Seatbelt Delete (Rear Center)
09-26-2005, 02:00 PM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 49
Seatbelt Delete (Rear Center)
I’d never want to submit anyone to the torture of the center rear seat in the tC, so I don’t need a center rear seatbelt. I figured I’d clean up the looks of the rear seat area by hiding the center belt. This is a reversible modification, but can’t be undone quickly.
Tools needed:
- pliers
- socket set
- razor blade (optional)
Parts needed:
- small piece of black cloth
- zip ties (optional)
Before:
Tilt the right side seat back forward and pull back the spring loaded gap cover.
You’ll find that the back of the seat is mostly zippered on, with a few metal rings along the bottom.
Spread the rings apart with pliers and remove them. If you have some zip ties to use during reassembly, you can just throw the rings away.
Unzip the cover and this is what you’ll see. Pop off the plastic cover.
Pull up on the front of the seat bottom cushion on each side to disengage the clips, and then slide the cushion forward a few inches. You’ll see the mounting point for the end of the center seatbelt. Remove the bolt and the end of the seatbelt. Then screw the bolt back in so it will be there if you ever need it.
Pop off the small cover that the seatbelt comes through on the top of the seat back and slide the belt out of the slit. This cover can be a real pain, but you’ll get it.
Run the belt back through the opening in the top of the seat back, lay the belt down back over the retraction mechanism, and tuck the end in as shown.
Replace the large plastic cover, making sure you get the hooks engaged. Then zip the fabric cover back on and replace the metal rings (or use zip ties).
Route the latch end of the center seat belt as shown.
Replace the seat bottom cushion, making sure to engage the hooks properly. Also be sure that the latches for the outer two seatbelts show through their cutouts. Push the cushion all the way back and then pound down on the front edge to seat the clips.
Replace the small cover in the opening at the top of the seat back. Use some black felt or other fabric on the underside to block the opening. The best solution would be to wrap the entire cover in the same fabric as the seat, but I’m not that ambitious.
Now, doesn’t that look better?
To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.
Tools needed:
- pliers
- socket set
- razor blade (optional)
Parts needed:
- small piece of black cloth
- zip ties (optional)
Before:
Tilt the right side seat back forward and pull back the spring loaded gap cover.
You’ll find that the back of the seat is mostly zippered on, with a few metal rings along the bottom.
Spread the rings apart with pliers and remove them. If you have some zip ties to use during reassembly, you can just throw the rings away.
Unzip the cover and this is what you’ll see. Pop off the plastic cover.
Pull up on the front of the seat bottom cushion on each side to disengage the clips, and then slide the cushion forward a few inches. You’ll see the mounting point for the end of the center seatbelt. Remove the bolt and the end of the seatbelt. Then screw the bolt back in so it will be there if you ever need it.
Pop off the small cover that the seatbelt comes through on the top of the seat back and slide the belt out of the slit. This cover can be a real pain, but you’ll get it.
Run the belt back through the opening in the top of the seat back, lay the belt down back over the retraction mechanism, and tuck the end in as shown.
Replace the large plastic cover, making sure you get the hooks engaged. Then zip the fabric cover back on and replace the metal rings (or use zip ties).
Route the latch end of the center seat belt as shown.
Replace the seat bottom cushion, making sure to engage the hooks properly. Also be sure that the latches for the outer two seatbelts show through their cutouts. Push the cushion all the way back and then pound down on the front edge to seat the clips.
Replace the small cover in the opening at the top of the seat back. Use some black felt or other fabric on the underside to block the opening. The best solution would be to wrap the entire cover in the same fabric as the seat, but I’m not that ambitious.
Now, doesn’t that look better?
To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.
nice... i'll have to do this because i hate driving people in the back. one less the better.
09-26-2005, 06:10 PM
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Morgan, Utah
Posts: 1,182
Great tutorial!
We just did the same thing ourselves two days ago, lol! But, we never have time to make tutorials, so glad you did
I really wanted to delete the center head rest but it looks pretty bad when out and especially when taking out the plastic guides it slids into.
Rick
We just did the same thing ourselves two days ago, lol! But, we never have time to make tutorials, so glad you did
I really wanted to delete the center head rest but it looks pretty bad when out and especially when taking out the plastic guides it slids into.
Rick
09-27-2005, 01:16 AM
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 95
Re: Rear Center Seatbelt Delete
Originally Posted by sdparks
I’d never want to submit anyone to the torture To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.
be careful about this. if the seatbelts break (many miles from now) the information on those tags becomes important. when ordering a new one, sometimes there is more than one manufacturer and you need to know which one.
09-27-2005, 01:54 AM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 395
Re: Rear Center Seatbelt Delete
Originally Posted by tCtech
Originally Posted by sdparks
I’d never want to submit anyone to the torture To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.
be careful about this. if the seatbelts break (many miles from now) the information on those tags becomes important. when ordering a new one, sometimes there is more than one manufacturer and you need to know which one.
I'm sure they could just come on here and ask someone to look it up for them.
09-27-2005, 02:43 AM
#10
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Morgan, Utah
Posts: 1,182
Just thought of a nice way to clean up the center seatbelt trim plastic
I will glue some black grill cloth over it, I am quite good at upholstery work so this will be very simple to do.
Rick
I will glue some black grill cloth over it, I am quite good at upholstery work so this will be very simple to do.
Rick
10-11-2005, 02:25 AM
#12
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 49
Originally Posted by raamaudio
Just thought of a nice way to clean up the center seatbelt trim plastic
I will glue some black grill cloth over it, I am quite good at upholstery work so this will be very simple to do.
Rick
I will glue some black grill cloth over it, I am quite good at upholstery work so this will be very simple to do.
Rick
01-23-2008, 12:00 AM
#19
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: On Your 6
Posts: 539
right on. i hate 3 people in the rear anyway. good write up. why didn't i see or hear about this before? geez, i bought mine way back in 05. next day off, belt comes off.
bummer i have leather 'cause what do i do to cover the hole, asides from leaving the guide in?
bummer i have leather 'cause what do i do to cover the hole, asides from leaving the guide in?
01-23-2008, 12:33 AM
#20
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,085
my rear seat is ALWAYS folded down. my amps are drilled to those 2 wood pieces behind the seats and when my seats are up they just fall backwards. i never have more than one passenger anyways. and my sub box takes up most of my trunk so when my rear seat is up i have ZERO cargo room in the back of the car unless i throw all my ____ in the back seat and i dont like doing that cause its hard to get to sometimes.