:thumb Absolutely!modulus wrote:What's good for club racing is probably also good for street cars; some of this stuff can be done in 5 minutes for 50 cents.
Cam Custom Title Time!
1,535 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·
I Saw Something That Made Me Think On The Weekend
OvalGlen Custom Title Time!
1,361 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·
I had Head on collision with a Maxi van.
Was 70 Beetle , we had both slowed but not entirely stopped.
The van was towed , the beetle - pulled the guard off the tyre and drove home,
both of us in the VW had whip lash.
The VW was just about written off, but protected occupants fine.
Was 70 Beetle , we had both slowed but not entirely stopped.
The van was towed , the beetle - pulled the guard off the tyre and drove home,
both of us in the VW had whip lash.
The VW was just about written off, but protected occupants fine.
Regards,Glenn>
Rota_Motor
Former member ·
I'm just going to let people know, without a source of ignition, the fuel tank isnt going to blow up.
I had a bad accident, which I recentl had yet another op on, way back in july 2001, not in a beetle, but the car I was in split as fuel line or something, when I hit the power pole, and there are polaroid pics in my hospital files showing the wrecked car, in a pool of fuel, with downed power lines, and that still didnt catch fire.
I dont know if the pic i have is too big to attatch, but it is in the police holding yard, and it is still standing in a pool of fuel.
pic was too big, and I'm gonna have to get danielle her own username here 😉
I had a bad accident, which I recentl had yet another op on, way back in july 2001, not in a beetle, but the car I was in split as fuel line or something, when I hit the power pole, and there are polaroid pics in my hospital files showing the wrecked car, in a pool of fuel, with downed power lines, and that still didnt catch fire.
I dont know if the pic i have is too big to attatch, but it is in the police holding yard, and it is still standing in a pool of fuel.
pic was too big, and I'm gonna have to get danielle her own username here 😉
tonyg Seriously Crusin Dubber
174 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·
My wife was teaching my #1 son to drive on a new housing estate in north Qld some years ago. Vehicle of choice was a mint 2L bay bus. Slid on the Gravel (over bitumen) off the road and down a 2 metre bank, corrected the wrong way and rolled thru 360 deg. A farmer raced over while they were shaking and asked if they were all right. My son replied "oh we're fine. Mum's just teaching me to drive" They were more concerned about my reaction re damage to my car. So they drove to the golf club where I was having a little drinkies. I inspected the damage: One side window half popped out. Mirror torn off, sundry scratches to glass, big dent in roof and headling sagging. I later found out to my cost that the engine mounts had broken, displacing engine seal causing the engine to suck hot air off exhaust. stuffed the rings. I pushed glass back in, screwed the mirror back on, pushed dent out (mostly), refixed the headlining, and later fixed the engine. Did another 160000ks and then while I was working got a call from wifey that the bus was totalled. Caught fire in BURNS st toowong, right near the fire station! burnt out. kept re-igniting after 3 extinguishers were emptied into it.....sometimes you just can't win, and sometimes you can! Commiserations to all who have been in accidents and damaged their precious vw's. Remember, when tempted to do something silly in your VW...ACCIDENTS HURT. They hurt you, your car, your wallet and your pride, and if you die, they hurt other people as well... Merry and safe xmas to all
tony g
tony g
they took me away haha, hope the medication works
VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome
5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·
Didn't you see the road safety ads on TV a few years ago?!wacked1 wrote:was just pondering the same question last night, thinking of the flat nose kombi I have. has anyone been hit in the front in a kombi? what happened?
drive safe:jesus
Pay your debts, CxxT
Cam Custom Title Time!
1,535 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·
The old TAC ad with the kombi used a pre cut one. It was designed to rip off for effect.
The other guys are right, without a sorce of ignition (spark or immense heat) the tank won't go up. So unless... say... you're braking really hard into a turn on a race track, go off, hit an offset concrete pillar and your tank comes out and tears off your 15 y.o dodgy replacement, short fuel line spraying fuel all over your baking hot (4 flying laps down) brakes. Then you should be safe from exploding beetle disorder :thumb
I think the most important thing to remember is. No matter how rare your car is, it can always be replaced, re-shelled, jigged or repaired. The same can't always be said for people. If you're worried about your little kids in the back seat being cleaned up by a speeding trucky at a red light. Then buy a 10 y.o $30,000 Mercedes Benz. Otherwise, be cautious, realise we're not bulletproof and drive defensively.
The other guys are right, without a sorce of ignition (spark or immense heat) the tank won't go up. So unless... say... you're braking really hard into a turn on a race track, go off, hit an offset concrete pillar and your tank comes out and tears off your 15 y.o dodgy replacement, short fuel line spraying fuel all over your baking hot (4 flying laps down) brakes. Then you should be safe from exploding beetle disorder :thumb
I think the most important thing to remember is. No matter how rare your car is, it can always be replaced, re-shelled, jigged or repaired. The same can't always be said for people. If you're worried about your little kids in the back seat being cleaned up by a speeding trucky at a red light. Then buy a 10 y.o $30,000 Mercedes Benz. Otherwise, be cautious, realise we're not bulletproof and drive defensively.
VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome
5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·
All you need for a fuel tank fire is to have your headlights on... or have your fuse box pop out of its little socket and ignite fuel that has leaked from a buste line or spilled due to rollover etc.
I have pics here of 50s and 60s Beetles involved in hard hit fronts that are burnt out. More safety features: The seats tear off the rails, the steering wheels and columns don't absorb collision energy, the dash isn't padded and it's mounted very close to the front seat occupants, the doors don't have burstproof locks, the wheels aren't 'safety beaded', single circuit brakes... the setabelts suck - and that's before you consider they're now 25 or more years old... Beetles are deathtraps, really. But I still love mine
I have pics here of 50s and 60s Beetles involved in hard hit fronts that are burnt out. More safety features: The seats tear off the rails, the steering wheels and columns don't absorb collision energy, the dash isn't padded and it's mounted very close to the front seat occupants, the doors don't have burstproof locks, the wheels aren't 'safety beaded', single circuit brakes... the setabelts suck - and that's before you consider they're now 25 or more years old... Beetles are deathtraps, really. But I still love mine
Pay your debts, CxxT
Boozer Demented But Determined
1,999 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·
I hit a house!😀
silence...
still more silence...
nervous coughing in the background...
a cricket chirps outside...
it wasn't my fault!
The guy who had my baja before me had screwed around with the pedals leaving them with probably only a centimeter in between each pedal. So when I drove up to the house (up at my farm) and went to brake I managed to hit both the brake pedal and the accelerator at the same time, running into one of the steel support stilts the house sits on, at a relatively low speed. The accident itself wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad if the stupid bumper bar the previous owner had built himself (it was a peice of crap, all the joints had gaps in them and everything was out of shape before the prang) decided to rip off the front end, flip up onto the bonnet causing damage to the fiberglass bonnet and nosecone. This was about a day after we had got it and it was a monor accident it was sort of good in a way because then we had to pull everything off and check it all to see how much stuff this guy had screwed up (it was a LOT, I broke down three times in one week, and stuff is still showing up). In the end we had a broken drivers side headlight and fairly screwed front fiberglass guard, cracked and broken bonnet that may be fixable, the discovery of a peice of crap bumper that did more damage than it stopped and a cracked nosecone. The bumper on my baja at the moment must be half decent because the previous owner didn't make it, and the previous owner his a stump on the passenger front with it and it bend a bit and that's all. So we bent it on the other side to make it look normal.
silence...
still more silence...
nervous coughing in the background...
a cricket chirps outside...
it wasn't my fault!
The guy who had my baja before me had screwed around with the pedals leaving them with probably only a centimeter in between each pedal. So when I drove up to the house (up at my farm) and went to brake I managed to hit both the brake pedal and the accelerator at the same time, running into one of the steel support stilts the house sits on, at a relatively low speed. The accident itself wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad if the stupid bumper bar the previous owner had built himself (it was a peice of crap, all the joints had gaps in them and everything was out of shape before the prang) decided to rip off the front end, flip up onto the bonnet causing damage to the fiberglass bonnet and nosecone. This was about a day after we had got it and it was a monor accident it was sort of good in a way because then we had to pull everything off and check it all to see how much stuff this guy had screwed up (it was a LOT, I broke down three times in one week, and stuff is still showing up). In the end we had a broken drivers side headlight and fairly screwed front fiberglass guard, cracked and broken bonnet that may be fixable, the discovery of a peice of crap bumper that did more damage than it stopped and a cracked nosecone. The bumper on my baja at the moment must be half decent because the previous owner didn't make it, and the previous owner his a stump on the passenger front with it and it bend a bit and that's all. So we bent it on the other side to make it look normal.
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
When the TAC ad came out years ago, heaps of people were saying to us. "See Kombi's are deathtraps, see what happens when they hit a truck"
I told them all they were obviously ignorant and it wouldnt matter if you hit in that kind of accident in just about any car you would be f@#*ed.
Imagine a Laser or Hyundai hitting the truck like that! 🙁
I told them all they were obviously ignorant and it wouldnt matter if you hit in that kind of accident in just about any car you would be f@#*ed.
Imagine a Laser or Hyundai hitting the truck like that! 🙁
Cam Custom Title Time!
1,535 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·
Anything hitting a truck like that would just mush. A massive diesel keeps going until you or a piece of civil engineering stops it. A car certainly won't.
Everyone used to say it to me too, Pete. What do they also believe that Arnie is a real cyborg? If they had of just used a normal kombi, it would have spun around an gotten thrown out again. Or simply pushed along. So to make it more dramatic. They got a pre-cut one and set it up to severe. Filming costs too much money and effort. There is no way they'd just catapult a car into a truck with no idea of what the finished article would look like.
Everyone used to say it to me too, Pete. What do they also believe that Arnie is a real cyborg? If they had of just used a normal kombi, it would have spun around an gotten thrown out again. Or simply pushed along. So to make it more dramatic. They got a pre-cut one and set it up to severe. Filming costs too much money and effort. There is no way they'd just catapult a car into a truck with no idea of what the finished article would look like.
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
Oh yeah and make sure they have dummies flying out like they never had seatbelts on.
More of this education should be at the 'obtaining licence' level.
There is a sad number of people who not only can't change a flat tyre, but do not know where the jack is, let alone a safe place to wait for someone else to come along.
So often people sit in their car with the hazards on - bonnet up helps to indicate car down, but no-one can be bothered with that one these days.
I stop and get out to help push the car and quite often they will say "Oh I was just going to wait here, should I move?"
They really have no concept, and sadly they are the ones who will just sit there blaring their horn when a car is broken down in front of them.
Oh that's right, sit on your horn and they will magically start their car and drive off again.
For the broken down car
- Use your hazard lights
- Put your bonnet or engine lid up
- Keep away from harmful cars zipping by
- Try to move to other side of intersection or side of road.
For the other drivers
- Understanding when another motorist is down
- Look for hazards and bonnet/ engine lid up
- Don't drive too close
- Help move the car. 3 or 4 people make it much easier.
More of this education should be at the 'obtaining licence' level.
There is a sad number of people who not only can't change a flat tyre, but do not know where the jack is, let alone a safe place to wait for someone else to come along.
So often people sit in their car with the hazards on - bonnet up helps to indicate car down, but no-one can be bothered with that one these days.
I stop and get out to help push the car and quite often they will say "Oh I was just going to wait here, should I move?"
They really have no concept, and sadly they are the ones who will just sit there blaring their horn when a car is broken down in front of them.
Oh that's right, sit on your horn and they will magically start their car and drive off again.
For the broken down car
- Use your hazard lights
- Put your bonnet or engine lid up
- Keep away from harmful cars zipping by
- Try to move to other side of intersection or side of road.
For the other drivers
- Understanding when another motorist is down
- Look for hazards and bonnet/ engine lid up
- Don't drive too close
- Help move the car. 3 or 4 people make it much easier.
Boozer Demented But Determined
1,999 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·
hey Helbus, how do you put your bonnet up if you have a baja?😀
XXX-1.8T Bishop of Volkswagenism
3,113 posts · joined Oct 2002 ·
Once Shazza broke down on a really busy roadway which had 3 lanes each way. What do u do if u have no hazzards and its nite? I Popped the hood up left one indicator light flashing and headlights and got out. Wanted to push it out of the way but new i'd get hit by other cars flying. Was waiting for the NRMA while watching cars just miss my car thought Shazza would be a goner that nite, lucky for me this bloke stopped that loved VW's and helped me push her out of the way while he directed traffic - man that was a close one!
kOMBI KARMA Officially Full-On Dubber
276 posts · joined May 2003 ·
Never had an accident in any of my veedubbs but was half listerning to a bloke up the shop the other day and he reckoned his 66 bug left the road and down a cliff in the dandenongs..I wasnt taking much notice of details but he was able to drive it away and i heard him swear they be the toughest cars hes known. Thats all
Ree
Ree
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
LOL.Boozer wrote:hey Helbus, how do you put your bonnet up if you have a baja?😀
I suppose if you are on the beach or some offroad expedition it wont be too much of a prob. I suppose you could carry a white flag. 😀
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
That is the way it should be. If we all helped each other, there wouldn't be as much agro on the roads. Peace. 😀 :thumbXXX-1.8T wrote:lucky for me this bloke stopped that loved VW's and helped me push her out of the way while he directed traffic - man that was a close one!
Boozer Demented But Determined
1,999 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·
true that.
...yeah a white flag, the bug surrenders!
...yeah a white flag, the bug surrenders!
oval TOFU Bitte, ein Bit!
2,946 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·
I was a silly P plater coming home at about 3am in my 72 Beetle. I took the last right-hand corner into my street in 3rd gear. (I was trying not to grind my syncros by not shifting into 2nd) I wasn't going 'that fast',
the rear came out,
I turned into the slide,
then the rear slide the other way,
I think i kept my foot on the gas instead of the brake,
didn't correct the other way in time and ended up in a Redgum (they are bloody strong!)
The rear end bounced up the kerb as the kenetic energy disapated. I hit on the right hand side between the headlight and the bonnet. I really mad use of the collapsible steering column that night! The right guard was nearly torn off, the front torsion bars bent the chassis, slightly buckled the drivers door too. The spare wheel was burst by the shredded metal and the rim was bent, but no fuel was lost. The battery tore loose from its anchor and disconnected. The generator was forced forward and the cooling fan hit the fan shroud by the force of the impact...
The stock steering wheel was bent by my head (seat belt on) which slip and required 10 stitches (my forehead that is), and had bruising on my chest.... I still walked home clutching the bloodied gash on my forehead....
The redgum's bark was only slightly shaved from the incident.
Any other time I could've (and had) taken that corner sideways without a problem. I attributed the accident to
driver experience (lack of)
driver fatigue
too much speed
crap rear tyres (fronts were XYX's)
trying to save syncros.
Now I drive an oval and have 225's on the back end, so I'm not (as) stoopid anymore.
the rear came out,
I turned into the slide,
then the rear slide the other way,
I think i kept my foot on the gas instead of the brake,
didn't correct the other way in time and ended up in a Redgum (they are bloody strong!)
The rear end bounced up the kerb as the kenetic energy disapated. I hit on the right hand side between the headlight and the bonnet. I really mad use of the collapsible steering column that night! The right guard was nearly torn off, the front torsion bars bent the chassis, slightly buckled the drivers door too. The spare wheel was burst by the shredded metal and the rim was bent, but no fuel was lost. The battery tore loose from its anchor and disconnected. The generator was forced forward and the cooling fan hit the fan shroud by the force of the impact...
The stock steering wheel was bent by my head (seat belt on) which slip and required 10 stitches (my forehead that is), and had bruising on my chest.... I still walked home clutching the bloodied gash on my forehead....
The redgum's bark was only slightly shaved from the incident.
Any other time I could've (and had) taken that corner sideways without a problem. I attributed the accident to
driver experience (lack of)
driver fatigue
too much speed
crap rear tyres (fronts were XYX's)
trying to save syncros.
Now I drive an oval and have 225's on the back end, so I'm not (as) stoopid anymore.
...and Robert's ya father's brother...
oval TOFU Bitte, ein Bit!
2,946 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·
true dat..Helbus wrote:That is the way it should be. If we all helped each other, there wouldn't be as much agro on the roads. Peace. 😀 :thumbXXX-1.8T wrote:lucky for me this bloke stopped that loved VW's and helped me push her out of the way while he directed traffic - man that was a close one!
I helped an old dude out in a car park to change the tyre on his Peugeot 505, we got talking about cars and he gave me a VW 1200 Beetle manual from the 60's for my trouble! Nice one!:bounce
...and Robert's ya father's brother...
Peter Leonard Moderator Volatile
1,456 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·
T-boned by a red light running woman driving a mitsubishi station wagon.
what complicated things was the fact that i was turning across in front of her after her light (thru traffic) had gone red, hence my charge of not making a righthand turn with safety. six years later everything was sorted out and my countersuit (yes, she had the gall to sue me) left me with a bent VW and no outstanding debt. legals paid, no 8000 dollar payment for her car.
what happened to the two cars:
mitsubishi: crumpled into a van shape. from the windscreen forwards there was nothing resembling a bonnet or engine compartment, she ended up doing a 180 degree turn on the spot, and came to rest facing backwards up the highway.
71 Superbug: Passenger side door crumpled and no longer openable, floor pan bent, left front guard sqwished. 90 degree turn left facing down the highway.
VW:1
Mitsubishi: Nil
as far as the looks went, mine was okay looking apart from the fact that the door was now mushing into the seat on the passenger's side, hers looked like it had hit a brick wall at 80 Kph.
I was bounced around inside, but the only injuries I sustained were from the seatbelt (some ugly coloured bruising up my side where it had dug in).
moral of the story: stay the hell away from lawyers. and trust in old steel... VWs may not have impact absorbing crumple zones, but they're bloody tough. I've since replaced it with another of the same year and snotty colour 😀
:vader
what complicated things was the fact that i was turning across in front of her after her light (thru traffic) had gone red, hence my charge of not making a righthand turn with safety. six years later everything was sorted out and my countersuit (yes, she had the gall to sue me) left me with a bent VW and no outstanding debt. legals paid, no 8000 dollar payment for her car.
what happened to the two cars:
mitsubishi: crumpled into a van shape. from the windscreen forwards there was nothing resembling a bonnet or engine compartment, she ended up doing a 180 degree turn on the spot, and came to rest facing backwards up the highway.
71 Superbug: Passenger side door crumpled and no longer openable, floor pan bent, left front guard sqwished. 90 degree turn left facing down the highway.
VW:1
Mitsubishi: Nil
as far as the looks went, mine was okay looking apart from the fact that the door was now mushing into the seat on the passenger's side, hers looked like it had hit a brick wall at 80 Kph.
I was bounced around inside, but the only injuries I sustained were from the seatbelt (some ugly coloured bruising up my side where it had dug in).
moral of the story: stay the hell away from lawyers. and trust in old steel... VWs may not have impact absorbing crumple zones, but they're bloody tough. I've since replaced it with another of the same year and snotty colour 😀
:vader
let sleeping dubs lie
PHAT BUG Dave says Bini's a fool
1,698 posts · joined May 2003 ·
My first crash,
What can I say, Im a bit of an animal lover!
I was doing 100kph, swerved to miss a rabbit and went head first into a 4ft deep concrete table drain!!
I dont know how many times I rolled it, all know is I dont want to do it ever again.
When the car came to rest (lying on its side, facing back the way I had just come)I immediatly turned off the ignition, I dont remember smelling any fuel at all!
Couldn't open the passenger door, the reason becoming obvious later. So I punched out the windscreen and climbed out that way.
I was the only person in the car, and I got out of it pretty good, only had a sore right leg for about a week.
What can I say, Im a bit of an animal lover!
I was doing 100kph, swerved to miss a rabbit and went head first into a 4ft deep concrete table drain!!
I dont know how many times I rolled it, all know is I dont want to do it ever again.
When the car came to rest (lying on its side, facing back the way I had just come)I immediatly turned off the ignition, I dont remember smelling any fuel at all!
Couldn't open the passenger door, the reason becoming obvious later. So I punched out the windscreen and climbed out that way.
I was the only person in the car, and I got out of it pretty good, only had a sore right leg for about a week.
Boozer Demented But Determined
1,999 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·
that's your baja?! I've been wondering who's that was for a long time. It looks like it was a pretty good looking one what was in it?