Will C5 seat belts work in my '77, has anyone done it?

glassbowtie77

glassbowtie77

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Apr 28, 2008
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Long Island, New York
I'm looking at a set on ebay and was wondering if they'll mount in my '77. They have dual retractors like the originals but I'm not sure if they'll fit and mount under the seats and in the rear properly.:confused:
 
This has been done many times, the seats fit but with the electric slider they're a little too high... not a problem for short people but if you're 6' or taller you might have to bolt it right on the floor pan for extra headroom.

I just discovered that my seats are beginning to tear in a few spots.... I'm on the fence myself: new foam and leather covers $800.... used C5 seats $600-$800 depending on luck and condition.... Corbeau A4 seats $600 shipped.... leaning towards cloth Corbeau seats, not as hot as leather or vinyl....
 
MYBAD79 said:
This has been done many times, the seats fit but with the electric slider they're a little too high... not a problem for short people but if you're 6' or taller you might have to bolt it right on the floor pan for extra headroom.

I just discovered that my seats are beginning to tear in a few spots.... I'm on the fence myself: new foam and leather covers $800.... used C5 seats $600-$800 depending on luck and condition.... Corbeau A4 seats $600 shipped.... leaning towards cloth Corbeau seats, not as hot as leather or vinyl....
Click to expand...

Thanks, but what I'm looking to do is install C5 seatbelts if they will work, not C5 seats, that's next.
 
Are the retractors under (or next to) the seat? There is absolutely no room there. If they have retractors attached to the wheel well, seems like they will work like the F-body belts.
 
The upper retractors look like they will mount to the wheel wells with no problem. There is the piece that would bolt to the side pillar and the lower retractor looks like it might fit in the pocket in the floor. I am just concerned with the height of the lower retractor and the location of the mounting hole tab. Does the lower one mount under or to the side of the seat on a C5, or in the door? I'm thinking this might effect the operation if has to sit vertically to operate properly as opposed to horizontally under the seat.
 
I think that the seat belt only has one retractor, mounted behind the seat. The retractor provides the tension for the shoulder and lap and the latch slides on the belt web. That would mean the (lap) belt is bolted into the seat pan just like a C3. The side pillar loop attachment might take some work and you want to make sure the retractor is mounted in the same orientation as the C5 or the inertia locks won't work.
 
The C5 belts have dual retractors and the side pillar loop on them, I'm just not sure of the position they have to be in for the inertia locks to work. My main concern is the one that goes into the pocket in the floor. Here's a link to the auction showing the belt assemblies. I asked the seller to send my a close up photo of the lower retractor so that I can see if it will be able to be made to fit but I haven't received an answer yet.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...m=230251320603&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013
 
ooops, maybe I should read the question before replying... :suicide:

Anyway, the rear seatbelts from a 93-02 Firebird/Camaro fit and can be found on Ebay for less than $50. That F-body seatbelt retractor mounts flat (horizontal) behind the seat. If that C5 retractor is supposed to be mounted next to the seat (vertical) it will not work, it will lock the belt all the time.
 
MYBAD79 said:
ooops, maybe I should read the question before replying... :suicide:

Anyway, the rear seatbelts from a 93-02 Firebird/Camaro fit and can be found on Ebay for less than $50. That F-body seatbelt retractor mounts flat (horizontal) behind the seat. If that C5 retractor is supposed to be mounted next to the seat (vertical) it will not work, it will lock the belt all the time.[/Q]
Gotcha, that's what I'm starting to think. I think I'll look for the F-Body rear belts and make life easy for myself, I just thought it would be cool to do the C5 belts if they'd work. I've got a guy here locally that wants $75.00 for a complete set of front and rear F-belts in black, I guess I could always sell the fronts on ebay and re-coup some of the money.
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