Last year I hit a brand new ford falcon taxi in my 73 HQ holden
(thats an OZ chev). He was turning right and changed his mind and went left
too late for me to stop. I T-boned him.
His modern car with its 'crumple zones' caved in and was totalled. My front
side fender was a bit bent but I drove 100 miles home right after.
I'll drive the steel car and use the other cars cushion characteristics
thanks very much! Just as long as I dont hit any immovable objects...
Andy.
(not planning to hit anything in my sprite...but then, who does?)
>From: Frank Clarici <spritenut@Exit109.com>
>Reply-To: Frank Clarici <spritenut@Exit109.com>
>To: LRuggi2635@aol.com
>CC: spridgets@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: Safety and Young Drivers in Spridgets
>Date: Thu, 27 May 1999 21:17:04 -0400
>
>LRuggi2635@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > Frank and others-- how do you all feel about the suitability of
>Spridgets and
> > other LBCs for young drivers? I for one feel today's driving
>environment is
> > decidedly more risky than the one I started out in 24+ years ago. Any
> > comments?
>
>Good question!
>
>My daughters car is a 1959 Austin A40 Saloon, it has been converted to
>more modern Sprite disc brakes and rear bakes. It has modern 3 point
>seat belts with lap belts on the back seat. I have installed a sway bar
>(a big one) this helped the body roll emmensly. I have a modern padded
>steering wheel and head rest style seats, they are recovered in the
>traditional British style and the Austin logo fit the chevy steering
>wheel perfectly. I picked up a dual brake master cylinder at Carlisle so
>before she actually has the car all to herself, it will have modern
>brakes, not ABS but close.
>I have drilled her on avoiding everything from trailers coming of pickup
>trucks to semi rigs loosing loads or jack knifing. I tell her to save
>herself by hitting the smallest bush or tree insted of the car coming
>head on. I also told her the car can be replaced SHE can not. Her A40
>has a whole lot more metal to it then a modern plastic jellybean, I have
>seen minor accidents result in ripped sheetmetal that rips human flesh.
>No car is safe, yes some are safer then others, I could give her a Mack
>truck and sleep better but would she drive it?
>My son survived his Mini and yes he bruised it. Now he has a VW with big
>wheels and low tires, it's his car, it's modern but is it safe? If I had
>to choose between which vehicle I wanted to be in on a head on
>collision, I would pick the A40.
>A while back my wife was hit by a Toyota while in her Sprite, the Tpyota
>was totaled, the Sprite drove home! She suffered a bruised arm the other
>girl went to the hospital but was OK. She was putting on make up while
>driving and my wife was stopped.
>
>If it's gonna happen, nothing in the world can change it. Life is for
>living.
>My motto "I'm here for a good time, not a long time"
>
>
>--
>Frank Clarici
>Toms River, NJ
>Bugeye Sprite
>67 Sprite
>59 A40
>http://www.exit109.com/~spritenut/
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