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Seat Belt Issue


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#1 Ol timer

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Posted 26 April 2020 - 03:00 PM

hi everyone.. I have a 1972 mini mk3 . I have just been cleaning the seat belts as they do not retract correctly. my retractors units are mounted on the inside of the bin but this causes the belt to twist at 90'. I have been looking at the retractor unit mounting and I am slightly confused. on other forum they say that the 1972 mini did not have inertia seat belts and the ones that were fitted were mounted on the out side of the bin not on the inside.

can anyone confirm the correct location of the retractor unit. was it inside or outside the bin.

the setup at the moment is inside the bin with a locking plate with 2 tongs holding it somewhat level

#2 imack

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Posted 26 April 2020 - 03:06 PM

A 1972 mini had static belts. Either someone has fitted inertia seatbelts or it's not actually an '72 shell.
I originally fitted inertia belts to all my early 70's minis but I fitted them to the outside of the rear bins.
Photos of the bins and belt locations would help.

#3 Ol timer

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Posted 26 April 2020 - 03:18 PM

thanks for the quick reply. have added images of all fixing points.

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#4 nicklouse

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Posted 26 April 2020 - 03:20 PM

Not original kit.



#5 imack

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Posted 26 April 2020 - 03:30 PM

My 72 rear bins have the same factory holes, I had the inertia reels fitted to those holes but on the outside of the bin, that way the belt lays flat and not twisted.
The clasp looks very similar to the original static belt clasp.

A 72 should have ashtray brackets here in the rear bins.
Actually they might have deleted the ashtrays if that's a really late 72 with rod gear change, remote change certainly should have them.

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Edited by imack, 26 April 2020 - 03:46 PM.


#6 Ol timer

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Posted 26 April 2020 - 03:57 PM

thanks for the reply imack.. I have just mounted the reels on the outside. they certainly lay flatter . still sticking a bit even after a wash. may use some silicone spray as seen on other forums

it does have a rod change Gearbox .

I always thought the rear ash trays were mk1 and 2 only up to 1970.

Edited by Ol timer, 26 April 2020 - 04:11 PM.


#7 Ol timer

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Posted 08 May 2020 - 11:07 AM

ended up getting some new belts. the old ones were a bit past it I think.

#8 sonikk4

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Posted 08 May 2020 - 05:48 PM

I'm sure on my 74 Clubby they were fitted on the outside of the bin in the same location as yours. I'm going to have a trawl through my pictures to see if i can confirm this.



#9 sonikk4

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Posted 08 May 2020 - 05:50 PM

Yup, i can just make out the inertia reel was on the outside of the bin. You just about make out the belt going down the side of the bin

 

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#10 Ethel

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 03:52 PM

I also don't think that's standard and possibly not safe, the bins are sparsely spot welded in place. When the seatbelt reels moved inside the bins there was some reinforcement and they mounted on the end of the bin close to the door pillar. Inertia reels might well have been available they mounted on the same bolt as the lower belt anchor, your belt latch looks compatible with the ones that were fitted that way. 

 

I'd say it wouldn't have rear bin ashtrays, but it is around that age they were discontinued.



#11 Ol timer

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 05:32 PM

thanks for that Ethel. hard to know whats right nowadays re minis.. so many variations. always liked the idea of rear ashtrays in the bins so have bought a couple ashtray support brackets.. now to work out how to install them without welding

#12 imack

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:34 PM

Despite the rear ashtray support brackets being fitted, not all models had ashtrays fitted to those brackets. My late 72 built 998 certainly didn't have them. The rear bin liners covered the ashtray brackets and it had the single ashtray on the rear tunnel. Don't think my 71 850 had ashtrays fitted either.
I think my 71 clubman estate had them fitted along with my 69 1275gt.

#13 sonikk4

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:39 PM

I agree with Ethel saying the bins are not the best for being welded in. Now i know mine have been after repairing them and reinforcing them for the mounting points, plus my plug welds are far bigger than the original spot welds and more of them.

 

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#14 Itsaminithing

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Posted 14 May 2020 - 04:29 PM

In 1972 as well as the purchase price of the Mini you HAD to pay extra for a set of factory fitted front seat belts....

you had two options -either 3 point static belts or the more expensive inertia reel belts.

These were originally mounted on the same bolt as the lower belt anchor.

 

From Feb 1974 only the Kangol inertia reel seatbelts were available, but according to some sources the mounting point wasn't changed from the inner sill to the outside of the rear bin untill Oct '75 (hard to prove or disprove this as many have had the seatbelts moved or changed during the last 40 or 50 years).

Pre-Nov '75 cars did have the 3 holes in the rear bin but my Mini 1000 (mid '75) had the seatbelts mounted to the inner sill mounting point & it didn't look like the seatbelts had ever been attached to the rear bin mounting point (glad it hadn't -as Neil pointed out without welding & making a decent strengthening plate they could easily rip out in an accident).

 



#15 croc7

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Posted 22 November 2020 - 02:11 AM

I’m not sure I understand the problem. Why not straighten the belt as it comes off the inertia reel to align within the seat belt brackets and eliminate the twist? You would have to follow the run and disconnect/reconnect at the anchor point along the sill but that’s no big deal.

Edited by croc7, 22 November 2020 - 05:19 AM.





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