BlackShadow113

My manager used to have a FCII, and he said that he heard if you get in an accident, theres a danger of the engine going through the firewall and crushing you. #1, i dont know if thats true cause the engine is in the middle, not on one side, so it cant really crush you, and two, i thought that **** only happened in old american cars? has this ever happened at all?

flamin-roids

You'll die when the car catches fire so an engine in your lap will be the last of your worries.

turbine

iTrader: (1)

maby in a pinto

BklynRX7

sounds like bs to me, such a serious issue would have been recalled.

my thoughts

1) At the speed you would have to be going to make that happen the engine would be your last worry

2) laws of motion say that the engine along with the rest of the car will continue to move forward in the event of a crash so unless you do 120 into a wall i doubt this could ever occour, even in the case of a wall it would be you pushing into the engine not the latter

I rememebr 2 severe crashes locally where the victims were moving in excess of 100mph and lost controll. In both cases the engines and other pieces of the car were found 2-3 blocks in front of the crash site not behind it.

BlackShadow113

ok cause my only concern with buying an FC is that in an accident, id die without proper racing seats and harnesses. how much would it cost to fit an FC with 2 racing seats and 3 point harnesses?

BDoty311

How would racing seats and harnesses keep you from dieing in an accident? In reality, racing seats and harnesses are very dangerous unless a rollbar is installed. If you managed to roll your FC, you will still be in the upright position, which is great for crushing your body when your roof collapses.

As far as the engine coming through the firewall, that is total BS. There is no proof that FCs do that more than any other car on the road. YOu should be more concerned with the lack of airbags.

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

Harnesses are pointless and dangerous in a car without a rollcage. The FC is just as safe as most other compact cars of it's era.

BlackShadow113

i worded that wrong. i was also very concerned about not having an airbag in the FC (check out my first thread i posted). what i meant to say was the best thing you can do to maximize the saftey of the FC in addition to brakes and tires and such, and without installing an aftermarket airbag, is to get racing seats and harnesses and a rollcage

Syonyk

Eeh... rollbar, yes. Rollcage, not unless you plan to drive with a helmet. Always. No matter how hard headed you are, smashing your skull against a steel frame will result in your skull losing.

Also, I'd think a FC would be *safer* in a front end collision, because there is an absurd amount of space (crumple zone?) in front of the engine. If the front collapsed to the point where things were pushing on the front of the engine, you're probably already dead.

-=Russ=-

BDoty311

Ok, I understand now. But I still don't see how racing seats and harnesses are going to make you noticably safer in an accident. Good wheels/tires/brakes will help keep you out of a lot of trouble.

bingoboy

wear your seatbelt so the explosive devince mounted in front of your face is not needed.

if you are going fast enough to make the engine come through the firewall and crush you then it just wasn't your lucky day. rest assured that applies for all cars.

sounds like you want a sports car, but you are afraid you won't be able to drive it safely. speed kills, buy a honda, or at least apply some common sense to your thought and/or driving.

BlackShadow113

ok the fact is, even with the best brakes and the best handiling in the world, there are alot of accidents you cant avoid. all im saying is, i dont want my head to smack the steering wheel, and i really dont want anything bad to happen to me. i guess if i wear my seatbelt (which i do all the time) and dont drive like a 16 year old, ill be fine. oh, and i already have a honda

Kai

One of the reasons I only buy old cars is so I DON'T have an airbag. They are great for breaking your nose, not useful for much else.

How about you drive safe so you don't have to worry about these things? If you speed around like an idiot, you'll get hurt even if you do have an airbag.

hIGGI

iTrader: (7)

Not likely, i tried :o

My Junx

If you want to be safe...first of all wear your seat belt every time you drive (if you have automatic belts wear BOTH of them, a chest strap is pointless without a lap belt) And keep your seat back adjusted as vertical as you can manage, (if anyone wants to drive with the gangsta-ghetto-lean I hope you die when you submarine under the belts). Third keep your head rest adjusted high enough and forward enough to actually touch the back of your head, not your neck. Then get a rollbar, you might be suprised to find how easy it is to smash a roof down to the seat backs (I flipped my Integra at 65-70 and the first point of contact was the joint of the windshield and roof at the very top of the right A-pillar and that point was below the level of the pass head rest...thank God I was alone). Then drive like a reasonable adult.

DerangedHermit

I've thought about putting in a rollcage or rollbar. When I look around at some of the vehicles on the road with me I get a bit ... concerned ... These damn SUV's like Yukon's or something would plow right over me. Maybe I'll put one in someday (peace of mind is nice), but oh well.

Icemark

This is another total BS thread that I honestly do not see why it was evern started.

the FC is one of the safest small sports cars around. Radically safer than most FWD cars built by Honda or Mitsubishi. Even 20 years ago comparied to today the body structure is considerably more solid than even many family sedans.

Ever see a FC or FD in a wreck??? almost never do you see the main body (passengers compartment) damaged to the point of failure/intrusion unless the car was traveling at excessive speed, and it hit a non moving object. Hell I have seen pictures of a FC that hit a tree head on , and the passengers compartment was fine other than a broken windsheild and the doors wouldn't open.

I don't know what this lame safety threads are coming from. Is it that people think that the cars built 20 years ago are not safe??? if that is the case get a clue or just go buy yourself a ******* volvo. If I was in an accident I'd rather be in my non airbag, non ABS 17 year old FC than any american car built today, well alone any of the economy car FWD imports. I know the body and structure of a FC or FD was world class 20 years ago, as they still are today.

DerangedHermit

It's not that I think the FC isn't a safe car comparatively or in general, but that doesn't mean I can't make it safer. All the mods I see on here are engine, paint, and looks in general. I'd rather spend whatever it costs to improve my safety. I don't need to spend the money of a Volvo on my RX7 to make it a lot safer. You're asking why, I'm asking why not. I'll sacrifice how my car looks for having peace of mind and a higher chance of living through a wreck.

Unless you can prove to me that a rollcage will hurt my chances in a wreck, I'd say you're the one that needs to reconsider your choices. No offense intended.

Icemark

A full rollcage would only help, but would also be excessive for a street car.

I never said it would hurt. I don't know where you are getting that from??? what the heck is that even coming from???

I simply said that this was a stupied thread, that was started by some paranoid person, that does not really undestand the RX-7 in the first place.

DerangedHermit

You never said it would hurt, I just don't know the full information and you seem to be knowledgable so I was simply asking if there was something I was missing.

I admit I'm paranoid. When I'm on the road I was taught to, and on my own think "everyone's out to kill me". On purpose or not, people do stupid and ignorant **** driving. I don't trust a single other driver on the road. It probably would be excessive, but eh... .

Side info: how much would a rollcage or rollbar cost, properly installed by a professional?

hondahater

iTrader: (2)

it looks like some people around here should not be driving a sports car. Nothing bad intended, I just think that a sports car should be fun to drive spirited and really if your worried that bad about safety etc... then how could you even have fun in a sports car??? I put my seatbelt on before I drive everytime and drive better than I did at 17 however I still have fun witch is an aspect I don't think some of you guys are grasping because your minds are on safety the hole time your driving spirited. Plane and simple if it is your time it is your time and there is no harness, roll cage or air bag that can say otherwise. My fiance is a member of a photo forum and a lady just had a post about her son and son's girlfiend that where in a 240sx while it was raining and the car slid off into a guard rail. The guard split the front of thier car open like butter and continued to do so all the way to the back of the car. The guard rail went past where the girls feet would have been if she wasn't sitting indian style on the front seat (needless to say both legs would have been gone if they where down like normal) and the boy had been thrown forward at the same moment the gaurd rail past by the back of his head witch would have decapitated him if he had an air bag that would have kept him further back in the chair. Needless to say it was not their time but if something like that happend and it was your time nothing would have stopped it.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Here's results of some tests years ago:

NHTSA Crash Test Results For 1997 US
Frontal Impacts only (Differs from Side Impacts)
5 stars (*****) = 10% or less chance of serious injury.
4 stars (****) = 11% to 20% chance of serious injury.
3 stars (***) = 21% to 35% chance of serious injury.
2 stars (**) = 36% to 45% chance of serious injury.
1 star (*) = 46% or greater chance of serious injury.


Same, if not better than most cars.....Frontal Impact............... Driver (F) Pass
1988--- Mazda RX7------------ 2Dr-- 3320 (**** ) (**** )

Icemark

see 4 stars drivers and passengers... better than a new Civic

DerangedHermit

See, proof that Civic suck .

Icemark

More that, new civic with dual airbags is hardly any safer than a 20 year old FC with no airbags