Shoulder harness mounting options

["MSI: John Christensen" <JohnC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am putting 5-point harnesses in my '69 GTV and am a little confused about
the best way to mount the shoulder harnesses.  One option is an AutoPower
roll bar modified to accept harnesses on both the driver and passenger
sides.  I'm not crazy about this option since AutoPower mounts the roll bar
directly to the floor rather than the sills.  It may be anal, but I really
don't want to cut up my interior for a roll bar that doesn't maximize its
ability to stiffen the chassis or add protection in a roll over -- the sills
are a hell of a lot stronger than my rust prone floor.

A local shop that does great work can make a very strong roll bar for about
$600.  Alternatively, they can build a harness bar designed to handle the
stress of direct harness attachment for about half that amount.  Given how
much the new seats, seat brackets and harnesses cost, I'd rather not spend
an extra few hundred dollars, so neither of these options are too attractive
to me.

The last option is to remove the rear seatback, use 4"x4" metal backing
plates (as per SCCA regulations) to reinforce the metal panel that blocks
off the trunk and then attach the harnesses to these new mounts.  I like
this approach since it's a LOT cheaper than any of the above.  Has anyone
looked into this last method?  I'm concerned that the panel isn't
structurally strong enough -- even with reinforcement -- to handle the
forces generated by shoulder harnesses in a collision.   Any thoughts?

Thanks,
John
Seattle, WA
'69 GTV

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