1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

[Glen C.]

I'm preparing to remove my seat belts for repair and I'm a bit confused with the date stamp on the lap belts I was hoping someone could help me with. My coupe is a G18 body build code. The lap belt code appears to read 5 5 72. If I'm reading the judging manual correctly the first two digits represent the week and the last two the year. The second five is faded but the upper portion is clear enough that I really think it's a five but how could I possibly have belts made in th 55th week?

All the other codes look proper Hamill C15.

Am I misunderstanding something?

Thanks,

Glen

[Reba W.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

The numbers should be separated by a spaces. Only the first one (or two) designates the week. The second one is an internal plant code.

[Glen C.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Reba,

Thanks. I went back and checked the date stamp again and there is a space between the first two numerals. So if the middle numeral is an internal plant code that would leave me the 5 as the week code. Is this calculated from the calendar year as opposed to the model year? This would result in the 5th week of 1972 which could coincide with a Feb
18 date.

What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks again,

Glen

[Reba W.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Yes, that date will work. Body build dates begin with the first month of model production, while individual parts are dated by the calendar year.

Another question: What the material is the tags--thin nylon material or papery fabric? It is described in the first paragraph of Seat Belt Labels, p. 12 of the TIM & JG.

[Alan S.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Hi Glen & Reba,
Here's a label from my mid-January 1971 built 71 coupe.
In this case the 'place' assigned for the mfg. is a letter not a digit.
You can also see the label material is the silky material Reba described. Some of the other labels have started to 'unravel' just a bit on their cut edges.
The date is pretty clear compared to the others on my car. The date stamping ink appears to not have been water proof, so if the belt got wet the numbers/letter seems to have 'washed-out'.
I hope this helps a bit Glen.
Regards,
Alan

[Reba W.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Thanks, Alan. I should have said the middle character, not number. We have always seen letters there. Alan is correct in that these sometimes show blurring or removal by water.

Glen, probably some of your stamp is missing, making it look like a 5. It is most likely an E.

I asked about the tag material as we think the change occurred in late December to January when belts changed from C14 to C15.

[Mark H.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

I guess this would mean that my lap belts were replaced at some point. They both have identical labels.

The shoulder belts appear to be originals. 1/9/71 build date.

[Alan S.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Hi Mark.
It's interesting how different the dating font used on the shoulder belt label is from the lap belt label.
My car, built about 1 week after yours, has 36 B 70.
On my coupe the right side corner rear window seal dripped rain right on to the shoulder belt reel. Just a smudge of color is left from the stamp; while the left side which was dry has survived 40 years.
You can really see how the label has started to unravel in your picture too.
Nice!
Regards,
Alan

[Mark H.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Hi Mark.
It's interesting how different the dating font used on the shoulder belt label is from the lap belt label.
My car, built about 1 week after yours, has 36 B 70.
On my coupe the right side corner rear window seal dripped rain right on to the shoulder belt reel. Just a smudge of color is left from the stamp; while the left side which was dry has survived 40 years.
You can really see how the label has started to unravel in your picture too.
Nice!
Regards,
Alan

Glen,

Sorry for hijacking your thread.

Alan,

What do you make of my shoulder belts. They appear to match the lap belts in color, feel and wear and have the other tag mentioned in the 70-72 TIM & JG.
The "90" is what I don't get. Do they appear to be replacements made in 1990?

Mark

[Reba W.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Mark, your seat belts are GM replacements manufactured 48th week of 1990. Hamill, not TRW, was the manufacturer for C2 and C3 belts. Yours do have the Hamill code of C13.

[Mark H.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Thanx Reba,

That's what I figured. At least the shoulder belts are original.

Mark

[Alan S.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Hi Mark,
I'm not sure; but Reba may be able to answer.
I notice right off the different manufacturer, and also what appears to be a 'paper' label rather than the 'silky cloth' material.
So? Service replacement?
Regards,
Alan

[Terry M.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Glen,

Sorry for hijacking your thread.

Alan,

What do you make of my shoulder belts. They appear to match the lap belts in color, feel and wear and have the other tag mentioned in the 70-72 TIM & JG.
The "90" is what I don't get. Do they appear to be replacements made in 1990?

Mark

Yes.
DAmn dumb computer says i need 10 letters. How is this?

[Mark H.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Yes.
DAmn dumb computer says i need 10 letters. How is this?

Thanx Terry. LOL!

This hobby is like math - The Numbers Don't Lie.

Mark

[Glen C.]

Re: 1972 Seat Belt Date Codes

Reba,

It is a papery feeling fabric label.

Thanks,

Glen