seatbelts

[KENNETH PORTER]

Hi All:
I would like to thank all of you that responded to my seatbelt question.
I have 12 responses all with helpful hints or complete job descriptions.
I plan on doing this job either in February or March and will attempt to
make a photographic record and post at least the key photos to the
website.
Ken TC 4147
BTW Walter eGroups is working just fine.

[Gene Gillam]

What are the members using for (if anything) seatbelts? I want to use them
but don't think a simple lap belt arrangement is much good in the TC. I
assume those of you in vintage racing use something more substantial - can
you give me any ideas on what and where to buy a good restraint system?

Thanks,

Gene Gillam
Saucier, MS 39574
1949 MG TC 7872

[mrbadger]

Hey Gene,
Let's think about this. You've got a solid steel steering column aimed
squarely at your chest, 14 gallons of gasoline strapped across your
back, and nothing between the top bows and the chassis except some tin,
some kindling wood, and a warm body and you're talking about being
RESTRAINED? Hey, I don't know about you pal but in the event of any
"mishap", I'm gettin' out or at least, be able to duck. They don't call
it a coffin riding on four harps for nothin'.
a practical Badger

Gene Gillam wrote:

>
> What are the members using for (if anything) seatbelts? I want to use them
> but don't think a simple lap belt arrangement is much good in the TC. I
> assume those of you in vintage racing use something more substantial - can
> you give me any ideas on what and where to buy a good restraint system?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Gene Gillam
> Saucier, MS 39574
> 1949 MG TC 7872

[Roger Furneaux]

Badger is dead right (sorry about the sick pun). Many, many, years ago I
inverted my TC, very late at night and probably too tired to stay alert at
the wheel. It happened at a lowish speed, so I was not flung out, but ducked
down and crawled out through the door cut-out. OK, so I was a lot younger, a
bit slimmer and much more agile, but being tangled up in nylon webbing would
have made escape almost impossible, seeing as nobody else was around.

Eventually another guy stopped, and between us we righted the car and I
drove on!! No windscreen and very few n/s wheel spokes, but we both survived
and 32 years on both TC0978 and I are going as well as ever.

Roger Furneaux

Mr. Badger wrote:

>Let's think about this. You've got a solid steel steering column aimed
>squarely at your chest, 14 gallons of gasoline strapped across your
>back, and nothing between the top bows and the chassis except some tin,
>some kindling wood, and a warm body and you're talking about being
>RESTRAINED? Hey, I don't know about you pal but in the event of any
>"mishap", I'm gettin' out or at least, be able to duck. They don't call
>it a coffin riding on four harps for nothin'.
>a practical Badger
>
>Gene Gillam wrote:
>>
>> What are the members using for (if anything) seatbelts? I want to use them
>> but don't think a simple lap belt arrangement is much good in the TC. I
>> assume those of you in vintage racing use something more substantial - can
>> you give me any ideas on what and where to buy a good restraint system?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Gene Gillam
>> Saucier, MS 39574
>> 1949 MG TC 7872
>
>
>
>

[Harry Pyle]

Gene,

I have 2 very good friends..Mike Sherrell and Rob Bodkin who are both alive
today because they were NOT wearing seatbelts in their TC when they were
involved in accidents in the 1960's.

Mike Sherrell rolled his car over after a front wheel collapsed..he was
thrown out ..had he been held in by seatbelts he would no doubt have been
GROUND OFF TO THE NIPPLES !

Rob Bodkin was 'T-boned" in the side by another car at an intersection. He
was ejected out of the car instantly on impact and the car then rolled over
(slightly damaging his right leg). Had he been held in with seatbelts he too
would have been much more seriously injured if not killed..The car was a
complete mess..but restored to concour condition by myself and son years
later.

Seat belts would only ever be safe in a TC if fitted with a rollbar/cage..
Fitting the seat belts etc would also need to be done to chassis rails...NOT
floorboards.

Safety Fast.

Regards Harry.

----- Original Message -----
From: Gene Gillam
To:
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2000 8:56 AM
Subject: [mg-tabc] Seatbelts


> What are the members using for (if anything) seatbelts? I want to use
them
> but don't think a simple lap belt arrangement is much good in the TC. I
> assume those of you in vintage racing use something more substantial - can
> you give me any ideas on what and where to buy a good restraint system?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Gene Gillam
> Saucier, MS 39574
> 1949 MG TC 7872
>
>
>
>
>

[Frank O_ The Mountain]

In a message dated 00-06-30 05:17:16 EDT, pyleharrydeidre@bigpond.com writes:

[steve.taylor1@1stuk.net]

Gene, I for one keep looking at that wiper motor mounted in front of
the passengers face and will fit a seat belt. I suggest you look in
the e group section of our list and search the "seat belt" thread to
see what was said late last year and get the conflicting advice there!
The lower two mounting points can be made onto the chassis. The
upper mounting points are a problem as there is nothing that will
take much load. My first thought was for a fixed two point belt with
a separate diagonal strap to the seat back bracket on the inner wing -
the thought was that in an impact this would probably fail, but in
doing so would take up some load. Importantly when this was failing,
it would not loosen the lower section of the belt.
However - having spoken with a TC owner earlier this year I've
decided to go for an inexpensive (comparatively) four point belt.
The two upper points will be the seat back bracket as above and the
fuel tank strap bolts.
Safety Fast(ish)!
Steve Taylor. TC 0269

[Gene Gillam]

Thanks all who replied.

There's a lot to be said for and against so I guess it has to be an
individual's decision - as such I'll install them and let whoever rides with
me make their own decision as to whether they wear or don't wear them.

Gene Gillam
Saucier, MS 39574
1949 MG TC 7872

[GaryPerser@aol.com]

I'm glad someone posted the seatbelt question. When I bought my TC in 1978,
one of the first things I bought for it were a pair of seatbelts.
Twenty-three years later they're still in their plastic bags. As I
contemplated being secured at the waist, forcing my upper body to pivot
toward the upper, sharp edge of the cowl, I had little trouble visualizing
the top half of my head being sliced off in even a minor crash. Even though
I'm a devoted seatbelt user, I've always though my survival chances were
better with a crushed chest from a flat impact against the instrument panel.

I considered a five-point competiton harness like I use in my non-MG track
car, but with no rollover protection in the TC, that's a bad choice too.

Maybe Terry has the best solution with his 3-point setup in the TA. I saw it
in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn last summer in St. Paul, but am curious
about the anchoring method.

Gary Perser
TC5285

[Frank O_ The Mountain]

In a message dated 4/4/02 18:35:43 Pacific Standard Time, GaryPerser@aol.com
writes:

>

The shoulder belt is anchored by a large plate under the inner wheel
well........spread the load and absorb the most energy you can......I rather
have things start to pull apart than have those four bolt heads in the
Brooklands tattooed in my chest again!! Any thing is better than slamming
into the dash and steering wheel........
Terry