Before I go on, I must say that compared to my MGBs, removing the seats were so freakin easy. I have owned BMWs and Mercedes Benzs for many years, but I have only realized how smart these Germans are when it comes to engineering.

So I am ready o remove the back pad. I know that after removing the screws in the bottom, I must lift up and out to get the back pad out. I must also disconnect the vanity light connection, but what about the lid release knob?

Yes you need to remove it also. Unscrew it by pulling the knob then use something to hold the line and turn the knob.

Yes you have to disconnect the lid release knob. It should unscrew counter clockwise. It also helps to unscrew the lower set belt at the body.

The tabs on the back pad slide up into the brackets on the firewall. To get the pad off pull the bottom of the pad forward so you can slide the back pad down.

Stating the obvious: You will need to remove your seats and center tray too. Someone on 914World turned me on to removing the seats without unbolting. Just slide the seats as far as possible to the dash, then reach under the adjustment track and push up and continue to push the seat forward. It will slide off completely! I wish I had learned that sooner!

Make sure you label your seatbelts (L&R) and don't loose the washers. Keep everything in order.

good tip. I have luckily caught myself in the middle of installing the wrong belt on one side...

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I did not know I had to remove the center tray too

Thanks everyone!

Interesting post Jim.

Not necessary to remove seat belts to remove backpad.

I am trying to do the opposite.

I hope you're not trying to install retractable seat-belts on an early car originally fitted with fixed ones.
The firewall is different.

73 with retractable. The replacement seatbelt is from a 74, am I good?

All good.

HELP.......... okay got everything off. How do I get the new seat belt to un-retract? It is not installed yet.

It has to be vertical, like it would be in the car. There is a pendulum that actuates the locking mechanism, intended more for detecting deceleration than tilting.

--DD

Removed the back pad before and everything
no seatbelt removal necessary!

Any tips for fixing the retracting mode?
Mine are hard to pull out, they stop all the time...

Well, I bolted them on then grabbed the belt with two hands, braced my foot on the threshold and pulled like hell.

Slowly but surely it started to loosen. It took a few times to pull it back and forth until it retracted freely. I now have a working driver's seatbelt

The only small thing is that my new one is chrome (NOS from AA) at the top loop and the passenger side is black. The plastic cover does hide some of it but not all.

Next step while the back pad is off is Dynamat.