With the inertia belts, the slack is taken up by the reel
mounted on the rear wheelweel. With a fixed belt, you will
need to take up the slack at the buckle. Ideally, the buckle
should sit off your right (or left) hip, but since spit seats
are so close to the floor (plus the attachment point is up
on the driveshaft tunnel) space is really tight. Especially
if you have multiple drivers, but even the change over from summer
T-shirts to winter coats can make a difference where the buckle
ends up. You either find yourself running out of space to sufficiently
tighten it or the buckle ends up somewhere in the middle of your
stomach.
It can be made to work (I have one), but it is definitely less
convenient than the inertia reels.
Greg Rowe
>From: Donald H Locker <dhl@chelseamsl.com>
>Reply-To: Donald H Locker <dhl@chelseamsl.com>
>To: spitfires@autox.team.net, spitfire-enthusiast@egroups.com
>Subject: seatbelt lengths for Spit Mk3
>Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 13:41:56 -0500 (EST)
>
>Hi, All.
>
>I want to install a lap/shoulder belt in my [slowly-being-resurrected]
>Spitfire Mk3, and would like to get others' recommendations as to the
>required lengths of the short [buckle] end and of the long [insert]
>end. I don't want to use the retractible versions as fitted to later
>models.
>
>The parts book item BD22 is part number 712600, which Rimmer crosses
>to 719918ALT, but I have no idea what it looks like, which buckles,
>what lengths, ...
>
>And now I'm having other thoughts -- is the lap/shoulder belt system
>OK to use with low-back seats. The seats I have in this vehicle are
>the low-back versions (which is not correct for FDU51430LO) but I
>don't have immediate plans to replace them. Perhaps I should.
>
>Suggestions?
>Thanks,
>Donald.
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