I don't have a good picture of mine finished, but I took the belt set that came for the (not purchased) rear seat option of a delivery van I bought, and built them into the Mini, welding a box into the side.

Our old Morris mini did not come with seatbelt mounts. I wonder how we can install one. Our car is exempted for California law but if we drive it a lot then I think its safe to have one. Any tips for us?

Image Gallery

Hello.

Well it's been awhile since I last looked at seat belts.  I felt I needed to do something so I did.  Thanks to all that originally replied and thanks for the pictures which really shows the seat belt installatioins the best.

I orignially purchased, eBay, two sets of retractable seat belts for my 1965 Austin Cooper S.  They were three point style meaning lap and shoulder belts.  Minis don't have three point mounting.  But if you remove the "third" B pillar mounting and install the two points; one on the "B" pillar and the retractor on the inside at the floor level, you can achieve the same lap and shoulder belt set up.  After modifying the belts by removing the third point of the three point attachment, I installed them.  They looked great and they worked great.  Great that is until I closed the door.  The door pocket just barely clears the retractor when closed.  The belt gets pinched between the door pocket and the  retractor.  You can not pull the belt out.  Rats!

Fortunately a fellow car club nut happened to order new seat belts for his TR8.  Beams 222-025. These are two point retractable lap and shoulder belts.  I borrowed his belts and installed them in the Mini.  They looked great.  I closed the door and they still worked great.  Two problems.  The friction buckle is on the wrong side and facing the wrong way!  (see pics)  It was very easy to twist the belt to move the buckle to the correct side but the buckle was facing the wrong way.  I had to spread the buckle friction bracket apart and rethread the belt and squeeze the bracket together.  Success! The belts are great with minimum issues.  I will take a photo with them in the car and post next week.

BTW the Beams belts are quite good quality, strong retraction with immediate lock.  I think they will do nicely!

Regards

Tim

You've got to get away from them LWB Van and pick up Mini's Pat then you can have the luxury of rear bins ;-)

Companion Bins is what they are called. Those two things that keep my seats from reclining very far.

What are these "rear pockets" you speak of Malcomb?

Neither of my Mini's have such ...

Pat

If you mounted it at 90 degrees to the B pillar how did you do this, with a bracket ? Why can't you mount it in the rear pocket ? I had an old Wrangler that i put retactable belts in and mounted them on the inner sill (not at 90 degress) and they worked fine for 10 plus years until i sold it. I don't see why they have to be at 90 degrees unless for aesthetics.

Well I installed my seatbelt with the brackets supplied the one end and the retractor mount on the sill. But be careful my seatbelt retractor broke and does not want to release or retract the car is probably driven 5 times a year and the seatbelts were brand new. I opened it up and the plastic piece was broken. I read the instructions and the retractor should be mounted 90 degrees from the B pillar mount. Which is what I did but before this I was thinking of mounting the retractor inside the back pocket but because of what was in the instructions I dont think it is possible.

That may be a stiffner Brian that i could not see but the part i was referring to is #10 reinforcer tube.

Looks like item #9. LINK

Just looked at my 1979 Clubbie Estate and it has the same mounting points as a mid 90's Mini. They use a pressed/stamped spacer around 2.5 inches wide by about 1.5" deep with a hole through the middle which the seat belt retractor mounts to to move it away from the bin curvature. On the outside they use the same bolt but probably longer with a 1.5" washer under it. The spacer looks like it is factory welded in place and there looks like there is nothing going down to the sill for support.

Ive honestly never looked at how they are bolted (i know it uses the normal single bolt) or if the bins are stengthened or not but all the later models are installed in the rear bins. Any Mini rear bin should be stronger than a rusty Mini inner sill LOL. I will take a look at one and see how the factory did it and report back.

How do you propose bolting it in?
You can't just bolt it to the bin, it isn't safe. You need to add a reinforcing plate inside the sill. 

Or you could mount the retractor out of the way in the rear bins like the later models did.

Since there is only one mounting bolt on the floor on the outboard side, you'll need to mount both the retracter and the loose end of the belt to the same bolt. Some kits come with a Z shaped bracket (like in the picture) that adds a second mounting point to the bolt, but it can be done without the bracket if you don't mind the belts looking a bit wonky. 

You can just about see in my Elf how the belt crosses over in front of the retractor.

//www.minimania.com/part/MSA1111/Automatic-Retraction-Seat-Belt-1-Seatbelt---Various-Colors

Retractor and the end go on the bolt on the sill. The other attachment points are obvious. You'll find a captive nut in the exhaust pipe tunnel for the receptacle piece. 

Hello.
I would like to get a set of front seat retractable seat belts.  At MEMW I saw a few Minis with retractable belts but did not have enough thought to inquire or look further to see exactly how it was done.  I would like to have the retractor on the floor near the door.  My Mini has a bolt hole for this and a bolt hole head high on the "B" pillar.  Not sure of the rest of the story as to how the webbing gets mounted.

Any suggestions and better yet pictures and of course manufacturers and their component part numbers are always good to have.

Thanks much.

Tim