Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[Big Man]

I recall several post about safety of vintage cars, but can't find them right off. Maybe they were in this thread? Anyway, I thought this was an interesting story and worth sharing here.


This wreck happened just down the road from where I live, and is still talked about all these years later. It took place in the early morning hours of 2 Dec 1944, and was at that time called "the worst automobile collision in North Carolina history."

The people in the cars were mostly service men home on leave and their girlfriends. They had been out visiting several night spots having a good time. The local story goes that each group left and went different ways, then decided they needed to get back together for some reason. Ironically, both cars turned around and drove as fast as they could trying to catch up to the other. They hit head-on at a place known (still today) as "bottom drop". Ten people were killed in the wreck. They said it was impossible to tell who was driving the cars. One was a '37 Ford and the other a '35 Chevy.

 

[David Conwill]

Sounds like a Henry Gregor Felsen novel.

 

[jamespowers]

I recall several post about safety of vintage cars, but can't find them right off. Maybe they were in this thread? Anyway, I thought this was an interesting story and worth sharing here.


This wreck happened just down the road from where I live, and is still talked about all these years later. It took place in the early morning hours of 2 Dec 1944, and was at that time called "the worst automobile collision in North Carolina history."

The difference being that the occurrence of such a bad accident of mangled cars was not as common as it is today without tin plated aluminum cans.

That Smart car is real safe. :rofl:

Audi---the safe car. :eusa_doh:

Infinity versus tree. Tree wins limbs down.

 

[LizzieMaine]

No car is any safer than the driver operating it. All the safety features in the world won't save your neck if you go slamming into a tree at 80mph.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Gotta love Flambos... er I mean Lambos!

[video=youtube;H6CqkiBP1dI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6CqkiBP1dI[/video]

 

[jamespowers]

No car is any safer than the driver operating it. All the safety features in the world won't save your neck if you go slamming into a tree at 80mph.

Yep, tree wins every time. The doofus who hit the tree and disintegrated his tin can was drunk. He died instantly. The tree is healing nicely.

 

[HeyMoe]

As a former professional paramedic (did that for 15 years) I have pulled my fair share of folks, alive and dead, out of automobile accidents. modern cars are designed to crumple. When I first started in EMS back in 1985, the rule of thumb was if there was a foot of encroachment anywhere on the vehicle, the occupants were considered critical until proven otherwise. Now you get a foot of encroachment hitting a deer or a snowbank at 25mph.

Having said that, I do feel safer in my 39 Dodge with no seat belts and manual breaks. I think it is a psychological response to everyone giving me more space than real safety.

 

[jamespowers]

Gotta love Flambos... er I mean Lambos!

[video=youtube;H6CqkiBP1dI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6CqkiBP1dI[/video]

They don't have a drink called the Flaming Lamborghini for nothing you know. Doors up and flame on!
Anyone who thinks those are decent everyday cars is nuts. They require a super high level of maintenance and know-how.

 

[jamespowers]

As a former professional paramedic (did that for 15 years) I have pulled my fair share of folks, alive and dead, out of automobile accidents. modern cars are designed to crumple. When I first started in EMS back in 1985, the rule of thumb was if there was a foot of encroachment anywhere on the vehicle, the occupants were considered critical until proven otherwise. Now you get a foot of encroachment hitting a deer or a snowbank at 25mph.

And the deer gets up and walks away instead of you.

 

[HeyMoe]

They don't have a drink called the Flaming Lamborghini for nothing you know. Doors up and flame on!
Anyone who thinks those are decent everyday cars is nuts. They require a super high level of maintenance and know-how.

They do indeed. There is a shop up here in North Hero VT that specializes in these things. Folks from all over New England bring their Lamborghini and Ferraris up to him to work on. I talked to him once out at an old airstrip where he tests these things out and he said the most common issue was poor gas quality and lack of high-speed driving. Not that he cares, folks who use them as daily drivers are making him a very very rich man.

 

[HeyMoe]

And the deer gets up and walks away instead of you.

Indeed!

Had an employee show of late for work last spring. When I called him into my office to get the reason he stated he was hit by a deer. I was confused and said "you mean you hit a deer". He said, "No, I was hit by a deer. At a red light. A buck came out of the woods and nailed the passenger door twice and then took off".

Not believing him we went outside to see his car, the passenger door would barely open and there were holes from the antlers in the door.

That fall the same guy was driving to work and hit a turkey at 65mph on the interstate - it flew in front of him and almost totaled the front of his car.

He bought a bicycle after that.

 

[jamespowers]

Indeed!

Had an employee show of late for work last spring. When I called him into my office to get the reason he stated he was hit by a deer. I was confused and said "you mean you hit a deer". He said, "No, I was hit by a deer. At a red light. A buck came out of the woods and nailed the passenger door twice and then took off".

Not believing him we went outside to see his car, the passenger door would barely open and there were holes from the antlers in the door.

That fall the same guy was driving to work and hit a turkey at 65mph on the interstate - it flew in front of him and almost totaled the front of his car.

He bought a bicycle after that.

A deer and a turkey?! He needed and armored car. The bicycle will get him killed. It isn't deer safe.

 

[HeyMoe]

A deer and a turkey?! He needed and armored car. The bicycle will get him killed. It isn't deer safe.

LMAO, never thought of that. I will tell him that when I see him tomorrow.

 

[jamespowers]

They do indeed. There is a shop up here in North Hero VT that specializes in these things. Folks from all over New England bring their Lamborghini and Ferraris up to him to work on. I talked to him once out at an old airstrip where he tests these things out and he said the most common issue was poor gas quality and lack of high-speed driving. Not that he cares, folks who use them as daily drivers are making him a very very rich man.

Having driven a few that were not mine, I figured they were not anything more than a toy. Going fast was fun though. You can get them from zero to seeing God pretty fast.

 

[HeyMoe]

You can get them from zero to seeing God pretty fast.

Does he look like George Burns?

 

[jamespowers]

LMAO, never thought of that. I will tell him that when I see him tomorrow.

His bike needs airbags.

 

[jamespowers]

Does he look like George Burns?

Taller and of course, he doesn't need glasses.

 

[1930artdeco]

Somewhere there is a crash test video of a 59 Impala vs a 2009 Impala. At what 35 mph or what ever they tested at, the two cars hit each other and the 59 had its engine put in the back seat. That, blew me away I figured with all that steel it would destroy the new impala. Apparently, it was the other way around. As far as the Smart Cars go, they are not that bad. I talked to one guy who had to destroy one and when they dropped a set of 10K forks from a lift truck on it, they bounced off the roof. They then cut the thing up with a sawzall and went through three metal blades to do it. It will take a hit but not a saw.

Mike

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I hit two deer with my Cadillac car back in November. I didn't feel a thing in the car, and I was going about 60 at the time.

 

[HeyMoe]

Somewhere there is a crash test video of a 59 Impala vs a 2009 Impala. At what 35 mph or what ever they tested at, the two cars hit each other and the 59 had its engine put in the back seat. That, blew me away I figured with all that steel it would destroy the new impala. Apparently, it was the other way around. As far as the Smart Cars go, they are not that bad. I talked to one guy who had to destroy one and when they dropped a set of 10K forks from a lift truck on it, they bounced off the roof. They then cut the thing up with a sawzall and went through three metal blades to do it. It will take a hit but not a saw.

Mike

Here is the video you speak of. Looks like a skewed test as there appears to be no motor in the 59 Impala. Why would anyone do that to a classic car just to prove a point? Ought to be a law.

[video=youtube;cJrXViFfMGk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrXViFfMGk[/video]