Saab had a commercial many years ago that showed a late 60's model 96 being put into a roll - it rolled over several times and came to rest on it's wheels - the driver then just simply drove off... I wish I could find that commercial now...

This one is kinda cool, though....

YouTube - Commercial - Saab

 

I think there is a lot of confusion when it comes to accidents with old vehicles and newer ones.

Some guys like the fact an old truck can get into a collision and the truck would be able to drive away or at least be repairable.

The other guys are talking about being able to possibly walk away from an accident in a newer vehicle, regardless of whether it can be driven away or repaired.

But take an older truck with a 5 or 6 point harness and you'll never come within an inch of the steering wheel. And you'll have no worries of the engine, fenders, doors, a-pillars, front wheels etc coming into the passenger compartment.

Think the Smart car is safe?

YouTube - Mercedes S-Class vs. Smart

Josh

 

Yeah, it rolled over but was still intact.

 

you cant tell me that being whipped around like in that smart car is safe. my sister was in an accident in a 74 malibu. she was hit head on by a guy in an early 90s cutlass doing over 60. she was doing about 25. she walked away with a minor seatbelt bruise. if she was in any less of a car, it probably would have been alot worse.

 

when i see small cars like that, well, im usually picking them out of the grilles of my trucks...

 

That '79 vs Escort was the video I was thinking of originally- notice how the dummy's head kisses the hood of the F150...if they'd had a "passenger" in the Escort...Ralph Nader would have put on his dancing shoes...

This old W126 is pretty incredible:
YouTube - Australian Mercedes-Benz S Class commercial - late 80s

The W123 is good too. They drop it on the corner of the roof, and the rear window doesn't even break.
YouTube - Crash test mercedes w123

The Smart is going to be a rough impact- there's not much "crumple" before you get into people-space. But it doesn't crush. It's a Campbell's Soup can instead of a Lite beer can- which one would you want to crush on your forehead?

 

The driver of the Smart Car "died".

Josh

 

anyone got crash test footage of a dentside? thats what i wanna see.

 

Oh, I'm not saying the Smart is a "life box" like that green Aussie Benz. I'm with you there. But it held up nearly infinitely better than the VW microbus, which is what, 3 times the size?

Smart has little/no crumple zone. It's just a really solid tin can. (You'd probably have reasonable luck making a Smart-wannabe out of an F150 cab). And there's a gross mass disparity between a Smart Fortwo and an S-class, which is why the Mercedes stopped and the Smart became a kickball...

My F100 registers about 2.05 tons every time I weight out at the dump, and if that truck got in a wreck, all that inertial energy would be transferred directly to the front/rear bumpers, which are NOT crumple zones (especially the custom-made welded 1/4" plate steel rear).

I predict: older F-series vs Smart = "home run" at the kickball game...

 

very much agreed, bigblue. that would be fun to watch though...

 

Interesting thread but I think one very important point has been missed.
The first and most import safety concern is accident avoidance. If you can manuvre or brake safely and avoid a collision you never have to test the metal of your ride or show up on a you-tube video.
Now, while there is room for argument on wether bulk and shear mass of the old vehicles is better at protecting you than crumple zones and airbags I don't think anyone can argue that newer vehicles handle and stop way better. Better to have a near miss than to compare which vehicle or occupant took the worst beating.

Frank

 

Nice old cars, by the way.

I've heard that early water-cooled VW drivers had a lower-than-average death rate because the cars were so maneuverable- but if you got in a wreck, you were dead. Similar to what you're saying.

If the Smart is maneuverable enough for you, but not fast enough, you can drop a liter-bike 200HP crotch-rocket motor in it:

YouTube - smart GSXR

 

ok, i wont lie, the smart with a motorcycle motor would be kinda fun.

 

Im not a chevy guy but that made me cry they killed a perfectly good peice of history! the thing looked like it was in perfect conditon!!

 

Oh and a story for you all my dad had a malibu when he was a kid(the old good malibu) well he was goin on a wet road you can figure out the rest and went up a gaurd rail and wraped it around a phone poll. he walked away, next week pulled the engine tranny and good parts.. sold them and junked the body...