[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]
<x-charset windows-1252>Keep in mind that the reason that you can drive a bug or T3 away from an accident that has totaled a modern car is that the modern car has been designed to absorb the impact of the accident much better than the VW and has absorbed most of the impact. The car is replaceable....the driver isn't. The more damage done to the car the better because that means that it is absorbing the energy of the impact by bending, crushing, and tearing the parts of the car. If the car doesn't absorb the impact energy it has to go somewhere. Breaking bones and your brain bouncing around inside your skull are some of the places the energy can be absorb....if the car doesn't absorb it. As for the spare tire, I don't think it actually would help much except in low speed impacts where it can distribute the load over a wider area and maybe protect the fuel tank a bit better. In any moderate to high speed (above 15 mph or so) impact, the spare might even be detrimental. A fully inflated spare is not deformed much in an impact and it is taking up 6 inches of otherwise crushable space in the front of the car. We have do have an advantage over front engine cars since the engine in the T3 is not taking up valuable crush space in the front of the car. Finding 24-27" or so of crushable space in the front of a modern front wheel drive car is a real challange. All that being said, the best thing you can do is make sure you wear your seat belts after upgrading to 3 point and making sure the anchor points are not rusted out. Be safe. Later, John Jaranson '71 FI Auto Fasty (Jane) '66 Square (Sophy) About Half a Late Square (Organ Donor) http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jaransonT3/jaransonT3/ (This is the new address for my website) ------------------------------------------------ To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <type3-off@vwtype3.org> For more help, see http://vwtype3.org/list/ </x-charset>