WTB: Original seat belts

[Terlingua11]

Looking for an original set of Impact seat belts for an early 289.

Thanks-
Jeff

[LMH]

Me too!
Larry

[DMXF]

If you don't find a complete set, I have a box of the hardware such that I could probably come up with what you would need to then have webbed together. PM me if interested

[CompClassics]

I also have the, hardware, tags and original leather buckle pad with correct rivets. All of the hardware plating, leather and rivets are NOS period parts. FYI 289 Cobras received cadmium plated parts with natural leather pad and 427 Cobras received chromed parts and black died leather pads. The webbing for these assemblies is readily available. I have a very limited supply of lap belt hardware and 2" shoulder belt hardware available...

[CompClassics]

Backside of pad...

[1985 CCX]

There is a guy in Canada that re-webs the units.
Will try to find his info, assuming you were to buy the hardware from John.

[LMH]

Very nice John!
Larry

[1985 CCX]

John

Great job.
My leather looks black but it's patina.

[CompClassics]

Everything you see in the photos including the riveted leather pad came from NOS boxed military belt assemblies from the late 1950s, I personally opened the sealed boxes. The tags are repops of the originals.

[DMXF]

Nice parts John, just keep in mind the hardware had part number and manufacturer markings that were associated with the various time periods, as well as often dates on many. The style of hardware also varied through Cobra production. I don't pay a lot of attention to 289 cars, but know I have seen at least two configurations - most likely there are more, as I have seen at least 4 or 5 styles on survivor or pre-restoration 427 cars and some that early owners took off that are believed to be original. These different types (leather on male side or the other, different color leather, chrome and cad plated, detail shape variations in hardware, etc, etc) appears to be related to various batches of belts purchased over time and associated with chassis number range.

[CompClassics]

Thank you for the insight DMXF, I agree there were many variations and I believe you are correct as these were mostly military surplus parts that were picked up and repurposed by the civilian market. Here is an example of one of the stamps that show a date code, 1963 on this part...

[DanEC]

FYI - I suspected the MS 22044-1 represents a Military Spec (it does) and to check I Googled it and came up with this older thread on the subject.

correct 289 COBRA "impact" / "ray brown" seat belts

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by DanEC

FYI - I suspected the MS 22044-1 represents a Military Spec (it does) and to check I Googled it and came up with this older thread on the subject.

correct 289 COBRA "impact" / "ray brown" seat belts

A lot has been learned since then. For one thing I am sure that the belts in CSX2310 when I got it were not the originals to the car. One of the former owners had multiple Shelby vehicles pass through his hands so they could have been from any one of them or something purchased aftermarket. The belts in the car in 1983 don’t fit the pattern belts in multiple cars in the CSX23xx and CSX24xx range.

A pattern established by multiple cars that are substantially just good old used cars instead of rebuilt or restored ones is a better basis to indicate what normal production was like. Unfortunately seat belts are one of the things that owners tended to change a lot.

Dan

[CompClassics]

The belt hardware was derived from military surplus, the markings are as follows....

1) early hardware was "AN" & "OTT" marked and would have been available as surplus to the civilian market earlier than "MS" part numbered components.

2) later hardware was "MS" marked and post "AN".

The "AN" markings stood for "Army / Navy" acceptance and the "MS" stood for Military Standard which is still in use today for parts made for military applications.