Rear seat - single lap belt, or two?

[maxm50]

I loaded my Spider with two passengers for the first time over the weekend - one in the passenger seat, and one in the back "seat". We had a jolly time cruising some country roads. However, we struggled a little bit with the seat belt back there. My '81 appears to only have one lap belt in the rear seat, and it's not quite long enough for a passenger to sit on either side - they kind of have to sit in the middle of the back seat, with one leg behind each front seat. Is this normal? Or should there be two separate lap belts back there?

[redcars]

Any seat belts in the back where not put there by Fiat so there's no normal. Do what works for you.

[DieselSpider]

Technically the back seat is only for show and is really a parcel shelf. It was only put there to play the 2+2 game to get import duties lowered allowing a lower MSRP for attracting more buyers. The car only has a 300 lb driver/passenger weight rating so 2 petite adults with a small child in the back at best.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I agree with DieselSpider. The spider was designed in an era when adults were "smaller", and so putting a driver and two passengers in the car puts a load on the suspension and body/frame that it wasn't designed for.

When I grew up in the back seat of my dad's '69 spider, we would go for rides with dad (170 lbs), mom (140 lbs), me (60 lbs), plus my baby brother (maybe 30 lbs). By the time the car was two or three years old, the rear axle bearings had already given out. The good news is that those rides often resulted in ice cream sundaes at the local Dairy Queen. (even more weight!!)

-Bryan

[DieselSpider]

Whats crazy to me is that while the 2,250 lb Spider has a Vehicle Load Capacity of 430 lbs (2 adults at 150 lbs each and 130 lbs luggage) my 326 lb Aprilia 250cc motorbike has a 465 lb Vehicle Load Capacity.

The Spiders Owners Manual in the Weights section its pretty clear where is lists the Designated Seating Capacity as 2 persons and Occupant Distribution as 2 in front.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Whats crazy to me is that while the 2,250 lb Spider has a Vehicle Load Capacity of 430 lbs (2 adults at 150 lbs each and 130 lbs luggage) my 326 lb Aprilia 250cc motorbike has a 465 lb Vehicle Load Capacity.

The Fiat load capacity (or lack thereof) always seemed weird to me as well. For all I know it was based on some European or US import regulation in effect at the time.

On the other hand, when I moved from Virginia to California in the 1980s and drove across the country in my Fiat with all of my possessions, I stopped at a truck scale just for grins. They weighed me (it was a slow day), and the total weight with me in the car was around 2800 pounds. So, given that the '69 spider weights a little over 2000 lbs empty, that means I was carrying almost 800 pounds across the country. With no ill effects as far as I know.

-Bryan

[DieselSpider]

Whats crazy to me is that while the 2,250 lb Spider has a Vehicle Load Capacity of 430 lbs (2 adults at 150 lbs each and 130 lbs luggage) my 326 lb Aprilia 250cc motorbike has a 465 lb Vehicle Load Capacity.

The Fiat load capacity (or lack thereof) always seemed weird to me as well. For all I know it was based on some European or US import regulation in effect at the time.

On the other hand, when I moved from Virginia to California in the 1980s and drove across the country in my Fiat with all of my possessions, I stopped at a truck scale just for grins. They weighed me (it was a slow day), and the total weight with me in the car was around 2800 pounds. So, given that the '69 spider weights a little over 2000 lbs empty, that means I was carrying almost 800 pounds across the country. With no ill effects as far as I know.

-Bryan

I welded up a 2" receiver hitch and tow a 15 foot sailboat along with a utility trailer with mine however the torque of the diesel does make it pull more like a tractor. Braking though has not been a problem

[scrapironchef]

Whats crazy to me is that while the 2,250 lb Spider has a Vehicle Load Capacity of 430 lbs (2 adults at 150 lbs each and 130 lbs luggage) my 326 lb Aprilia 250cc motorbike has a 465 lb Vehicle Load Capacity.

Have you seen the people that show up at Sturges?

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Whats crazy to me is that while the 2,250 lb Spider has a Vehicle Load Capacity of 430 lbs (2 adults at 150 lbs each and 130 lbs luggage) my 326 lb Aprilia 250cc motorbike has a 465 lb Vehicle Load Capacity.

Have you seen the people that show up at Sturges?

Good one, ScrapIron!

[DieselSpider]

Whats crazy to me is that while the 2,250 lb Spider has a Vehicle Load Capacity of 430 lbs (2 adults at 150 lbs each and 130 lbs luggage) my 326 lb Aprilia 250cc motorbike has a 465 lb Vehicle Load Capacity.

Have you seen the people that show up at Sturges?

Vicariously yes and many of whom are now showing up in ERs or Under Quarantine with COVID19. The 80th Sturgis Rally may end up being another one of many Super Spreader Events.

[maxm50]

Thanks for the info, everyone! Good stuff to know.

Regarding exceeding the published Load Capacity, I've got a question: The early year spiders were a few hundred pounds lighter (mostly due to bumpers), correct? So, my 1981 with big heavy bumpers has the same suspension components as a svelte 1967, right? So, doesn't that mean that the published Load Capacity was a load of crap anyway, if they used up much of that load capacity in later years just with the weight of the Federal Bumpers?