70 coupe shoulder belts.

[Andrew Strauss]

I thought I read all 70 coupes had shoulder belts as standard equipment.My coupe appears to have never had shoulder belts.The arear where I assume the retractors would bolt is free of any markings bolts would have left after being tightened.Did all 70 coupes have shoulder belts or did I misunderstand what I read?

Thanks Andy

[Joe L.]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

Andy-----

Shoulder belts were standard equipment on 1970 coupes. The only way that I know of that you could have gotten one without them would be through the COPO process. I doubt that anyone would have gone through the COPO process for a deletion like this and I doubt that it would have been approved even if some had asked for it through this process.

[Andy Strauss]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

I have the tank sticker and a build sheet found under the dash and they do not say anything about copo anywhere.All the panels appear original.It appears as if no retractrors were ever installed.

[Michael M.]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

2 things:

1. The shoulder belt retractors, when mounted, are ABOVE the carpet ( I believe ) and therefore wouldn't leave any "marks".

2. Look at your seat backs ... do you have the through holes where shoulder harness bels pass through ???

[Andrew Strauss]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

YES THE SEATS HAVE THE PASS THREW.THE HOLES WHERE THE RETRACTORS MOUNT DO NO HAVE ANY MARKS AT ALL.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

Andrew, what kind of marks would you expect to find?

A hole was cut in the carpet around the bolting plate threaded hole and anti-rotation pin. The retractor was installed by a bolt through the retractor housing bracket. As the bolt was tightened, the only relative movement that could cause marking was between the bolt head and the housing bracket.

Because of the cushioning of the carpet, I wouldn't expect to see any marks on the fiberglass body unless the bolt was WAY over tightened. Typically, pneumatic wrenches used on assembly lines are torque regulated to put up only the specified torque for the component installed at that station.

The only 70s that are likely to NOT have shoulder belts are convertibles; for convertibles, shoulder belts were an extra cost option. It is almost certain that all coupes left St. Louis with shoulder belts. But, IF there were 70 coupes that left without shoulder belts, nobody here or maybe even alive, will be able to confirm it. Find you some good used shoulder belts, and get them restored...it's only money.

[Andrew Strauss]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

I think I need to see a coupe with belts to determine if I am looking in the correct area.Not ever hving owned a vette with shoulder belts maybe I am mistaken in where they should bolt.I am not trying to find out if this is some ultra rare one-off car,I just want to know so I can install the belts and be correct in doing so.Can anyone point me to some pictures on-line that I could look at?

Thanks Andy

[Chuck S.]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

Andy, do you have the 70 AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual)?

If you have the AIM, look on page K50 (UPC 1, Sheet B2); "View C" shows the installation of Item 9, "Reinforcing Anchor Plate, Shoulder Harness". If you don't have the AIM, you should; it would clear a lot of these questions right up. On your car, the tops of the anchor plates are visible in the rear wheelwells behind the top of the tire and just above the frame rail. If your rear tires are too fat, these plates are the first place the inner sidewall rubs.

These anchor plates are riveted to the bottom of the underbody panel with four aluminum rivets, and provide a relatively large threaded bolt hole (3/8"?) and anti-rotation pin for mounting of the shoulder belt retractor housings. On the inside of the car, this anchor point is on a horizontal ledge just below the top of the fiberglass wheel housing. This horizontal ledge forms the top of a channel made into the storage compartment floor to cover the frame rail. I seem to remember that this anchor point is about 24" horizontally rearward from the door jamb.

What other evidence do you have that this might be a "rare, one-off" car? The best way to find out if a Corvette is unique is to document it's provenance; i.e. find the former owners and get signed statements regarding where they got the car. If it's unique, the reason will become obvious; e.g. son of GM exec ordered the car without shoulder belts. Otherwise, you will be "spitting into the wind" trying to convince NCRS judges that your 70 coupe really never had shoulder belts.

The fact that it has the through holes in the seat tells me it left the factory with shoulder belts. If the shoulder belts had been deliberately omitted from your car, there would be no through holes because the seat covers had to be cut to make the opening and the rear seat back escutcheon (interior color) had to be installed for shoulder belts. Think some big-shot exec's kid would put up with having un-necessary holes and hardware on his seat if he didn't want the shoulder belts in the first place?

There was a thread about this same subject not too long ago; it may be worthwhile to check the archives. Are you sure you haven't asked this question before?

[Andrew Strauss]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

Chuck,the vertical point which you describe is what I am looking at and I see no evidence it has ever been used.I DO NOT believeI have some one -off car here I am just looking for the correct way to restore it.It would not make my car any less or more valuable if it were not equiped with shoulder belts.Why would anybody have a copo for deleting shoulder belts.If i were to go trew the trouble of doing a copo I would get the biggest baddest motor available at the time,not delete seat belts

Thanks Andy

[Chuck S.]

Re: 70 coupe shoulder belts.

NOT the vertical plane...the retractor was mounted on a HORIZONTAL surface about six inches below the top of the wheel housing.

To pinpoint the anchor location, measure back 12" horizontally from the lock pillar/door jamb (previous recall of 24" was incorrect) to the horizontal surface 6" below the top of the wheel housing; there should be a 3/4" hole in the fiberglass for the threaded bolting plate hole below, and a smaller hole in front of it for the anti-rotation pin.

The anchor plates are like "Z" shaped...2"-3" vertical on the wheel housing, 4"-5" horizontal on the horizontal plane where the anchor is located, and maybe 2"-3" vertically down the vertical surface you described. Aluminum rivets are located on the corners, and the heads should be visible on the vertical face of the wheel housing and the vertical rear compartment floor below the horizontal surface.

If the above doesn't clear things up, I suggest you remove a rear tire and inspect the area I previously described; if the car has no anchor plates riveted to the underbody, then I might begin to think that maybe, possibly, you just might be right. Of course, when it comes to judging, it won't matter what I think.

And, if you still can't find those anchor plates, send me an air ticket...I'll come and put my finger on them for you.