DSMguywantsFD

are there any crash test records for FDs?

if there arent, can some of you who have had major collisions in your FD share your experience(s)?

cdk 4219

They arent designed to be crash compliant. Consider yourself driving an egg with an engine and an airbag.

DSMguywantsFD

so they are less safe when compared to an FC? because those did decent in crash tests. if i get an FD i just dont want to die if a soccer mom decides to rear end me in her suburban or something.

DSMguywantsFD

so they are less safe when compared to an FC? because those did decent in crash tests. if i get an FD i just dont want to die if a soccer mom decides to rear end me in her suburban or something.

rpm_pwr

My last FD was obliterated when it was mowed down by an SUV that ran a light. Closing speed at impact was about 120-130km/h (80mph). I was knocked out for a few minutes, but I walked away, then collapsed

Car took the impact extremely well, although the footwell was so distorted that I had to take off my shoes to get my feet out



-pete

dclin

iTrader: (4)

You should be more concerned with your own driving ability when driving an FD. Easy to think that your own driving is superior to the vast majority on the road (and may even be true), but we've seen COUNTLESS people on the forum get into wrecks because they were lulled into overconfidence by the car's abilities.

Most get away unscathed or minor injuries, but we had one unfortunate week late last year where we had two deaths witin days of each other....

Other then the fact it's an ultra-compact, rear-wheel drive vehicle with a excellent power/weight ratio, there isn't anything outstanding as far as safety issues.

ricola555

No one buys an FD for the safety element, since it is neglible at best. If you are concerned about dying in an automobile crash then get an SUV with front and side impact air bags and always wear your seat belt. The FD is great, but also small and light (2 inches shorter than a new celica). It wasn't designed with safety in mind, but rather with speed and beauty. A trade-off I don't mind one bit.

djantlive

I disagree. I have seen numerous crash results like Pete's pictures of different frontal, side and rear crashes. I think the FD is just as safe as other sports cars such as Boxter, 300Z, Supra. Given that most of these other cars are heavier, I think the RX7 crashes well. Much of it is due to it's rigidity. The airbag helps too.

According to the objective safety ratings that I have seen online a number of years ago, it's comparable to other sports cars. It's not a tank like a Mercedes but it's better than a Civic or Miata.

DaedelGT

The FD scores pretty high if I remember right. One of the car comparison sights gives a rating based on the national crash test results. Remember, a car DOES has to get at least standard results in that set of tests.

DSMguywantsFD

i know that it is better to not crash than to prepare for a crash, but there are somethings that are unavoidable.
i dont mind dying in a crash that is my fault(and i dont plan on that happening), but like i said, i dont want to die because of somebody else. i just want to know if the rex will be able to take a hit at least as well as an average car of its weight. i dont buy cars for safety, but i also wouldnt buy a car that doesnt at least have some safety in mind


daedel, thats the answer i was looking for, but do you know where those results could be found because i believe the FD was made before restrictions got real tight and i could not find anything in terms of crash test reslts.

CCarlisi

I think you posed a very good question. I'm particularly concerned about side impact. From what I understand they made some changes to the side impact beams on the newer JDM cars. I wonder how the US cars fair in comparison. Safety improve performance too; the safer a car is the more I'm willing to push it!

frankadelic

let's face the reality of this ? and all realize that the FD is essentially a race car with air conditioning! light fast and small = danger. Thoughtful driving and appropriate decisions + seatbelt will save your life....the car won't. I'm suprised no one has mentioned roll cages as a precaution for the unthinkable hard wreck....my views on airbags is somewhat clouded. I'm actually thinking of removing both bags in that I hear so many horror stories about the physical damage they cause. What do you guys out there think about this airbag issue?

Spirit Rx-7

iTrader: (15)

hmm....roll cages sounds good...

dclin

iTrader: (4)

What kind of accident do you plan of having? I know from personal experience (actually, my little sister's) that air bags can do alot of damage to the human body.

Creep cuts my sister off on the freeway and sends her into the guardrail, bouncing her over to the other side. No frontal impact, but the airbags still deployed, shoving her two front teeth all the way into her gums and shattering the 3 top teeth on each side (we had thought she lost all of her top teeth at the scene, but x-rays showed the front teeth in her gums afterwards. Oral surgeon repositioned it, but the body still ended up rejecting it so they had to come out).

Almost a year later, 3 surgeries (one in which a titanium frame was built and placed in her gums.The final surgery is scheduled in a couple months), and $15K in medical bills later (thankfully, a very good health plan), she almost as good as new.

That said, I would prefer an airbag in a high-impact accident. Anybody know if the '01,'02 J-spec bags are the 'low-power' type? That might be a good idea to swap in.

rerx7

I agree with you frankadelic, airbags can make the damage worse onto the driver. IMO airbags are unsafe, that is why I changed my steering wheel right after I got my FD, with that I also put in a 5 pt seat belt so I won't hit the steering wheel. I also drive very cautiously. Roll cages is very good, I am thinking of putting that in but I heard that having a roll cage is illegal in Toronto so is hood pins, so I do not know. Have to check that out with the local authoritises

rpm_pwr

All JDM (and Aus and Europe) airbags are the low velocity type.

ilike2eatricers

to those with bad experiences with airbags:

in those situations was a seatbelt used? im not trying to fault a reason to fault the victims but airbags I believe are designed to work with seatbelts. Also sitting too close to the steering wheel may affect how a airbag will help hurt you.

Sorry about any bad experiences or digging up bad memories.

dclin

iTrader: (4)

Yes, she was wearing a seatbelt. She did sit closer then what I would be comfortable with.

I've heard the controversy regarding the power levels of airbags prior to the last few years, but really did not think of it (or consider it much) until my sister's accident. The problem is - the early airbags (at least in the US) were regulated to deploy under the assumption the occupants are not wearing seatbelts.

One of our restaurants was located in front of a business park a few years back, and I remember a family that repaired totaled vehicles in one of the units, and turn around and sold them for a nice profit. The daughter told me how she would find bits of teeth and blood on the airbags. You don't really think of it until it happens to you (or a loved one).

Having said that, I do believe airbags save lives - under extreme circumstances. Airbags have no doubt saved more lives then they've taken. I have also heard (and witnessed) what damage an airbag can cause. The dilemma, and what I was alluding to when I asked what kind of accident do we expect to be it - how do you know if you will be in an accident where an airbag would do more good then bad?If the airbag did not deploy, my sister would have nothing more then a scrapped knee in her case.

I'm not blaming anyone (other then the creep that ran her off the road), but am disappointed in what I understand of the bureaucratic mess that surrounded the initial development of airbags, and how the government dictated the power levels.

If what rpm_pwr says is true - that the Japanese and European markets have always had lower powered airbags, then my disappointment would quickly turn into disgust.

skunks

I have seen some fd in crashes and they seem to hold up very well. (I'm talkign about the driver surviving with out too much of a problem, in most cases above 60mph, the car will be totalled). Infact, if i can remember correctly, the only 2 fatatilies I can remember came about because the passenger drowned and another guy was doing a top speed run (idk any car thats gonna take a 150+mph hit very well). I have seen a guy slide into the mediean on a highway at 60mph and the worst that happened to him was slight burns on his arms due to airbags being deployed. I have seen some option vids where they drift and go sliding in to dirt embankments and while every other car is being torn to shreads, the FD's seem to just come away with broken steering rods (toe rods) even though they hit the wall as bad as the others do. I have gone in to a dirt embankment and did not suffer any damage at all (this was going pretty slow though, totally my fault and not the cars fault, gotta keep the gas on in a slide...)

Get a full cage (not just the bar please), racing seat which provisions for a 5-6 pt safty harness, a 5-6pt safty harness and a helmet and you should be fairly well protected.

CCarlisi

I think a rollcage is a good idea but I don't like the fact that they have not been crash tested. It could potentially do more harm than good if it comes apart in an accident. Yes, I know in many cases if the accident is that severe you'd probably be crushed without the rollcage.

vudoodoodoo

Airbay in my old Eclipse burned my nose.

airborne

i ran mine under a tractor trailer and i was fine...and the car still ran.

DamonB

Airbags are a wonderful development, the problem is in their implementation. I am 6'4" and in my FD with my seatbelt on I don't see it possible for me to actually hit the airbag without a near fatal crash and at that point I would be happy I had the airbag. My gf on the other hand is considerably shorter. This means not only is she closer to the airbag, she is also lower in the seat and so stands to catch the force of the bag with her neck and face as opposed to her chest. I would rather she not have a bomb in front of her at that point.

Problem is Congress mandated the airbag and its inflation time. To meet the inflation spec the airbag has to be nearly explosive. The airbag has no way of knowing how tall you are, where your seat is positioned and exactly how hard the impact is. It just knows there are enough g's coming through the front end to detonate the bomb. There is absolutely no doubt that many people have had very harmful injuries from a device that the government mandated their vehicle to carry. The driver has no choice.

In order for the airbag to function as it is truly capable you need to have a smart bag, and we're on the right track now. Give credit to the automakers as they raised these points years ago but the government accused them of whining and trying to avoid the expense. It was a federal mandate, the manufacturers had no choice. Ideally the bag needs to know the height of the person (which it can determine fairly by seat position) and the true decel of the crash through improved g sensors. Then the bag needs to be able to adjust its inflation time accordingly. All of this is possible and you are seeing it on many new cars. Problem was big brother wouldn't let the auto makers do it in the beginning. Remember the big stink over people wanting to disable airbags years ago? It's a mess.

I am not anti government, but this is one where we screwed up. We shouldn't mandate a device that will save the majority of (average height) people while at the same time nearly dooming the (short) people. Imagine having one of those amusement park signs on the side of your car "Drivers who are not this tall may receive harmful injuries in the event your safety device is used". That's exactly what the original airbag standards did. I now feel we are on the right track however and am definately happy that new cars still have airbags in them.

novaz

I don't know about the US, but in New Zealand if you want a roll-cage in a car, you have to get it certified by a mechanical engineer to say that it is structurally sound.

Dodgy homebuilt cages are refused, and removed. Good cages are stamped for use, and recorded in the car's registration papers.