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[Andy B]

I've watched a few of Derek's ViceGrip Garage videos and a few of the cars have unused seat belts clipped up in the roof. I know the Yanks had a few variations on auto seat systems that were set up in such a way it was almost impossible not to use them ie an anchor point fastened to the door.
If you go to 1 hour 2 mins in the video you can see what I mean ..... anyone know how/why they're where they are?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ItpbPWEgA

[jonnyboyws6]

They are a separate lap belt and shoulder strap, so you can fasten one or the other or both. I had a 69 Mach 1 Mustang with the same set up.

Their inertia reels are different to ours too, and can cause confusion at MOT time; they only lock under braking, and will not lock up no matter how hard or sharp you pull on them when the car is stationery.

I've seen the automatic type you mention on a Gen 1 Ford Probe (completely different car to the UK spec Ford Probe, which was the US spec Gen 2) They sat at the top of the A pillar at rest, then when you switch the ignition on, the belt runs along a channel across the roof and down the B pillar to strap you in.

[Andy B]

They are a separate lap belt and shoulder strap, so you can fasten one or the other or both. I had a 69 Mach 1 Mustang with the same set up.

 ....

I assume the rear of the belt as shown is fixed to the roof .... 

[Doctor Gollum]

That set up predates the 'automatic' systems.

Before belts were compulsory everywhere, they tend to be kept as shown, especially on older American coupes as they tend to be pillarless and that arrangement keeps the belt out of the way from passengers getting in and out of the back seat.
With reel belts, they were either door or floor mounted as both a lap strap * or as a three point with the shoulder point on the top edge of the door... (this could either be fixed or rail mounted and then with the rail mounted ones usually mounted to the body structure between the tops of the A and B pillars).

The idea being to leave the buckle clipped in so that you couldn't 'forget' to put your belt on. 

*some examples of the evolution of the idea...
'88 Buick https://youtu.be/SBsaMv01K1g 19 minutes in.

'85 Cadillac Eldorado https://youtu.be/yan_9AA90t8 17 minutes in.

'68 Buick Riviera https://youtu.be/tNseZ8109xQ 14 minutes in.

'79 Thunderbird https://youtu.be/bH7evf4uZxo 16 minutes in.

[Doctor Gollum]

They are a separate lap belt and shoulder strap, so you can fasten one or the other or both. I had a 69 Mach 1 Mustang with the same set up.

Their inertia reels are different to ours too, and can cause confusion at MOT time; they only lock under braking, and will not lock up no matter how hard or sharp you pull on them when the car is stationery.

I've seen the automatic type you mention on a Gen 1 Ford Probe (completely different car to the UK spec Ford Probe, which was the US spec Gen 2) They sat at the top of the A pillar at rest, then when you switch the ignition on, the belt runs along a channel across the roof and down the B pillar to strap you in.

For some reason, you always see them clipped up neatly rather than being used

[Andy B]

Cheers Al
The Buick is beautiful .... the 85 Caddy is errr .... an acquired taste 

[Doctor Gollum]

The Riviera is pretty  The Cadillac looks like they just cut the roof off... Mostly because that's pretty much how they made it a convertible 

I enjoy Bills reviews, and he has a pretty eclectic taste in cars although he tends not to hold back if he doesn't like summat

[Andy B]

The Riviera is pretty  ....

yes ... that one!

The engine sizes on this type/age of car is unbelievable .... 450/500 cubic inch with mpg just about into double figures.

But on some of the Vicegrip garage videos you see the US pump prices .... $2.60-ish!!!!!!!!! No wonder he manages to drive these things back at 10 to 15 mpg

[Doctor Gollum]

You can add 20% onto US mpg, but they are almost awestruck by anything larger than a Civic managing 30mpg

[Andy B]

You can add 20% onto US mpg,  ....

12 to 18 miles per imp gallon then .... 

[Nick W]

You can add 20% onto US mpg,  ....

12 to 18 miles per imp gallon then .... 

That is about the same as a petrol Range Rover or Shogun.
You might squeeze it out of a V12 Jag on a motorway run. That does mean keeping it well under 100mph, which isn't easy

[Andy B]

You can add 20% onto US mpg,  ....

12 to 18 miles per imp gallon then .... 

That is about the same as a petrol Range Rover or Shogun.
You might squeeze it out of a V12 Jag on a motorway run. That does mean keeping it well under 100mph, which isn't easy

IIRC the official consumption figures when the HE (high economy) V12 was introduced, went from 15 to 18 

[Nick W]

You can add 20% onto US mpg,  ....

12 to 18 miles per imp gallon then .... 

That is about the same as a petrol Range Rover or Shogun.
You might squeeze it out of a V12 Jag on a motorway run. That does mean keeping it well under 100mph, which isn't easy

IIRC the official consumption figures when the HE (high economy) V12 was introduced, went from 15 to 18 

Low teens is normal.


Nearly 30years ago, one of my neighbours had a late seventies Cadillac with a 472. He reckoned that £10 of fuel was just enough to get to Maidstone and back. That's a 16 mile trip . But it's the same idea as the Jag; no matter what you do, you can't feel or hear the engine and gearbox working.


That's one of the things I can't stand about the big engines in modern European cars: the ghastly racket they all make - if I wanted it to pop and bang in the exhaust every time I lift off, I'd go back to my Sunbeam Ti(DCOEs and a straight through exhaust) with a missing manifold stud.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Well they have always got everything else wrong with car design, so no surprise their seatbelts are bit odd as well.
I honestly dont think there is one single U.S. car I would really like to own.

[Doctor Gollum]

There's a few I wouldn't mind, some cool, some less so... ie a nice '80/'90s Camaro, a big GM station wagon from the late sixties (VistaCruiser or similar), an early Chevrolet Lumina APV (or derivative and purely for sentimental reasons rather than because it's any good) Chrysler Concorde from the early/mid '90s.