9 replies to this topic

[minstix]

 Britax inertia seat belt 3.JPG   283.02K   0 downloads

 

I'm getting closer to finishing the restoration of my MK2 Cooper S but still annoying little issues keep coming along. I've restored the original Britax inertia seat belts and have almost all the fixings for them. I wonder if anyone out there has this type of seat belt, please see the pictures.

 

I don't have the anchor bolt, or whatever it should be, that anchors the bottom clip on belt attacment to the inner sill. I imagine it's an eye bolt or similar. There is what seems to be a 7/16 UNF threaded hole in the sill to accept it. I think it got lost during the body restoration process. I'm guessing the bolt, whatever it should be, would be the same for other other makes of seat belt there.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

 

 

[imack]

They look pretty similar to the mounts on my Willans 4 point harnesses. I'd imagine the same anchor eye bolt will work. Available from Demon Tweeks or similar retailers.

Attached Files

•  20250621_080125.jpg   38.33K   1 downloads

[Ethel]

Not aware of anything like that as standard, where's the reel mounted?

 

https://www.ebay.co....:Bk9SR8yrspXyZQ

[mab01uk]

I have seen a few Mk1/2 Minis with 7/16 UNF eye bolts on the inner sill for Britax seat belts and/or two small 7/16" threaded steel plates for the eye bolts under the floor on the sides of the centre floor tunnel.

 

Britax Seat Belts from a Mini (Photo: Mk1 Forum)

 

Britax Belt Anchors (Mk1 Forum) :-

https://mk1-forum.ne...ic.php?p=240609

Edited by mab01uk, 21 June 2025 - 08:23 AM.

[minstix]

Thanks for this everyone. The 7/16 UNF thread eye bolts look like what I need. I'm not sure what happened to the originals.

 

The reel is mounted on the floor outside of the rear storage bins. It has to be mouted verticaly for it to work with this type.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[minstix]

For interest, here's the the Britax inertia seat belt roll.

 

It has a large heavy steel ball inside that normally sits in a shallow well in the bottom. When there's a sudden stop, the ball flies forward and blocks the seat belt roll mechanism from turning. That why this type of inertia belt must be mounted upright and horizontal to the line of the car. As a result, it can't be mounted inside the rear storage bin.

 

A lot of modern day MOT testers will fail these seat belts because you can't test it by a sudden hard pull on the belt. For obvious reasons, it won't lock no matter how hard and suddenly you pull the belt. In practice, the belt works well and doen't do that annoying thing of locking up on you if you just move in your seat with normal driving like modern car seat belts do.

 

Steve

 

 Britax inertia seat belt 2.JPG   242.09K   0 downloads

[mab01uk]

For interest these were the fitting instructions for very early Mini seatbelts, before the bodyshells had any factory fitted mountings.

 

 

 

[Ethel]

Ah, you confused me by saying the hook / eye fitted to the inner sill. They had a similar setuo on Mk3s which were the best  arrangement in my opinion. The one with the solid mounted double latch on the exhaust tunnel.

[minstix]

Eye bolts have arrived and are bang on. Thanks guys.

 

Steve

 

[minstix]

 Eye bolt a perfect fit for seat belt.jpeg   53.22K   1 downloads  Eye bolt in inner sill.jpeg   37.28K   1 downloads