3-Point Rear Seat Belts

by 76 Malibu Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:19 pm

Has anyone ever retrofitted 3-point rear seat belts to a G3 car? Other than the universal style belts, is there anything specific to our cars? My kids ride around in my car all the time, and I'd like to install the three point belts if possible.

by thatfnthing Mon Sep 23, 2019 3:36 pm

Yes. I used used part number WELR-N from Wesco Performance:

https://www.wescoperformance.com/noname.html

They're a 3-point setup used for roadsters, so they have no middle loop that would normally mount to the B-pillar in a sedan/coupe application. If you remove the package tray, you should find a depression (at least they were there in my Monte) in the deck sheet metal on each side of the car that will actually make good anchor points for the retractors. Sandwich the deck sheet metal with 1/4" steel plate and grade 8 bolts for strength.

Now I didn't care if the retractors were visible (in fact I thought they gave it a kind of performance vibe), so they're in plain sight on the package tray. If that's an issue for you, I'm sure with additional fabrication you could mount them inside the trunk and just have the belts come through over the top of the back seat.

The other thing is that I didn't bother mounting a middle one to replace the factory center belt. I only cared about left and right. The state inspector got kind of pissy about it but eventually let it pass. Don't know if that will be an issue for you -- I suppose you could leave the factory center belt.

by 76 Malibu Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:14 am

Great info, thank you. If you don't mind, can you post some pics of the install? I am okay if the detractors are visible.

The middle belt won't be an issue. Belts just have to be connected and properly working to pass inspection.

by thatfnthing Tue Sep 24, 2019 10:52 am

I'll blow the dust off and snap a couple of pics. Smile

by thatfnthing Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:49 pm

Okay, here are some shots. Please forgive any dust, lens flare, or otherwise poor photography work. Smile

by 76 Malibu Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:17 pm

Thanks very much!! Those look great and your install looks professional. I will have to check my package tray to see if it has those little indentations. Did those reinforcement plates come with the seat belts?

by thatfnthing Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:18 pm

Thanks! No mounting hardware comes with the belts, though they sell mount plates separately to bolt to. However, their plates are the wrong shape for this location, and too thin for my liking anyway. I made these out of bar stock to fit the indents and then got grade 8 hardware and wider steel washers to spread the clamping force.

by 76 Malibu Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:39 pm

Thank you very much for taking the time to post the pics. The package tray on my Malibu has those same indents, so I should be able to make it work on my car too.

by thatfnthing Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:47 am

Always happy to help.

Before you cut into anything, though, my suggestion would be to remove the package tray, put the seat back in, and just clamp the retractors to the sheet metal in a couple spots and test-sit in it. See how it feels and that it's not strangling you or is too far away. Put the kids in it and make sure it fits them also. Make sure the belts are comfortable for you before deciding that that's the best spot for them. You may find it preferable to mount them slightly inboard or outboard from those locations. It worked out for me in those spots, but comfort is a subjective thing. Smile

Oh, yeah, and post photos. Smile

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