Need help for a friend on a 59.

[Tom H.]

Hey all.

A friend I recently met has a 59. He has asked me some questions regarding this car and I am totally out of touch on this vintage. Here is a copy of the email he sent me. He's noticed some interesting things on his car that he seems confused about. Any thoughts ?? Here's his note.

One other thing I just thought of. My "59 DID NOT have seat belts
(I put them in) ALL 59's had Seat Belts. So now all these things
together really make me wonder what is going on!! Further more
there were no holes or plates (that go with the mounted Seat Belts)
I had to buy those too!

* No Package Tray

* No Seat Belts

* No Generator Drive Tachometer

* Kind of doubt if had originally a soft top too!

* Ah just thought of one more thing, I think it may have had a bigger

Gas Tank too, reason being it was missing overflow to the Gas Door,

so I took off the gas tank cover (under the folded down top) and by

looks under it, never had that overflow tube there, I purchased and

installed proper one.

[Wayne P.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

Sound like your average used 59 Vette that someone left a few parts off of.

[Tom H.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

Doesn't it sound strange to not have any evidence of ever having seat belts ??

[Rob M.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

No, they are mounted via brackets on studs in the car... see AIM for more details...

[Edward B.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

My '59, purchased new from the showroom floor at Frame Chevrolet in Mineola, NY, never had seatbelts. Was I missing something? Should I now complain that I didn't get everything I should have?

[Rob M.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

I think so, I thought they were only optional upto 1958...

[Tom H.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

Interesting Edward. The car in question that belongs to my friend was built in early February. Maybe it never had belts either. He says there was no evidence of brackets or reinforcements for them. I thought that was odd, but I know nothing about 59's. I just thought they all had belts factory installed.

[Wayne P.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

My 59 of about the same time period had belts. The reinforcements are on the bottom side, sort of corner of the trans tunnel is where your friend should look. Not unusual for studs to be twisted off and not show on the passenger side.

[John H.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

Tom -

Although belts weren't factory-installed as standard equipment until 1958, the underbody reinforcements for them were present on 57's (maybe on 56's too); the reinforcements are on the BOTTOM of the underbody, not on the top side.

[Tom H.]

Re: Need help for a friend on a 59.

Thanks John !

This car had no evidence of the brackets at all according to the owner. I've never seen the car. He said he had to purchase all of the neccessary items to make a correct belt installation.

Tom