<VV> Another relatively new member

[Frank DuVal]

I tried sending this reply when I was out of state. It wouldn't go 
through. Here I try again...

In the state of Virginia J.R. is not correct.

The State of Virginia Vehicle Inspection laws state cars sold after
January 1, 1963 must have front seat belts.

Of course this is a mid model year change, and leads to situations like
I had:

I was working on a customer's 1963 Monza Conv. ,around 1993, to get it
running and back on the road. I took it across the street for VA State
Saftey Inspection, annually here, to the Firestone store. The car failed
because it had no front seat belts. The rubber plugs were still in the
nuts in the floor! I told him he was nuts, that it had passed VA
inspection for most of its years sinced 1963, and he must be thinking of
1964 models. He pulled out the large binder of VA laws, and there it
stated the January 1, 1963 ruling. So I said it was built before Jan. 1.
He said prove it! So I talked the customer into a set of used seat belts
for her saftey.........

In reply to an earlier question, even the 1960 models I have seen had
the factory nuts for front seat belts.

1966 was the year for required rear seat belts. Also required in 1966
were backup lamps and outside rear view mirror.

Now the trivia question. What change did Chevrolet make ( not required,
they just changed)  between the 1965 models and the 1966 models
operationally, not trim, in rear wheel drive cars as standard equipment?

Fank DuVal
64 Spyder Conv w/ seat belts required in VA
Previous owner of 1965 and 1966 full sized Chevys