Has anyone fitted harnesses to the front of their bus with a Devon interior? I'm having trouble working out just how to install them...

I'm afraid I haven't got any pictures.

On a related note - how have people fitted rear seat belts without totally trashing their Devon interiors?

Cheers,

Dave

I have been looking on how to do this for a 1/3 + 2/3 front seat division bus. Front seat belts ......there is detail on the technical site...
You could fit period looking lap belts or three point belts. There is detail on fitting the upper mounting inside the B post. The lower mounting goes in the corner of the wheel tub by the bottom of the B post. The other part of the belt needs to be mounted in the floor at the front of the wheel tub well. There is a flat area but you will need reinforcemnt under the bus and a long belt to get up and in between the seats. I have lots of period photos...
But your bus is a 1961? or a 62?
With a bench seat?
At this time the beetles and buses sold in USA had M24 retaining bolts and anchorage points...
I have pictures of the mountings in bus floors and on the wheel tubs for lap belts

Unless you have a roll cage you don't really want harnesses, they prevent you from falling over in the seat in a roll over meaning you could end up squished

Thanks Graham and Paul.

I have 3 point belts, and inertia reel 3 point belts, no roll cage and yes, it's a 59 with a bench seat.

I want the harness so I don't fall over (I have no trunk muscles to hold me up) and will have to hope I don't roll the bus

Lower mounting points are now fitted - it's upper fixing behind the driver/passenger that's causing problems. The initial plan was to weld a bar across above the cab divider and run the harnesses over that and down to anchor points behind the bulk head. Having looked again at where the Devon stuff sits that simply won't work.

Any suggestions/pictures very welcome.

Cheers,

Dave

I looked on the web and found a site about seat belt mounting positions. The upper mounting needs to be above your shoulder line. Otherwise in an impact the effect of the forwards inertia translate onto a downwards crushing force. Thus the best place is to follow the advise in the technical thread on putting a reinforcement plate inside the B post. I did find someone who sold them...thought it was Machine7 ......but cannot see them now..... That is what I will do. Your requirements may be better with statics mounted this way?

I admire your tenacity! In my son's locost kit car he had a bar across the roll bar above shoulder line with four point harness mountings. There may be a possibility to put a bar above the division?

On a related note - how have people fitted rear seat belts without totally trashing their Devon interiors?


I had seatbelts fitted to the rear, two forward facing inertias and one rear facing static. Cost me £900 but worth it as the kids can now enjoy (trash) the bus too. The work was done by http://www.quickfitsbs.com/ and though expensive, they did a bloody good job, making up brackets to fit my van for the rear top loops for the inertias (easier to do on mine as originally a panel van). If you want pics, I'lll get some sorted. There are only small holes in the benches where the shorter belt mounts to the floor. Worth every penny, and bearing in mind the time and effort involved when a thicky like me is considering doing it, I'd have spent half of that on parts and swear box!

It sounds like I may have wasted my money buying the harnesses as fitting them may not be possible without a high level bar behind the front seat and I just think that won't look right. I may have to fit static or inertia reel ones instead. Bother!

Jonolly - yes please to photos. Mine is a panel van too. I've idnetified where the reinforecment plates should go, but if you can send me photos of where they have gone in your bus and how the belts pass through your Devon seats please I'd be most appreciative.

Cheers,

Dave

If you have a harness bar made, it will only need to be about an inch or two above the top of the bulkhead?

I've thought about doing this so that i can run Simpson 4-point harnesses. As to the issue of rolling the van... if its going to be that sort of accident then I'd probably be more concerned about frontal impact amongst other things...

Regards,

Ollie

jonnolly wrote:On a related note - how have people fitted rear seat belts without totally trashing their Devon interiors?


I had seatbelts fitted to the rear, two forward facing inertias and one rear facing static. Cost me £900 but worth it as the kids can now enjoy (trash) the bus too. The work was done by http://www.quickfitsbs.com/ and though expensive, they did a bloody good job, making up brackets to fit my van for the rear top loops for the inertias (easier to do on mine as originally a panel van). If you want pics, I'lll get some sorted. There are only small holes in the benches where the shorter belt mounts to the floor. Worth every penny, and bearing in mind the time and effort involved when a thicky like me is considering doing it, I'd have spent half of that on parts and swear box!

Have a look at Bobleys buid thread, I am copying his design which is awesome.

Thanks Ollie,

it would need to be slightly in front of the bulkhead so as not to clash with the wardrobe. I know the wardrobe sits on the bulkhead - does it go all the way to the front? I can't find a photo of the front of a 61 Devon at the mo.

Does it matter that I'm relatively tall at 6'1" so sit tall in the seat - would I need the bar higher than an inch or so above the bulkhead? I really don't want to encroach on the space between the bulkhead and the roof if I can avoid it.

Bathtub57 - I'll check out Bobley's thread too - thanks.

Cheers,

Dave

Bathtub57 wrote:

jonnolly wrote:On a related note - how have people fitted rear seat belts without totally trashing their Devon interiors?


I had seatbelts fitted to the rear, two forward facing inertias and one rear facing static. Cost me £900 but worth it as the kids can now enjoy (trash) the bus too. The work was done by http://www.quickfitsbs.com/ and though expensive, they did a bloody good job, making up brackets to fit my van for the rear top loops for the inertias (easier to do on mine as originally a panel van). If you want pics, I'lll get some sorted. There are only small holes in the benches where the shorter belt mounts to the floor. Worth every penny, and bearing in mind the time and effort involved when a thicky like me is considering doing it, I'd have spent half of that on parts and swear box!

Have a look at Bobleys buid thread, I am copying his design which is awesome.

I did, it scared me! Seriously, time and effort needed and a fair bit of skill. I handed my money over!

Pics are here Bally













Doesn't look a lot for £900 and to be fair, it's not, but to a pushed for time mechanically impatient ass such as I, it's a Godsend and now happily take my kiddies out whenever I can as they love the bus! My interior is a 61 so no rear cupboards to get in the way; nice 'n' simple.

Thanks jonnolly, very useful.

Are those two point belts in the back? If they are three point, where has the other end of the inertia reel belt been attached?

Looks like a fair bit of work to me and a neat finish too. And as you say, safely taking the kids out - priceless!

Do you have a pad on top of the sliding drawer cupboard behind the bulkhead? Yours looks higher than mine - that could be one way of masking the harness bar...

Dave

Yes they are 3 point inertias. Other bottom mount is in the corner on each wheel arch as so...



I was very lucky and was able to get the trim piece that normal (?) kombis or microbuses would have on the bulkhead, from a guy just a few miles from me. They very rarely come up (I mean, why would you take one off?) but he had decided that removing the bulkhead and fitting bucket seats was better!!!!!!

Each to their own I spose........I suspect yours, if a panel too, has three holes to mount the divider on?????

Thanks

Here's mine when we trial fitted the interior nearly 3 years ago - boy doesn't time fly when you're having fun


Yes, it has the holes for the divider - I even have the og divider I'll not be re-fitting although someone opened up the aperture somewhat larger than it originally was...

In this photo the wardobe looks to sit right behind the vertical lip on the bulkhead. Is this correct? I cannot find any shots of it from the front. How far above the bulkhead does the head cushion/rest sit on the back of the wardrobe?

Before you wander why I don't just throw it all together again, ther's about 100 miles between the bus and the interior at the mo.

Cheers,

Dave