Rear Seat Belt

[canadiancastro]

Should my 1978 Spider have rear setbelts? They're not here, haha

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Should my 1978 Spider have rear setbelts?

No. It's possible some ingenious dealership (or owner) figured out a way to install them, but the rear seats did not come with seatbelts.

-Bryan

[AlexD]

Should my 1978 Spider have rear setbelts?

No. It's possible some ingenious dealership (or owner) figured out a way to install them, but the rear seats did not come with seatbelts.

-Bryan

This is good to know as my intent with my '80 is to restore/renew while keeping the car as "original" (either parts or look) and "complete" as possible to maximize "wow factor" and overall value should i ever decide to sell. I have absolutely no interest or plans to sell as with each turn of the wrench and post-repair drive I fall more in love with the car but I'm surely not the only one who watches the B.A.T. auctions and thinks "Holy crap...."

In any event, I recently saw a photo somewhere of a Spider with rear seatbelts and thought "I've never seen those anywhere - where in the HELL am I supposed to find them and where do they mount??" I'll happily scratch them off my list which leaves the straps to secure the convertible top down as one of the more elusive items that I don't need but would love to have...

Fiat on, friends...

[18Fiatsandcounting]

which leaves the straps to secure the convertible top down as one of the more elusive items that I don't need but would love to have...

Is this what you are looking for?
https://www.midwest-bayless.com/Fiat-12 ... er-u8.aspx

-Bryan

[stuartrubin]

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but my '75 did not have seatbelts. There were half of the mounting holes for the seatbelts (like holes on the inside strap but not the outside or something). If memory serves me correctly (and it may not in this case!), someone explained on this forum that is was a regulatory requirement in Europe, but not in the USA to have seatbelts in the rear. So, the body or frame were ready to accept them but they were not installed.
I did make use of the holes and mounted some period-appropriate seatbelts since I was at the time driving with kids in the back, which required drilling two holes. (Of course, now their legs won't even fit back there!)

Maybe this will help: https://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopi ... =15&t=4314

[AlexD]

which leaves the straps to secure the convertible top down as one of the more elusive items that I don't need but would love to have...

Is this what you are looking for?
https://www.midwest-bayless.com/Fiat-12 ... er-u8.aspx

-Bryan

ummm - yep... Not sure why I had them pegged as more difficult to find. I may have seen them somewhere before with a high price tag or I may just be losing my mind - either is equally likely... I just ordered something from Midwest a week or two ago, too...

[canadiancastro]

This has been super helpful. I really appreciate this. I have two little ones (2 and 5) and I doubt my wife will let me squeeze them in the back. My goal is to be able to put them in booster seats back there in a few years. It will be a short time period before they outgrow the back and we won't go further than the ice cream shop, but should make for some fun memories.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I have two little ones (2 and 5) and I doubt my wife will let me squeeze them in the back.

Ahhh, the memories! I grew up in the back seat of my dad's '69 spider, at least until my brother came along a short time later. He got to sit on mom's lap. Mostly for drives to the Dairy Queen which was the ice cream shop where we lived. We didn't worry too much about seat belts back then, and I'm still here. So is the '69 spider, but I don't fit in the back seat anymore....

The family dog now occupies the back seat, which he absolutely loves. Drools all over the rear fenders of the car when he hangs his head out, he does.

-Bryan

[canadiancastro]

I have two little ones (2 and 5) and I doubt my wife will let me squeeze them in the back.

Ahhh, the memories! I grew up in the back seat of my dad's '69 spider, at least until my brother came along a short time later. He got to sit on mom's lap. Mostly for drives to the Dairy Queen which was the ice cream shop where we lived. We didn't worry too much about seat belts back then, and I'm still here. So is the '69 spider, but I don't fit in the back seat anymore....

The family dog now occupies the back seat, which he absolutely loves. Drools all over the rear fenders of the car when he hangs his head out, he does.

-Bryan

I love this! My wife wants a dog...I've told her not until the humans are all potty trained.

[DieselSpider]

While it looks like a seat its really a parcel shelf. It was made that way to satisfy the 2+2 regulation that gave an import duty break over what it cost to import a 2 passenger car into the US.

[canadiancastro]

Hello, looking for some help...If I get the 2-point End Release (in black) rear seatbelt from seatbelt planet to match the front belts in my '78 (as best I can); would I be okay with the standard 60inch length?

https://www.seatbeltplanet.com/i-304981 ... ry:1389191

Thanks in advance everyone...Going to shove my 3 and 6 year olds back there and get some ice cream!

[Akspider]

Very late in replying but I used 54" belts from Amazon for the rear of my '72 - fixed end is about 16" and they're plenty long enough to hold a person in should I ever have one scrunched up enough to ride back there!

[canadiancastro]

Very late in replying but I used 54" belts from Amazon for the rear of my '72 - fixed end is about 16" and they're plenty long enough to hold a person in should I ever have one scrunched up enough to ride back there!

This is great thank you, I haven't ordered yet so the 60" it is!

[Porig121]

Hi Canadiancastro — I’d love to know how your rear seat belt install goes. I am looking to do the same — a 2-point below for small kids and I found this message thread. Did it work alright? Where exactly did you mount the two end points?