1959 Biarritz Question

[patton6606@gmail.com]

Ladies and gentlemen

On a 1959 Biarritz with seat belts where are the straps attached on bucket seat and bench seat cars?

Thanks
Chuck

[76eldo]

Chuck,

I don't think seat belts were an option on these cars, although many cars have them added.

For proper installation they need to be bolted through the floor with a large washer on the back to reinforce the opening.

Brian

[Quentin Hall]

G'day Chuck, I concur with Brian. Any cars with belts have been retrofitted.  You'll only fit lap belts. Here in Oz, belts have to be Australian Standard. Was late 60s till belts became factory fitted to all Cads? (that is a question).

[Jeff Wilk]

Folks, Factory Installed Seat Belts were offered on all Cadillacs starting in 1957 and we also Dealer Installed.  They are listed in the Master Parts Catalogs in 8 different colors as well back to 1957.  FYI, in October/November of 1959 the factory began to add "Dimples" into the floor pans of the Cadillacs to aid the Dealer Installation of these Factory Accessories and that started with approximate Engine Number 002000 for 1960.  This later information is right out of the November 1959 Cadillac Serviceman Bulletin (page 73).  Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Lucas Feininger #15674]

G'day Chuck, I concur with Brian. Any cars with belts have been retrofitted.  You'll only fit lap belts. Here in Oz, belts have to be Australian Standard. Was late 60s till belts became factory fitted to all Cads? (that is a question).

1965 was the first year for factory-installed seatbelts (front seats only) by federal mandate in the US.

[76eldo]

I just paged through my 1960 Data book and they do list seat belts as an option.  They don't have any pictures, you have to read the fine print in the listing of accessories.

Interesting!

Brian

[Jeff Wilk]

Yup.....and also in the 1958 and 1959 Data Books as well as the Master Parts Catalogs back to 1957.......manufacturers knew of their importance all the way back then........and probably sooner......I wonder which car company was actually the first to offer them at all and in what year??

Now if you can find OEM originals of these Cadillac seat belts......you will pay dearly for them.......plenty of aftermarkets out there but few originals with the factory original buckles........they were just not popular options

Jeff

[savemy67]

Hello Jeff,

I think Tucker offered seat belts as standard equipment in 1948.

Christopher Winter

[Walter Youshock]

1957 front seat belts were attached to one of the seat rail tubes with cables, nor to the body of the car.  I cut a set out of a SDV  in the junkyard.  They were listed in the Cadillac Accessories flier.

[David Greenburg]

I believe Ford had a safety package option in '55 and/or '56 that included seat belts and safety padded dash, among other things.  I would also bet MBZ and Volvo had them at least that far back.