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On the Seat Belt Interlock law, Lee Iococca pushed this thru at the time,
and it became law and all the US based automakers, AMC, Ford, GM, Mopar had to
incorporate this into their 1974 models.
With AMC....it was a electrical nightmare and something I have often wrote
about thru deades is that just about EVERY 1974 AMC I have owned thru years has
some sort of electrical problem associated with it. Could be hard starting,
sometimes courtesy lights blow out, others include: headlights going off when
driving, (fun when coming home from work at 3:00am) fuel or temp gauges giving
inaccurate false readings, dash lights won't work, tail lights that sometime
work, wiper that stop mid windshield during hurricane, and fuses blowing
out.
If...you have ever looked at AMC Technical Service Manuals (shop manuals)
from say, 1967 thru 1973, they are about 1 inch wide. Then you come to 1974
manual it is size of War & Peace, Ivanhoe or Harry Potter book. Then 1975
smaller again. And 1974 most of book is 'electrical troubleshooting' also.
Imagine a new AMC owner in 1973 at store in Milwaukee in snowstorm, and her
new Sportabout or
Matador won't start. It could be the bag of groceries or her purse sitting on passenger seat, and the car would not start because it senses pressure/weight on that seat. But in the owner's manual it tells you to open hood, and push matchstick or something similiar into the little 'seat belt relay' under hood located on passenger side engine bay. Well, that is good way to sell cars. Stand in blizzard and hit bypass switch under hood. It was such a disaster for automakers that congress stepped in and recinded
that stupid law (and it is a stupid law) for 1975 model year. However, many a
AMC and other models for 1975 still had this ridiculous system wiring harness
thru December 1974. I am guessing here but probably the automarkers were using
up what was in part's bins and could not get regular harness from suppliers in
time.
I have 3 1974 AMCs right now, a 74 Hornet Sportabout, 74 Javelin & 74
AMX. Actually another 74 AMX parts car so 4. But the Javelin has some fuel/temp
issues I have not traced down, while the 74 AMX has courtesy light issues, but
have not had time to work on it.
If your classic AMC does have a seat belt interlock system in it, back when
cars were new, and had 'issues' not uncommon for people to stick in and break
off a matchstick in the relay under hood. That keeps it open and car would start
each time even if your loaf of bread on passenger seat. Others screwed in a
screw to it. All 3 1974's mentoned above still have their relay, two have
matchsticks one has screw, all from previous owners, the 74 Sportabout is 1
owner car too. So original matchstick I would guess.
If you want to bypass this gadget under hood, many years ago American
Performance in Florida on my VENDORS list reproduced a small bypass wiring
harness that simply eliminates the relay. Good for when you showing your car,
don't want to display it with matchstick, even if original owner matchstick!
Yup, I'm really glad about all these 'advances' government has come up with for
cars.
CAFE ratings, air bags, seat belts, 5 mile per hour bumpers for those who
can't parallel park, mandatory car insurance although 40% in some states don't
carry it (much less a valid license, but you can get good driver licence from
China or have done at local flea market....VERY well done and many have same
holograms and 'Homeland Security' preventive measures incorporated into them,
quite sophisticated) so yes, quite good to see this crap. Now I'm off to go pour
my anti freeze into bayou behind my house and throw my 14 inch tires in there to
create habitat for wildlife endangered species! Turtles LOVE 14 inch tires.
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