Seatbelt ?

[Gary Kemp]

When did seatbelts become a standard factory installed feature? Were they ever a dealer option? When did the feds mandate seatbelts on all autos? Particularly interested in C2s.

Thanx for any help, Gary.

[John M.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

All C2 cars had seatbelts.

Regards, John McGraw

[Wayne K.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

Gary,

I remember 1961 cars with seat belts standard. That's as far back as I want to remember.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

Gary, when seatbelts became standard on Corvettes, and when they became government mandated for all vehicles is two different questions.

Seatbelts for Corvettes first became available as a dealer-installed kit in 56 MY. Seatbelts became standard equipment in Corvettes for the 58 MY long BEFORE government regulation. Seatbelts, and some other minor safety features (back up lights..seems like there was another one) first became standard on other Chevrolet products during the 66 MY (end of 65 or early 66) in anticipation of legislation that was going into effect in the near future (January 66 for 67 MY?).

Other posters that worked for GM have previously quoted the name of this earliest safety legislation and the exact date it became effective...GM beat the feds to the punch across their product lines by several months.

[Bob R.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

I think the first year seat belts were standard equipment for chevrolet was 1964. I had a 63 Impala which did not have seatbelts. My father bought a new 64 Chevrolet Biscyane and it came with factory seatbelts. This car was bare bones no options at all. Three on the tree manual steering manual brakes but it did have seatbelts.

[Dick W.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

The first '61 that I had (1962) had belts. Must have been standard because the only other option it had was a radio.

[John M.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

Chuck is correct, 58 was the first year for factory installed seatbelts on a Corvette. They were a dealer installed option before that time.

Regards, John McGraw

[Chuck S.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

John, after researching this a little more, Bob may be right on full-size Chevys. There were transition years for seat belts between 64 and 66...the best I can determine is that front seat belts became standard on some cars in 64, followed by rear seat belts becoming standard on some cars in 66. Seat belts were not required by the government until 1967.

I mistakenly thought the seat belts on my 66 Impala were the first standard belts, but it may have been back-up lights I received as a safety item.

[John M.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

Chuck,
I am quite sure that he is, but this does not change the fact that they were standard equipment in Corvettes starting in 58.

Regards, John McGraw

[Chuck S.]

Yes, I Know...

You (We) were correct about the 58 Corvette seat belts; But, Bob wasn't arguing with my assertion that seat belts were standard equipment on 58 Corvettes...only with my claim that seat belts became standard equipment on full-size Chevrolets in 66. He believed seat belts became standard on full-size Chevrolets in 64 based on his Dad's new Biscayne. After further research, I believe he is correct.

You were right...He was right...And, I was right...Just not all about the same thing at the same time.

[William C.]

Re: Yes, I Know...

Incidently, in the early 60's seatbelts (on Pass cars) were a "delete option" that is they could be deleted for credit. We had a "seatbelt delete" car in the ME lab at GMI, with a large hole in the window where the head of the unbelted driver had met the windshield.

[Gary Kemp]

Re: Seatbelt ?

Okay. Thanx for the inormation. Lets, see if I've got it correct as far as Corvette is concerned. Seatbelts were a factory installed standard equipment item beginning in '58. Ergo, all C2s came with factory installed seatbelts. The feds made them mandatory in 1967 (there-about).

I had a '58, black with silver coves and red interior. I seem to remember that the seatbelts were a light green. My old fart mind may be slipping here. Anyone know if this was likely?

Gary

P.S. Last night I went to the local Friday cruise-in and we had red/red '64 convertible, a red/black '64 coupe fuelie and my red/black '63 convertible all parked togerther. Really looked great. Later a Daytona blue/blue '63 convertible showed up. Was a beautiful sight!!

[Gene B.]

Re: Seatbelt ?

The light green was probably a faded steel blue, since early & mid 58 Vettes came with a blue hammertone buckle and steel blue webbing. It certainly would have faded over time and probably would look light green.