Original Seat Belt Colors

[Matthew Devereux]

I'm just wondering what seat belt colors were available with a tan interior back when Porsche started putting seat belts in the 356. I'm just getting ready to order some 3 point non-retractable belts from SeatBeltPlanet and was trying to decide between tan and black. Its not my biggest dilemma this week

[Barry Brisco]

Matthew, I'm doubtful that 356 belts installed at the factory were offered To customers in more than one color, but my suggestion for you when installing new belts in your black/tan car is to go with black, as it will be difficult to closely match a modern tan colored belt to your tan upholstery and two different shades of tan will look odd in my opinion. Black belts will look good in your car.

Best regards,

[Charlie White]

Early factory accessory seat belts looked like these pictures provided to me for my website by Jon Bunin. They didn't come in an assortment of colors.

http://derwhites356literature.com/LittleKnownFacts.html
Scroll down.

CW

[Richard Milstead]

Guys,
There were actually two styles of "Factory" seatbelts depending upon the era you are talking about. The earlier (A and T5B) style were what is showwn in Charlie's post above. They changed the seat belts sometime around the T6B timeframe to include lap only, shoulder only, and combined lap and shoulder versions. The attachment method was also updated at the same time to the more modern clip method. Unfortunately Porsche never changed its accessory brochure pictures to reflect the difference but did show the new belts in the Dealer accessory catalog in October '62 (which can be seen on Charlie's web site. Only one color was provided for either style. I have attached pictures of a second set of the early ones

php5xO41OAM.jpg (10.65 KiB) Viewed 6247 times

The pictures of the T6B/C style from the Accessory Catalog (Dealer)

php1E1U3ZAM.jpg (5.72 KiB) Viewed 6247 times

phpNF8Pz4AM.jpg (6.77 KiB) Viewed 6247 times

And a picture of an example of the later style from Paul Hatfield's "Engines in Back" web site

php5pQsGqAM.jpg (31.08 KiB) Viewed 6247 times

Most of the Factory seat belts were delivered in European cars although it is certainly possible that a US delivery car could have had them. Most US cars got Dealer supplied aftermarket seat belts instead. These came from various manufacturers often with pasted on Porsche crests (instead of the pasted on Wolfsburg crests put on VWs at the same dealerships). All that I can recall seeing had black belts but I presume other colors like tan were available as well. Also seat belts were available as aftermarket accessories from J C Whitney and other sources that presumably were also available in different colors.
Hope all of this helps.

Dick Milstead

[Charlie White]

I second Dick's comments.

CW

[Barry Brisco]

They changed the seat belts sometime around the T6B timeframe to include lap only, shoulder only, and combined lap and shoulder versions.

Hi Dick,

Thanks for the great info! And if you hadn't posted a vintage photo of the "shoulder only" version I wouldn't have believed it. That's crazy!

Best regards,

[Matthew Devereux]

Thanks for all the great info guys.

[Bill Block]

Does anybody have a source for the silver seat belt webbing used in all (to my knowledge) factory T6/C 356s? See richard MIlstead's last color photograph.

bill block

[Matthew Devereux]

Color selection doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. Here is what Seat Belt Planet has
http://www.seatbeltplanet.com/shopping-cart/swatches/

To complicate things I thought a heavy/coarse webbing might be more vintage looking. Vintage Seat Belts has a few colors. http://www.vintageseatbelts.com/product ... rm=webbing

[Etienne Kerkhoffs]

Does anybody have a source for the early style seat belt webbing that was used in the A/T5 models? Or maybe someone has a few feet of this webbing lying around....

[Matthew Devereux]

Here is a link to some vintage webbing. Would it have been cotton originally?
http://www.nationalwebbing.com/commodit ... on-webbing

[Etienne Kerkhoffs]

Thanks, I'll take a look what they have or otherwise mail them.

[Brad Ripley]

Here's a UK source that seems to have the correct-looking webbing weave, at least for the Hickok belts. http://www.quickfitsbs.com/components_colours.php

[Max Handley]

Anyone have these as originally supplied in there C Model ?

Found the Rupert engraving on the back of seat clasp. Ruperts were a common period accessory and some were dealer installed with Porsche engraved on the aluminum clasp.

[Richard Milstead]

Max,
The main question is: are they listed on your Kardex (COA)? They appear different from the seat belts supplied by the factory as shown in the accessories catalog (see pictures above). Most "factory" seatbelts appear to be associated with European delivery cars. The engraved "Porsche" is interesting but generally unless documented elsewhere it is best to assume that what the "Factory" depicted in the catalog is what they supplied. It is, of course, possible that Porsche changed suppliers or the supplier changed the buckles, etc on the belts but if they do not appear on the Kardex then most likely they are not factory because of the differences.

Now if they don't appear on the Kardex (COA) then there are several other possibilities. First, they could have been supplied by the dealer. Very possible, as dealers, particularly in the US, sold these as accessories (they were not at the time required by Fed law). Most US dealers seem to have supplied another style with an applied Porsche crest (VWs came with an applied Wolfsberg crest). I am attaching a picture of this style, which often was used in early 911 series cars as well. Second, they could be period aftermarket. Finally, they could be a later addition. It is, I suppose possible that they were supplied at the factory but left off the Kardex or incorrectly translated on the COA but unless you have actual documentation that definitely identifies them as "Factory" I think that is a rather remote possibility.

Hope this helps.

Dick Milstead