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View Full Version : Intro and '66 Nova seat/roll bar/belts question



dinodino
06-01-2006, 02:49 AM
Hello, All! Great forum! This is my first post, although I've been lurking for about a month. I'm here because my wife wants me to build her a '66 Nova, and I'd like to go the Pro-Touring route. The car might see track days once or twice, but it's going to be her daily driver.

Could you guys please give me some ideas on seats, belts, and roll bar? The car is a hardtop, so I think a rollbar is in order, but she needs access to the back seat for the kids. Three-point belt mounting is also a problem because of the hardtop. Also, the car has the stock buckets, which are pretty but pretty unsafe. Should I be looking at OEM seats with integrated belts? What do you guys recommend?

Thanks,

Dan
Jacksonville, FL

Damn True
06-09-2006, 02:42 PM
If you have a cage of any kind the back seat should never be used.

novanutcase
06-10-2006, 12:34 AM
Hey Dino,

I have the same dilemma! I'm trying to figure out how i can use the back seat AND have a cage!

Damn True? Why do you say this? Is there no way of being able to have a cage and rear passengers? Do you say this because most cage installations have a rear bar spanning the center hoop and this would make the rear seat fairly inaccesible?

I think I am going to try and have an eight point installed by running the rear supports hugging the C-Pillars and going over the mini tubs and welded to the chassis. I'm also going to have the center hoop welded to the chassis and run a support in the corner of the footwells going through the floorpan also welded to the chassis. The last 2 points will run from the footwell supports, through the firewall and cowl and meet the front clip supports although I won't have a separate clip since I'll have a full frame. Hopefully this way I won't need the hoop span and with the 8 point there should be enough rigidity.

Dino, you may want to look at john parsons cage. He has the hoop span and door bars on lock pins and tabs although some people say this is not very good.

As far as seatbelts, you may want to try here http://www.julianos.com/. They have seat belt systems for Hot rods and I'm sure you can find one that will fit your application. Is your '66 a coupe or sedan? If it is a sedan then you have the post and you should be able to attach it directly to the post. If you have a coupe, like I do, then you will have to weld a tab to the roofline so that you can attach the belt to it. I spoke to Julianos and they told me this is the way to do it in no post cars.

dinodino
06-10-2006, 03:30 PM
Thanks, novanutcase. My car is a '66 coupe. The factory put out something like 20 cars in '66 with shoulder belts, and I found that the Paddock has repro shoulder belts. I haven't peeked under the headliner to see if there's an anchor yet.

I know that the crossbar is dangerous if left in with passengers in the car, but I was thinking of making that removeable with pins and tabs. Like you, I was sort of thinking of having the downtubes on the bar hug the roofline and go through the parcel tray.

Damn True, just so I understand: is the hazard presented by a cage due to the crossbar, or are the downtubes themselves a hazard as well? I would think that they could be tucked up out of the way enough that passengers wouldn't hit them if they're belted securely.

P.S.--By the way, novanutcase, I talked to Wayne and he's building a crossmember for my car. It should be done in a couple months.

Speed Raycer
06-12-2006, 03:08 PM
Guys... I build about 2 or 3 cages a month and I would never even think about having one in a car that my kid would be strapped into (unless he was racing, but thats 13 years away).

If you're contemplating bending the tubes to fit the contour of the chassis for more clearance, remember that theoretically, you've just allowed enough material to bend in the exact opposite way in a rollover.

Unless you plan on strapping each one of your kids in with a full 5 point harness (most are not DOT legal BTW) and an H&N restraint, DON'T do this with kids in mind. Adult passengers can make their own choice to knock their noggins, but your kids are depending on you.

Off my soapbox now.... sorry.

dinodino
06-13-2006, 02:36 AM
Thanks for the experienced perspective, Speed Raycer. I'll toss the cage idea.

Lethal Injection
06-13-2006, 05:12 AM
Find you a salvage yard that has maxima and accord seats. You can take the head rest off and have them covered. They have a good height to the top of the door and have the seat belt receiver on them.

As for as roll bars.........I have a 10 point in my street car. Unless you wear a helmet all the time the people in the front are unsafe also. Roll bars are not meant for street cars, but a five point harness will keep the heads off the rear cross bar.

novanutcase
06-13-2006, 07:03 AM
Hmmmmmm.Wadda ya think dino? Izzy? Wayne Due is going to bend me a full frame chassis and I was thinking of using the cage not only for better safety but to stiffen up the frame also. As far as kids are concerned I have a 13 year old. Do you think this is too young still to be riding around in a car that is cage equipped? If I have friends ride around in the car and some go in the backseat, do you think this would also be a bad idea? Since I'll be driving mostly on the street, do you think it is necessary to have a cage, aside from the stiffening issue, or would it be better to not have it? I think that Dino and I are looking for some really cool cruisers that have some grunt under the hood and are not really looking to road race or drag much.:hmm:

alcino
06-13-2006, 08:24 AM
A guy with a pro street Impala in my town went for a quick joy ride during halftime of the superbowl. He didn't get 100yards before he slammed into a truck crossing a residential intersection. Yes stupid, but both people in the back seat were severly injured by the main hoop. One with a fractured skull and the other actually got scalped!

Sorry to be a bummer. Just thought you should know.

RobM
06-14-2006, 07:56 PM
if you do run a cage at least pad it up, even though that wont do much its at least better if you get in an accident at parking lot speeds

novanutcase
06-14-2006, 09:07 PM
Guess that does it! NO CAGE!!!

Lethal Injection
06-16-2006, 04:12 AM
A guy with a pro street Impala in my town went for a quick joy ride during halftime of the superbowl. He didn't get 100yards before he slammed into a truck crossing a residential intersection. Yes stupid, but both people in the back seat were severly injured by the main hoop. One with a fractured skull and the other actually got scalped!

Sorry to be a bummer. Just thought you should know.

Quick joy ride at halftime of the Super bowl......... I am sure there was no alcohol involved in that!

Injuries by the main hoop..... should be no different than injuries from a metal dash that all 60's and some 70's cars have....... if they do not have a seat belt on.............. Harnesses need to be installed in cars with cages to limit the body from moving forward, ie shoulder restraints. A cage is just part of the formula.

Guys that put cages in their cars for the street should understand the need for proper restraints. Beyond that, any car with a properly installed cage will be safer on impact than a car without.