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I remember a posting from one of the forums a few years ago about how seat belts on a pre 51 car had been installed and the owner had decided to modify the seat frame. Have to get mine ready for the upholsterer so hoping that person or anyone else who has done this can elaborate on something that works so I don't try to reinvent the wheel again.

The belt seems like it would have to go thru the frame so the seat can slide properly -- at least on the inside or center belt and there appear to be options. My question is did the belt go thru the curved portion on the top at C and come out above the carpeted foot rest or did you place a slot on the side of the curved portion at B which puts it under the footrest. Slotting anywhere on A seems to be unlikely or have I totally misunderstood and the belt was routed around that portion and anchored somewhere under the seat.

The outside belt seems like it could stay on the seat edge completely out of the frame and anchor to the reinforced plates a few inches behind the seat tracks -- or were those routed inside the frame also.

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Seat belts are a tricky issue because they weren't designed for them. There's some pretty hefty stresses to consider. These old large bumpered X frame cars tended to launch you through the windshield on impacts. Not much of an energy absorbing design like today.
If it's a state requirement, check with the state regulating body. There's way too much liability to comment on something like that from the internet.
My plan is to use race cars standards as I'm going non stock.
You have cosmetic/aesthetic considerations also.

...If it's a state requirement, check with the state regulating body.

Not 100% sure but think it is a Calif requirement. Even if it is not, belts are something I would want.

You have cosmetic/aesthetic considerations also.

That brings up an aesthetic issue having to do with a color question.. This car is a sedan with an easy convenient pillar location so a 3point belt would be nice on the front. Not an easy install for 3 point on the back seat so will just do lap belts. No problems matching the seat color.

Even with tan piping on the seats, the cars color combination of navy seats and tan pillars matching the headliner brings up a quandary for the front belts. Installing the 3 point belts and going navy to match the seats would mean a dark stripe running up the tan pillars. Using tan belts to blend with the pillar would stand out against the seats. Guess the safest way to avoid the problem is just forget about 3 point and stay lap belt only but am curious what others would do.

Howard, Interesting project. Fish n' Jim make a good point about energy absorbing forces. 3-point belts would be preferred. As you are most likely aware they are available in a variety of lengths, buckle types, and colors. Main concern would be the mountings on the door pillars. PackardV8 (I believe) is the one who installed a set of 3-point belts in his V-8. Sometime back he posted a memorable photo showing the results. Perhaps he can offer some suggestions on reinforcing the pillar locations. I would not be too concerned about color choices for the belts, either should work equally well.

(o{}o)

I'm still kicking the 3 point around. The 47 sedan pillar is for the most part a heavy box affair and appears to be thicker metal than the floor. Using the install kit the company offers and their reinforcing plate I think the pillar strength will be OK -- certainly better than nothing at all. Another poster had dimensions of where slots were cut into his seat frame and anchor points were located on the floor for lap belts. With maybe a small change on the outward anchor points, those dimensions should work for the 3 point also but the color clash is what is giving pause. The tan piping doesn't look as horrible next to the blue as I thought it would so maybe blue belts running up the tan pillar won't either.

In Calif, you are only required to have seatbelts if the car was originally equipped with them. So just like smog rules, our Packards are exempt.

For a lap belt, there are multiple ways to do it.

No matter what, you may want to consider using stronger bolts where the seat attaches to the floor and under-structure and use hardened steel washers or steel plate under the beneath the under-structure to prevent the bolts from pulling through the floor in an impact.

I'm not 100% confident that the Packard seat adjusted mech would hold in a serious impact. So the potential of the seat at least sliding forward on it's track is possible. If the belt was attached to a fixed point (floor, etc) then you become the absorber between the belt and the seat if the seat adjuster mech fail and the seat slides forward in a crash. Not sure how realistic or not this concern can be, but something to think about. But then again, that is how most modern cars are also. With the belt not fixed to the seat. But modern seats I would imagine have much stricter rules as far as design and how they perform in crash.

Just some things to think about.