HOrnbrod Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 Thought this was interesting: a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. a 2009 Chev. Malibu. I'd still rather be driving the 59 though.
johnj92131 Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 I will be sending this to an old Corvair buddy. He still has a very nice 59 Chevy Impala and a couple of neat Corvairs he has kept for 40+ years. One of the Corvairs has a pair of triple throat Webber carbs. I was very surprised to see the driver door fly off the Impala. Not too surprised to see the roof deform like it did. The crash seemed set up to put maximum energy into one side of both cars. Still, kind of makes me glad. "They don't build them like they used to."
Burls Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 Aside from that being totally awesome, the outcome was what I expected. Shows how far crash safety has come in 50 Years.
HOrnbrod Posted April 24, 2015 Author Posted April 24, 2015 I will be sending this to an old Corvair buddy. He still has a very nice 59 Chevy Impala and a couple of neat Corvairs he has kept for 40+ years. Corvair, the #1 worst deathtrap ever built. It had a javelin-like steering column that pointed straight at your heart. In a head-on with one of those, the front end folded up like cardboard and you were impaled. I'd feel safer driving an Isetta. :yes: In spite of that, I had one for a couple of years.
Minuit Posted April 24, 2015 Posted April 24, 2015 I remember reading that the '59 didn't have a motor in it. Not sure exactly how much difference it would make in that kind of crash but it would be significant to some degree in why the front of the '59 just folded up like a piece of tissue paper.
jimoshel Posted April 25, 2015 Posted April 25, 2015 The trouble with these demos is they can be rigged to prove what ever it is the demonstrator is trying to prove.
johnj92131 Posted April 25, 2015 Posted April 25, 2015 I will be sending this to an old Corvair buddy. He still has a very nice 59 Chevy Impala and a couple of neat Corvairs he has kept for 40+ years. Corvair, the #1 worst deathtrap ever built. It had a javelin-like steering column that pointed straight at your heart. In a head-on with one of those, the front end folded up like cardboard and you were impaled. I'd feel safer driving an Isetta. :yes: In spite of that, I had one for a couple of years. Awsome car those old Isetta's Totally a joy to take the corners on 3 wheels!! Try that with a modern car and you will end up on your head. And with the size of the front door, it was a breeze for anyone, to get in and out of the car. They just don't make them like that anymore. Kind of makes me miss my old 53 Studebaker Land Cruiser with that powerful 120 hp V-8 and the BorgWarner 3 speed automatic. Really did like the hillholder feature on the old Studebakers. All ways wanted a real Bill Frick Studillac conversion. Had a 4 speed auto trans when 2 speed powerglide was the king. Wonder how many on the ComancheClub know anything about these - You, Jim, me. Anybody else?
johnj92131 Posted April 25, 2015 Posted April 25, 2015 I remember reading that the '59 didn't have a motor in it. Not sure exactly how much difference it would make in that kind of crash but it would be significant to some degree in why the front of the '59 just folded up like a piece of tissue paper. If the 59 really did not have an engine/transmission, that would explain the door flying off like that. And why the roof folded like that. The power train would have done a whole lot to hold 05 car a bit farther back from the old roof/passenger area.
Incommando Posted April 25, 2015 Posted April 25, 2015 We remember the cars of the "good old days" too fondly. They did not handle well, brake well, they were not that reliable in many ways, and their performance was not as good as we think it was. You had better be in your game to go light to light with a V6 Accord. And it will out-brake and out-handle most all of the cars of the era. And safety? No comparison. I had a '65 Corvair Monza for a few years.... Fun car.
HOrnbrod Posted April 25, 2015 Author Posted April 25, 2015 All true. But the 50s-70s cars all were unique. Each had their own design, personality, quirks, and the mfg's changed things every year to keep it interesting. Now a Mopar looks like a Toy looks like a Chevy looks like a Ford ad nauseaum. It's boring - they all look the same. I guess that's progress. I miss my 63 supercharged Avanti.............
jimoshel Posted April 25, 2015 Posted April 25, 2015 I once collected Corvairs the way I now collect MJ'S. Had 32 0f them at one time. They were nice. I've had some unique cars in my time. '38 Buick convertable. '34 Chevy coupe, '28 Chevy coupe, '54 Daimler. '62 Austen Healy , A couple Mercedes Benz, You get the idea. The car I loved the most, and still own 1968 Cadillac convertable. They could offer me any car on the American market today for it and I wouldn't trade.
Minuit Posted April 25, 2015 Posted April 25, 2015 Say what you want about modern safety, etc, but cars of today really all do start to look the same after a while. The MJ may be a deathtrap in an accident with its light weight and no airbags but there's no mistaking it for a Camry.
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