How safe is the e30 really?

[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?

[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.

[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.

[Funkmasta]

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

[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

[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.

[MikeE30325i]

holy shit........

[mtechnik]

^^whao !

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[ivo316]

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

[browntown]

If I crash my e39 at my typical 85-90mph freeway speed, I'm confident I will walk away.

I wouldn't bank on that. Not a whole lot of people walk away from 90mph crashes in any type of vehicle. If you hit something big/oncoming/stationary etc, thats fast, and only so much a restraint system can do for you.

[shiftbmw]

I wrecked an E30 M3 at 80mph...landed backwards in a ditch. My passenger and I hopped out to check out the damage. I'd say pretty safe.

Since then(3 years ago) I've gotten a little smarter.