Golf IV in B and Beetle in C?

[Gary L]

As a side note...... What rule within the ITCS, or GCR, Permits the removal of the factory / stock seat belts?. We have always removed them, but in numerous times I have read the ITCS and GCR, I have never seen the words that state 'It is permitted to remove the factory installed seat belts" Please advise..... Thanks David Ellis-Brown

9.1.3.D.9.e (page 365 of 2010 GCR) reads in part:

e. Front passenger seat, rear seat back, rear seat bottom cushion(s), sun visors, seat belts and their attaching hardware and bracketry may be removed.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Two things:

My general rule on brackets: If it's welded, leave it. If it's bolted in and what it held can be removed, take it out if it does nothing else.

On the Beetle:

That decision was based on Curb weight and estimated potential loss. It WAS a guess, but the logic and data were sound. But also, because it was a twin to the MKIII at the time, it was in interesting case study in what people would migrate to...a heavy car that was right in the target area for pwr/weight, or a lighter car that may not be able to make weight.

[shwah]

Well there is a real ITC Beetle that was just sold by a guy in FL. Hopefully we can get an idea of the weight it hits from the new owner and verify whether it is in the right class.

As far a brackets - the caveat I have to Andy's policy is that if the bracket is NOT present on any iteration of the car on the spec line, it can be removed - welded or not. This is rare, but there are cases for instance where a beefy tow hook is added to the unibody mid life cycle which was not there the years prior. Depending on location I would consider removing that.

If the brackets for systems that are allowed to be removed are present on all cars on the spec line, and there is no specific allowance to remove the brackets, then I would leave them.

[Knestis]

So I can whittle out the bracket that captures the rear seat pivot? And the vertical bracket in front of the main hoop, that supported the seatbelt tensioner? And that big ol' bracket that held up the front of the back seat?

AWESOME SAUCE...!

Kirk (who isn't at minimum weight but can now get closer)

[Knestis]

...and the bracket that supported the rear C-pillar cover and load area cover hardware?

This gets better and better.

K

[Knestis]

Oooh! And the bracket that the original hood catch bolted to...? I probably have to leave the pieces of that, that hold up the radiator... Hmmm.

K

[jjjanos]

So I can whittle out the bracket that captures the rear seat pivot? And the vertical bracket in front of the main hoop, that supported the seatbelt tensioner? And that big ol' bracket that held up the front of the back seat?

AWESOME SAUCE...!

Kirk (who isn't at minimum weight but can now get closer)

"seat belts and their attaching hardware and bracketry may be removed."

2 schools of thought -
A. That's part of the hardware and bracketry that can be removed
-or-
B. The tensioner isn't part of the attaching hardware and you are out of compliance because you lack the tensioner.

[Bill Miller]

"seat belts and their attaching hardware and bracketry may be removed."

2 schools of thought -
A. That's part of the hardware and bracketry that can be removed
-or-
B. The tensioner isn't part of the attaching hardware and you are out of compliance because you lack the tensioner.

Actually, I would argue that the tensioner is part of the seat belt.

Here's the link to that ITC Beetle that Chris mentioned.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...e-F.S.-Florida

Too bad the OP edited out the list of things done to the car. Really curious about how much it weighs.

[Knestis]

"seat belts and their attaching hardware and bracketry may be removed."

2 schools of thought -
A. That's part of the hardware and bracketry that can be removed
-or-
B. The tensioner isn't part of the attaching hardware and you are out of compliance because you lack the tensioner.

...or C. The tensioner, which is intergral to the belt assembly, can simply be unbolted, but the bracket that's welded to the chassis has to stay.

Why is the easiest, most obvious solution not a school of thought...? Not convoluted enough...?



K

[jjjanos]

...or C. The tensioner, which is intergral to the belt assembly, can simply be unbolted, but the bracket that's welded to the chassis has to stay.

Why is the easiest, most obvious solution not a school of thought...? Not convoluted enough...?

How did you describe that piece of metal? "...the bracket..."
So, it's a bracket.

The bracket is integral to an assembly that can be removed, n'est-ce pas?
We are allowed to remove bracketry, n'est-ce pas?
Does that bracket serve any other function?