Model A CRASH??

[SkipShift]

I don't know the people involved. If you want to find out their names are on the MARC fb page.

[ursus]

Originally Posted by JBohannon

I believe the most dangerous time for American automobiles would be the late 50's and early 60's. These cars had a lot of power and speed and the last thing on the mfr's mind was safety. It is hard to believe now but we did not even have seat belts. The dashes and instruments in these cars could be extremly dangerous to passengers. Anybody agree or disagree.

Last year I had a chance to drive a 100% stock '57 Chev V8 owned by a friend. When we were in high school it was his mother's car and she kept it until 2002 when he inherited it. With only 52K on the odometer, it was like a new car but definitely handled like cars from that era. It wandered a bit on the freeway at 65MPH, handled oddly in response to variations in road surface, and required a lot of foot pressure on braking. It really brought me back to the cars of my youth and how much improved they now are.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by ursus

Last year I had a chance to drive a 100% stock '57 Chev V8 owned by a friend. When we were in high school it was his mother's car and she kept it until 2002 when he inherited it. With only 52K on the odometer, it was like a new car but definitely handled like cars from that era. It wandered a bit on the freeway at 65MPH, handled oddly in response to variations in road surface, and required a lot of foot pressure on braking. It really brought me back to the cars of my youth and how much improved they now are.

I remember the same thing after driving my 55 Chevy, then buying a 62 Corvair Spyder. The Corvair handled like a fine tuned sports car and the 55 Chevy was like steering a large boat on water.

[Barber31]

My wife loathes driving my 66 impala. It steers fine to me but she says it veers all over the place. I only notice a difference when I hit big bumps.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Barber31

My wife loathes driving my 66 impala. It steers fine to me but she says it veers all over the place. I only notice a difference when I hit big bumps.

Hey Barber,
This thread revival is fate/timely !
Just sold 95 yr old FIL's '66 chev impala...top of the line model with bells/whistles,etc.. In excellent garaged kept low mileage condition..it is to be made into a 'low rider' ? I said that's tooo cheap price FIL says..let it go ! Had to steer EARLY in direction wanted with that big boat,eh !!

Just informed by friend that his friend just got Tboned by an illegal who driving SUV thru red light. The beautiful A pickup , with mechanicals, had OHV head and warmed up engine. The A owner had truck for many decades , since he was teenager.. Sad story, indeed!!

Someone says..most dangerous period was '50s/'60s..agree/disagree.
Well, it all depends on where you live to answer that question today.
I do not remember all the mortality/mayhem , that goes on now with autos...back then. When speeds now are as high ('legally') 80 MPH, how can it possibly be safer from that standpoint alone Now if you live here in lalalaland , where anything goes as far as driving without training/licenses/insurance, illegal, on/on ...you soon would come to realization that it is NOT safer than back when. It used to be that the idea of DEFENSIVE driving was the standard that would maybe keep you somewhat safe. NOT the case out here ! HELTER/SKELTER driving out here IS the case now. Just dwell , for a moment, on the idea of lots of angry/hurried/ discourteous people behind the wheel of a couple ton vehicle that goes like a rocket when pedal to the metal..laws/license be damned.

[montanafordman]

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As far as comparative safety, especially 60s-70s compared to today its 6 of one half a dozen of the other. Back then many people didn't wear seat belts even if they were installed, there were still metal dashes and a lot of inertia with all that metal going down the road and not the safety standards of today - vs. today you have side airbags, crumple zones, but people in an ever increasing hurry and texting and facebooking while they drive down the road in a car that basically drives itself (automatic, smooth ride, good steering etc) vs. a car that takes attention to manage while you drive. Always be looking for the other guy.

[bikejunk]

the lat 50's and early 60 was a boom time for road miles covered at a very high rate of speed in the USA. The auto manufactures had to play catch-up with safety . parts wear was incredible and as I remember in my uncles service station front end parts would come off in his hand, and brakes were worn down to metal on metal, people still believed it was better to be thrown clear and driving drunk was OK , way better now.

[dumb person]

i believe with some attention his pickup truck can be fixed. Maybe someone out there has a dozen axles and will let him use one for his truck.

[Kevin in NJ]

Do not be fooled. The cars of the 50's and 60's had serioius safety issues.

There was a coffee table book of wrecks through the decades. The 50's and 60's cars would shread apart throwing the people.

The problem back then is the body was just parts hung together to look pretty. The fender is the best example. They had a bolts along the top and couple of simple metal brackets at the bottom to keep the fender from flapping. Today the fenders are tied into a box structure and are a crumple zone to absorb energy.

There was the old chevy vs new chevy crash test on youtube. They picked a front 1/4 head on as it would be most dramatic. The new car sheared off the fender and crushed in the drivers area with no problem. While the new car was totaled, it was obvious the passenger compartment was whole and the people unlikely to have had major injuries.

In any event, seat belts are going to increase your survival.

[P.S.]

Kevin, that new vs. old car test you mention was heavily skewed in favor of the new car. The old Impala was stripped of its motor and transmission, therefore removing some of what could have made the old car come out better- a lot of its weight (intertia) and rigidity.

[Barber31]

Hardtimes - it sure does feel like a boat sometimes, trying to make big wide turns.

I also was upset about that old vs new chevy wreck. First, It was so upsetting to see such a great survivor be trashed and with it being an iconic chevy to boot. Then to not do the test 100% apples to apples by removing all the guts of the engine bay was just wrong. What a waste. I bet if they had told the previous owner of that Impala what they had planned to do to it, he would of never sold it to them.

[Barry B./ Ma.]

You have to be on your toes driving today. I think what bothers me most is the people who suddenly appear behind you and will pass even if they can't see ahead enough, that's when I am driving the speed limit . You don't make it safer by pulling over and letting them by as there is always another one behind them, that's why I stick to the back roads. Getting back to the new vs. old test, that 59 Chevy had the wraparound windshield which was popular at the time but it sure compromised the strength of the front end.

[modelAtony]

Originally Posted by 1928Pickuppain

Im wondering how model A hold up in a crash of different speeds dose any one have any pics of model As after crashes im just curious.

NOTICE pictures of wreck's,most all have great damage to front end all the way to cowl. There are very FEW signs of damage from cowl to windshield. I have always noticed this in the wreck pictures. Have also never seen any with signs of fire int the cowl area. I know there must be some but I've never seen this. Have fun modelAtony tony white Lafayette, LA

[Walts50]

As to the issue of safety by years. I was able to look it up, but no longer have the references. IIRC deaths/mile was worse around 1940, and total deaths peaked late 50's 60's because so many more miles driven. There is also a film on-line made in late 50's and not shown to public where they crashed in to test cars with dummies inside. Its pretty bad. One I remember is crash into passenger side and dummie in drivers seat flies right through passenger window. It will make you wear a seat belt.


I'm old enough to recall a general lack of concern for safety in the 50's-60'''s not just cars, but work conditions, etc. Seems like every time we went on a family vacation we saw some crash that was fatal. Blown tires, impaled on poorly designed guard rails, etc.

Drunk driving was socially acceptable then.

I think a restored car with well maintained brakes, cautious driver, radial tires, seat belts, advantages of modern road construction, avoid areas like freeway in rush hour is probably a lot safer than it was in the 50's.

[Walts50]

As to the issue of safety by years. I was able to look it up, but no longer have the references. IIRC deaths/mile was worse around 1940, and total deaths peaked late 50's 60's because so many more miles driven. There is also a film on-line made in late 50's and not shown to public where they crashed in to test cars with dummies inside. Its pretty bad. One I remember is crash into passenger side and dummie in drivers seat flies right through passenger window. It will make you wear a seat belt.


I'm old enough to recall a general lack of concern for safety in the 50's-60'''s not just cars, but work conditions, etc. Seems like every time we went on a family vacation we saw some crash that was fatal. Blown tires, impaled on poorly designed guard rails, etc.

Drunk driving was socially acceptable then.

I think a restored car with well maintained brakes, cautious driver, radial tires, seat belts, advantages of modern road construction, avoid areas like freeway in rush hour is probably a lot safer than it was in the 50's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...n_U.S._by_year

[Walts50]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...n_U.S._by_year

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Barber31

Hardtimes - it sure does feel like a boat sometimes, trying to make big wide turns.

I also was upset about that old vs new chevy wreck. First, It was so upsetting to see such a great survivor be trashed and with it being an iconic chevy to boot. Then to not do the test 100% apples to apples by removing all the guts of the engine bay was just wrong. What a waste. I bet if they had told the previous owner of that Impala what they had planned to do to it, he would of never sold it to them.

Hey Barber,
Well, as to the OP question...how Model As faired in colisions, IMO and with reviewing auto damage...even back when Model As were crashing into Model As...not good at all. I really do not drive the Model A as much as I would like to..due to a number of reasons, the prevailing reason being subject of this thread..namely safety when crashing in an A.

Here's how the 'deck' is stacked, in my view, as to this question. I'm in an 80 year old car without top, without airbags, with no safety glass, with mechanical brakes, without ability to keep up with jack rabbit starts/stops of modern traffic, without seatbelts and with gas tank above my lap, oh and with very skinny tires and thin metal bumpers...no problem, cause I practice super defensive driving ! Most of time ..locally..I'm in with bumper/bumper with modern iron weighing 2/3 times my Model A, with idiot proof modern brakes, with 4/6/8 and more cyls, producing HUNDREDS of hp, with crash specific designed glass, with unitized computer designed body, with specific crumple crash areas, with airbags in steering wheel and other crash tested areas of body, with bulletproof huge tires, with drivers doing blazing speeds...looking down at their laps where they are hiding their electronic device...because it's illegal to use while driving , where tail gating is evidently known as illegal and dangerous !! When considering all this, and more, I really do not think there is any problem or chance of being squished like a freaken alum pop can...do you

As to the 'old vs new' skewed / cheat car test, this bring to mind a valid saying....figures don't lie, but liars figure. It does no good to get upset at such behavior. It just proves another saying ... question everything.

[Hoogah]

The proprietor of our local Model A parts warehouse here in Victoria Australia recently had a close call in his AA Truck that should be added to the horrors told here, as another reminder of the dangers of mixing it with modern traffic (and today's drivers - in this case a truckie who was clearly not concentrating).

This info is in the public domain, so I have copied and pasted it here from their website, in their own words:

"Just a little news story about Keith’s accident – everyone has been asking to see some photos of the AA Truck.

On December 14th 2014, driving home city bound on the Western Highway at Springbank after doing a tour of the Christmas lights, Keith was rear-ended by a B Double Semi-Trailer doing approximately 110km/hr (=69mph). The shunt from behind at first propelled Keith at an extra 20 km faster and he said it felt really exhilarating!

He then careered on two wheels down the ditch on the side of the freeway, with grass catching in the hubs and then back onto the freeway stopping sideways in the fast lane. With the engine still running, Keith was able to throw the AA Truck into reverse and back into safety, narrowly avoiding yet another semi who left the second set of really impressive tyre marks in the over taking lane – that you can still see today – just after the bridge at Wallace.

We didn’t include the photos of his severe bruising as it would put you off your food. We have included some of the truck damage (it was subsequently written off by Shannons, who were fantastic by the way). We will be pleased to show you photos of the repairs once they are completed."

Given the way grass ended up stuffed in between the tyre and the rim, this must have been very close to a rollover, and Keith did well to control his truck. I've had the same result on the tyres of a Subaru ute that left a gravel road, and think I know how he must have been feeling. (My incident was entirely my own fault - too young, too fast! ) I think he's lucky to have kept his life, given the description of this event.

[ericr]

the common thread to many of these modern wrecks, or perhaps older wrecks, whether they involve a Model "A" or not, is aggressive driving. In today's world I personally ascribe a lot of that to SUV's/pickup trucks although that is putting a bulls-eye around myself on this forum.

[burner31]

I hate to think about that. But if some moron were to hit me I would think I would go "bat guano" crazy on them. Best be an old woman, because a young man I will beat and then claim temp insanity. And if they have no insurance...God help them!