Old safety technology vs. new

[b-crow]

It's interesting to see the comparison. I see a lot of comments on here that vintage American steel is superior to new flimsy American steel, crumple zones, and airbags.

I wonder how our jeeps would hold up in a similar comparison?

http://www.powernationtv.com/post/how-far-has-car-safety-come/

[Strode]

Just as bad, IMO.

I was stuck in traffic on a highway, and had a semi/trailer next to me on the left. I was in the right lane, and watched a car come up at 35 mph behind the semi with a driver not paying attention. He hit the brakes way too late and slammed into the back of the trailer HARD.

I thought the worst, but the guy was fine. I believe in modern crush zones and air bags.

[8man]

I would have swerved. Yeah, engineering works.

[Billygoat]

It is pretty simple, the old iron (if not rusted up) holds up better in a crash, but the occupants do not...simple energy dissipation, if the vehicle absorbs the impact the occupants don't have to.

So your choice is old iron your truck fairs better, new steel you fair better.

[86grandwagoneer]

1979 grand wagoneer crash test video from youtube. its a pretty bad test but you have to remember that most other cars on the road are lower to the ground and crumple more easily. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdH_kI-seJs

[DarkMonohue]

I see a lot of comments on here that vintage American steel is superior to new flimsy American steel, crumple zones, and airbags.

It's easier to be stubborn and argumentative than to admit that Daddy didn't know what he was talking about.

[Mikel]

It is pretty simple, the old iron (if not rusted up) holds up better in a crash, but the occupants do not...simple energy dissipation, if the vehicle absorbs the impact the occupants don't have to.

So your choice is old iron your truck fairs better, new steel you fair better.

A 10MPH impact between those two cars will leave the new one with thousands of dollars worth of damage and maybe a scratch in the bumper of the 1959. That makes people think older cars are safer.

The video shows what really happens in a high speed impact.

[stonehengeheels]

It is pretty simple, the old iron (if not rusted up) holds up better in a crash, but the occupants do not...simple energy dissipation, if the vehicle absorbs the impact the occupants don't have to.

So your choice is old iron your truck fairs better, new steel you fair better.

I think it may depend on the type of collision. I bought my high school son an 87 GW. He was t boned twice, both his fault. The second one totaled the truck. It wedged the drivers side front frame under the crank pulley. He was uninjured. My mechanic said it was the worst walk away wreck he had ever seen. But overall I agree with your point.