were 1963 ford ranchero's built with, or without seat belts? (i got a ticket)

Dopes the ticket mention anything about how many people were in the car, or if anyone was wearing belts? If not, just go to court and say the car was built before seatbelts were mandatory.

 

I wonder how this would have gone down if there were only 2 in the front ,with belts on and 2 were in the back bed ,obviously without belts...My question then, why is it legal to ride passengers in the bed of a pickup truck without belts and illegal to ride in the cab without belts ???? Seems like here in NC ,the bed passengers have to be older than a certain age..and the total number is limited...and they have to be sitting on the floor of the bed......It all seems strange

 

you guys are ALL wrong. the correct solution would be to get shitfaced drunk before you drive, then the cops would not have even noticed the seatbelt violation.

 

My 63 Studebaker did not come with seatbelts and still has no seatbelts. I argued this point and won. In California you need seatbelts to ride in the bed, so that won't work.

 

I'm pretty sure U.S. Federal law called for front seat belts on and after Jan 1, 1965.
I think rear seat belts were mandated Jan 1, 1966.
Shoulder belts became mandated for Jan 1, 1969 for outboard front passengers.
Most auto makers started the installations at the beginning of the model year and offered to optionally delete them before the Federal start date and for export.

Holes for front belts were included Jan 1, 1964.
Holes for shoulder belts were included after Feb 1, 1966 on my Corvair.
I'm pretty sure that included all Chevrolets after that date.

 

Hahahaha, my daily is a '63 ranchero and i've done the same thing as well, its a tight squeeze but very possible. but back to the subject...
My Ranchero "DID NOT" come from the factory with seatbelts, it didn't have any holes in the floor for the lap belts or anything. i had to add the belts in my car myself, drilled the holes and everything.

 

66 was the cutoff year from what i know... but if you have them in whatever year car and you do not have them on is where you can get the ticket. if you have them yr supposed to use them..

 

Its prolly a lot bigger on the inside when its not all smashed in.

 

i'm pretty sure ,unless the law has been changed in california since...anything older than 68 does not require seat belts unless it originally came equiped with them.

 

A 1963 vehicle that was equipped with "optional" seatbelts, probably still didn't have belts for the center seating position. My 64 Oldsmobile had front seatbelts as standard equipment....but that is it, no middle belts and no back seat belts. Makes it fun to try to put a baby's car seat in the old cars.

 

I have an origional 1975 Chevy C30 with lap belts only there is a place for a shoulder belt but they have factory plugs in the holes it did not come with shoulder belts.When I had it on the road i got stopped several times because cops could not see a shoulder strap in my rear window my lap belts were always on and i did not get any tickets mostly because I had the owners manual that said shoulder belts could be gotten as an option.Ford offered seat belts as an option in 63 and in the front seat only.My wifes 65 Bel Air 4 door bought new was listed as a 6 passenger but came with only 4 seat belts.My wife and I were stopped several times in my 95 escort wagon and we too had on just the lap belt because the damn motorised shoulder belts kept jamming and here in Ct. did not get ticketed because we had on our "seat belt" apparently as written you are required to wear a "seat belt "if it was a "passenger restraint"worded law we could have been ticketed and fined.If there are passenger restraints in a vechile you are required to use them year doesn't matter,And in Ct."Composite Vehicles "read that "Hot Rods "in our case are required to have lap belts in them!In Ct. anyone over the age of 17 not wearing a belt gets the ticket NOT the operator.A minor not wearing a belt is a heavy fine to the operator,And the vehicle doesn't move until the problem is corrected.If you have more passengers than belts someone has to come and pick up the extra passengers and prove all are belted in before that car can move

 

Tell the guys whose ass you saved when THEY broke down that they owe you pizza and beer(unless it's a very expensive ticket...then tell them they owe you for that....after all, it really should be theirs). Pay the ticket and everyone can get on with fun stuff.

 

first off to the guy on the first page saying something about his buddy sending pics of the bellhousing for me, im sorry i never got back to him, ive been to busy trying to figure out this whole stuff ive gotten myself into and im sorry.


now, to the ranchero seat belt thing.... soooo.....

on my ticket, it has absolutley NOTHING saying there were 4 people in the ranchero, it says NOTHING about whether we were wearing, or werent wearing seat belts, and it says NOTHING about how many seat belts, if any, there are.


now, my 58 ford fairlane needs seatbelts. i can go out, buy two, and take that receipt to court with me, and tell the judge that the ranchero was built in a year that seatbelts were optional, and that i should be exempt from paying this traffic ticket, because i went out and bought some seat belts for the thing (even though the ranchero already has some, but he wouldnt know that)

 

Things don't work out like that. You weren't given a fix it ticket first of all, so you won't be able to show a reciept for you purchasing a new set of belts, even if you did you'd need a letter from CA. CHP department showing you brought the car by there offices and they would give your car a once over and they sign you off that all is well.
But since you were given an actual ticket stating you had passengers with no seatbelts that is a whole other story. you were in fact using seatbelts you had in your car, but 2 of your passengers weren't. i think you can get yourself out of this problem but you need to print out the code showing what the actual cut off year for cars mandatory for having seatbelts, and it would need to be from the actual book i.e. the CHP/ Police Rule Book or CA DMV rules. not too bad just check out the CA DMV website or CHP rule Book, and browse through that section online, find what you need and print it out dude. after you print it out be sure to show it to the judge.

P.S. just cause your ticket shows nothing about having extra passengers in the car don't be suprised if the cop wrote notes in his log book. some of them are prepared, but then again, alot of others aren't. Good luck dude!

 

How many people here have owned 63 impalas??OMG on my 63 it had the factory opitoned front lap belts. they were removable with a hook dealy that hooked on to eyebolts in the floor. two passengers in the front only..... are you guys saying that with the current laws that you can now only have two people in a car like this??? if the belts were never installed in the rear how can they be required??? wouldnt that open a whole new world of liability lawsuits if installed improperly??The whole seatbelt dealy is really has some gapping holes when it comes to older vehicles. just my opinion

 

The main problem seems to be that "the law" is subject to interpritation of the officer at the scene ,And according to a lawyer here that handled a case for me "Don't think for 1 minute cops know the laws they are supposed to enforce ".Their best defense is that most people will pay a 100$ or less fine than go through the grief of fighting a ticket,And here in Ct. the cop doesn't have to show up in court !

 

once you put in seatbelts you can be ticketed for not wearing them in any year car. do oyou have them in your car now?

 

Dude, you must of had 3 thin 18yr old girls in the car with you! My brother has a 62 rachero, and if we had to, could maybe fit a 3rd person, but 4?? no way!!!
besides everything else, Ive never seen a car with a bench have 4 belts. Everyone riding in the car needs one, so 4 people on one seat isnt too good. I had 4 adults in my 79 full size chevy truck and even that was way uncomfortable. and yes, one person didnt have a belt. guilty.

 

Stipulation on Tickets will only get you so far to be honest, i was riding with my freind and a cop pulled us over just to give me a ticket in the passanger seat, on the ticket it says i was operating a motor vehicle, did i dispute the ticket? no not going to go to the judge and argue a moot point when i was in the wrong.

The police here where i live are vary familiar with the law and after asking 4 of them that patrol here they say to quote " if it wasnt equipted originally with seatbelts and theres non in the car then theres no justification to a ticket, but i dont care if its a 32 ford if you add seatbelts too it and dont wear them you will get a ticket"

I dunno about you but i wouldnt waste my time in court to argue this one unless you have nothing else better to do with a hour or two of your time.

 

I live a little bit north of Bako... I do know that around here... you're screwed when you walk into court and try to fight your ticket. Imagine this.....

Scenario #1: You pay the bail on the ticket.... $90 - 180 bucks... right? You were cited for 2 passengers right? Paid in full... cash out of pocket, no points... right?

Scenario #2: You appear in court, not having paid your bail... instead, armed only with a reciept for $40 dollars worth of seatbelts...and the hope that the judge is as stupid as the cop......the judge listens (not really... hes actually playing solitare on that laptop he's looking at) and finds you guilty... because he LIKES cops... and thinks seatbelts should be mandatory in everything regardless of what the law actually says. Grey area works both ways.... and now the Judge FINES you, IN ADDITION to the bail amount on the ticket... which is usually standard per violation, and you pay BOTH.
My wife works at the courthouse here and sees that shit ALL THE TIME... my .02

 

I didn't think it could happen, but I when I lost fighting a reckless driving ticket not only did the fine increase, but I got to spend the afternoon in jail and 3 years of probation. 20 years later it still makes me shake my head.

 

Your right on the best defense part....but wrong on the dont know their law part...A good officer knows his law that he enforces...I'm a officer and I guage how good an officer is (in traffic law) by how much time he/she is called into traffic court...The large # of us are rarely called into traffic court, I've been 3 times in the last two years and those three people lost....cause I take notes on my copy of the ticket and I dont cite folks for inconsiquential BS and my courts know this....

 

I'm not sure where all of you guys get off saying that he deserved it, so he should pay it...

Pre-60 something cars in california are not required to have seatbelts. Go look it up on the CA DMV site under vehicle code. When you go to court, don't say shit about how many people you had in the car, just mention the section of the vehicle code and that your car is a 1963.

You didn't break the law, it's as simple as that.

Im not sure HOW you fit 4 people in the front... tho...

Hell, now I can't find the exemption in the vehicle code... It's in there somewhere...

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd12c5a3.htm

 

ive heard that belts have been required in cars since 58 and in trucks since 72, dont hold me to it cause ive never looked up the law but my truck has 2 seats and 2 belts and i dont pull out till the belt gets buckled and granted ive had a 3rd in there once in a while i just take back roads and what not if theres dui checkpoints out that i know about


but you having 4 people in a 3 at most seater car doesnt help belts or not, goodluck with it and do the best you can to fight what of you can and maybe youll get lucky and get it reduced atlest

trust me i know how this city works

 

How about 1966 for both? although they seem to have been standard equipment in the front of most 65 cars too, and in some other cars before then.

If the car does not have nuts welded onto the floor, then odds are pretty good it didn't come with seat belts from the factory.

 

Law here...... far as I've been told by cops.... is that as long as all seatbelts in the vehicle, car or truck, are being used properly (no doubling)... and the driver is unobstructed, you can have as many people as you want in there.

 

Law here is the same, and I have 4 belts in one of my pickups, and used to haul the 3 boys with me before they grew up.

 

well court was tuesday and i ended up paying 50 bucks. i did show him paper work saying in 63 seatbelts were optional but he didnt really wanna listen i could tell. i tried defending my case though! but yea just thought i'd tell everyone who was wondering.

 

Got a seat-belt ticket in my `55 Customline a few years ago...I went to court and it was dropped because the car did not come with them originally.

 

From what I have heard if the car did not come with belts you do not need them. However, once you add them you have to wear them or you can be ticketed. But there were not enough for them to wear them so that makes it more complicated.

I also thought that if the person was over 16 they got the belt ticket for not wearing them but I have heard they were going to start ticketing the drivers for those violations too.

You can fight it. I believe if the cop does not show up they toss it...right? if he shows up and they do sometimes you will probably lose because of having too many people in the seat to be properlly belted up.

is it an expensive ticket? if not, just pay it and move on. if it is in the hundreds...fight it.