Festivas built with future in mind?

[Gomez]

I was at the yard the other day looking for parts and options for my 91 GL. I found a really nice set of side panels in a '88 LX. With a few mods they fit right into my car but I did notice a few things. The '88's didn't have rear shoulder belts (this I knew). But what caught my eyes was that after I removed the panels I saw both mounting holes for the '89 and up cars with rear belts already in the '88 the first year for the car of course. Another thing I noticed was all of the mounting holes for the automatic belts not available until '90.

If you think you know the correct answer I would really like to hear it. Or is this a common manufacturing process of automobiles? I have never gotten as fully involved in any of my cars as I have with both of my Festivas.

[Safety Guy]

I can't comment on the auto belt holes, but the rear shoulder belt mounting points were there since rear 3 points were a little known option. I doubt they were even on any option lists, but supposedly one could ask to have them installed or order a kit.

Karl

[wybnrml]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt In the automatic seat belt section of that wiki page, it says that the US would require a driver side airbag or automatic seat belts in the year 1987 but the deadline was extended to 1990, so they may have just put the mounting holes in anyway just to be safe.

[FestYboy]

the 3 point rear belts are seen in out of contenent cars, along with all the other cool options we never got.

[wybnrml]

the 3 point rear belts are seen in out of contenent cars, along with all the other cool options we never got.

'90+ Festivas had 3-point rear seat belts.

[FestYboy]

i'm talking about earlier ones...