Re: mail Digest for 5 Nov 2005 in hour 0:00

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

Hear hear! I want functional. I'm building a SOLO II car, with 60's  
rally style mixed with contemporary 'import scene' interior. I might  
even auto-cross again with it, maybe next year. I'll probably end up  
in some screwball class, but what the hell, it's fun anyways.



On Nov 7, 2005, at 4:33 AM, <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Well lets say functional but not comfortable.  Last time I heard  
> anything about belts (when the Corvette 'cinch' motors were  
> introduced to tighten belts for spirited driving) comfortable belts  
> are not the safest belts.  I will agree people (in the USA?) will  
> only use the comfortable belts. Reminds me of something I read  
> about brakes; in Europe people don't care if the brakes are noisy  
> as long as they stop well, in the United States we don't care if  
> they don't stop well as long as they are quiet!  Present company  
> excluded I am sure.
>
>
>
> Peter Marano
>
> Kenosha WI
>
>
>
> > Message-Id: <47B56B4A-9290-43EB-B9C7-093449BD1536@xxxxxxx>
> > To: AMC List <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
> > Subject: seat belts!
> > Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 19:13:01 -0800
> >
> > I finally got my seatbelts rebuilt, in my 1970 Hornet. Seatbelt
> > technology and fashion aren't a specialty of mine, but I think 1970
> > is unique (a lot in the 1970 Hornet is unique to that car; many
> > things are totally different from 1971-up).
> >
> > It's certainly an early attempt to figure out how to make a
> > functional shoulder belt -- and not successful one! The lap belt is
> > ordinary enough, the outside end has a retractor in a plastic tube,
> > the inside is fixed with a plastic tube that pokes through the seat.
> >
> > The shoulder belt is the kicker -- it's fixed to the roof behind your
> > head, does not retract, and has a primitive clip and socket behind
> > the plastic trim with which to afix the mess when you're not using it
> > (which will be most of the time for most people, it's so annoying).
> > The business end has a little tang that fits into a keyhole in the
> > lap belt. It all looks very experimental. And since it's fixed, and
> > not inertial, when it's adjusted reasonably you are essentially
> > webbed tight to the seat, you can't even lean forward.
> >
> > The whole contraption cracks me up. The shoulder belt is so
> > impractical and hard to use! I love old cars!
> >
> >
> > I had to have all the webbing replaced; since the shoulder belt
> > doesn't retract, it's out in the sun, and they're all bleached and
> > frayed. I steel-wooled all the chrome parts, wrinkle-painted the
> > painted buckles (not correct, but not a concern of mine).
> >
> > That's all, just a reminder of the past, and improvements actually
> > made over time!