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Hello, getting ready for the spring and our first season in our redone 78 FF MIGI. Would like to install 3 point belts but I can’t even figure out where to mount lap belts. Any suggestions? I do not like to fly from car seats. Thanks, Dennis
It depends on what donor car you have under your TD. I suspect it’s a VW because your signature says FiberFab MIGI.
Depending on what year your floorpan is, there should be seat belt anchors that were used for the back seat. If not, I suggest welding a plate to the areas where the seat belt will achor and then bolt the seat belts to the center of that plate.
As far as mounting a shoulder harness, unless you have a roll bar, you’re pretty much not going to have a spot to mount one. If not mounted properly, shoulder harnesses cause more damage than they prevent. Search the web for proper mounting of seat belts and shoulder harnesses.
A key thing to remember, especially with VW based TD’s, is that you are basically driving a 4 wheeled motorcycle with a faring shaped like an MGTD. The chopper gun fiberglass shatters like balsa wood when hit.
The Ford and GM based (front engine, RWD) TD replicas have full tube steel frames. That affords the mounting of steel roll bars, 5 point harnesses, etc. These cars, although not Volvo’s, are much safer than the VW based TD replicas when built correctly.
I’m sure I just started a controversy! At least some more forum action may result…who knows
I think you are right.If safety is a big concern then he needs to be driving a different car.All the improvements and doodads we swear about in new cars =a much safer vehicle.Toys are unsafe no matter what you do.I put lap belts in one of mine,I bolted the inside halfs to the tunnel,and the outside half through the rear bulkhead near where the jack point used to be.Years ago I sold a dune buggy to a fellow,within a couple of weeks he crashed it.I was called out to pick it up with the wrecker and all there was together was a VW chassis.The body was bolted down tightly but at each bolt there was a circle of fiberglass left.That chopped body had disintegrated.He was wearing a seat belt,but only because without one it was hard to stay in the seat on a sharp corner.(it had stock VW seats)He had a bloody nose and a lump on the back of his head where the body slapped him on its way off the chassis.The TD my wife drives was bought because the wife of the previous owner realized how it was built.She is a safety minded yuppie that drives a Volvo and would not ride in it nor let her kids ride in it.I guess that you can look at it as being either over protective,or just smarter than most of us.Having a toy involves risks and the owner has to decide just how much of a risk taker he is.All my life I have ridden motorcycles,driven odd cars,(BMW Isetta for one)antique cars with all steel around you and the only thing that has bothered me was driving a cabover truck.If you hit anything you are the buffer between the truck and what you are hitting.
Pink MG and Keith speak the truth, this is the kind of car where DEFENSIVE DRIVING is most important, Like riding a motorcycle..but the thrill is worth it and a good prayer never hurts.
Paul W.
Paul wrote:Pink MG and Keith speak the truth, this is the kind of car where DEFENSIVE DRIVING is most important, Like riding a motorcycle..but the thrill is worth it and a good prayer never hurts.
I have just lapbelts in mind as well.
Paul W.
I know what I am driving, I just don’t want to go airborne. My other car is a little MGB. I shattered my knee in a 62 MGA, in 1965 and got back in it as soon as it came back from the body shop, and my cast came off. The belts kept me in. Thanks for the help.
Seat belts are a good thing and will surely keep you in the car or “on the floor pan” so to speak. After reading about the dune buggy wreck above! Sounds like Michael Waltrip at Bristol in the Penzoil Busch car back in the early late 80’s.
If there are no provisions existing, you can weld plates to where you want to anchor the lap belts. I used eye bolts and the hooked style lap belt anchors. The “hooked” end has a spring loaded safety.
I created studs in my car.I just drilled holes in the tunnel,on both sides of the shift joint cover,then stuck bolts through the holes from the inside out.Put a nut on the outside and had a stud to hang the seat belt on.On the outboard belts I used a backer behind the bolt as the metal is thinner there.I used lock nuts to hold the belts so they can swivel.I would have welded mounts in normally,but the car had the carpets glued in and I did not want to take the time to protect it,and my wife was waiting to use the car.By the way,I still have the chassis the dune buggy body flew off of,and I am going to use it under a Deserter buggy body I have,or under the new TD kit I have.
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