When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My original belts were shot so I decided to go with 4th gen belts. For one because they were easier and cheaper to find and because they only have a retractor in the roof. They are pretty much a direct swap. One thing you need to do is remove the plastic cover from the original lower retractor. Do this by drilling the rivet out of the cover to the retractor. You will then have to cut the belt to remove the plastic cover. The 4th gen belt will need the plastic cover trimmed some where it mounts to the floor so you can get it through the hole in the original cover. I don’t have pics of this but you will see what you need to do once you have the parts. The one issue you have to deal with is how to hold the original cover in place. I made a bracket that is held on by the seatbelt bolt. Then you put the cover over and drill a new hole through the cover and into the bracket. The seatbelt still needs put in there again but was just showing how I did this without the belt in the way.
Very nice write up, wish I would've thought of that years ago lol.
I have a 4th gen belt on the drivers side of my car, but the bottom is unmodified and bothers the crap out of me every time I look at it, between the plastic cover on the belt itself and the hole that is created by removing the original lower cover.
Maybe this is a good opportunity to fix the twist I have in the belt. Pretty sure the one I got may have been made incorrectly because I know I installed it correctly.
I just used the original bracket that held the retractor. I did grind a spot so the 4th gen belt hold down tab would fit where the torx bolt goes through.
That's a pretty cool mod. However, as an owner of an 82 Trans Am, this gives you essentially the same "comfort" as the 82 where the belt bolts to the floor and there is no floor retractor. I personally am not a fan of the belt never being comfortable which is why I upgraded mine to dual retractors like the later cars. Still, I guess if you had nothing else, this works!
That's a pretty cool mod. However, as an owner of an 82 Trans Am, this gives you essentially the same "comfort" as the 82 where the belt bolts to the floor and there is no floor retractor. I personally am not a fan of the belt never being comfortable which is why I upgraded mine to dual retractors like the later cars. Still, I guess if you had nothing else, this works!
It came down to I got a set from the 4th gen for $50 shipped. To get an original setup would have cost me $150 or more for ones in nice shape.
