Rear seat belts

[Wolvesbully]

Hi all
Another question from a newbbie has anyone fitted rear seat belts to 145 estate and if so what was there experience
Regards Mick

[142 Guy]

That is a bit of a surprising question because the 145 should have had 3 sets of lap belts in the back. The parts manual implies that was standard for all markets. Some / all 145s (may have depended on the market) had shoulder belts for the rear outside passengers which were attached to a metal bar that mounted in the side rear glass opening. Up to 1972, none of the 145s had an inertia reel style belt for the rear seat passengers. That may have been an option after the 1973 revision.

[john.wigley]

With great respect, '142 Guy', UK market cars were not so equipped.

We had 3, a '72 145E, a '72 145DL, another DL from a year later, as well as a '72 144DL saloon. None were fitted with rear seat belts, either 3-point or lap, as standard. I did however have 2 x 3-point static belts fitted to the rear seat of my 144 after visitors from Sweden declined to ride in it without them.

As I mentioned in an earlier post on this subject, mounting points were provided, thus making retro fitting a relatively simple and straight-forward operation. Perhaps legislation in North American / Canadian markets at the time required them to be fitted as standard?

Regards, John.

[142 Guy]

I think that in the US seat belts in all seating positions became mandatory in 1968 and I expect that because of the Auto Pact Canada adopted the same requirement. However, cars were equipped with front seat belts earlier than that and I recall that the 1967 or 68 Amazon of my friend's parents had 3 point seat belts in the front and laps in the rear. Volvo USA states that seat belts all around became standard in 1967; but, that may just have been recognizing the impending 1968 regulatory requirement in the US and may have been just a North American thing.

https://www.media.volvocars.com/us/e...%20the%20belts.

I didn't see a 'no UK' notation in the parts manual so assumed that Volvo would have rolled this change out as a standard fitment for all markets even if it wasn't required. If the UK did not get rear seat belts in 1967 I guess Volvo was not completely safety obsessed.

As you note, the attachment points will be there except for attachment point on the removeable metal rod if shoulder belts were installed in the rear.