<VV> Seats/Safety
Stephen Upham
contactsmu@sbcglobal.net
Tue, 24 Aug 2004 19:14:46 -0500
First, I never stated that I hoped to make my Corvair as safe as a
modern car; just safer than it is. Second, no amount of safe driving
will protect you from someone else's bad driving. I choose to do both,
improve and defend, and hope for the best.
Stephen Upham
Corvairium II
On Tuesday, Aug 24, 2004, at 12:50 US/Central, Eric S. Eberhard wrote:
> Bill makes a good point -- there is no way in the world to make a
> Corvair (or any 40 year old car) as safe as a modern car. Top modern
> cars have 4 channel ABS, traction control, stability control, front,
> side, and curtain airbags, sensors in the seats to control the force
> of the bags, superior seat belt design, better crush zones, and so
> forth. Attempting to improve safety on the Corvair is problematic
> without the proper engineering. It is easier to recognize that the
> Corvair is inherently less safe and drive accordingly. I keep my
> speeds down, especially in bad weather or corners, I keep huge
> following distances, and so forth. Doing these things in any car will
> improve safety more than anything done to the car. After all, if you
> don't get into an accident you don't need seat belts and air bags ...
> accident avoidance is the first line of safety.
>
> At 04:42 AM 8/24/2004, Bill Hubbell wrote:
>> Oh, I am not offended by people making changes to their Corvairs, but
>> I do get bothered when people try to claim modern day safety
>> standards and practices to the changes. Today's cars go through
>> rigorous design and testing phases to arrive at their ability to
>> offer protection. Adding components of modern safety equipment to
>> old cars does not have the same methodology, and the results cannot
>> be assumed to be the same. Remember, once you start modifying a car
>> you are moving away from the researched and tested design, and the
>> end product may or may not be safer than the original. Unless you
>> are able to put your car through the same testing procedures
>> (doubtful), at best you can only guess as to the safety "benefit" of
>> the changes.
>>
>> That is all I was trying to say.
>>
>> Bill Hubbell
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Upham"
>> <contactsmu@sbcglobal.net>
>> To: <VirtualVairs@corvair.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 1:06 AM
>> Subject: Fwd: <VV> Seats
>>
>>
>>>> Bill, do as you wish. If a few simple improvements like radial
>>>> tires, dual master cylinders, extra passenger side mirror, shoulder
>>>> belts, padded dashes, or head rests offend your "original"
>>>> sensibilities, then no one is going to make you do it. On the
>>>> other hand, if someone wants to add a few safety improvements to
>>>> increase the comfort and/ or safety of their Corvair, how is that
>>>> an affront to you?
>>>>
>>>> Stephen Upham
>>>> Corvairium II
>>>> On Monday, Aug 23, 2004, at 23:04 US/Central, Bill Hubbell wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> More Naderism. Who are we kidding. If you are really so
>>>>> concerned about safety we shouldn't even be driving these 40 year
>>>>> old cars --- or should we? As for me, I will continue to enjoy
>>>>> driving my Corvairs with nothing more than they were equipped with
>>>>> by the factory --- Love that 1964 solid steering shaft!!
>>>>>
>>>>> Bill Hubbell
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "airvair" <airvair@richnet.net>
>>>>> To: "Stephen Upham" <contactsmu@sbcglobal.net>
>>>>> Cc: <virtualvairs@corvair.org>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 9:52 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: <VV> Seats
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Just be aware that in order to make the belts function in a crash
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> way they are supposed to do, the floor has to be reinforced
>>>>>> adequately.
>>>>>> Kent has done a good job on his car, but until a real-world
>>>>>> destructive
>>>>>> crash test is conducted, the reinforcement adequacy is purely an
>>>>>> educated guess. Question is, would you bet your life on what you
>>>>>> install? Because a poorly thought out job could be even more
>>>>>> dangerous,
>>>>>> rather than safer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I used to do engineering testing in a research lab, and on at
>>>>>> least one
>>>>>> occasion this included a seat belt pull test.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Mark
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Stephen Upham wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have always liked the idea of the Sebring convertible seats
>>>>>>> because
>>>>>>> of the fact that they come with their own shoulder belt that is
>>>>>>> integrated with the seat-back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> See: The Chrysler Cure
>>>>>>> Go to Kent Sullivan's website. www.corvairkid.com
>>>>>>> and look at the Chrysler seats he put in his LM.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Stephen Upham
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> _______________________________________________
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>
> Eric S. Eberhard
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