TheSamba.com :: View topic - Australian Barndoor Crash in December 1956

Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:30 pm

1954 RHD Barndoor Kombi (11 window Dove Blue Kombi with Safari Windows)

Photos 1 to 3... December 1956..Bad accident corner of Rose & Howitt Sts. North Ward, Townsville, QLD Australia.

Photo 4... Rose & Howitt Sts today....

Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:31 pm

I got in touch with Tony who took the photos of the Barndoor accident way back in 1956 as I was curious as to what happen to the occupants.

Photo 1.... Tony's Reply email. (Good to hear they survived, especially with baby involved, very lucky)

Photo 2.... Extra photo of accident Tony sent (not for the faint hearted)

Take it easy out there Guys..

Cheers Barney...

Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:47 pm

Nothing a little green metal and some turtle wax won't fix :D

Where is the bus now???

Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:37 am

I think it's crazy that there is already rust showing on the inner valance.

Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:50 am

Wow, that is a pretty nasty crash.

The baby comment is scary...

Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:53 am

pinstripe looks nice., looks like an easy fix. Probably back on the road in a week

Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:54 pm

Crazy pictures. Too bad they spilled their slurpee.

Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:02 pm

ricekooker wrote: Crazy pictures. Too bad they spilled their slurpee.

driver was likely texting and slurping

Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:08 pm

Blood more than likely from driver being thrown across the seat striking his head on the B pillar. You could see how it spraid the passenger window from the impact :shock:

Sorry guys.. my medical truma back ground brings out the TMI in me :!:

Tue Jan 28, 2014 9:57 pm

RPGreg2600 wrote: I think it's crazy that there is already rust showing on the inner valance.

That is exactly what I was thinking.....

Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:07 pm

Bills85Westy wrote: RPGreg2600 wrote: I think it's crazy that there is already rust showing on the inner valance.

That is exactly what I was thinking.....

Im thinking inner valance's didn't get any protective coating??? Most i've seen are bare metal.

Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:39 am

Yeh the claret spray & other matter on RH drivers door window is from the driver being a RHD Barndoor. You can also see some claret on the dash centre.

I'd imagine the brakes not being to good on the Barndoor which creeped to far into the intersection at low speed & basically the concrete truck ripped the front off it from left to right...

Safari windows must of leaked from new down into the inner valance to have signs of rust only after 2 years...

No further info of what happened to it after it was towed away 58 years ago..

Cheers Barney

Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:19 am

I could sure use that front bumper.

Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:54 am

WOW...Crazy!

Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:49 pm

That fold in the steering wheel makes my stomach hurt.... some relatively lucky folks.

I've wanted to do a set of chromed & painted bumpers. I think a product called "Bulldog" is what would be needed to paint over chrome... or maybe veeeery careful scuffing.

Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:23 pm

Reposting (photobucket) photos (now in gallery).... since those off-site photos tend to disappear.

Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:25 am

Scary indeed. One thing we CAN thank Ralph Nader for is his push for improved auto safety. As much as I love old VW Buses, my daily drivers would never be anything prior to 73 because of the paper machete front end on older models.

As for the rust, many cars from that era were assembled and then painted, with many unseen areas either just primer or bare metal. I remember as a kid, growning up in the 80s, seeing tons of 70's cars on the road with gaping holes in the quarter panels and bumpers literally rusted off the cars-they looked decades old, but in reality they were more like 7-8 years old, and an alternator failure away from a junkyard.