OEM seat belt help!: Looking for this goofy little part

[eric]

Hey all, my OEM original seat belts in my 86 GT have always worked flawlessly so I have never replaced them. I have an aftermarket replacement kit ready to go as a backup but the originals just keep going and going. Plus the aftermarket kit seems to have a really puny retraction strength/speed and takes forever to rewind, so I'd rather just keep using the originals as long as I can.

Anyway, I did a bone-headed thing over the weekend, while working on something completely unrelated I hit the button actuator that pokes out of the passenger door jamb on the opening side of the door (not on the hinge side) with my knee. This is the black push-button with a spring under it that allows the seat-belt to retract when the door is open. Well, when i hit it with my knee the plastic cracked and went flying across the garage since it had so much spring tension under it. Not good!

So, checking to see if any of you might have your old OEM seat-belt assemblies laying around and might be able to scavenge off this little plastic housing and the plastic button/tube (which the spring resides under) inside it. I'd gladly pay you something including shipping too of course. It's small and all plastic, so should be easy to pop in the mail.

To be clear, I just need that half of the housing that detaches and the button that slides inside of it. But I do NOT need the portion where the cable attaches. In the pictures attached I CIRCLED IN YELLOW the portion I am looking for (including the plastic button itself too). The housing will pop apart by hand with a little effort. You just need to relieve the spring tension and then wiggle it vigorously while pulling it apart.

I also included a picture of what it looks like after you remove the piece I need.

I'd be truly thankful, and again, more than happy to compensate you for your trouble.

-Eric
86 GT Hatchback daily driver(original owner)

[eric]

No luck yet I guess. Thought there might be one of these out there somewhere collecting dust that could be put to good use!

Open to suggestions too.

Thanks!
Eric

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[ccurtin]

I just removed the stock seat belts this weekend and both are still in good shape.

They are in a box I can't get to until Wed or Thursday, so I'll try to take them apart next time I'm near them.

Chris

[eric]

I just removed the stock seat belts this weekend and both are still in good shape.

They are in a box I can't get to until Wed or Thursday, so I'll try to take them apart next time I'm near them.

Chris

That would be great!! No rush. I'll send you a personal note.

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[eric]

I just removed the stock seat belts this weekend and both are still in good shape.

They are in a box I can't get to until Wed or Thursday, so I'll try to take them apart next time I'm near them.

Chris

Hey. I got the plastic actuator parts today. Exactly what I needed! Now I can put the inside of my car back together.

Thanks again. Very cool of you.

-Eric

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[homer302]

That's great you got what you were looking for. Love this forum. But just for future searchers, Fox Resto sells a very OEM looking rubber grommet that totally plugs that hole up (yes, all of it) and looks factory if someone decides to go that route.

[ccurtin]

Glad they got there okay. My wife looked at how I originally had them packaged and had to fix it

Chris

[eric]

That's great you got what you were looking for. Love this forum. But just for future searchers, Fox Resto sells a very OEM looking rubber grommet that totally plugs that hole up (yes, all of it) and looks factory if someone decides to go that route.

Yep. And if you go with aftermarket belt retractors that don't have the actuator button attached/required then those are great. I had them in my car for a short time, but I personally don't care for the aftermarket type of belt retractor. They are too sensitive when you grab them and pull them quickly to put them on, and when you unbuckled them they retract really slowly and still hang with some slack (at least the kit I had bought did). So I decide instead to have a shop rebuild and recertify my original oem retractors to be sure they still work like new and I am using them again! I like them much better. But the original oem retractors require the actuator button in the door jamb.

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