retractable seat belts

[douglas dees]

I want to replace my 69 280sl Kangol seat belts with retractable belts. I spoke with the Classic Center but they have the belts but with the long receptacles on the transmission tunnel which would be too long as my bolt holes are in the center of the tunnel not at the end . Are there short ones from other MB models that I could use?

thanks
Doug
 

[hauser]

Doug take a look at the 280sl restoration page 6.  I am pretty sure they used a set from a W107 SL.  These will give you the short length receptacles you are looking for.


http://www.motoringinvestments.com/MainPage.htm

[jameshoward]

There are generic receptacles that will work perfectly. I used ones that have no cable, but which are just connected to a very short metal bracket which then simply bolts onto the tunnel. I got these with the belts from fleabay.

JH

[Raymond]

I installed a pair of Wesco Performance belts when I first got my car.  Took about a half hour to install both.  They cost $140 for the pair with shipping.  The receiver on the tunnel was too long, as you said.  I took them to a luggage shop and had them shortened to the minimum length possible.  That cost $15.  Not original, but I'm quite happy with the results.  Here's their site.

http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/resebe.html

[thelews]

Didn't the reel take up a lot of room behind the seat?

[hauser]

John, on my car I had Gernold do the installation and the reel is not visible.  I'm not sure how he did it but it was one of the things I wanted done before taking delivery of the car.  They work very nicely and make driving safer.  I also have a W107 piece with a hook to hold the shoulder strap in place.

[66andBlue]

I bought one of those "generic" 3-point seat belts with the short whip (23 cm = about 9 inch) from one of our German group members (http://www.pagodenteile.de/37.htm) and I am relatively happy with them.  Since the 230SL doesn't have a collapsible steering column I wanted the extra safety of retracting belts.  
SLS sells similar ones with an even shorter (12 cm = 5 inch) whip on the tunnel for EUR 150.   Don't get anything longer than a 10 inch whip.
Similar ones are sold by other vendors at an even lower price and show up on eBay for around $100 - $150 per pair:
 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220547859521).

Didn't the reel take up a lot of room behind the seat?

The reel goes under the parcel shelf.

[hands_aus]

66andblue,

I have been thinking of doing this instalaltion but have had reseravtions about the finishing of the interior.
Do you have a picture that shows the installed internal cover where the sealt belt emerges .
Thanks

Bob

[66andBlue]

Hello Bob,
it does not emerge from the cover, it runs outside the cover emerging in the gap between parcel shelf and the cover.
The B-pillar attachment is the only part that I am not too happy with because when the black cover is over the nut and the buckle then the belt does not run freely, so I don't put it on. My understanding is that current versions don't have this problem.
A nice solution is shown on this fellows web site: http://www.beetle.homepage.t-online.de/Pagode.htm
Go down the left list to: "Automatische Dreipunktgurte in einer Pagode" and take a look how he turned the buckle up and made a new cover:
http://www.beetle.homepage.t-online.de/Gurt%20uml1.JPG

[thelews]

There's enough of a gap between the parcel shelf and pillar upholstery that the belt runs freely?  Mine fits tightly.   I assume you need to drill a hole to mount the reel.  That would be a deal killer for me.

[Raymond]

John,

There is a previous thread on this topic that may be helpful:

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=4912.0

There was no for me need to drill a hole as the 280s have the factory anchor points concealed under the carpet or trim.  I don't know how early the modesl started having that feature.  My car has a back seat rather than a parcel shelf, so there is really no other easy way to do it.  In that previous thread I posted a photo that shows the installation.  Other folks had photos of their installations that you may want to view.

[jameshoward]

John,

One needs to bolt a fitting plate at the bottom of the B pillar if following MB's bulletin. I have a very late 230 and I had to drill a hole at the base. No big deal at all given how much safer the car is with 3 point belts and, of course, entirely hidden. That is unlikely to be the deal killer for you. No, the real deal killer I imagine - having seen many photos of your car - will be that the belt doesn't fit between the B pillar upholstery covered steel plate (the fairly chunky piece of curved metal that goes over the B pillar) and therefore must have a small chunk cut out of it (about the size of a fag packet) in order to allow the belt to move freely. This was a bit painful for me. When I peeled the original upholstery from my B pillar steel plate, I found the original part inspectors wax crayon marks from the factory, as I am sure will everyone else who has not delved into this area before. I had to cut into those, typically. However, it's done now and I'm all the better for the belts being in the car.

JH

[hands_aus]

Alfred, James, Raymond

Thanks for the additional picture and link.

cheers

[thelews]

James,
Thanks.  Sounds like it won't work out for me and I'm not drilling any holes either.  I do have 3 point belts, the ones that came with the car.  They work fine, but retractables would be much more convenient.  However, I won't butcher the car to that end.