG p.209+ . It appears that seat belts were installed the beginning of '58. It does not specify 'on every car'.
As this car has a power top it appears the seat belt anchor and bolt would interfere with the PT hydraulic assemblies mounted behind the rear of the door jambs. There are no seat belt brackets around the hydraulic unit and it appears the bolts on the driveshaft tunnel have not been cracked since new. The paint is original and there are NO marks on it whatsoever that would indicate any parts added or removed or even that the nut had once been removed.

What's going on with the seat belts? Arrangement on others with power tops?
Thanks
Richard

[Don H.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

Richard,
My '60 with PT does have seat belts. I believe that all Corvettes from '58 on had belts. Don H.

[Debra P.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

I don't think having seatbelts was a law yet. Maybe the buyer didn't want them because of the power top. Just a thought.
Regards,
Deb

[Joe L.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

Richard-----

As far as I know, all 1958 and later Corvettes had factory-installed seat belts. The belt webbing was supplied in matching interior colors, too. The seat belts were not optional and, as far as I know, were not deleted if other options were installed. They were not, however, required by any laws extant at the time. I would expect that the only way that one could have gotten a car which deleted them would have been through the COPO process. It wouldn't seem too likely that anyone would have gone through the trouble for something like this.

[Richard F.]

C1 Seat Belts

Thanks for the responses folks. My initial reaction to the missing belts was befuddlement as I understood that all after '58 had belts, thinking the same as Don. I also considered the fact that belts were not DOT required in Canada until the early '60s and suspected this was probably made a requirement the same time in the U.S. As with Deb's thoughts it may have been a 'delete' ... if that was possible for a Jan. '59 built car.
Joe, COPO has some potential as well for some very sound reasons. Here's what I know, or think I know, as am trying to trace owner history of the car, and hopefully make contact, from the original rear only '59 Mass. license plate -
1.The car was delivered along with a sister vehicle both in the same colour. This car has 4 speed and 2x4 carbs while the other was a single carb and, I understand, auto trans. Both were PW, PT, posi and came with hardtops.
2. I'm still trying to figure out why the heater air intake hose brackets are painted black and not cad. They appear original and paint is oxidized/faded as per the rest of the black parts on the car.
3. The car has not been molested that I can determine for a 37,000 mile 46 yr old garage kept vehicle. Actually the dust build up behind and under the seats may have started in the factory :-) Today I found 3 bolts and 2 screws that have never been used laying under the seats. 2 of the bolts have paint on the thread matching the frost blue car colour. There are no visual holes where these bolts could have been that don't have matching fasteners in them and appear to have been 'left as dropped' on the production line.
4 There is no front license plate bumperette and never has been. I found this strange for a Mass. car as I understand they require both front and back plates.
There's more but best to keep my yip shut until I can confirm some of the things I'm seeing are original or were at least available at that time.
I'm at the point of almost being afraid to touch anything until I know what I have or a few more people check this thing out. Very mystifying for what I initially thought was just a well optioned car.
Think it may be time to start taking a multitude of pics as some of the local owners are as baffled as I am.
Ideas?
Thanks again for your replies
Richard

[Gene B.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

Since you have two sister cars, were the belts missing in both of them?

Also all seat belts were blue in 1958 Corvettes until production around 4-1-58. The blue hammertone on the buckle and the webbing was a slightly different color blue, (lighter on the webbing). Around 4-1-58 they started producing the belts and buckles to match the interior. If a 58 had a silver blue interior, the belts and buckles appeared to match interior color, which is why some think the 58 belts matched the interior.

Are the mounting bolts for the hambones in place on either of your cars? They would have been both on the inboard and outboard side behind the seats. The hambones would then be mounted with a lock washer and nut. If I recall on my 58 the hambones had clean glass under them when I removed them. I am not 100% certain on this.

Hope this helps!

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

MY 57 power top vett ,I added seat belts and it didn't interfere with the PT at all. Your PT working?? I rebuilt many if you need any help making it work.

[Willard M.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

About the two plates in Mass. I grew up there and clearly remember a time when there was only one plate. My parents had a decorative, non-dot plate on the front for awhile. This was during my high school years I think,57-61.

Bill #2659

[Dave S.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

Bill,
In my growing up years in Mass. around the same time I have a different recollection. Most plates were replaced every other year and a white windshield sticker was used for the off year. Since the year of manufacture law was introduced in 1994(approx.) I've seen pairs of plates from 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964(only time 1 year plates due to paint problems), 1966 and the reflector plates introduced in 1967. Seeing the pairs tells me that there were 2 plates required. Its a long time ago but I want to remember dads 1962 Chevy Impala convertable with a front plate. Can't say for sure, though.

[Richard F.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

Thanks for the reply Gene, I don't have both cars but understand from the PO (2nd owner of 2+ yrs) that a pair of '59s were delivered together to the original owner. Unfortunately, the PO was not aware that history may have some importance and did not ask searching questions of the original owner. Heck I don't think he asked any... he just looked at the car and bought it.
If by hambones you are referring to the outer mountings, no they are not there and there is no evidence they ever were. ie. paint is original without bare glass.
On the drivers side of the tunnel there is no bolt and no hole. On the pax side there is a painted bolt but no evidence of it ever being cracked. ie paint over bolt, washer and tunnel is unbroken.
Richard

[Richard F.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

Thanks Roy, presently the elec. motor is at the rewinders but everything else functions normally needing only a few dozen hours detailing.
I'll keep you in mind should the need arise in the future.
Richard

[Richard F.]

C1 Seat Belts

I can now state without doubt there has never been seat belts nor mounting hardware in this car thus confirming my suspicions.There are no bolt holes, has never been (checked from both sides). I might add that the seats have never been out of the car since original install.
I'm bewildered. ????
Richard

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts

If you have an EARLY 58 that may not have seat belts.

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 Seat Belts I mean 59 *NM*

[Richard F.]

C1 Seat Belts

Thanks Roy,
This is number 2817 off the line which should have been January 1959.
If this fits the criteria for no belts (or anchors) could you please expand that thought.
Richard