Calling all car buffs...

[canuck31003]

Right now I'm using Meguiar's Quick Detailer, which I picked up from Canadian Tire -- pretty much any auto store actually, for those south of the border. Plus Walmart, Target, etc.

I thought about just using diluted car wash soap in a spray bottle, but I'm hoping the QD will add at least some temporary protection, and I didn't want to deal with dried soap residue.

[campy]

Ever wonder what would happen if a modern car crashed head on into a massive hunk of Dee-troit steel from the 50s? Check out this video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

[Rob]

Ever wonder what would happen if a modern car crashed head on into a massive hunk of Dee-troit steel from the 50s? Check out this video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dag, yo!

Back in '51 or so, my dad was riding in a car that got sandwiched in a five-car pileup. His parents riding in the front were lucky enough to avoid serious injury, and my dad was particularly lucky - he had been sitting with his legs across the rear seat, and the car had been sandwiched enough to push the two benches together. If my dad had been sitting upright and facing forward, he would have lost both of his legs.

[TransWarpDrive]

Ever wonder what would happen if a modern car crashed head on into a massive hunk of Dee-troit steel from the 50s? Check out this video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

I watched the clip.
Wow....
It didn't turn out the way I expected.
Except in the estimate of the extent of the two drivers' injuries; one would expect anyone in the car with air bags, seat belts, and a designed-in "crumple zone" to have a better chance of survival than in the vehicle without said features.
But this video blows to shreds all those comments dismissing today's cars as being flimsier because they're "mostly made of plastic."

[garnetblack]

Ever wonder what would happen if a modern car crashed head on into a massive hunk of Dee-troit steel from the 50s? Check out this video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In short, they don't build 'em like they used to...and for good reason.

[campy]

I just found this gallery of still photos of the vehicles involved in this test. Compare the two dummy drivers post-collision.

[TransWarpDrive]

I just found this gallery of still photos of the vehicles involved in this test. Compare the two dummy drivers post-collision.

Yeah, you can clearly see how the designed-in "crumple zone" on the '09 Malibu protected the driver from serious harm. Not so for the driver of the '59 Bel Air....
Safety-wise, today's cars are vastly superior to cars of the past. The engineers are working hard to improve one's chances of surviving a crash in a contemporary car. Style-wise, however, the older cars win hands down.
Now if only someone could come up with a truly stylish car that incorporates all the latest safety technology....
(As you can probably guess, I'm tired of seeing all those "cookie-cutter" cars on the road today - IMHO, we need cars that look different at a glance again.)

[lunchmeat]

There are alternative solutions:

[jeriddian]

There are alternative solutions:

True, but they are not affordable, street legal, or stylish.......and the mileage they get is absolutely horrendous.........

But the thing I can't believe is that they actually sacrificed such a beautiful antique like a 1959 Bel Air??............

Good Lord! That's sacrilege to a good car buff!...............

[TransWarpDrive]

Quote:
(Originally Posted by lunchmeat):
There are alternative solutions:
(Originally posted by jeriddian):
True, but they are not affordable, street legal, or stylish.......and the mileage they get is absolutely horrendous.........

How very true! Besides, military vehicles just aren't my cup of tea...

(Originally posted by jeriddian):
But the thing I can't believe is that they actually sacrificed such a beautiful antique like a 1959 Bel Air??............

Good Lord! That's sacrilege to a good car buff!...............

Sadly, yes; but IMHO, it's better that they sacrifice it in a crash test to make a point about automotive safety than let a real human die in such a collision. Besides, I'm sure there are still a few 1959 Bel Airs out there, safely restored in private collections around the country (if not the world).