How safe is the e30 really?

[MikeE30325i]

i feel safer in my e30 than i do in my 2002 se-r. the se-r has airbags, and a load of other traction controlling goodies, but the e30 just has that feeling that when i get in it i am safe.

the women who owned my e30 before me, fell asleep in the drivers seat on a 45 mph road. apparently when she fell asleep she jerked the wheel and the car jumped a curb and hit one of those concrete poles in the ground. at 40-45 mph. it hit right on the frame where the bumper attachs and the above area. it looks like this after zero work.



i feel very safe in e30's. my buddy (the one who posted the topic in "m20 strokers and forced induction" titled "m10 turbo build") does the craziest shit in an 85 325e. and i dont get scared at all. i just feel safe i guess.

[PeaveyBassist]

e30 is pretty safe. I hit a 6" curb or so at about 15mph I would guess maybe (???) and the driver's side wheel got pushed back into the floorpan. My feet were on the clutch and brake obviously. After the impact, the clutch pedal is held on the floor... by the floor that got pushed back... lol. Its not a pretty sight, but I didnt get hurt at all. I hit a Jeep Cherokee at around 30-35mph and then hit the curb. The initial impact of the Jeep was pretty scary but it was me and 2 other people in the car and none of us were injured. We were just a little shaken up. I feel very safe in my e30. Granted, any crash at 60+mph is gonna hurt a little in any car.

Will

[96 Cosmos]

My brother wrecked an '87 325is at highway speed during a heavy rain storm (yes, he was driving WAY too fast). He hydroplaned and ended up in a ditch. Every inch of the car was mangled, but he got out of the car with only a sore back for a few days. Car saved his life.

[M42Technik]

Randomtask37.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=44203

Lived with some serious injuries to his legs and was pinned inside, jaws of life were used.

[mtechnik]

^^whao !

[MikeE30325i]

holy shit........

[1991 318is]

Oops!


A belt bunched up like that was one of two main factors in Dale Earnhart's death (in addition to no Hans Device).
From CBS Sports report on the final results of NASCARS investigation:
" This meant the adjuster mechanism became cockeyed -- the lower end moved forward -- and the webbing in the left side adjust mechanism bunched up toward the lower end of the mechanism. Belt webbing works best when it remains flat and all of its fibers are pulled at once. When a belt dumps, a greater stress is placed on fewer fibers, and there is a greater risk of tearing. .... the manufacturer contends that had Earnhardt's belts been installed at a proper angle, it may have helped stop the chain reaction of events that led to the ring fractures at the base of his skull that was responsible for his death. "We provide every competitor with a set of instructions how to install the belt," said James H. Voyles, one of Simpson's attorneys. "If you don't follow the set of instructions with a manufacturers product, you may encounter a problem."
The installation pictured above is some real stupid sh*t.

[schmidty]

the car flipped end over end twice I think. Suffered about 11 staples to the head and 11 stitches behind the ear from the roof/door coming down on my head and a bruised ankle from a tree stump or something puncturing the floorboard

[Funkmasta]

Anyone remember Jason Huffs wreck 2 years ago? Took out a bus stop, and has been in rehab until recently...

[ddongbap]

I didn't read through the post, so I'm telling you headsup.

Well anyways, I remember my first e30 crash. It flipped 2.5 times.
It wasn't cool, but my baby kept me safe. They have little tidbits of help too. Such as the rear window breaking open when the car flips, so incase your door gets stuck, you have another route out.

[ddongbap]

I must stand up and defend the E30, Firstm when you look at the inside of the engine bay, you can see the crumple zones that will absorb the impact force right upfront of the windshield washer tank.

Then the engine is placed in a awy that (on impact) will not ehter the passenger area.

The hood is latched and built so it will slide up the roof on impact (it will not behead you)

and this:Weight:
2733 lbs.


Will defend you since my 1968 Falcon weighed less than my E30 with a cast iron V8, I must suppose that the E30 with 50% of the engine made of aluminum has a better structure.

BTW, do not fall for the Japanese/Korean marketing campaigns, japanese cars ARE unsafe, people that crash in a toyota yaris DIE, even with airbags, a 1000 pound car cannot take hard beatings.

http://mit.edu/mit-japan/outreach/working-papers/WP0104.pdf

Extract:

"Samsung Motor operated for 11 months, during which it sold about 30,000 cars. Each car sold was estimated to have lost the company $5,000. In 2000, Korean consumers voted Samsung’s only model, the SM5, the worst car in its class for quality and performance. The car was also named the most unsafe in collision tests conducted by the government. "Renault’s SM5 Named Worst Car of the Year", Korea Herald (29 December 2000)."

Now, I don't mean all japanese cars are unsafe, but you cannot rate safety of a small car (E30) on crash performance against an SUV, just go out and hit a Civic or an Aveo and see what happens.

Now modern cars are safer, but at high speed it makes no different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTf4qL_O_Sc

You can't exactly compare Korean car models to Japanese, or even European cars. ESPECIALLY, if its a brand spaking new company, like Samsung, who specializes in small electronics, and the sort.

And you ESPECIALLY can't compare a bunk model, that wasn't even released worldwide. Its Obvious that car cannot compare to the rest of the world's saftey standards, thats why the cars life was short lived.

[MikesJo]

e30 is pretty safe. I hit a 6" curb or so at about 15mph I would guess maybe (???) and the driver's side wheel got pushed back into the floorpan. My feet were on the clutch and brake obviously. After the impact, the clutch pedal is held on the floor... by the floor that got pushed back... lol. Its not a pretty sight, but I didnt get hurt at all. I hit a Jeep Cherokee at around 30-35mph and then hit the curb. The initial impact of the Jeep was pretty scary but it was me and 2 other people in the car and none of us were injured. We were just a little shaken up. I feel very safe in my e30. Granted, any crash at 60+mph is gonna hurt a little in any car.

Will

Why would you drive through such a large puddle of water in your sig?

[cwsqbm]

and this:Weight:
2733 lbs.

BTW, do not fall for the Japanese/Korean marketing campaigns, japanese cars ARE unsafe, people that crash in a toyota yaris DIE, even with airbags, a 1000 pound car cannot take hard beatings.

"Samsung Motor operated for 11 months, during which it sold about 30,000 cars. Each car sold was estimated to have lost the company $5,000. In 2000, Korean consumers voted Samsung’s only model, the SM5, the worst car in its class for quality and performance.

Dude, get a clue.

First, you bitch about Japanese cars and then given a POS Korean example, a car that was never sold in the U.S. In case you don't know, Korea and Japan are two separate countries separated by a moderately large body of water.

Second, the Yaris weights about 2300 lbs, not 1000 lbs. Its not that much lighter than a E30 when you consider that it has a tiny all-aluminum 4cylinder and light weight transaxle.

Third, the Yaris is about the lightest new mass-produced car sold in the U.S. - most new cars, Japanese and Korean included, weigh more than an E30.

Yes, people still die in them, but people die in BMWs too. A car, no matter how perfectly built, can only absorb so much. As for lightweight cars being ok, I've seen a 2000 lb Lotus a few minutes after it spun into a wall at 85+ mph. The car was totalled, but the driver and instructor walked away with just bruises because the passenger compartment remained intact.

[808BMW]

Eric, where is that bracket mounted to? On my car, it's mounted straight up coming from under my seat (stock for a 4 door?) I've never been inside a 2 door e30, so I don't know how that is setup.

Are the materials of the 540 of lower quality than the E30? Just wondering. I feel safer in my e30 than a new echo or yaris, that's for sure. Am I safer? I don't know, someone tell me.

The interior plastic pieces are crap. My dad's e39 pisses him off with all the little buttons breaking.

i know i know the touring right now is very dirty inside. and YES i am that lazy

Wow, that looks pretty dangerous. Why is it mounted that way? Just to have a harness look? I have Corbeau TRS' in my car (is that what your driver seat is) and the stock belts work fine.

[ivo316]

I stand corrected, I have no problem with that, but the SM3 and SM5 are still for sale around the world.

There is no comparison between a japanese car sold in the states to the same model being sold on other countries (even the metal is thinner) and they weigh much less.

And regarding the "Korean" car plants, I suppose it must be news to some people, but some, not all, are Japanese or US owned and manufacture parts for Japanese and american cars (Korean standards of course).

Last month, a whole ship of "Chevrolet Corsas" got rejected here in Chile and were shipped back to (Guess where) CHINA. (who would have thought Chevys came from China ?) - Did not pass: Emmisisons tests, structural integrity, and overall steering tests. I might add that here, Chileans are not as demanding in safety as you in the states.

There is even a Suzuki (the Maruti) made in India.

Sometimes things are not what they look like.

A Volkswagen made in Brazil or a Chevy made in China, or a whatever made wherever may look the same, but not necessarily is the same.

Steel can be good or bad quality, workers can be sloppy, quality controls can be worse.

But sometimes a Japanese car gets brought here from the states, and it's a totally different car than the ones that get here.