Stupid!!

Post by **Sekoro** » 14 Jun 2006 07:45 pm

Please help!

I just bought a 1985 Volvo 340 1.4 as a first car, came home and realised it has no back seat belts? Can you believe that?

Does anybody have any suggestions? Should I buy brand new ones or just second hand ones. I really have no idea. Then there are the labour costs. How much does it cost to get them put it anyway?

Post by **jtbo** » 14 Jun 2006 08:40 pm

I'm not sure if it even should have those? I'm quite sure not all cars had those when I was kid

But if your car had have those before then it is really easy to bolt those on, 10min job

Post by **RandomHero** » 14 Jun 2006 10:37 pm

The 300 series got backseat belts around '89-'90. Before that it's quite likely they're not fitted on your car.

You can just buy a pair second hand ones from a scrappy's. Just check if they are not damaged.

Post by **V6 Man** » 14 Jun 2006 10:38 pm

Well my 1981 345GL MK2 had rear belts, but my parent's 1980 345DL MK1 didn't so we grabbed a set from a scrapyard and fitted them. All the mounting holes are there for the belts - just remove the plugs and bolt them in!

Post by **petavius** » 14 Jun 2006 10:39 pm

Mine's a 1985 1.4 340 and has rear seatbelts - don't know if this was standard or not though

Post by **petefarrell360** » 14 Jun 2006 11:32 pm

With Volvo being one of the most safety conscious car manufacturers of the time they would probably have fitted them to most of their cars, unless the laws of the area were not so strict or there was a real cost saving to be made. I would imagine most countries would differ to the UK in what they demanded was fitted during the life of the 300.

As I understand it in the UK in 1967 new cars in the UK had to be fitted with front seatbelts by law. It wasn't until 1969 that the front belts were included in the MOT test. In 1983 the wearing of front and rear seat belts if fitted became compulsory. It wasn't until 1987 in the UK that new cars had to be fitted with rear seat belts. Then in 1991 the rear belts were included in the MOT. In the UK we know that rear seat belts were fitted in the 300's by law in 1987, but for Randomhero it appears as though it wasn't introduced there until 89/90.

I know our 1984 360 GLT had rear belts, and I'd imagine all Mk2 and definitely Mk3's in the UK did, but the Mk1 in the UK would probably have come halfway through safety changes, thus meaning some may have had belts or may not, but the provision was made to fit them.

As V6Man says, the best bet would be to grab some from a scrap car can fit them if the mountings are there.

Best of luck and happy motoring.

Pete

Post by **990** » 14 Jun 2006 11:41 pm

I am sure the mountings will be there - all of my Volvo's have had rear seat belts

Website · Post by **antiekeradio** » 15 Jun 2006 03:39 pm

in Holland front belts have been mandatory from jan 1 1971.

rear seat belts have only become mandatory from 1990.

it is very common to find 340's and 360's without rear seat belts in NL.
most cars were lower spec than in the UK.

if you have some tools and a knife its easy to do the after-install of the rear belts yourself. At V3C there are a few people who usually have a set or two for sale.

Greetings Wouter

Post by **mac** » 15 Jun 2006 05:36 pm

Searching the grey cells - I can't remember any UK spec 300s not having rear belts at all. What they didn't have until about 86 was centre lap belts in the rear as standard, and then on GLs' and up. I am quite ready to be corrected on this but I think the rear lap/diagonals were always there. Certainly the mounts will be there.

Mac

Website · Post by **antiekeradio** » 15 Jun 2006 05:57 pm

rear belt mounts were fitted standard as from start of production 1976.

our 1978 black beauty has rear seatbelts, I believe they are original (fitted when car was new)

Greetings Wouter