I've been reading the GM Canada Wide Track Pontiac 16 page brochure for 1968 and found it odd that shoulder belts were standard in the front seat for that year. My car only has the lap belts. No...I'm not looking at the 'options' page, lol........here is what it says "displayed on this page are some of the features that are standard equipment on every '68 Pontiac" ........interesting.......any comments on this? Are there some 68's that got them and some that didn't? Thanks..........Doug.
P.S. On the back page in print that is about the size of a pinhead it says...
"Models listed in this catalogue are designed and manufactured in Canada by General Motors. Illustrations do not necessarily show standard colors, materials and equipment. General Motors Products of Canada Limited reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in prices, colors, materials, equipment, specifications and models, and also to discontinue models. This right may be exercised without incurring any responsibility with regards to cars previously sold."
Integrated shoulder belts became standard in GM's in 1974. 1972/73 was a transition year with a detachable should belt that eliminated multiple buckles.
Is it possible that the Shoulder belts were standard on the Grande Parisienne top of the line car?
To be clear the brochure does not actually say the shoulder belts are standard, there is a picture that shows shoulder belts ?
-- Edited by 73SC on Sunday 3rd of April 2011 10:47:58 PM
1960 Pontiac Strato Chief Safari 1960 Laurentian Safari 1960 Laurentian 4door(scrapped) 2001 Grand Am Traded on a '96 Suburban 2WD 2002 Hyundai Accent(SOLD) 1968 Grand Parisienne Scrapped and SOLD
I scanned the page that shows the shoulder belt in the pic along with the other standard features of the 68 wide track pontiac. Hopefully I uploaded it ok
Wooohooo! Success, lol.............anyway, check out the bottom left handed corner...it shows the shoulder belt in action.
-- Edited by degodoug on Sunday 3rd of April 2011 01:11:37 PM
-- Edited by 73SC on Sunday 3rd of April 2011 06:22:21 PM
The 1969 brochure has a similar photo and page, the 1970 makes no mention of it but every photo of the front seat shows two buckles on the driver seat and three on the passenger seat. Looking at the photo you can see that the shoulder belt buckles up independently to that extra buckle. I even noticed this on the 1970 Grand Prix brochure.
In my 73 the shoulder belt is stowed in a holder above the top of the side window and if you want to use it you bring it down and buckle it.
I always thought the front outboard shoulder belts were standard equipment starting with the 1968 models (except convertibles). The anchors for them were added during the 1966 run but were not standard until 1968. I wonder if there was a phase-in period or if it was a thing that varied by province? I know that B.C. required seat belts in new cars for 1967, but other provinces may have allowed a customer to delete the belts.
During the 1972 run the lap & shoulder belt tongues both fastened into just one buckle, cleaning up the front seat a little (5 buckles & 2 tangs are a little cluttered). 1972 also marked the standard use of an annoying seat belt warning buzzer. 1974 marked the start of the inertia reel lock up, making shoulder belt wearing a lot more comfortable. In the U.S. only, 1974 was the year that the starter-ignition-seatbelt interlock was forced on the car-buying public. It was repealed before the year was up and dealers were allowed to disconnect the system. our 1974 Biscayne (Canadian-built) never had the interlock system or any sign of ever having the underhood emergency start button (the override for when that stupid system got scrambled).
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
I always thought the front outboard shoulder belts were standard equipment starting with the 1968 models (except convertibles). The anchors for them were added during the 1966 run but were not standard until 1968. I wonder if there was a phase-in period or if it was a thing that varied by province? I know that B.C. required seat belts in new cars for 1967, but other provinces may have allowed a customer to delete the belts.
During the 1972 run the lap & shoulder belt tongues both fastened into just one buckle, cleaning up the front seat a little (5 buckles & 2 tangs are a little cluttered). 1972 also marked the standard use of an annoying seat belt warning buzzer. 1974 marked the start of the inertia reel lock up, making shoulder belt wearing a lot more comfortable. In the U.S. only, 1974 was the year that the starter-ignition-seatbelt interlock was forced on the car-buying public. It was repealed before the year was up and dealers were allowed to disconnect the system. our 1974 Biscayne (Canadian-built) never had the interlock system or any sign of ever having the underhood emergency start button (the override for when that stupid system got scrambled).
Sholder harnesses became mandatory as of January, 1968 if memory serves me. Any '68 models built before that came with only lap belts. I had a '68 Malibu that I ordered in Oct. '67 and it had only lap belts but a '68 SD 396 Beaumont I owned later had the shoulder harnesses. I have at present a '68 Parisienne that came with shoulder harness. At least that is the way I rememberit. Been a while ago.
