Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

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dancroft1984
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Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

Hello all,
I see lots of posts about the rear seatbelt mountings (which don't actually look too bad to me) but my issue is the driver's seatbelt. During storage a rat has decided the webbing would make lovely nesting material and now it's frayed so needs replacing. How do I get to the reel? Looks like I have to take off the whole side interior panel. Does the rear seat cushioning need to come out to get to it? I'm assuming there's no easy way out on this.

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Alan_M
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by Alan_M »

Correct, the side panel has to be removed to get to the reel.
The seat base has to be removed and the seat back at least moved forward at the top, but easier to remove if you can.

Seat base will have a couple of screws at front - remove. Then lift up at front and also pull up at back of base and slide backwards to release from bracket under seat.

Rear seat - remove backboard in boot. There are 3 metal tabs coming through rear bulk head above tank - straighten and push through. Seat back will then pull forward. To remove you have to remove bolt from lower rear seat belt to thread through slot in top of seat back.
Then removed a couple of screws along base and back of side panel and one at top that would have been covered by top of seat back.
Remove seat belt upper bolt.
Depending on if it has been retimed and how, the material and leather along the front edge next to the door may be continuous with the side panel and glued to the bodywork. If so, remove door seal and carefully peel off.
Side panel can then be removed.

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Hawaiis0
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by Hawaiis0 »

dancroft1984 wrote:
Mon Jul 08, 2024 11:34
... the rear seatbelt mountings (which don't actually look too bad to me) .....
There are 2 seat belt mounts which we refer to when we talk about rust. Both are mounted externally. We do not usually refer to those mounted internally.

Simple test is to grab them and squeeze.

One just behind the seat bucket, the other in the inner rear wheel arch.
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

dancroft1984
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

Thanks for the really comprehensive replies! Looks like I have a "fun" weekend ahead of me.

dancroft1984
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

Hawaiis0 wrote:
Mon Jul 08, 2024 17:16
dancroft1984 wrote:
Mon Jul 08, 2024 11:34
... the rear seatbelt mountings (which don't actually look too bad to me) .....
There are 2 seat belt mounts which we refer to when we talk about rust. Both are mounted externally. We do not usually refer to those mounted internally.

Simple test is to grab them and squeeze.

One just behind the seat bucket, the other in the inner rear wheel arch.
Hmm, I knew about the long bracket going across the back of the seat bucket, but not the wheelarch one.

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Alan_M
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by Alan_M »

Just to clarify - I’ve assumed you meant the front driver’s seat belt, the external support brackets Stu has mentioned are for the rear belts.
Good luck.

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rbgosling
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by rbgosling »

This recently posted video may help!

https://youtu.be/rwsAzR9xppI?si=W2cC9KNeS90gUX4y
"Farmer" Richard

1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)

dancroft1984
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

Alan_M wrote:
Wed Jul 10, 2024 15:03
Just to clarify - I’ve assumed you meant the front driver’s seat belt, the external support brackets Stu has mentioned are for the rear belts.
Good luck.
Hi Alan, thanks for taking the time to clarify - yep. Understood.

dancroft1984
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

I hate it. I hate it. Hate hate hate. I hate it. Stupid bloody stupid thing of stupidness.

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Hawaiis0
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by Hawaiis0 »

Sounds like you had the wrong tool. Hate it when that happens.
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!

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MetBlue
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by MetBlue »

Right tool : seized lower belt fixing bolt is my guess.
What goes together.... Must come apart.

dancroft1984
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

MetBlue wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2024 07:23
Right tool : seized lower belt fixing bolt is my guess.
Ten points to that man! Well, rear seatbelt bolts. Means I can't properly get the seat back out, I'll have to find my breaker bar and give it a go if I can't work around it. I've sliced the rear belt on one side as it turns out rats have eaten that one as well, so it will eventually have to be replaced. Gives me a bit more access to shove the seat back out of the way. A rattle gun had no effect and I'm conscious of damaging the bolt head.

What an absolute palaver.

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Alan_M
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by Alan_M »

I removed my rear side panels without undoing rear seat belt bolts as they were seized like yours. So it is possible to remove side panels by just moving rear seat back rest forward and to the side a bit (still with seat belts going through them).
The side panels slot behind the rear seat belt outer lower fixing- so again this didn’t stop me.

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MetBlue
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by MetBlue »

Well, rear seatbelt bolts.
That's astonishing .... and believe it or not - Good news.
Astonishing because the lower rear seat belt bolts screw into the steel "bridge" plate under the car. in my experience, this bridge rusts faster than a 70's Italian car and usually applying any torque to the bolt from inside the car just tears the bridge end plates off. Only solution is to get the disk cutter out and cut through the bolt ( from under the car).

Good news though because the parts are not part of the chassis and readily available from usual sources ( in Stainless Steel).

I thought you could be having problems with the Front seat belt lower fixing into the door sill. If that bolt rounds it's head, you've got REALLY BIG head ache as it's part of the body door sill and completely in accessible.

Good luck.
What goes together.... Must come apart.

dancroft1984
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Re: Best way to get to driver's seatbelt?

Post by dancroft1984 »

MetBlue wrote:
Wed Jul 24, 2024 18:59
Well, rear seatbelt bolts.
I thought you could be having problems with the Front seat belt lower fixing into the door sill. If that bolt rounds it's head, you've got REALLY BIG head ache as it's part of the body door sill and completely in accessible.

Good luck.
I'm getting to that bit this weekend, so there's always a chance!

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