<VV> [SCG] Corvair Seatbelt information 1960-1969 - Long

[66vairman at comcast.net]

Rick:

In regards to 1966 standard belts, when I purchased my 66 tropic turquoise Corsa 180 convertible with turquoise interior six years ago, it had black standard belts in the interior.  Since then, I have documented multiple 66 turquoise interiors with black standard belts in the interior.  Go to www.steinborn.org to view Jim's low mileage 66 Monza turquoise exterior/interior vehicle which he purchased from the original owner.  He said it is his opinion the black belts are original.  Also, go to e-bay,  under item #260205986551 to view Rudy Giuliani's previously owned 66 Monza turquoise convertible with turquoise interior.  Again, notice the black belts.  This color interior was rarely ordered by the public and it is my opinion GM just opted to add the black standard belts instead of added extra costs for the low volume stock turquoise belt.  If you ordered the Deluxe Custom belt option, GM then offered the brush chrome head, protective boot and then, turquoise colored webbing.  I have
 not, to date, been able to document any turquoise colored interiors with turquoise standard belts.  NOTE:  Other low volume 66 colored interiors quite possibly could have the standard black belts as well.         Tom Rahochik at 66vairman at comcast.net
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Rick Loving" <ral1963 at comcast.net>
> I have been working on an article to wrap together a bunch of different
> sources of seatbelt info.
> 
> I would like everyone's assistance in correcting errors and/or adding
> additional detail.
> 
> I have posted the article on Corviar Center Forum so I can have pictures
> with the information.
> 
> Please check out the article via this link and tell me what you think.
> 
> http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.php?1,125818,125818#msg-125818 
> 
> There are several pictures I still need that if anyone can send an image of
> to me I would greatly appreciate it.
> 
> I still need an image of an actual 1960 GM accessory belt.
> 
> I need an image of the 1964 Standard belt offering, described as a plain
> black plastic lift to release buckle.  It was standard on all 64's around
> Jan of 64 so there should be plently out there but all I ever see are the
> black 65-66 style in late 64's...
> 
> I need an image of the 1967 standard buckle with the Fisher emblem instead
> of the later 67 GM mark of excellence emblem.
> 
> Rick Loving
> 
> 
> 
> Here is a copy of the text of the article, without the pictures...
> 
> This article is broke down from my observations, personal deductions,
> referenced by Larry Claypool's Stock Is. article on seat belt
> identification, indirect help from Dave Newell, Kent Sullivan, Mark Corbin's
> Standard features and options spreadsheet, and Body tag info from various
> websites on the Internet, scanning many years worth of VV posts, and
> searching Ebay ad's for all GM model seatbelts, etc.
> 
> I do not have any intentions of publishing it; this is for general reference
> only, please only use the information as a guideline only.  I am in no way
> standing behind any of this data as fact, as I hope it is an ongoing
> development with regular updates to continue to correct errors and add
> detail.
> 
> All Corvair seat belts from at least 1960-1969 were manufactured for GM by
> Irving Air Chute Company.  Most likely all but specifically stated in
> installation instructions for the 62-69 belts recommended using the outer
> belt coupled with the inner belt located behind the adjacent seat.  This
> setup has the two inner belts crossed with both sets are used.
> 
> It would seem that many belts crossed over into previous years and or
> crossed over into following years as mid year offerings or changes to
> accommodate safety requirements.
> 
> 1960 - Special order dealer installed accessory with only one color choice
> available to match all interiors.  Chrome lift to release buckle with gray
> webbing and adjustable floor mounts.  This seatbelt could be ordered for
> front and rear seat of cars or truck seats.   
>  
> 1961 - Special order dealer installed accessory.  Plain polished alum lift
> to release buckle with black webbing and adjustable floor mounts.  Could be
> ordered for front and rear of cars or trucks.  A short boot was provided to
> cover the mounting hardware for front seat car applications.  
> 
> 1962 early - (Factory Optional Accessory) FOA 148 Seat belt equipment for
> front seat applications, either drivers only or both driver and passenger.
> It was similar to the 60-61 buckle. It had a plain polished lift to release
> buckle but with black webbing and a mounting system that included eye bolts
> to mount in the now provided factory mounting points.  A white vinyl boot
> was attached to cover up the hardware.   This could be ordered as a factory
> installed option or a dealer install.
> 
> A different belt offering was a Special order dealer installed accessory to
> be used on trucks and rear seat applications as the mounting hardware was
> adjustable and designed to be attached to the body and retained with a
> reinforcement plate.   It was the same style as the 1961 belt except the
> buckle face and webbing were both black.
>  
> Late 1962-1963 (Regular Production Option) RPO A37 Seat belt equipment for
> front seat applications.  Polished alum lift to release buckle 1/2 dollar
> size blue Chevrolet logo emblem and blue printed Custom Feature Accessory
> text on a white background, webbing was color coded or contrasted to
> interior color.  A matching colored, or white contrasting vinyl boot was
> also provide to cover up the eyebolt and attaching hardware as well as
> support the webbing as it came up along side the seat.  The colors available
> were black, blue, red, white with red boot, white with aqua boot, fawn,
> green, aqua, and saddle. The car rears and truck were the same as the 63
> buckle with color coded webbing but had an adjustable length mounting plate
> like the rear/truck option for 62 and did not come with the vinyl cover.
> 
> 1964 - Early, RPO A37 Seat belt equipment for front seat applications, this
> option used the newly designed color coded buckles and mounting hardware
> that included a rough textured, color coded, painted buckle with a small
> silver embossed bowtie.  The colors available were black, blue, red, white
> with red boot, white with aqua boot, fawn, green, aqua, and saddle.  The
> mounting style changed from the eyebolt and aircraft fastener design used in
> 62-63 to a simple shoulder bolt and short decorative vinyl cover that just
> covered the bracket and bolt at the floor level.  Retractors were not offer
> as part of the option, but could be added by the dealer for additional cost.
> 
> 
> 1964 - Mid RPO A20, Several months into production of the 1964's Chevrolet
> announced availability of RPO A20, a lower-cost belt than what was used for
> RPO A37. It was available in black, blue, red, and fawn with no boots on the
> ends. This belt had a plain plastic buckle with no emblem.  RPO A20 was very
> short lived as and was discontinued effective January 1st as these belts
> became a standard feature, removing the need for the RPO.
> 
> *****
> I need a picture of this style seat belt, if this was standard there should
> be a lot of these around!!!!  I think the description of a plain black
> plastic buckle is inaccurate (or another change happened before the end of
> production) as I see mainly the 65-66 style black plastic lift to release
> buckles (with Fisher Emblem) in a lot of 64's, too many just to be owner
> installed.
> *****
> 
> 1964 - RPO A49 Deluxe Front belts with retractors - The previously offered
> buckle and belt with RPO A37 now became RPO A49, which  was the rough
> textured, color coded, painted buckle with a small silver embossed bowtie.
> 9 different color combos were offered, most color keyed to seats but also
> with contrasting red against white interior with Red dash and red carpet.  
> 
> 1964 RPO A47 Deluxe rear belts (only available ordered with RPOA49) - Same
> as fronts but with adjustable length rear mounting plates.
> 
> 1964 RPO A62 Seat belt deletion - this RPO was a mid year offering as front
> seat belts became a standard option as of Jan 1964 as part of a mid-year
> change, since they were not yet required by law they were optional and could
> be removed to reduce purchase cost of car.
> 
> 1965 Standard belt - Front seatbelts were a standard offering.  The 65
> buckle was a plastic lift to release buckle with a rectangular black &
> silver embossed insert with a Fisher Carriage emblem.  Again the buckle and
> webbing were color coded to the interior.  There was no boot to cover the
> mounting bolt or attaching plate where it bolted to the factory mounting
> point.
>  
> 1965 RPO A64 Custom rear seat belts, matches the color coded plastic lift to
> release standard custom seatbelt buckle.
> 
> 1965 RPO A49 Custom Deluxe Front belts with retractors - Newly designed
> buckles and mounting hardware.   The buckles were polished chrome, where the
> back half of the buckle lifted to release the catch.  The face of the buckle
> had a large rectangular reddish colored Fisher Carriage Logo insert.  The
> webbing and protective vinyl boot was color coded to the interior and belt
> retractors were provided for the outboard portion of the belt. 
> 
> 1965 RPO A47 (only available ordered with A49) Custom Deluxe rear belts -
> Same as chrome custom deluxe fronts but with adjustable length rear mounting
> plates and no vinyl boots.
> 
> 1965 RPO A62 Seat belt deletion - Standard front belts were a standard
> option but they were not required could be removed to reduce purchase cost
> of car.  This option was removed as a mid year removal when the federal
> government mandated front belts effective January 1965. 
> 
> Since the Corvair was considers a 6 passenger vehicle when equipped with
> bench seats, a front center belt was also included on all bench seat
> optioned cars all the way though the end of 1969.  Only the drivers and
> passenger seat required belts when bucket seats were installed. 
> 
> 1966 Standard belts - Front and rear seatbelts were now a standard offering.
> The standard 1966 buckle was the same as 1965, a plastic lift to release
> buckle with a rectangular black & silver embossed insert with a Fisher
> Carriage emblem.  Again the buckle and webbing were color coded to the
> interior.  There was no boot to cover the mounting bolt or attaching plate
> where it bolted to the factory mounting points.  This was the last lift to
> release buckle style offered.
> 
> 1966 RPO A39 Custom Deluxe Front and rear belts - Newly designed buckles and
> mounting hardware.   The buckles were brushed chrome. The face of the buckle
> had black push button release with a gold fisher Carriage logo. The webbing
> and protective boot was color coded to the interior and belt retractors were
> provided for the outboard portion of the belt.
> 
> 1966 RPO A85 Custom Deluxe shoulder belts (Factory installed only and only
> with RPO A39, (available after around Feb or March 1966)  In conjunction
> with the shoulder belt option, Fisher Body began welding the mounting nuts
> for shoulder belts in all coupes and sedans.  If you car was made around
> when this option became available, your car has the mounts under the
> headliner whether or not you currently have shoulder belts installed in your
> car.
>  
> Starting in 1967 Fisher body began welding in nuts for rear seatbelt
> mounting as  the federal government now required rear belts as well as front
> belts in all vehicles.
> 
> 1967-69 Standard "Custom" seatbelts - Front and rear seatbelts were now a
> standard offering. Again the buckle and webbing were color coded to the
> interior.   There were two styles of 1967 bucked offered, the initial buckle
> design had a textured plastic face with a plastic push button release that
> had a gold fisher coach cast into it.  The second style was a mid year
> change over and this design carried all the way through 1969.  This new
> buckle was also a color coded plastic buckle with a push to release button
> in the middle.  The logo on the push to release button was changed from the
> Fisher Carriage to the GM Mark of Excellence logo.  The GM buckle was used
> through out 1969. 
> 
> **** I need a better picture of the 67, Fisher emblem buckle!!!!
> 
> 1967 RPO A68 Custom center rear seat belt, optional center rear belt for 5
> passenger operation, used the same plastic buckle as the standard front
> buckle.
> 
> 1967 RPO AS1 Custom Front shoulder belts to go with the standard front belt
> offering of color coded plastic buckle.  Shoulder belts were previously only
> offered with the Custom Deluxe belts in 1966.
> 
> 1967 RPO A39 Custom Deluxe Front and rear belts - Newly designed buckles and
> mounting hardware was offered for the Custom deluxe buckle for 1967.  The
> belt webbing was still color coded to the interior but the buckle was
> changed to satin chrome face with a push button release that carried the GM
> mark of Excellence logo.  Starting in Jan 1967 rear belts were federally
> mandated, so the rear seat arrangement now included standard center
> seatbelt.  So now 5 belts were mandated on cars with bucket seats and 6
> seatbelts on bench seat equipped cars.
> 
> 1967 RPO A85 Custom Deluxe shoulder belts (Factory installed only and only
> with RPO A39) 
> 
> 1967 RPO AL5 -Custom Deluxe Center rear seat belt (requires RPO A39)
> 
> 1968 - No change for Standard Custom belt or buckle design since 1967.
> Still using colored coded plastic, GM logo inserted pushbutton release
> buckle and belts with outboard retractors.
> 
> 1968 RPO A39 Custom Deluxe Front and rear belts
> 
> 1968 RPO A85 Custom Deluxe shoulder belts (Factory installed only and only
> with RPO A39)
> 
> 1968 RPO AK1 Custom Deluxe Front seat with shoulder belts and custom deluxe
> Rear Seat belts
> 
> 1968 Custom Front shoulder belts are now standard on coupes and optional on
> convertibles, as well as center belts for bench seat cars.  Effective Jan 68
> front shoulder belts become required by federal mandate in all models.
> 
> 1968 RPO AS4 Custom Deluxe rear shoulder belts (requires RPO AK1)
> 
> 1968 RPO AS5 Custom Rear shoulder belts (requires RPO AS1 when ordered on a
> Convertible)
> 
> 1969 - No change for Standard Custom belt or buckle design since 1967.
> Still using colored coded plastic, GM logo inserted pushbutton release
> buckle and belts with outboard retractors.
> 
> 1969 RPO A39 Custom Deluxe Front and rear belts
> 
> 1969 RPO A85 Custom Deluxe shoulder belts (Factory installed only and only
> with RPO A39)
> 
> 1969 RPO AS4 Custom Deluxe rear shoulder belts (requires RPO AK1)
> 
> 1969 RPO AS5 Custom Rear shoulder belts (requires RPO AS1 when ordered on a
> Convertible)
> 
> 
> 
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