Anyone ever crash an 02?

[Nicad]

I am surprised to see how well the 02 crumples, but I gotta agree with Manimal. It would be a mess if a Honda Pilot, pickup or old Town Car came up against the side of an 02.

[NickVyse]

they were safe in their day, and they were still pretty safe up until newer cars got that much stronger. If an 02 hit another one, then they'd both crumple away happily, sharing the impact. Now a new car comes along and the 02 takes all the energy as the new car needs more resistance to start deforming. So as new cars gets stronger our old cars will suffer more when hit.

I'm going to have to disagree, safe compared to maybe a Renault 2cv maybe, but that's about it. A safe car back then would have been a volvo 14x or 24x depending on the year.

If everyone drove around in an '02 we'd still die hitting trees and other '02s. Two layers of 22g sheet metal separated by 3" of air and glass doesn't constitute much in the way of side impact. Just because two '02s could get in an accident and be better off than if one car was an E34, doesn't make them at all safe.

I'm not too worried about newer cars, it's the 80's-90's 2ton lincoln town cars and any SUV/truck with even a stock height bumper that concern me. At least new cars have well designed crumple zones instead of massive steel frames with a body on top.

ahh, I see, you're a volvo owner, explains everything!

[SteveJ]

And we should all drive exceedingly safe (and boring) cars. That way we just die a little each time we have to drive it.

[Guest]

ahh, I see, you're a volvo owner, explains everything!

Well, not quite. I love the '02 but car enthusiasts(of all makes and models) seem to believe their 20-30yr old car is super safe because X person claimed to have crashed at 60mph sideways into a tree and drove home from it. It's just the perpetual exaggeration that annoys me and the false sense of security that comes with it. People just need to know, getting in an accident in an '02 will cause you some serious harm compared with the same collision in a 90+ car with safety built in.

I do love my volvo, it was one of the safest cars on the road when it was released. As far as safety is concerned, I'd still rather be in an accident in a modern "econobox". I'm also a 23yr old adrenalin junkie and I'll admit to driving "spiritedly" on back roads which aren't necessarily the safest(not because of traffic). I've had close calls before and I've learned to tone it down a bit and save the late braking/limit of traction cornering for the track.

[gracer]

The only wall there. On the next to the last lap of the race. I still don't know just what happened. I had been just getting on the curb the whole race, but I don't think that was the cause. The car just suddenly snapped to the left. I didn't try to correct as it was not going to do any good. I hammered the brakes to slow it down as much as possible. It hit the right front and spun around to hit the right rear. G

[Brandon]

A stock 02 is a weak car and would never sustain a light wreck let alone anything serious. My track car has been modified heavily for safety, the very first thing I did when I got it. In comparison, my mercedes w116 s-class from the same exact era is built like a tank. This car is so far superior to the 02 in safety (along with everything else), but then the benz was the price of a house back then, so I guess you get what you pay for.

[Benz02]

Manimal,

You are obviously right that 02's aren't safe, what car is. However that doesn't change the fact that I was hurled into the passenger door in my accident. I don't know how fast the truck was going but it was fast. The car was parked, we had just gotten in, my door was still open, and all of a sudden a truck came down the hill, around the corner on two wheels, through a telephone pole, and straight into us. The pole surely saved us too, snapped it like a toothpick. The door was pinned around to the hood and it knocked us at least ten feet. I was lucky but the car took it well, amazingly well. And I've been a fan for life. No BS.

[NickVyse]

ahh, I see, you're a volvo owner, explains everything!

Well, not quite. I love the '02 but car enthusiasts(of all makes and models) seem to believe their 20-30yr old car is super safe because X person claimed to have crashed at 60mph sideways into a tree and drove home from it. It's just the perpetual exaggeration that annoys me and the false sense of security that comes with it. People just need to know, getting in an accident in an '02 will cause you some serious harm compared with the same collision in a 90+ car with safety built in.

I do love my volvo, it was one of the safest cars on the road when it was released. As far as safety is concerned, I'd still rather be in an accident in a modern "econobox". I'm also a 23yr old adrenalin junkie and I'll admit to driving "spiritedly" on back roads which aren't necessarily the safest(not because of traffic). I've had close calls before and I've learned to tone it down a bit and save the late braking/limit of traction cornering for the track.

I think the blood pressure is going to get you, never mind the old cars you drive!

[deschodt]

Nobody's arguing that the 02 is designed to modern safety standards. It's simply not. And if you get hit, chances are it'll hurt. But I like the odds at least as much as those of a modern car overall (crash avoidance + crash damage). Why ? mainly I think the odds of avoiding a problem are good.

- My 2002 is bright effing orange, chances are you'll see it. Given the reactions the car gets, people "see it" ! If anything, the risk is increased for them to have a crash into a tree while they are busy giving me thumbs up. ;-)

- The 2002 has fantastic visibility all round, glasshouse and all... I've always prefered active avoidance solution to crash protection solutions, if you are paying attention, chances are you will have a chance to avoid a problem. This car has no blind spots !

- A 2002 in good shape is a great handling RWD car, given a chance, I may use its nimbleness to escape a bad situation a boring modern FWD car might plow into...

- Also, when I'm driving a classic such as the 2002, I'm "driving" it generally for the fun of it, and therefore I pay attention to my driving and my environment, I'm generally twice as "aware" as I would be driving in comfort in a modern car - probably because I am aware that I am in more danger and I don't want an idiot to total my classic car

- No nav system, fancy radio, no in car entertainment system, no distractions

But sure, if an F150 runs a red light and plows into me from the side, I'm toast. then again, I'd probably be just as toast in my modern Cayman.

[eastsidebimmer]

05 Chrysler 300 vs 68 2002, stopped at freeway ramp exit redlight.

OCT 2008

SEPT 2011

[NickVyse]

05 Chrysler 300 vs 68 2002, stopped at freeway ramp exit redlight.

that was pain and pleasure all in the quick scroll of a web page - respect for saving her.

Nobody's arguing that the 02 is designed to modern safety standards. It's simply not. And if you get hit, chances are it'll hurt. But I like the odds at least as much as those of a modern car overall (crash avoidance + crash damage). Why ? mainly I think the odds of avoiding a problem are good.

- My 2002 is bright effing orange, chances are you'll see it. Given the reactions the car gets, people "see it" ! If anything, the risk is increased for them to have a crash into a tree while they are busy giving me thumbs up. ;-)

- The 2002 has fantastic visibility all round, glasshouse and all... I've always prefered active avoidance solution to crash protection solutions, if you are paying attention, chances are you will have a chance to avoid a problem. This car has no blind spots !

- A 2002 in good shape is a great handling RWD car, given a chance, I may use its nimbleness to escape a bad situation a boring modern FWD car might plow into...

- Also, when I'm driving a classic such as the 2002, I'm "driving" it generally for the fun of it, and therefore I pay attention to my driving and my environment, I'm generally twice as "aware" as I would be driving in comfort in a modern car - probably because I am aware that I am in more danger and I don't want an idiot to total my classic car

- No nav system, fancy radio, no in car entertainment system, no distractions

But sure, if an F150 runs a red light and plows into me from the side, I'm toast. then again, I'd probably be just as toast in my modern Cayman.

Couldn't agree more, except round here it would be a council truck and I'd be a croissant (one that's been sat on).

[srnoncom]

I must agree with most that though our 02's are a blast to drive.... I would rather be in an accident with one my other full frame cars. Tahoe and Chevelle

[Collinster742002]

I was in this; I'm the little peanut you see pointing at you. My dad and I hit a deer at 45mph one dark night, we both survived without a scratch. I was 3 years old, this was 1998. He then hit a Buick Park Avenue 6 years later, took out the front of the car once again. Then some chick crashed into the back bumper about a month after having that fixed. Its all fixed now though, and none of us have been injured in it. Those "park bench" bumpers do their job well.

[c.d.iesel]

[kcdonahue]

What Toby said...