Horrible accident with a Classic car!

HarmanKardon said:
You classic car owners - how do you think about this topic?
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Below is a dead ringer one I had in the 80s. Did not think about it much then but had some close calls with vehicles changing lanes because I was nearly invisible. One time in traffic I heard brakes locked up behind me; I was behind a semi trailer. The vehicle had missed we were stopped and at the last minute he swerved into the next lane hitting several other cars. I had a friend with me, there was no way to duck. We would have been pushed right under the trailer. I really liked that car and would love to have another but I do think about this. Maybe broad daylight only use?


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i wondered where the doors were .. not that it made it worse . i strongly suspect proper seat belts would have helped here .. not that i would trust my life on any seat belt even though 2 saved me already .i had got them both on just prior to the crashes . i wasn't driving both times .
 
Sorry for the occupants and family!

That are aluminum kit versions that really copy the original aluminum ones and so they are bare aluminum like that and some leave it unpainted to show off the nice alloy look.

The drivers door is ripped open and crushed and there isn't much to see of what's left of it as it wasn't much to start with as there was no safety braces and it was open on the inside so you could see the outer shell. Pass door looks ripped off from accident also or to get occupants out. . The car was built as light as possible for the best possible performance, but to it's designers credit it did have a rollover hoop. Side braces like the drag race cars have tied into the roll cage may have helped along with the mentioned shoulder harnesses.
 
Thanks for all your interesting contributions to this topic. The picture, by the way, is a photo of the police, published by dpa (deutsche presse agentur). I am not one of those morons taking picutres of such accidents enjoying others miseries.
 
HarmanKardon said:
Two people died in this Cobra yesterday in Germany. Recently I drove a 1956 Volkswagen Convertible and I can tell you - I did not feel comfortable without the security features (safety belts et al) which are regular nowadays.

You classic car owners - how do you think about this topic?

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A terrible wreck indeed, my condolensces to any/all involved/affected by the event.

Past that you asked what "classic car owners" (and one must also assume "operators") feel about this "lack" of safety featurees? Hm. Well, my "classics" are two:

1. 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint (ie, hardtop) that's still in (deliberate) several pieces pending completion of a rebuild project that's @ ~50% of point of completion. When this vehicle was last roadworthy (approximately 30 years ago), there were times @ which I felt @ risk in traffic dominated by Detroit steel. Heck, I had only a single mirror (driver side outer) as the thing lacked interior mifrror and ofcourse passenger side (exterior) mirror. As for beltage, the thing has a but two front seats, only one (driver) of which is belted, and that's a racing-style "X" belt (no roll cage).

2. 1957 Chrysler 300 (hardtop) that's in peak condition albeit in storage @ this time. @ nearly TWO TONS of Detroit steel and a lotta muscle I was never concerned about becoming roadkill, rather more concerned that damage to any single component of my vehicle c/would result in the chase for unobtanium/unobtania re: parts for replacement, etc. And if tracked down, tre$ expen$ive to procure. BTW, the 300 came (factory) equipped w/ driver-side exterior mirror and of course MOPAR's (in)famous interior "rear view" mirror that's mounted @ approximately mid-point on the dashboard, and not overhead @ the headliner. It took some getting used to but I actually came to prefer this mode of interior mirror to the more common overhead placement type. No seat belts front or back, but I figured that (most) anything I might hit, crushed though my wallet would have been, would itself be crushed UNLESS it was, say, a truck or equally LARGE 50s-60s Detroit steel BIG coupe or sedan vehicle. Kinda like when worlds collide, right?

Fortunately the only road "mishap" was The Big 300 versus a parking meter (don't ask, but it involved the failure of the parking brake, curses), resulting in a "dent" to the driver-side door. But since it's steel it was easy to hammer out and hit it w/ primer & a couple coats of enamel (Chrysler Blue) and she looked good as new. Oh, also cracked the "female" element of the radio antenna, but found (Ebay!) a full replacement antenna, including top portion, female "below the skin" portion, and the cable. Making the repair was a snap and was once again tuning in to the finest stations AM had to (still) offer circa mid 2000s. Lot's of sports events and headline news, weather, and traffic.
 
My ‘69 Toronado was factory equipped with lap and shoulder belts. We all use them every time we cruise, just like in our everyday vehicles.
 
EngineerNate said:
If it doesn't have airbags it needs racing harnesses and the associated ancillary equipment to make them functional in an accident.
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<snip>

In general, I agree with you. One exception, if it's an open top car with no roll bar, then a racing harness is a no-no. You don't want to be held upright in the event of a rollover.

bs
 
sKiZo said:
Yup ... like driving a motorcycle. Call it a lifestyle choice ... not necessarily the smartest one, but if we're lucky, we live with our choices.
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Agreed. When driving the old, tiny cars, I feel marginally more safe than being on a motorcycle. Just like a motorcycle, you need to be hyper aware of your surroundings.

bs
 
bshorey said:
<snip>

In general, I agree with you. One exception, if it's an open top car with no roll bar, then a racing harness is a no-no. You don't want to be held upright in the event of a rollover.

bs
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I don't know that I'd want to spend very much time in an open top car with no roll bar, but you're correct on that point. Not much of a safety harness if it gets your noggin crushed.
 
Pio1980 said:
Reminded me of this horrific example.
Crash Involving 1929 Duesenberg Claims 3 Lives.
https://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18114
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He spent three years helping to painstakingly restore the sleek and slender car to showroom shape. He helped his father tear the convertible down to its frame. Then, on nights and weekends, they slowly returned it, piece by piece, to its original glory.

Once the project was finished -- when Bradley Patton would finally have to return the green-and-black 1929 Duesenberg with the tan soft top to its owner -- he decided to take it for one final spin with his wife, Kristin, and their three children in Superior Township.

But about 10 minutes from home, the ride turned deadly.

Bradley and Kristin Patton, both 35, were instantly killed, as was their 8-year-old son Nathan, when police say a Volvo ran a stop sign and slammed into the classic car at 8:10 p.m. Saturday.


The Pattons' two daughters -- Emily, 7, and Taylor, 10 -- were transported to University of Michigan Hospitals in serious condition.


Hospital spokeswoman Andi McDonnell said Sunday that Emily was upgraded to fair condition and Taylor to good condition.

The Duesenberg, built long before seat belts were mandatory in cars, had no restraints. The convertible top was down, authorities said.

The car rolled several times when hit at the intersection of Ford Road and Old Ford Road, ejecting the whole family.

The unidentified 25-year-old driver of the 2001 Volvo was not harmed.

He was arrested and transported to the Washtenaw County Jail, then released until the county Prosecutor's Office decides this week whether to charge him with negligent homicide.

The scene was especially heartbreaking once Superior Township firefighters arrived. Some had worked with Bradley Patton, a fellow firefighter in Ypsilanti, when he volunteered for their department.

"They're hurting as much as we are right now," Ypsilanti Fire Capt. William Wagner said, of the township firefighters.

Wagner described Patton as a devoted husband and father who loved restoring cars on the side with his father.

He and his dad planned to return the Duesenberg to its owner, a friend in Bloomfield Hills, Sunday so that it could be shipped to California for an auto show today.

"They had finished preparing the car, and he was proud of it and wanted to take the family for a ride before they sent it off," Wagner said Sunday.

The Duesenberg is the "ultimate collectible car," said Don Sommer, chairman of the annual Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance. About 200 remain of the original 450, mostly made between 1929 and 1936.

The cars can net $1 million at auction.

Adding seat belts would have destroyed its value, Sommer said, and might not have saved the Pattons.

"For a car that heavy to get hit and roll; that was a hard hit," he said. "In something like that, there's not any safety thing you can do."

Lt. Max Anthouard of the Ypsilanti Fire Department said Bradley Patton and his father, Terry, were proud of the work they'd done on the car.

"His father told us yesterday that the car was very rare, but not as rare as his son," Anthouard said.

Anthouard rushed to the scene of the accident after he learned Patton was among the victims.

Patton won several awards for saving lives in his 12 years of fighting fires -- six years each in Superior Township and Ypsilanti. In 2003, he was honored for saving two unconscious girls, ages 2 and 9, from a burning building. During the rescue, he fell down some stairs and cracked his face shield, burning his face. Interviewed by the Ypsilanti Courier at the time, Patton shrugged off the "hero" label. "I was doing what I was paid to do," he told the newspaper.
Anthouard said Patton was an excellent firefighter with a great reputation.
"He was a good all-around guy," he said. "We're sure going to miss him a lot."

The Pattons lived in a quaint ranch-style home, white with burgundy shutters, at the border of Ann Arbor and Superior Township. A trampoline in the backyard could be spied from the street.

Neighbor Priscilla Johnson, 40, said Kristin Patton was nearly finished with a degree in nursing from Eastern Michigan University. The two often chatted at their kids' bus stop as they sent them off to school.

Nathan was best friends with Johnson's 8-year-old daughter, Emily. The two often ate dinner at each other's houses, she said. "Whenever he came over, we had to buy a big gallon of milk because he would drink it all," Johnson said. "He was a wonderful addition to our family."


Two memorial funds have been created for the Patton family. The International Association of Firefighters, Local 401, is accepting donations at 525 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti 48197.
 
Doesn't change what I like to drive (or ride) or how I choose to drive (or ride). Some folks like their freedom. Others ought to take the bus.
 
851 SP3 said:
Doesn't change what I like to drive (or ride) or how I choose to drive (or ride). Some folks like their freedom. Others ought to take the bus.
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Being prudent and having fun need not be mutually exclusive concepts. ATGATT on motorcycles and proper safety restraints in a car can prevent a lot of pain with minimal inconvenience. :)
 
That is an aluminum body. It’s either a kirkham or a Shelby cx4000 continuation car. Both are rear wheel drive. I have a factory Contemporary Classics 427 Cobra. All cars are made of a collection of parts. They are pretty simple cars. A frame,body engine and chassis. No computers,no windows,no door locks. Hard to get in and out of. Mines scares me at speed. It gives you an appreciation of people who raced them and drove them at the limit.
 
bshorey said:
<snip>

In general, I agree with you. One exception, if it's an open top car with no roll bar, then a racing harness is a no-no. You don't want to be held upright in the event of a rollover.

bs
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And you don't want a rollbar unless your wearing a helmet
 
KR7600 said:
That is an aluminum body. It’s either a kirkham or a Shelby cx4000 continuation car. Both are rear wheel drive. I have a factory Contemporary Classics 427 Cobra. All cars are made of a collection of parts. They are pretty simple cars. A frame,body engine and chassis. No computers,no windows,no door locks. Hard to get in and out of. Mines scares me at speed. It gives you an appreciation of people who raced them and drove them at the limit.
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And in those days the drivers knew the risks and drove accordingly. Fire was a real threat. These days drivers drive like asshats
 
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