Daytonas - myth vs. reality

There has been a lot of myths around these cars, and all Ferraris in general, and after watching friends get deductions for correct items on their cars at Concours events, and re-painting parts of their car that were correct to begin with, I would like to try and put some of these to rest. And, hopefully, find out new things. I do feel for the Judges of these cars. Ferrari built a lot of them over four years in an environment of ever changing regulation. As such, they made a lot of running changes that never hit the spare parts manuals. So the following is based on research on a number of cars and is the best information I have at this time. Further research may reveal new information. And, as before, pictures will be used.

The first post, based on some questions I received in email, is on the seat belts. An ex-Judge made a comment on a site dedicated to Daytonas that USA cars had Klippan 562 seats belts, and then I understand he modified that to that some USA Daytona Coupes may not have had Klippan 562 belts, but that all Spyders did. This not entirely accurate.

1970 and 1971 build date USA Coupes and Spyders use Klippan 517RP belts. So did the European cars at this time. The only difference in that the USA cars carried a DOT label on the belt, the Euro cars did not. I suspect that very early cars used a different belt. My very early car, 10th built, used a lap belt only. I'm not sure if that is correct. My 1971 Euro car used the 517RP. On Jan 1, 1972, the USA DOT required all cars to use a retractable seat belt system and a seat belt warning buzzer. The Klippan 562 is the retractable system. The next pictures are of the 562 belt system. The wire you see in the picture connects to the seat belt warning buzzer system on the passenger side. The last picture is of the sensor underneath the passenger seat. The sharp eye will know these are off a late USA Daytona Spyder. Spyder seats don't have the rake adjustment of Coupes.

Steve
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The first three pictures of a Klippan 517RP that would be found on a 1970 and 1971 build date USA Daytona Coupe and Spyder. I realize that the ex-Concours Judge on the Daytona Registry site states that all Spyders had Klippan 562 belts, but the one I own, a Dec 1971 build date, and the others I've inspected, all have Klippan 517RP belts. You'll see either 1970 or 1971 on the DOT label on these belts.

The last picture is of a Klippan 517RP out of my European 1971 Daytona. As you can see, it looks exactly the same as the USA Klippan 517RP, except no DOT label.

Steve
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This last picture shows the little wire going to interia reel on the drivers side of a 72/73 USA car that connects to the seat belt warning buzzer. The driver's side, unlike the passenger side, just uses an electrical connection. The car in the pictures is a Feb 73 USA Daytona Spyder.

Steve
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Drew,

I guess I wasn't clear. The "push button" as seen on the Klippan 562 was used on all USA Daytonas, or should have been, starting on Jan 1, 1972. Coupes and Spyders. As we do more research, we may find there was another style latch/push button used on the 562, but I haven't seen one yet.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the push button style, as shown, in late Euro cars as well. Heck, it wouldn't surprise me to see a rectractable belt system in the late Euro cars. It would have been on less SKU for Ferrari. But, to date, I've never seen the retractable system in an original Euro car. Only a few Euro cars that came into the USA and were "converted" to do so back when you had to do that sort of thing.

Steve