Retrofitting An Airbag To An E30?

[EricAkaAviator]

So, today I bought my Second E30... This one, a sedan... Planned to make my wife smile with it, but she'd like to see an airbag in it... Any one ever retrofit an airbag to an E30? It's an '89 (doesn't have the bag option) and is in awesome shape.

Fill me in folks, let's make my wife an E30 lover!

[James Crivellone]

The NHTSA recommends replacing all airbags I think every 15 years (although nobody ever does)

The E30 system is first generation, and was clearly an afterthought when they installed them into the car.

Technically you need to swap over the collapsible steering column, knee bolster, swap over the electronics, sensors, airbag itself.

100% not worth it, plus if any insurance company found out you installed your own airbag they would probably go ape shit. Remember according to the VIN it never had one, so if (god forbid) she gets into an accident and the airbag you installed blows her head off I don't think they are going to have my sympathy.

[EricAkaAviator]

Interesting, and well stated. Thanks for the feedback James... And the site.

[LuckyHenriksen]

X2 that was good info James. OP, it is easy enough to find a late model with an airbag if that is a requirement

[camip]

Just look up crashed e30 threads and show her how beat up the cars are and condition of drivers. Made me feel safer in my car.

[Vivek]

Also, most of the time if the airbag goes off, and it should have (for those both to happen is unlikely), the driver's say that the amount they felt it protected them wasn't really worth it (harsh chemicals, strong impact, loud explosion, etc.).

[TimKninja]

Just put the airbag wheel in the car. Tell her its all hooked up.

Problem solved.

[chadthestampede]

IIRC the e30 airbags are pretty much a shotgun blast in the face if they even work, so it's probably not worth it.

[mikeedler]

Just put the airbag wheel in the car. Tell her its all hooked up.

Problem solved.

the R3V way.

[USAce777]

"I imagine the airbag e30's being extremely dangerous... like several seconds after a minor accident the airbag goes off and knocks the driver unconscious"

I think I saw this around here somewhere... I was laughing trying to imagine it..

[nando]

SRS - supplementary restraint system

it was originally meant for people who don't wear their seatbelts. if you wear your seatbelt the E30's ancient airbag tech isn't going to do much for you.

in 1990 manufacturers could choose between airbags or those horrid automatically retracting seatbelts. thank god BMW chose the airbag.

[bimmer630]

Bmw uses both seatbelt tensioners and airbags, still. What is a retractor?

[ForcedFirebird]

It's called passive restraint. It's the belts that attach to the top of the door so you can get out without unbuckling the belt. Some cars had the motors on them that slid down the jamb. Airbag was not required if the cars back then had these type of belts.

[DÌEGØ]

The NHTSA recommends replacing all airbags I think every 15 years (although nobody ever does)

The E30 system is first generation, and was clearly an afterthought when they installed them into the car.

Technically you need to swap over the collapsible steering column, knee bolster, swap over the electronics, sensors, airbag itself.

100% not worth it, plus if any insurance company found out you installed your own airbag they would probably go ape shit. Remember according to the VIN it never had one, so if (god forbid) she gets into an accident and the airbag you installed blows her head off I don't think they are going to have my sympathy.

Yeah I think this is the consensus on the subject.
It's not worth it in so many levels....

[nando]

Bmw uses both seatbelt tensioners and airbags, still. What is a retractor?

look at any 1990 model year Ford.