88 Celica "OH SH*T" Handle??????

Here is a thought for everyone to ponder. I recently purchased an 88 Toyota Celica GT. Inside the car are grab handles (also known as Oh Sh*t handles) for everyone. When I say everyone, I mean everyone--including the driver. Now this seems a little stupid to me. I feel that the driver should keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times and not grabbing the grab handle above their head. Does anyone else agree with me?

Just a thought to ponder---WHY?. Terry Just

Reply to
TERRY
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Terry, as I see it the problem is that some shyster lawyer probably would take the case for some driver who had been killed and blame the manufacturer citing the lack of the handle for his death. Alternatively some passenger's family might cite the presence of the handle for the passenger's death saying that it contributed by encouraging the driver to release the wheel!... :)

You can't win for losing!... :)

Reply to
Gord Beaman

How about I tell you where to shove it instead? ha ha :) I will give you first dibs on the engine when I sell it, though.

Reply to
Josh

Ouch, man that's cold!!! Thanks for the free 2000gt, though!

Reply to
hachiroku

One unintended use for them is that handle gives you somewhere safe to grab in a rollover. Get yourself and your passengers into the habit of grabbing the handle rather than the doorframe. That way everyone can "Please keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle, and remain seated at all times while the ride is in motion..."

A friend's wife (not a FOAF Story, I know her) grabbed around the well-padded rollbar on the way over in a CJ-7, and got several bones in the back of her right hand broken. Took surgery to pin the bones back in alignment, not settable.

Luckily he rolled it slowly and in soft dirt. If they were out rock crawling slickrock or went over violently, her hand would have been seriously mangled.

The minute they got the car back from the bodyshop, Steve was installing clamp-on grab handles for all four seats, and upgrading to

5-point harnesses. (He had already upgraded the roll bar to 'full cage with family bar' before the rollover, it came through with no damage.)

-->--

PS: This is also why you get into the habit of not locking your thumbs around the steering wheel spokes - if you hit something and the wheel kicks back, now you have a dislocated or broken thumb, or two if you did a good job. And if the pain breaks your concentration on driving, you can be crashing, too...

Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Also being an avid 4X4er I understand what you are saying. However, it was my understanding that the driver should have his to her hands on the steering wheel at all times (thumbs out of course). That is why I questioned the grab handles on the driver's area of the car.

Again this is just a thought to ponder.

Terry

Reply to
TERRY

Actually, the REAL reason is it's just easier to install all of them! In the old days, cars had handles on the Passenger's side only...whatever side that was. Perhaps they have changed manufacturing methods and now it's just easier to install all the handles than to sort out where a car is going and install the proper handle. Less paperwork and effort, probably.

Reply to
hachiroku

That's probably the reason. Same reason the T-top cutouts are still in cars without T-tops =)

Reply to
Josh

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