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Mon May 23, 2005 4:30 pm

My beetle currently has some horrible seats from an '85 Camaro. These have only lap belts and the seats have no seat back latch on them, so they will launch you right into the windshield!!! :shock: So I went out and got a pair of high-back '68 seats (fully functional with seat back latches) which are now sitting patiently in my livingroom, waiting for the car to return from the shop. Those go in ASAP! The shop is also looking into 3-point shoulder strap seat belts for me. It doesn't look like the car has been equipped with them before, so it is another item I want to add on before the car comes home.

Mon May 23, 2005 6:28 pm

that seat latch isnt that big of a deal i dont think, because when i crashed my 65 (not equiped with those latches) the seat backs didnt make that much of a difference. rather, it was my own momentum that drove me into the steering wheel. 3-point seatbelts is a very wise choice though.

Mon May 23, 2005 7:29 pm

I rolled a 65 bug at 75 mph, no seat belts, and walked away from it with a very sore black and blue shoulder. The car was totaled but pretty much kept it's original shape. My brother in law was t-boned on the passenger side. The other driver was only doing about 25 mph and that car ended up over 1/2 way into the passenger side of the bug before it stopped. He walked away from that. I hope I never get t-boned in a bug after seeing the damage it did!

Tue May 24, 2005 9:55 am

Ya know, another issue that came to mind on this subject is that I would imagine that the rust we all have to battle in vintage cars would also affect the structural integrity of the cars under impact. I imagine that they would have held up better in 1970 crash than they would now.

Tue May 24, 2005 12:34 pm

I got rear ended this morning on my way to work. I was at a red light... stopped and I look in my rearview mirror and I'm wondering why the tank isn't stopping then boom! I thought my car was destroyed because my car flew forward but it held really strong just my decklid was destroyed. so I pull over and she follows me in her tank of an SUV and she says " I'm so sorry I was looking at your bug because I love the color And I forgot to brake" ( I don't have insurance It got cancelled a week ago for a late payment) so I say to her I will not report you just give me 200 bucks she agrees and I walk away with my pride hurt and 200.00 in the pocket. :twisted: Now I search for a 68 decklid.... shame cuz mine was shaved and real shiny black..... what a lame ass lady. :x

Tue May 24, 2005 7:11 pm

How do you forget to break? Beauty kills I guess...

Tue May 24, 2005 7:13 pm

I rear ended a Honda suv in a 70 bug at about 35mph. Brakes went out completely! Really f'd up my fender....put a small scratch on her suv. Damn Hondas!

Wed May 25, 2005 10:20 am

sounds like the lesson to be learned here is HEAVY METAL RULES!

Wed May 25, 2005 11:25 am

tacky wrote: i wonder if a sedan cage will fit a vert? :?:

I don't see why not. From door handles or so down, they're the same, aren't they?

- Scott

Thu May 26, 2005 6:32 am

Towel Rail wrote: tacky wrote: i wonder if a sedan cage will fit a vert? :?:

I don't see why not. From door handles or so down, they're the same, aren't they?

- Scott

there are some differences in the floor pan, heater channel area and door openings. also i wonder about clearence with the top up.

Thu May 26, 2005 10:46 am

luis wrote: 1. Older and wiser I guess. Its more of a toy for me at this point in my life. I now drive it like an old lady and use 4 point belts. This is a must.

luis, can you post a pic of your 4 point mounting points?
thanks

Thu May 26, 2005 1:19 pm

My husband was in an accident in August of 2004 in our 74 Super. The brakes failed and he hit a stopped dump truck at about 45-50 mph. The car actually broke the axle on the dump truck, and went up under the truck right to the windshield. You can see where the paint is rubbed off.

He broke the steering wheel and the steering column with his chest:

He had to be air-lifted to the hospital. The cop said he thought he was dead when he came up on the car. Miraculously, he had no internal injuries. He had to have his knee stitched because the windshield wiper switch broke off and stuck in his knee. He also tore something in his leg from stomping on the brakes, and couldn't walk. He had to use a walker for a while, but recovered quickly.

Thu May 26, 2005 1:46 pm

Wow... makes me want a roll cage AND air bags! I'm glad your hubby is OK!!

Thu May 26, 2005 1:57 pm

when i was 22 i fall in sleeping and drove by 1302 to a road light and then to a wall at about 30-35mph. i was wearing no belts and fortunately had no injury apart from some har cut by the broken rear interior mirror

Thu May 26, 2005 3:59 pm

You know what the amazing thing about that picture is? The driver side door still opens! One lucky bastard. :shock:

Thu May 26, 2005 5:58 pm

Seb67 wrote: You know what the amazing thing about that picture is? The driver side door still opens! One lucky bastard. :shock:

Yea. Ironically, the passenger door used to kind of get stuck. After that mess, it opened fairly easy. :lol:

The frame was really bent up, the roof was warped, and there were gaps above the doors from the impact.

Aside from him being lucky, there was another good thing from it. We bought a 73 standard 2 months later with a bad engine in it. We swapped the engine out with the 74, and he was on the road again.

Thu May 26, 2005 6:14 pm

Yea, that wreck was lots of fun. I do not recomend using a dump truck to help you stop.

Thu May 26, 2005 9:01 pm

What caused the brakes to fail? Was it a sudden failure or had they been going bad?

Thu May 26, 2005 11:41 pm

is it ilegal to make your own roll cage???

Fri May 27, 2005 2:44 am

Yes, I was rear ended in traffic at about 15MPH. Luckily I was about to pop it out of gear and get on the brakes to avoid rolling foward or doing transmission damage.

No damage to my car either, my bumper saved my engines life, I do believe.

I also spun my beetle to avoid another accident on a hill in the rain, that was scary but I had no choice but to spin her because there was no way I was going to stop in time.