Hi new on this forum,.
Has anyone fitted either a lap belt or 3 point belt in the centre belt position on ser 3 xj6 .Is it even possible to fit a 3 point belt .Would it pass a engineers report to alter your registration document and to inform your insurance co of carrying 5 passengers instead of 4. Answers applicable to UK and Ireland please
On my 2002.5 Mazda Protegé5, ABS brakes were an option that I did not get. My insurance company says the car has ABS. I tried to clarify that it does not, but they would not listen. I don’t know if your insurance company would be any more open to input. As a general rule, do they inspect your car when you apply for a policy, or do they just take down the make and model?
They dont inspect your car,but, if your registration document says 4 seats (passengers ) and you had 5 people in it and you were involved in an accident caused by someone else it could be a claimed that your car was overloaded and your claim could be rejected by their insurance claim.
Understood. I just dunno how you’d change the registration document, nor whether the insurance company even looks at the registration document, nor whether they would look at it again after you’ve modified the car. I’m also unsure whether an engineer would sign off on the additional belt scheme without some confirmation that the IRS, the brakes, and the entire car could cope with the additional weight of a 5th passenger.
In Ireland or UK you fill out the changes section of the registration document (the same as if you fitted a secondhand engine, it would have a different engine no.) send it off and receive back an amended certificate.
The engineer would be qualified to assess if the car was suitable for the addition of extra passenger and the fitting of extra belt was structually sound . I would think myself a Jaguar would be well able to cope with an extra passenger but you would need his report to give to insurance co if requested .
No doubt. The question is, will an engineer sign off on that? It might be helpful to point to some Daimler limo or something that’s either heavier or carries more passengers but uses the same springs, shocks, IRS and brakes.
Either that, or refer to the original load rating for the car and point out that five passengers don’t add up to that load. Since the original rating probably included luggage in the boot, that might work.
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My jaguar has lap belt fitted ex factory, Ian, imported from UK - and registered for 5 people…
However, whether fitting a missing lap belt would comply with UK/Ireland registration requirements is likely in the lap(!) of the gods…
It should be straight forward fitting the lap belt, but a 3-point one would be a challenge - and compliance uncertain. However, lap belt only, for the 5th person should be fairly common everywhere…?
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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Ian,
All three of my Series III Saloons have a lap belt in the center position of the rear seat as shown in the attached pictures. The first picture shows the rear seat of my 1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas and the second shows the rear seat of my 1990 V12 Vanden Plas. These cars are all Vanden Plas models with the premium trim packages.
If the Vanden Plas models have a center lap belt I can’t see why the base XJ6 wouldn’t be safe with a rear center seat lap belt. It is obviously strong enough for three rear seat belts. Or am I missing something?
Paul
I’m based in the UK and my 1983 Series 3 initially came with no rear seat belts. Not mandatory at the time.
I retrofitted an after market belt kit, 2 three point, and one centre lap belt. Safety standards have moved on. As Jaguar built the cars with anchor points for a centre lap belt and sold them with lap belts too we can only assume they expected them to be used by a 3rd passenger in the rear.
The Series 3 body was made for rear seat belts and has appropriate threaded anchor points - even if certain markets didn’t demand it at the time. It won’t allow for a centre 3-point belt without some work though. Seat belt anchor points have to be structurally ridged enough to withstand the forces applied in the event of an accident. Trying to add one may be problematic.
The UK MOT test doesn’t demand retrofitting in a vehicle that was not fitted with rear seat belts at the time of manufacture. However if you do fit rear belts the MOT tester will test them and expect them to work or will issue a fail.
Thanks all for your replies. I had to get an engineer to inspect my vehicle to get it taxed in Ireland because the V5C listed the chassis no. as beginning with an 8 instead of an S .A common problem when the old brown handwritten tax books were converted to computer, he did a report to say that it was a mistake .I asked him his opinion and he suggested that as long as i told the insurance co. it should be OK.
So that topic should be closed but I am sure i will be on to the members about something else.
P.S. my background is in crash repairs and spraying ,now retired ,and owner of 1953 side valve Series MM Morris Minor and Morris Traveller .
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Your background should fit well with any Jaguar body trouble, Ian - but you Morrises are enviable…
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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