Safety ratings of classic VWs...
 

Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a
front-on collision...is this true, how severe is it usually, and are
there ways to avoid such problems to a point (such as reinforcing the
car structure between the driver and the front of the car)? I'm looking
into getting a Microbus (especially one of the 21-window types), but
I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average Microbus fuel
economy for something like a '65 deluxe 'Bus I've seen on eBay, at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...8774 553&rd=1
?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and
no gas to respond with!

As an alternative, how safe are the classic VW Beetles? (A convertible
wouldn' be a bad compromise if I wanted to do some cruising...) I've
looked on Google for hours, but haven't found any good, informative
sites, so I naturally came to the newsgroups for help on either.

Can anybody help me with these ones?

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a
> front-on collision...is this true, how severe is it usually, and are
> there ways to avoid such problems to a point (such as reinforcing the
> car structure between the driver and the front of the car)? I'm looking
> into getting a Microbus (especially one of the 21-window types), but
> I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average Microbus fuel
> economy for something like a '65 deluxe 'Bus I've seen on eBay, at
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...8774 553&rd=1
> ?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and
> no gas to respond with!

The old vans aren't too bad in some respects.

An example of the Vanagon:
http://www.vanagon.com/info/safety/

that 'Y' design of the frame rails I believe dates back to the '68 "Bay
Window" buses.

And this:
http://www.vanagon.com/info/safety/v...ash/index.html

....shows how the height of the Vanagon caused it to do very well.

However I'd still be concerned about the steering column in it as well as
older VW vans. Sure looks like it's aimed to go into your rib cage.

Somewhere out there is a pic of an early 70s bay window bus from a frontal
crash test and it did very well. Not sure where the pic is but I've seen
it.

>As an alternative, how safe are the classic VW Beetles? (A convertible
>wouldn' be a bad compromise if I wanted to do some cruising...)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/alb...p?pic_id=62684

>I've looked on Google for hours, but haven't found any good, informative
>sites, so I naturally came to the newsgroups for help on either.

Try posting in the aircooled group instead (there might be more knowledge
there about the older vehicles).

Crash safety and old aircooled. I think that is called diametrically
opposed. That link to the samba which looks Photoshopped is
representative of 40 mph crash though. Chest hits steering wheel,
front end collapses about the legs, windshield pops out but probably
after you kissed it with your face. I had 3 air cooled vWs. I did not
drive them thinking about safety. They were slightly harder to tip
over than a motorcycle in a spin but not much. I spun a few Vws out.
Once in front of a cement mixer that was heading down the road. I
finished the spin to the right of the mixer so that was good. New
tires were purchased that week.

There really is not anythng substantial up front to offer you
protection from anything but the weather.

Loosing your knees is pretty severe. Do you regularly do head on
crashes? If so then an old aircooled is not for your knees unless you
already lost them then it does not matter. The question should be "Can
I get hand controlls for may aircooled VW?"

"Matt B." > wrote:

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>> Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a
>> front-on collision...is this true, how severe is it usually, and are
>> there ways to avoid such problems to a point (such as reinforcing the
>> car structure between the driver and the front of the car)? I'm looking
>> into getting a Microbus (especially one of the 21-window types), but
>> I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average Microbus fuel
>> economy for something like a '65 deluxe 'Bus I've seen on eBay, at
>> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...8774 553&rd=1
>> ?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and
>> no gas to respond with!
>
>The old vans aren't too bad in some respects.
>
>An example of the Vanagon:
>http://www.vanagon.com/info/safety/
>
>that 'Y' design of the frame rails I believe dates back to the '68 "Bay
>Window" buses.
>
>And this:
>http://www.vanagon.com/info/safety/v...ash/index.html
>
>...shows how the height of the Vanagon caused it to do very well.
>
>However I'd still be concerned about the steering column in it as well as
>older VW vans. Sure looks like it's aimed to go into your rib cage.
>
>Somewhere out there is a pic of an early 70s bay window bus from a frontal
>crash test and it did very well. Not sure where the pic is but I've seen
>it.
>
>>As an alternative, how safe are the classic VW Beetles? (A convertible
>>wouldn' be a bad compromise if I wanted to do some cruising...)
>
>http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/alb...p?pic_id=62684
>
>>I've looked on Google for hours, but haven't found any good, informative
>>sites, so I naturally came to the newsgroups for help on either.
>
>Try posting in the aircooled group instead (there might be more knowledge
>there about the older vehicles).
>


Jim B.

wrote:
> Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a
> front-on collision...is this true, how severe is it usually, and are
> there ways to avoid such problems to a point (such as reinforcing the
> car structure between the driver and the front of the car)? I'm
> looking into getting a Microbus (especially one of the 21-window
> types),

I would love to have one, seven passenger version. However I would not
consider one for my daily driver. Sort of like my motorcycle. I like it,
but I don't consider it safe and I don't drive it every day.

but I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average
> Microbus fuel economy for something like a '65 deluxe 'Bus I've seen
> on eBay, at

Upper 20's maybe low 30's in good condition.

> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...8774 553&rd=1
> ?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal --
> and no gas to respond with!
>
> As an alternative, how safe are the classic VW Beetles? (A convertible
> wouldn' be a bad compromise if I wanted to do some cruising...) I've
> looked on Google for hours, but haven't found any good, informative
> sites, so I naturally came to the newsgroups for help on either.

No one has any comparable information as there were not standard test
back then. The old bugs were not as much of a problem as the bus, but they
had no air bags, door I beams and some had no seat belts. I lived through
one and never felt less safe than many other cars of that day, but I feel a
lot safer in my 2002 Beetle.

>
> Can anybody help me with these ones?

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

According to my father the Beetles are immesly strong in roll-overs.

4-5 people comeing home from a trip in a crammed Beetle, driver did
something stupid (not my father tho - tho he did own a Beetle) and rolled
the car into a ditch... The metal only needed to be pulled a little and
buffed up! No one was hurt, despite the fact that no one had a seatbelt
on.... Don't think this model had them installed (my fathers Beetle did have
belts, and he said he used them because they were 3 point, and not the
"useless lap belts").
> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a
> front-on collision...is this true, how severe is it usually, and are
> there ways to avoid such problems to a point (such as reinforcing the
> car structure between the driver and the front of the car)? I'm looking
> into getting a Microbus (especially one of the 21-window types), but
> I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average Microbus fuel
> economy for something like a '65 deluxe 'Bus I've seen on eBay, at
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...8774 553&rd=1
> ?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and
> no gas to respond with!
>
> As an alternative, how safe are the classic VW Beetles? (A convertible
> wouldn' be a bad compromise if I wanted to do some cruising...) I've
> looked on Google for hours, but haven't found any good, informative
> sites, so I naturally came to the newsgroups for help on either.
>
> Can anybody help me with these ones?
>