Restoring OEM Seatbelts

[TKCR]

These were cleaned & Restored for someone local. Had to replace the buckle covers & lap buckle, and the emblems. Rust removed from the mounts.
Before Pics.

[solidaxel]

Are you still restoring seat belts?

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Are you still restoring seat belts?

Kind of confused by that question since I have several recent posts about restoring seatbelts, lol. The answer would be yes, when I can find the time. It has been a rough year.
1) Parents were up from Florida for a few months. We were getting a lot of legal things taken care of since they are getting older.
2) we also started some remodeling, which suddenly was put on hold, due to 3 deaths within a month on the in-laws side of the family. One of which we were tasked with cleaning out the house. Since it was just the 2 of us, with no help from the other family, it took several months to get that completed and the house sold.
3) Just when that was being finalized, Hurricane Ian hit where my parents live in Florida. They had gone back home in July, the storm hit at the end of August. So I took off down there for several weeks to help them with cleanup.
4) Once I was back home, the remodeling was that was started was finished up. Actually still have some to do, but it can wait for the time being.

But I have been doing some, when time allows.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Are you still restoring seat belts?

I got your private message, and I tried to return a message, but it says you can not receive PM’s for whatever reason. So I would suggest you go to my Facebook link that is at the bottom of my signature and you can message me there.
But to answer your question on the PM. I would advise starting out with a tan, going light to dark poses some issues. Plus I don’t dye the seatbelt webbing to change colors, they would need to get new webbing.

[TKCR]

NOT FOR SALE
These were cleaned, restored and color changed for someone. The belts he had were 1987 Burgundy, but to change from dark to light, I don’t really prefer doing that. So I used a set of Light Saddle Tan to start with. Belts were disassembled for through cleaning, rust removal and mechanisms lubed for better retracting. All the buckles and hardware were also throughly cleaned.
Next step was that all the plastic parts were cleaned, prepped and dyed the color choice, which was the 1991-1983 Light Blazer Gray.
Then the belts were temporarily reassembled and sent for New Webbing.
Got them back today and finished up the reassembly, and WOW! They turned out NICE!

[rwjtexas]

Good Morning Tina,

I have a 1985 K5 Blazer that I am having restored. I would love to have you rework my seatbelts. The interior color is dark blue.

I am the original owner and looking to leave this to my daughter... several years from now ... because I plan to enjoy it for a few more years.

Reviewing this thread, you do absolutely beautiful work and I would love to have mine redone.

Please let me know how to work with you on this project.

Thanks,
Rob Jones
Beaumont, Texas

[TKCR]

Gotta another set back from getting new webbing. Black to Parchment/Super White.

[TKCR]

Got another set of Charcoal Belts done for someone. And WHEW! These took some work! Retractor housing was cracked. All the hardware and emblems needed replacing. I also replaced one of the straps, the buckle housing was pretty rusty. Also replaced the sleeves, they were broken into a million pieces. So I used a good set of blue sleeves and dyed them Black.
I wasn’t sure if there was any hope for this set, but they actually turned out better than expected.
Before Pics

[TKCR]

And the After Pics

[TKCR]

Got another set of Black Belts done for someone going with Bucket Seats, so the center lap belts was deleted. Also went with New Aftermarket Sleeves for the bucket seatbelts. Rust removed, through cleaning and freshened up with color. The one casing had a crack, so repaired that the best I could.
Here are the Before Pics

[blazer2007]

I have a set of 1980 seat belts I,m changing to black. I was wondering where can I get the GM. logo for the center and how to take it apart. I see a rivet that looks like it has to come out but what to replace that special looking rivet with. Also , can you buy the buckle itself like the picture I posted. I,ve looked and can,t find one. One of the buckles is not fixable and there is no more junk yards around here.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by blazer2007

I have a set of 1980 seat belts I,m changing to black. I was wondering where can I get the GM. logo for the center and how to take it apart. I see a rivet that looks like it has to come out but what to replace that special looking rivet with. Also , can you buy the buckle itself like the picture I posted. I,ve looked and can,t find one. One of the buckles is not fixable and there is no more junk yards around here.

Won’t do any good to take the buckle apart. The emblem is just a foil emblem that can be replaced. Just peel it off, clean the area real good and install the new emblem. The new emblems can be purchased. And you can probably find a better used buckle on eBay. I find them all the time, and have quite a few that I have gotten for replacement parts.

[blazer2007]

thank you

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by blazer2007

thank you

Your welcome. Just about all the ones I do get new emblems. I mask off the area after a good cleaning, to freshen them up with color. Then I install the new emblems.
Here are some before and after pics. And a couple of these buckles were replaced with better ones, since they were in bad shape.

[blazer2007]

What process to you do to change color, cleaning products , what paint do you use.etc., or have you gone over this in a previous post. I,ve had fairly good luck on my blazer painting door panels and seat belt buckles but would be nice to know what a pro uses.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by blazer2007

What process to you do to change color, cleaning products , what paint do you use.etc., or have you gone over this in a previous post. I,ve had fairly good luck on my blazer painting door panels and seat belt buckles but would be nice to know what a pro uses.

To change colors of the webbing, they have to get new webbing. I will not use dye to change color of the webbing, it looks like crap. Some people may do it that way, but I won’t.

[blazer2007]

I have new webbing. Sorry for the misunderstanding, I was inquiring about cleaning and painting buckle.






+++++

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by blazer2007

I have new webbing. Sorry for the misunderstanding, I was inquiring about cleaning and painting buckle.






+++++

When I do the belts, I do all that stuff before they are sent for new webbing. It’s certainly a lot easier and less chance of getting something on the new webbing.

[TKCR]

Just finished up this set of 77 Red.
These were a bit rough, so I picked out a better set that I had and completely stripped these down for through cleaning & freshening up the color. Received New Emblems. They were also sent off for New Webbing.
Here are all the Before Pics

[TKCR]

After Pics

[TKCR]

Here is a set of 1987 Mahogany belts. These were throughly cleaned & restored, and freshened with color. The webbing appeared that have bleached spots, so the decision was made to send them for New Webbing. The webbing color is slightly lighter than the OEM color, but this is the closest match. They also received better used Emblems & Buckle covers.
Before Pics

[kglowacky]

is there a way to repair seatbelts to retract at a oem speed. Mine hardly retract like the return spring is broken or wore out. i have 1978 c10

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by kglowacky

is there a way to repair seatbelts to retract at a oem speed. Mine hardly retract like the return spring is broken or wore out. i have 1978 c10

Yep, I get them retracting well again. That’s part of the restoration process. If the spring was broken, t wouldn’t retract at all. Actually the belt wouldn’t do anything.

[kglowacky]

does anyone sell the springs. mine are pretty non retractable

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by kglowacky

does anyone sell the springs. mine are pretty non retractable

I have spare parts. But they have to be an exact match to the one that may need replaced. It could just be it needs tightened also. But not actually seeing what it is doing, it is hard to say what it needs exactly. But all this is part of the restoration I do on them. It isn’t all about making them pretty again, it’s getting them functioning also.
But each one of those caps that have springs, they are a specific size and tension. And the tabs that set the cap to the side of the retractor, they are spaced according.