Seatbelt removal on pre-87 Sierra

[SeanRG]

Hallo, first attempt at starting a thread here so I hope adhered to any rules set!

 

My question is: What is the legality in removing the aftermarket rear seatbelts fitted to my 1983 Ford Sierra L - would it pass an MoT test?

 

For those that don't know of the car yet, I bought 'Sierra in beige' about a month ago as a beginner's project. I don't post about it on the Facebook page because my parents may or may not kill me for buying another..!

 

Anyway it's pretty fooked and this extends to most the seatbelts too. As an optional extra when new, the Sierra was specified without rear ones back in '83 but during it's life gained a lapbelt and a 3-point on the driver's side. The retracting mechanism in the 3-point is shot and the lapbelt looks too rusty to be deemed safe.

 

Can I just remove them as they weren't required when new? I've a modern car to transport people in the back and there is a certain novelty factor too. I do however imagine a vigilant MoT tester would spot signs that the seatbelts used to be there (old anchorage points etc), could they fail it for that?

 

Cheers,

Sean.

[trigger]

As long as they are completely removed you should be fine, Kens white Y reg Ghia doesn't have belts and that passes fine.

[AlabamaShrimp]

As far as I know, They aren't on the test of not fitted so just remove them. More learned posts will follow

[fordperv]

My 84 base didn't have seatbelts and that passed fine my 86 capri laser doesn't have rear belts and that passed fine, iirc rear belts weren't compulsory fit until 1987

 

If they aren't fitted they can't be tested so remove everything

[lisbon_road]

Definitely not required.  My 86 Sierra did not have them from new.  I fitted them - and may have some spares if you want them, not sure.

 

As to having mountings, they would have been there on all shells for markets that needed them.  As an example, my 1967 Vauxhall Viva has the mountings but would for sure not have had belts in the back.

[SeanRG]

As long as they are completely removed you should be fine, Kens white Y reg Ghia doesn't have belts and that passes fine.

The white one? 3-speed auto? I remember seeing the advert online and being impressed with the condition. That one's probably never had rear belts.

[SeanRG]

Yeah my concern is that they were once fitted and they will then be missing come MoT test - rather than it never having seatbelts in the first place. My Emax, that's an '86 that came without rear belts. It had one fitted in the nineties then, going by what a previous owner told me, one MoT tester refused to pass it in 2012 until it had another rear seatbelt for the on the other side.

 

Maybe that MoT tester was wrong?

[fordperv]

You have to remove everything, probably failed it because one side was still in

[greengartside]

Rear belts aren't compulsory on cars registered before 1st April 1987 according to MoT website..

[richardmorris]

I "think" that if they're not there they can't be tested. At the age of your car, they can be removed ( completely) with no issues. For similar reasons I've seen 2cvs tested with no rear belts so that the existing wing rust won't fail it. Not ideal, but if time is pressing...

[Angrydicky]

That will be absolutely fine. My 1985 Maestro had rear seatbelts fitted years ago out of a Maestro in the scrapyard, one of which then jammed. We simply removed them for the MoT. The tester did spot the top mountings where the blanking plates had been removed and gave it an advisory for "Rear seat belts not fitted". However, the latest MoT, at a different garage didn't mention them. I do now have another full set of rear seatbelts from a later Maestro, including a lapbelt, although I'm not even sure if the extra mountings for a lapbelt are present on cars as early as mine.

[Tamworthbay]

I have MOTed cars with a single rear seatbelt and never had an issue, once had an arse covering advisory of 'only one rear seatbelt fitted'.

[uk_senator]

I do now have another full set of rear seatbelts from a later Maestro, including a lapbelt, although I'm not even sure if the extra mountings for a lapbelt are present on cars as early as mine.

Lap belts simply use the main belts 2 centre mountings.

[oldford]

There is no requirement for rear seat belts to be fitted if the car was first used before April 1st 1987, however, if they're fitted - they're testable.