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

MSYVairs at aol.com MSYVairs at aol.com
Fri Nov 16 11:38:37 EST 2012


This it?
 
Link should take you to info!
 
Bill "Swamp-Rat"Hadley
Prez - New Orleans Corvairs
 
 
  
____________________________________
 From: ral1963 at comcast.net
To: scg-list at tiger.skiblack.com
CC:  virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: 3/11/2008 4:48:52 P.M. Central Standard  Time
Subj: [SCG] Corvair Seatbelt information 1960-1969 - Long


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 Corvair 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 plenty 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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