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From: dan@digi-g.UUCP (Dan Messinger)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.consumers
Subject: Re: shoulder belt
Message-ID: <275@digi-g.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 5-Oct-84 09:08:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: digi-g.275
Posted: Fri Oct  5 09:08:27 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 7-Oct-84 02:34:21 EDT
References: <4924@brl-tgr.ARPA>, <263@digi-g.UUCP>, <463@watdcsu.UUCP>
Organization: DigiGraphic Systems Corp., Mpls.  MN
Lines: 40

>The problem with the malpositioned shoulder belts is limited to
>American cars; European and Japanese cars have the seat belt spool
>mounted on the floor, with a loop (?) on the door post for the
>shoulder belt.  This allows infinitely better positioning than having
>the spool (or the other end, for that matter) on the ceiling.

I basically agree.  My Mustang, however, has the belt spool mounted low and
inside the wall, with just a loop to pass the belt through mounted near
the ceiling.  This loop is mounted too high!  And actually, I have only
noticed this problem in Fords.  My wife has had no problems with the
seatbelts of Toyotas, Hondas, Chevettes, AMC Concords, and our full size
Blazer.  All of these vehicles that I am familiar with have mounted the
loop in a proper (lower) position that works well for short people.

One note about the Chevette.  The loop is mounted to the end of an ~8 inch
steel bar that holds the loop down from the ceiling.  The bar is swivel
mounted so it does not obstruct the doors when getting into the car.  
If I had thought of this eight years ago, I would have attempted to
install a simialar device in my Mustang.  But even the auto makers had
not though of this eight years ago..... :-)

And while I'm in the process of flaming Ford's designs, another thing
I don't like is the headrests.  (or has this been discussed already)
I thought that head rests were meant to reduce whiplash during an
accident.  The headrests in my Mustang are positioned 6 to 8 inches
behind the drivers head.  I was rear-ended a while back (not seriously,
but I did have a sore neck for a few days) and I don't think my head
came close to hitting the headrest.  I have noticed the same thing
in other Fords.  In non-Ford vehicles, the headrests are only 1 or 2
inches behind the drivers head.  This seems much more functional.
Is it really only Ford that mounts the headrests so far back?  Is there
a good reason for mounting headrests 6 to 8 inches behind the drivers
head instead of 1 to 2 inches?

(I bet some of you are wondering why I ever bought this Mustang that
I complain about so much.  Well, I didn't.  It was my wife's before
we were married.)

Dan Messinger
ihnp4!umn-cs!digi-g!dan