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DO NOT BUY A FORD!!!! What do I do....(updated 9-20-07)

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koolmoecraig:

--- Quote from: ChadTower on September 12, 2007, 07:35:41 am ---
An extra 1500 pounds of steel will do more good than 37 years of safety advancement in an aluminum and plastic can.  Slam into a 72 Buick with anything other than a Hummer and see what happens.

--- End quote ---

With a low speed impact yes. With a high speed or head-on collision it's just not true at all. Pure myth. 

What aluminum cans do you speak of?  With a few exceptions, Audi is the pretty much the only manufacturer using aluminum in their frames and unibodies.  And it's an extremely high strength aluminum.  Also, steel technology has come a long way my friend.  I read recently that the high strength steel currently in use by most manufacturers wasn't even invented 10 years ago.  Modern cars are far and away more safe.  Cars now are designed to dissipate the crash energy similar to a Formula 1 car or Indy car.  To spread the impact forces around the entire car and not just one area.

Here is a Top Gear video for you:



It's no '72 Buick but the Volvo outweighs that Renault by a good 1000lbs. AND it's a Volvo which is known to be the maker of the safest cars on the road. You might be surprised at the result.

I'll take air bags, properly engineered crumple zones, high strength steel and modern engineering. Let me know how that lap belt and the "collapsible" steering column hold up in that Buick.  That is if the giant bellhousing of the transmission doesn't kill you on it's way up through the 35 year-old stamped steel floors.

How about a side impact?  Any door beams in the Buick? Nope.  Airbags? Nope. Just a nice, shining panel of steel and a window regulator.

How about avoiding the accident in the first place?  A 4500lb car with single piston caliper front discs(if you are lucky) and drum brakes in the back. Yeah, good luck with that in a panic situation.

Maybe you can do some evasive maneuvering to avoid the accident.  Hows the handling and road feel with that overboosted steering rack?(required because the car is so heavy) and leaf spring rear suspension? Hahaha.

I love old cars dearly but safe they aren't in any way shape or form.

koolmoecraig:
Here is a great article on this:

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-SUV-Safety.html

"vehicle quality is a more important safety consideration than weight was evident in the wide range in risks between different subcompact and compact models. The safest small cars, the Volkswagen Jetta and Honda Civic, were shown to be twice as safe as the comparably sized Chevrolet Cavalier, Ford Escort, and Dodge Neon."

It's not just the size but the quality of the engineering.  Once again American manufacturers at the bottom of the list.

"In looking at all vehicles, cars designed by Honda and Toyota consistently are safer, and weigh less, than comparable cars designed by domestic manufacturers."

It's more than an issue of mass.

Texasmame:
"I think we threw a rod."

"Is that bad?"

 ;)

koolmoecraig:
Blues Brothers!

The second movie I ever saw.  Star Wars was first.

meismr:
I had a big old car (Chrysler Cordoba) that got rear ended.  The lady who hit me cracked her radiator and the front bumper flew all over.  The thing looked totaled.  My Cordoba's rear bumper was pushed in a little bit but that was all.  Her air bag went off and was OK and walked over to check on me.  I however had my bell rung even though I braced myself.  I think older cars had the mindset of protecting the car in the hopes that the passengers inside would benefit.  The newer cars sacrifice the cars instead of the passenger.  Me I have two little girls, I'll gladly sacrifice my car every crash... 
Thanks,
Eric

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