Anyone ever refinish seat belt buckles?

[26th-Z]

Yes, but isn't this what it looks like?

[ddezso]

I'm not sure $250 per set is in the cards for me any time soon considering what I have gotten away with spending so far. Let's put the safety issue aside for a second. Have any of you cleaned up and dyed the straps black? Any tips on that? I am assuming a powder coat on the buckles is the only way to get the black to stay put and look fresh? In other words, is there any paint that won't immediately chip off and look worse?

[Arne]

Before you do anything to the nylon webbing (such as dying it), do some research. There is a real possibility that the dye could reduce the strength of the webbing even more than the effects of 30+ years. Most car and belt manufacturers specifically warn AGAINST dyes and cleaners other than mild soapy water.

[Go240Zags]

I'm not sure $250 per set is in the cards for me any time soon considering what I have gotten away with spending so far. Let's put the safety issue aside for a second. Have any of you cleaned up and dyed the straps black? Any tips on that? I am assuming a powder coat on the buckles is the only way to get the black to stay put and look fresh

Rather than putting safety aside and cleaning and dying the straps, wouldn't it be safer and less money to find some quality nylon webbing (as discussed earlier) and take it to a shoe or leather shop to have it sewn? Out in the rural west we have saddle/tack shops with the sewing machines needed to do the job. While the buckles are off the straps you could re-paint or take to the powder coaters. Just my dos centavos.

[Victor Laury]

I'm also interested and researching. All three of my current vehicles are equipped with the series I buckle latch, as pictured in the first post. My 70 roadster, 71 521 and Z all have these buckles. From what I've learned, the finish is blast-dulled chrome. I hope to be able to disassemble the buckle for plating. I had hopes of reproducing the label. Unfortunately, All three cars use a unique label from the others, So it would be 3 one-off reproductions!

Another tough item will be the plastic inserts in the adjusters. For that point, I don't even know where to start.

For the strapping itself, I'm planning to send the refinished hardware and reproduced labels to a co. like ssnakeoyl for professional assembly.

It sounds crazy, when you think you can buy modern belts, But, especially for the roadster, I will not tolerate any substitutions from original.

[Arne]

Since absolute originality is not crucial for my car, I'm thinking of trying one of the following:

http://www.gotbelts.com/nonretractable1.html

http://www.andoauto.com/antique.htm

I like the second choice better, as they offer a satin finish buckle instead of chrome only.

[Victor Laury]

Got to admit, The andoauto aviator style, satin finish, is the most "Datsun Like" I've seen to date.

[MikeW]

Rather than putting safety aside and cleaning and dying the straps, wouldn't it be safer and less money to find some quality nylon webbing (as discussed earlier) and take it to a shoe or leather shop to have it sewn?

I'm afraid you might find that most places wouldn't do this kind of work for liability reasons. This is the sad result of a litigious society.

[26th-Z]

Thought all you seat belt afficianodos would enjoy this picture. Check out the date on the label.

[ddezso]

26th - thanks - that is cool. Were you the one who had made replacement labels for these? Mine are shot and that would be a cool detail....

[DatsunZGuy]

This picture is from the driver's shoulder belt, which has survived in the best of shape compared to the others.

[26th-Z]

Yes! I made repro seat belt labels. From this original. A photographer friend of mine had some material from a sample kit he got of papers and textile media that was printable. I scanned the label, photoshopped a 8-1/2x11 sheet of them and laser printed the file on to the one sample sheet I had. I tried to buy more material, but they wanted $300 for a roll of it big enough to wallpaper my shop. Thus endeth my million $ scheme to eBay repro seat belt labels. I probably have over $70 in that exercise!

CW-