10 replies to this topic

[Jimmer 84mayfair]

Hi all,
I am new to being a Mini owner, I have owned a few classics, but never a Mini.
I have another new arrival, a 4month old daughter,... to get my missis and her legal and as safe as possible in a Mini I am going to need some extra belts in the back.
Is there a link to installing this feature... or is someone selling a kit to do the job?
I have made a few searches on the www but nothing very conclusive.
I have pulled the back seat out and see that there are two mounting holes towards the bottom in the middle,... were these for static or can they be utilised for inertia? also, where do I fit the inertia securely? For an inertia there is usually thee points to mount, will my car have the other mounting points tucked behind other fittings?

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Ideally with pictures...

Cheers, Jim

the car... Mini Mayfair 1984

Attached Files

•  mini.jpg   235.51K   14 downloads

[Remylebleu]

im not 100% but im pretty sure they either have rear sear belts or they don't, so the fixings and what not wouldn't be there

that's not to say you couldn't buy some and fit them, id check the forsale section on here as there are loads of minis been broken for parts

if you wait for an definitely answer of someone smarter than me than before buying


and nice mini by the way

[Dan]

All Minis from some point in the early 80s were fitted for rear belts of one kind or another, whether the belts were fitted or not. But the upper mounts may have appeared later than the lower ones I seem to remember. If they are in place the upper mounts will be hidden behind the C pillar trim, you will be able to feel a reinforcing panel behind the trim. Also check if the reinforcing is in place behind the lower mounts and they aren't simply holes through the panel. All of these reinforcement parts are available as a kit (or each individually) from Somerford Mini Specialists if you need them. When fitting innertia belts in the rear, the best solution is to use a four point mounting as used in the very late SPi and all MPi Minis. This will mean fabricating another mounting in the rear bin, similar to that for the front belts. It needs to hold the reel as close to horizontal as possible. I don't think this mount is available as a panel on its own but you may be able to get some from a scrapper or copy some with sheet metal.
The belts used here as standard were unique and none of the seatbelt manufacturers are interested in remaking them due to the limited market (I've tried to get them reproduced and it isn't happening). You need to find either some new old stock of them or some good used ones, they crop up fairly regularly on Ebay. You should get used ones inspected or overhauled by a properly approved seatbelt repairer (FDTS Ltd in West Byfleet are excellent),and if you intend to use them to hold a rear facing child seat in the car you will need longer webbing to be fitted to them, by around 50cm. They may not wind all the way back in with this longer webbing fitted but if you have a standard length piece as well you can swap the webbing out easily enough when the children are in different seats. You could also use a multi angle reel such as a Securon one but in my experience all non-original belt reels are junk and don't last in daily use. They are also massive and don't fit in the bin very well.

DO NOT fit anything to the parcel shelf, it is not up to the load without substantial reinforcement.

[Remylebleu]

like i said, someone far smarter!

[lewBlew]

All Minis from some point in the early 80s were fitted for rear belts of one kind or another, whether the belts were fitted or not. But the upper mounts may have appeared later than the lower ones I seem to remember. If they are in place the upper mounts will be hidden behind the C pillar trim, you will be able to feel a reinforcing panel behind the trim. Also check if the reinforcing is in place behind the lower mounts and they aren't simply holes through the panel. All of these reinforcement parts are available as a kit (or each individually) from Somerford Mini Specialists if you need them. When fitting innertia belts in the rear, the best solution is to use a four point mounting as used in the very late SPi and all MPi Minis. This will mean fabricating another mounting in the rear bin, similar to that for the front belts. It needs to hold the reel as close to horizontal as possible. I don't think this mount is available as a panel on its own but you may be able to get some from a scrapper or copy some with sheet metal.
The belts used here as standard were unique and none of the seatbelt manufacturers are interested in remaking them due to the limited market (I've tried to get them reproduced and it isn't happening). You need to find either some new old stock of them or some good used ones, they crop up fairly regularly on Ebay. You should get used ones inspected or overhauled by a properly approved seatbelt repairer (FDTS Ltd in West Byfleet are excellent),and if you intend to use them to hold a rear facing child seat in the car you will need longer webbing to be fitted to them, by around 50cm. They may not wind all the way back in with this longer webbing fitted but if you have a standard length piece as well you can swap the webbing out easily enough when the children are in different seats. You could also use a multi angle reel such as a Securon one but in my experience all non-original belt reels are junk and don't last in daily use. They are also massive and don't fit in the bin very well.

DO NOT fit anything to the parcel shelf, it is not up to the load without substantial reinforcement.

+1

A 1984 Mini will have mounting points for static belts and like said above, you'll need some welding done in order to mount inertia ones. Is there a massive benefit by having inertia belts? Properly adjusted, I wouldn't think they are any more or less safer than inertia ones, just untidier.

[Jimmer 84mayfair]

Thanks all, yes tidiness is also fairly important, the rest of the car is tidy, i don't want to be the person who scruffed it up for this...
I have had static belts in other cars and feel that they had their place back in the day, we should be able to do better now.
I have a powerful mig if needs be, but thought a kit would be availible somewhere that could be bolted on,.. if not i am happy to weld some plates in,... but would like to see it done by someone else first. Are there any examples out there with a photographic record?...
I will have a look behind the c pillar trim tomorrow, but fear there will be nothing there.
I'll look up Somerford Mini Specialists.
"Also check if the reinforcing is in place behind the lower mounts and they aren't simply holes through the panel." I figured the ones behind the rear seat must be for belts as there are two threaded large nuts fixed in place. I may take a pic and upload it to confirm.

[pr3nna88]

I really wish I could find the answers I'm looking for bought some rear inertia belts from minispares and they don't work on the old 3 points...they tell me they are for the parcel shelf but every post says definitely not?!

[SolarB]

Not a brilliant quality photo, but this is one of the C pillar belt mounts I welded into a '72 shell.

 

[sonscar]

Very neat,with a spot welder you may not even damage any visible paint.Steve..

[Tornado99]

So can the inertial reel from MiniSpares attach at the same location used by the static three point belts without welding mods? 

[cal844]

You can fit the MPI type belts with not much more work. An 84 mini should have the top mount already fitted.