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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Seat belts

I have a 65 with belt seat belts (2 point seat belts - lap belts). I think that the 1978-1980 cars had retracting 3 point seat belts (shoulder belts). I would like 3 point seat belts so on that bad day I don’t eat the steering wheel. I am guessing that installing the later model seat belts is the way to go, but am not sure.

How do these late model seat belts mount? Can I mount them in the 65?

Are these the best way to improve the seat belts or is there another, better way?

Anybody have any sources for seat belts?
Frank Baker

Moss an VB both offer aftermarket 3 pt belt kits for MG's.
R. L Carleen

Frank,

I just replied to your door thread, and here is my take on seat belts!

My '64 has threaded holes on the inside of the car at the back of the sills and holes with no threads at the back of the tunnel, presumably these are what you use for your lap belts. I also have two bolts on each rear wheel arch with chrome nuts/caps on for the third part of the seatbelt, does your car have these?

When I rebuilt my car my Mother's Uncle gave me an unused 3 point static (not inertia reel) BMC seat belt with a plate that fitted on to the rear wheel arch holes. I then was given some old BMC intertia reel belts with the same fittings and converted them to static belts which I have used ever since.

These were all BMC accessories, so some people must have fitted 3 point seatbelts from new to earlier MGBs.

John.
John Prewer

John,

You're a lucky man indeed to have found the wheel arch bracket. I've been looking for years for those parts. There's a small parts manufacturer here, Todd Clarke, that can reproduce this piece if anyone has one to loan. If so, please contact me and I'll get the ball rolling with Todd.

Cheers,

Paul
Paul Hanley

Paul,

The other part I was lucky with is a part that goes on the bottom bolt which fits the hood to the car. This part is where the seat belt clip sits when not in use to keep it off the floor. It was missing from my MGB but was supplied by Syd Beer, a contender for the man who knew most about MGs and who died earlier this year.

Just after re-build (1982! Where do the years go?) Syd gave my car the once over and made dozens of suggestions about where wires should go, where I had bolts that were took long etc., and he went delving in his huge store of parts to fetch me two seat belt clip holders. I say huge store and that is right, as an example a couple of years later Syd's son sold me a new special tuning 286 camshaft in its original BMC packaging!

I will e-mail you off the board, as I may have a wheel arch bracket. My seatbelts were made from the two interia reel ones and I kept the original static one in one piece as I appreciated what a rarity it was/is, its somewhere in my stock of spare parts. I am holiday the week after next and will spend time in the garage fitting the cylinder head on my MGB after de-coking. I will "borrow" my daughter's digital camera (I like old MGs and am also addicted to 35mm film!) and I will take some photos of the seat belt bits to send you.

John.

John.
John Prewer

John,

Roger that! Will stand by. I'm now looking forward to your holiday almost as much as you are!!

Cheers.

Paul
Paul Hanley

I get the idea that the best solution is the later model 1978-1980 3 point belts,

I am not totally following the parts discusion above. Do you have any photos?

In any case, I think I have my answer - thanks
Frank Baker

I have a '71 GT with the original three point belts. There is a bolt threaded into the top of each rear wheel arch which anchors the third point. If you have that threaded hole on each rear wheel arch you should be able to use the three point belts available from MGOC, Moss Motors or any of a number of other suppoiers.
J.C. Weidner

And if you don't have the threaded boos on the wheel arch, you can buy it from Victoria British. Part number 19-470, $12.95 ea. It gets welded to the wheel arch. As far as I know, Moss do not sell it...

HTH!
Rob Edwards

This thread was discussed between 16/10/2004 and 18/10/2004

MG MGB Technical index

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