Boy, They Don't Build Them Like They Used To!

How often do you run into the old timer who reminisces over the days when cars were built like tanks instead of soda cans.

Would you rather be in a modern Chevy Malibu or a 50's Bel Air?

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g[/YOUTUBE]

- Chris

Wow, I used to havea '63 Bel Air, and I was of the old "steel is better" attitude.

Good to know.

I saw this a couple months ago pretty crazy stuff.

Wow!

A lot of that carnage is due to new cars having built-in "crumple zones". The people inside the car take a lot less impact if the car has some give to it.

I'd rather be in a modern car. There were little to no safety systems in those old cars. You pretty much flopped around like a rag doll absorbing the impact with your body.

They don't make 'em like they're gonna.

Want to talk about a dangerous ride? I spend some time in the summers riding around in a 1961 Chevy Corvair.

Truthfully it's no less safe than your average sedan from 1961, but that doesn't make it safe by today's standards. Rear wheel drive, swing axles, no seat belts, no head rests, solid metal dashboard (sure to knock out some teeth in even a minor collision!), dim brake lights, no reverse lights, and this particular one leaks gas from the tank if you fill it more than 3/4 full.

But man, it's a blast to ride in.

This is great!

What about the best of both worlds? I used to drive around in an 88 Cadillac. Built like a tank (sucking down fuel like one too), but it was equiped with airbags.

Thank God they don't make then like they used to! That is a cool video. Thanks for posting.

Cray said:

I spend some time in the summers riding around in a 1961 Chevy Corvair.

Truthfully it's no less safe than your average sedan from 1961...

Click to expand...

Ralph Nader will be looking you up!

To build cars or buildings the way they used to would actually be prohibitively expensive.

Neat video. You read about all the updated technology and designs, but when you get to see it up close and slowed down, makes you appreciate it much more.

*Still like the looks of old cars much more though.

That wanton destruction of a classic has me teary....

Shows how far car design has come though. I think the tip here is rather than picking what car you'd want to be in, try and avoid the collision in the first place!

What was the speed used on the test?

[YOUTUBE]TPpU5azjCB8[/YOUTUBE]

Check this one out.

Note to self - don't run an old VW van into a concree wall...


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Back on topic, can't find mention of the actual test speed. To my eye at full speed, it looks like about 90kmh (~55mph).

Official site is here: http://www.iihs.org/50th/default.html

Not all of the new ones fare so well.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJt1SYQiuEI[/YOUTUBE]

Big Trev said:

That wanton destruction of a classic has me teary....

Shows how far car design has come though. I think the tip here is rather than picking what car you'd want to be in, try and avoid the collision in the first place!

Click to expand...

Oh, I agree 100%. I've been a motorcyclist by choice when the weather and other circumstances permitted, owned and driven a sidecar outfit (even more risky than a motorcycle, honestly) and a 9-passenger VW bus that I used for a vanpool. I'm not one to shrink from interesting vehicles and experiences out of sheer terror.

My main point was to point out what progress has been made over the years.

- Chris

ouch said:

Not all of the new ones fare so well.

Click to expand...

There's only so much you can accomplish with limited crush distance.