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How safe is the e30 really?

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    How safe is the e30 really?

    I've always felt safe in my E30. It may not have received the highest crash test rating, but stories people post here about their accidents and my personal experiences have always led me to believe that these are pretty safe cars. I've seen many cases both online and in person where an e30 or e36 owner is involved in a bad accident and walks away with no or minor injuries. The only e30 related death I know of is when someone in the ATL crashed his e30 with 4 people inside. Three of the four people survived but I believe one person in the rear did not make it.

    Safety was never really a huge concern for me. However times change and people mature. I'm really happy with my life at the moment and I'd like to stick around for awhile.

    When I hop from my e39 into my e30 I get nervous. The e30 has no traction control, no airbags (my e39 has 6), is small, and is almost 20 years old which means old safety technology. If I crash my e39 at my typical 85-90mph freeway speed, I'm confident I will walk away. If I crash my e30 at my typical 85-90mph freeway speed...I'm not so sure.

    I have 4 point harness in my e30 coupe, but I never wear them anymore after hearing about how a 4pt harness will actually hurt you in a rollover unless you have a roll bar or a 4 door sedan with a solid B pillar.

    I always buckle up. Do to my Vader conversion (The Vaders are mounted to 3/8" steel brackets with hardware. The brackets mount to the OEM seat points with stock hardware), the seatbelts setup is as follows:

    Stock e30 seatbelts plug into Vader buckles. Since I had to remove the seat belt bar from my coupe, I put in the smaller 4 door e30 seat belt bracket. The bracket mounts to the OEM location and the seatbelt is attached to this bracket with a thick metal link. The link screws apart on one side which is how I got it to loop through the seatbelt and seatbelt bracket. At first, I was worried about the link, but it feels and looks more solid then the stock e30 4 door seat belt bracket that I am using. I figure if the 4 door bracket is rated high enough to hold up in a crash, the link should be more then enough. See the picture below:

    So,

    1. How safe is the e30 really?
    2. Care to share your personal experiences?
    3. How safe is my e30 with my custom seats and seat belt setup? Can I do anything to improve my setup?
    Attached Files
    2004 SL600 - Current
    ------------------------
    2006 SL55 AMG - Sold
    2004 M3 SMG - Sold
    1999 540i Sport - Sold :(
    1989 325i coupe- Sold
    1988 325is M50 M-tec - Sold :(

    #2
    I wouldn´t trust that attachtment arm unless it was made from titanium,
    in the 4door that bracket isn´t angled like that is it? I think it´s pointed upward
    In an accident that will bend rightaway,
    Gunni
    @ Prodrive / Aston Martin Racing

    Comment


      #3
      haha ill snap a shot of what my seatbelt looks like in my touring... i think ill be the winner of "unsafest" seatbelt set up.

      Comment


        #4
        In the cabrio, the arm is on a hinge that moves forward when the driver buckles up.

        I'm not sure how the bracket is in the 4 door, but I do think it points straight up.

        If I had it pointing straight up like a stock e30 4 door, the bracket would bend forward in a wreck and there would be slack in the belt. I have mine angled so that in a wreck, there is no way for it to bend.

        Think for a second about the seat VS bracket positions in the coupe and sedan. In the sedan, the bracket is parallel to the driver which means in an accident, it will torque up. Therefore the bracket is mounted pointing up so there is no way for it to bend. In the coupe, the bracket is mounted behind the driver. In an accident the bracket will torque towards the driver so I mounted mine pointing forward. As I said above, the cabrio bracket is on a spring. The bracket shoots back to allow rear seat access in the cabrio, but pulls forward when the driver is wearing his seatbelt.

        The bracket does seem flimsy. When I pulled them out of a wrecked e30 4 door in a junkyard I had my doubts. But if these things were OEM I guess they are safe.

        Really the only thing not OEM in my setup is the clip that connects the brackt and belt. It is rated at 2,000 pounds according to the package and seems more hardcore then the bracket. I really don't see how this could be a problem, but if it is, I'd like to know why. I'm getting my degree in Business Management not Physics.
        2004 SL600 - Current
        ------------------------
        2006 SL55 AMG - Sold
        2004 M3 SMG - Sold
        1999 540i Sport - Sold :(
        1989 325i coupe- Sold
        1988 325is M50 M-tec - Sold :(

        Comment


          #5
          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.
          Vancouver Portrait Photographer

          E30 M3 Wallpapers

          Comment


            #6
            I generally feel pretty safe in my E30 ('87 325is- so no airbag). BUT, I would feel safer in a car with airbags, and I have seen enough airbag-equipped E30's to know that the airbags often don't go off when they should. I don't know if this is due to age, or bad controller/sensors or if someone had messed with the airbag system or what, but it's what I've seen.

            That said, I was with my mother-in-law about 1.5 years ago when she was buying a new car (2005 Honda Accord to replace her 1991 Accord which she bought new in 1991...). The salesman was trying to sell her the V6 and the alloy wheels, etc, etc, but she wanted the basics, with a sunroof, AC and a stereo with CD player as the only options. When it came time to decide whether to get the side curtain airbags- an extra ~$800 or so option, she asked me my opinion and I said "definitely get them". Airbags are a PITA to replace or repair when you're working on a wrecked car, mostly because they cost $$$$, but I would get as many airbags as I could in any new car I bought- IF I ever were to buy a new car... :)


            But basically, E30's are solid cars, I've seen plenty of wrecked E30's and they hold up much much better than most other cars- you can wreck an E30 and say a Pontiac Grand Am in the front at the same speed and I'll bet that the Pontiac's doors are jammed, or at least tweaked enough that the door does not close anymore, but the E30 doors will work just fine. It takes a really hard hit to bend the roof on an E30, not so with lots of other cars.

            As for your seatbelt setup, it looks to me that the weak point is that steel chain link- it might be strong enough, but I'd look for something stronger- maybe something that was forged.


            Bret

            Comment


              #7
              The E30 was a very safe car in its day, but times have changed and it's not really the E30's lack of safety features of crash worthiness that worry me - it's the massive SUVs roaming the streets driven by unqualified, careless drivers. If there is anything I am careful about, it's driving through an intersection immediately after the light has turned green for me - I don't want to get T-boned by SUV red-light-runner approaching from my left. His bumper would be at head level... also, most modern cars are capable of reaching speeds that were unheard of in the late 80's - some yahoo in a Hyundai Sonata can achieve 120...

              My wife and I pray each morning that all of our friends and family reach their destination safely.

              ASC and DSC can give a false sense of security, so I am careful not to push my E39 too far. And yes, airbags are awesome and it is very wise to be as prudent as possible, but ultimately, when it's my time to go, it's my time to go. :D
              I Timothy 2:1-2

              Comment


                #8
                Ahh I shouldn't read this. It's making me emo XD.


                91 318is

                Comment


                  #9
                  Lukas...please, upgrade that link to something rated for ATLEAST 5000 lbs. When I work construction and wear my harness, everything about the harness has to be rated to withstand a 5000 lbs load (and this is for a guy that weighs 150 lbs). The harness would only allow me to fall a full 6 feet before I would be swinging and yelling at people to get me down. You would be surprised at the amount of force an object can exert (?) when it is suddenly stopped.

                  Just my .02
                  My 2.9L Build!

                  Originally posted by Ernest Hemingway
                  There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by YAN-3 View Post
                    haha ill snap a shot of what my seatbelt looks like in my touring... i think ill be the winner of "unsafest" seatbelt set up.
                    i know i know the touring right now is very dirty inside. and YES i am that lazy

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Is that bolted?? Guess not! Holy unsafe, Batman!
                      '88 528e /// '88 M5 /// '89 951 /// '98 E430 /// '02 M5

                      Comment


                        #12
                        BMWs have always been known for their safety...
                        However, their safety is more than just "active safety", there are many MANY "passive safety" features as well.

                        Sure, they may not have great airbags, if at all. The crumple zones may not be up to par... BUT.
                        -The blind spots are ALMOST zero.
                        -The lighting is excellent front and rear.
                        -There is enough power to accelerate out of trouble, and enough braking to stop in a serious hurry.
                        -The check control panel lets you know when lights are not functioning.
                        -The suspension is point-and-shoot, and is quickly reactionary.

                        So I would say that even though it may not be up to snuff with the airbags, crumple zones, and onstar, E30s are still VERY safe cars relatively speaking. You just need to be an aware driver.
                        Joe Funk -- Portland Oregon
                        That Guy.
                        03 X5. 3 liter obviously.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Funkmasta View Post
                          BMWs have always been known for their safety...
                          However, their safety is more than just "active safety", there are many MANY "passive safety" features as well.

                          Sure, they may not have great airbags, if at all. The crumple zones may not be up to par... BUT.
                          -The blind spots are ALMOST zero.
                          -The lighting is excellent front and rear.
                          -There is enough power to accelerate out of trouble, and enough braking to stop in a serious hurry.
                          -The check control panel lets you know when lights are not functioning.
                          -The suspension is point-and-shoot, and is quickly reactionary.

                          So I would say that even though it may not be up to snuff with the airbags, crumple zones, and onstar, E30s are still VERY safe cars relatively speaking. You just need to be an aware driver.

                          QFT on this post.

                          Although my only problem is my e30 handles like shit in the rain or snow. Like seriously, with my stiffer suspension (ie3's/m3 cabs/bilstein sports) I feel like my tail end "hops" when i'm on the highway in the rain and hit a bump, it loses traction and then gets it back agian at highway speeds and comes close to fishtailing. I dont know if thats par for the course but it certainly scares the hell out of me.
                          Who doesn't love a little BBQ?
                          Griot's Garage at a Deep Discount

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I have to say for the e30 being a small car it looks like it holds up well in crashes. At least for the one's that i've seen in junkyards. I don't care for airbags, traction controll or abs. Allthough my firebird has airbags and abs so i guess i just have to live with them in it. The car that i've felt safest in was my 66-67 Dodge Coronet's. And the unsafest is my buddys Ford Festiva.

                            1992 BMW 325iC
                            1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
                            1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 140hp

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Although my only problem is my e30 handles like shit in the rain or snow. Like seriously, with my stiffer suspension (ie3's/m3 cabs/bilstein sports) I feel like my tail end "hops" when i'm on the highway in the rain and hit a bump, it loses traction and then gets it back agian at highway speeds and comes close to fishtailing. I dont know if thats par for the course but it certainly scares the hell out of me.
                              Shit, you should figure out how to calm that down a bit... My 6 with Alpina suspension was damn stiff, I couldn't even push a corner of the car down with my 210lbs on it, and I never experienced anything but a super controlled, smooth ride. Maybe your car is just too stiff!!
                              '88 528e /// '88 M5 /// '89 951 /// '98 E430 /// '02 M5

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