Retractable Seat Belt Restoration for my 1972

[JLPurcell]

JLP, so what exactly do you need SSnake Oyl for? You seem to be a very capable. $750 is an awful lot of money for new webbing. Just saying.

As I dropped off the cradle for blast and powder coat today I was asking myself the same question. As I said earlier I was a little surprised at the original estimate but it was worth it to me for a "restoration". But just polishing up the buckles and replacing the labels and webbing $782.00 is beginning to seem a little pricey. But I have already authorized the work so I will follow through at this point.

[jcb]

Sounds like the name "SSnake Oyl" is appropriate for this company.

[JLPurcell]

OK, I have two sets apart at this time. I have had the cradles blasted and powder coated (gloss black). They look great! (photos in a day or two) I am having rubber stamps made to match the R & L stamped on the black cradles (can you say anal-retentive). I started getting the zinc plated parts ready for plating, wire brushing corrosion and old plating off.

So I call the company which is going to plate the parts for my seat belt project to get an estimate of cost:paranoid:. He made the following statement.... "if you bring me 8 parts or a 5 gallon bucket of parts it is going to be the same cost".:tapemouth Needless to say in dismantling numerous Z's over the years I have lost of nuts, bolts, pins, brackets, screws, covers washers... you get the picture. The problem is that I have now spent over 8 hours wire brushing all of the pieces getting them ready for plating and I am not even close to done. When I get the yellow zinc plating done I get to start on the parts for clear zinc plating. This is why all of my projects seem to drag out!

[Oiluj]

Jerry,

Here's my process:

1) Estimate project time

2) Multiply by 1.5

3) Add 15% and I'm pretty close.

Of course, thats for projects where I don't run in to "big" problems...

Julio

[JLPurcell]

OK, The cradles are back from media blast and powder coat and ready for the little detail of stamping R (right) & L (left) on them. The part number stamped in the metal contains an L and R on the reverse side but is covered when the boot is installed. I am guessing that the white stamp was an afterthought for production purposes. The white stamped R & L cannot be seen once installed but for restoration purposes I wanted to re-produce this detail. I first tried to cut my own stamp but was not happy with the results:ermm: so for less than twenty bucks I had a set of stamps made at a local shop. I purposefully used a slow drying white enamel to give me time to work with the stamp. I evenly rolled out the paint on a plate of glass and stamped the glass then the cradle. Overall I am happy with the results they look very close to the original stamping. Now waiting for the zinc plating of the re-tractor parts.

[JLPurcell]

Took a drive to Muncie, IN today to drop off parts for zinc plating. It took a while to get thins ready to go due to the fact that the plating company had a minimum charge so I prepped hundreds of nuts and bolts etc... wire brush all parts then wired all small parts together with small gauge wire all very time consuming. They are now there and the company has promised a 5 day turn around. Did a little driving in Muncie to check out some places I remember from my days in college there. This is also where we lived when I purchase the Z.

[JLPurcell]

Picked up my parts today from the plater, I did not get my clear or black zinc parts ready in time to drop them off so I will have to make another trip to Muncie in the near future. I am very happy with the work. The company is a large production company and only does “car guys” parts as a favor. Good People! I have attached photos of the seat belt parts, where this plating project began, but I have also attached photos of the parts in total. I took some pictures of the small parts which I daisy chained together prior to taking them loose. They came back in a tangled ball but the process worked out well. I had been told that the outcome of the process would be equal to the prep-work. This process was labor intense but well worth the outcome. I believe that I will start a thread dealing with plating beginning with the prep-work in the near future if members are interested.:paranoid: I know that it has been a learning experience for me. The two pulleys are part of a set of an early Datsun Comp ¼” belt drive system.

[grretc]

Wow... Look at all that goodness

[AZ-240z]

Jerry, what car is all of this hardware for?

[240260280z]

Arggghhh thar be me Treasure lad!

[JLPurcell]

Jerry, what car is all of this hardware for?

For the most part extra parts. I am now looking for another parts car. I want to take another Z apart and photo and categorize fastener / finish / location for all fasteners in the car then replate all of them to have a complete set. I believe that the lock washer were integrated into the fasteners in 72 prior to that the washers and lock washers were loose. Anyone weigh in on that? JLP

Edited January 7, 2013 by JLPurcell

[CDM]

Jerry

I really like the fact that you are doing some of the stuff that we go through on most of these jobs and the zinc plating is one of those thankless jobs that take a long time and many trips and ways of cleaning to get something usable. There have been multiple ways to try and get the zinc done right and I have to say I am envious of those who say well I just took it in all rusted and dirty and greasey and they gave it back to me all clean and perfect for almost nothing. Not here where I am and not anytime recently for sure. Your parts came out great looking and it sounds like you are getting to know what I go through to try and do this. All the best and great story. By the way be really careful with the super thin springs that make the retractors work when trying to fix the last couple sets your included they will keep snapping off as you try to coil them to tighten them up.

Les