Getting at the Intertia reel belts

[faceman]

The inertia reel belts in the front of my '71 +2S 130/4 have stopped reeling...
How easy to get off are the trim panels in the back, so I can get access to the intertia reel mechanism. I don't have a workshop manual and can't see any obvious screws or clips. I don't want to go pulling at panels willy nilly for fear of bending/breaking or generally knackering something so that I can't put it back on perfectly as it is now. What's the process for removing the trim panels and where and how are they attached. Cheers.

[dgently]

I took this on myself for the same reasons a couple of months ago. I kept closing the door on the belt clip, scratching a pristine sill

I had intended replacing the reels, but in the end I just swapped left and right since my passenger belt gets very little use (and they can put up with the nuisance).

I have a workshop manual, you're welcome to borrow.

DG

[andyelan]

Hi Everyone

On a similar note, could someone please tell me how the trim panels behind the door should be secured on the late Plus 2 S/130 (1973). On my car there are some holes through the trim, but no screws or anything to fix them in place.

I've seen early car with knob thingies in this position (coat hooks??). Were these used on later car too or were just simple screws used to fix the panels in place.

Regards
Andy

[peterako]

Hi Guys,

A few things a 'holding' the rear 1/4 panels and arm rests in place:

1. The parcel shelf (wedges the trailing edge of teh 1/4 panel in)
2. The rear seats...again wedging in the panel...
3. A single bolt doubling as a coat hook at the top of teh panel.
This is held in plce by a nut attached on teh outside of teh fibreglass
got at by removing the air vent grills....

I think that the panels may also be held in place slightly by the door rubber, but may be wrong on this.....

Hopefully this helps....

Peter

[CBUEB1771]

This takes a bit of doing. To remove the rear panels covering the inertia reels start be removing both front seats. These are secured to the floor with four 1/4-20 bolts going into bobbins. You can't get at them all at once, slide the seat all the way back to access the front bolts then all the way foreward to get at the rears. Keep track of the stacks of flat washers used to adjust the seat height and rake. Now remove the rear shelf above the fuel tank, just two self tappers near the front of the shelf. Now remove the two bolts below the forward edge of the rear seat bases. I don't think these go into bobbins, I recall they pass though the fibreglass to nuts under the shell. Lift the two seat bases out. Now you can tug the rear seat assembly forward and remove it from the shell. Next remove the cast flow-through ventilation grilles from the "b" pillars. The trim panels are secured to the shell by the coat hook bosses which pass through the shell and are retained by nuts under the air flow grilles. Now the trim panels should lift out easily at this point. Don't rush, don't pull anything too hard.

[CBUEB1771]

I think that the panels may also be held in place slightly by the door rubber, but may be wrong on this.....

Right you are, forgot that detail.