Seatbelts part 1
Did a little research and found out that several of the common sources of seat belts get them from the same place, Made by Beam's.
Here
http://www.seatbelts.net/distributors.phpSeveral years ago I ordered some 3pt ones from Juliano's for my 48, I have not used them yet.
http://www.seatbeltstore.com/I think this is another separate manufacturer/assembler not related to Beam's (I wonder if they source some parts from same place??). I have no experience with them.
http://www.seatbeltsplus.com/The Beam's belts are/look to be good quality so I decided to stick with them. Now that I know where they really come from and can search better It seems Juliano's is somewhat more expensive than some of the other other distributors. Also found out that many of the distributors don't have a large selection or may have belts but zero or slim hardware options.
Andover Restraints has a very large selection of belts and mounting hardware to go with them.
Be warned though, the website is pretty lousy. However the customer service when calling so far has been great, no problem ordering over the phone and asking questions.
http://www.andoauto.com/I found these two pages useful:
This one has retractable belts
http://www.andoauto.com/AR5-1.htmThis one shows pictures of different hardware kits
http://www.andoauto.com/kits.htmIn the past I've used non retractable belts and they're just fine. However if your passenger is not well educated in the matter they'll likely throw the belt at or out the door when exiting and then slam the door on it. This could be troublesome if you have nice paint and annoying even if you don't.
This time I decided to try retractable lap belts and ordered Andover part number 8244-20 Series with mounting kits # 204K. These have chrome lift type latch, an older looking buckle design.
I intend to mount the retractor behind and outside the seat frame just between gas tank and cab corner. The buckle end will go under the seat and come out between cushions.
This will be a project for the new year after the belts get here.
Next, who likes the smell of gear oil?
Grigg
