Volvo 1, Accura 0...

Well it finally happened. I stopped at a light the other day in my 242 Turbo, glanced in my rearview mirror and saw a green flash and then WHAM!! What turned out to be an Accura Integra slammed into my back end at probably 20 mph. I felt my head snap back against the headrest, the glove box popped open and suddenly I was 8 feet forward on the other side of the crosswalk. When I came to my senses and realized what had happened, I found that my car was still running so I pulled into a nearby parking lot and got out to inspect the damage. Fearing the worst, I was in absolute disbelief at what I saw. Some small scuff marks on the bumper skin and I had lost a piece of corner trim above the bumper, as well as lots of green paint smeared on the exhaust pipe and trailer hitch. I was shocked again when the woman who hit me pulled in and I got a good look at her car. My trailer hitch receiver had punched a hole all the way through her bumper and the sheetmetal behind it. My bumper crunched the plastic front end then caught the edge of her hood and crumpled up the first foot of that as the strut braces on the DrawTite hitch bar rode up, forcing the front of her car harmlessly under mine where it then impacted the main part of the hitch frame and smashed more. She had no insurance so this could have been a real mess for me if things had been worse. The whole thing reminded me of someone punching a jagged stone wall with their bare fist. Amazing.

Don't bring plastic to a brick fight :)

Reply to
James Sweet
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Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

I had a similar incident in my then 10 year old 1972 MB 280S quite a number of years ago. I however saw the guy coming soon enough to tense my body and absorb the hit without so much as a stiff neck. I was stopping for a red light, jammed the brake pedal down when I saw him, and my car hardly moved when hit.

The Japanese whatever that hit me (Nissan I think?) was pretty well a right-off for the first foot or 2 of car, and also it looked like he had just ran it full on into a flat brick wall.

My bumper - pretty solid back then - had been shifted in toward the bodywork about a quarter of an inch. No other damage on my side - nothing! Rubber bumper piece scuffed a bit.

They d>Well it finally happened. I stopped at a light the other day in my 242

Reply to
Happy Trails

Once they decided that absorbing energy could include 'sacrificing' the bumper and front sheetmetal in low-speed crashes, it became a whole new ballgame for fender-benders. That's why I try to find cars with real

5MPH bumper systems.
Reply to
Leftie

yep...they refer to these as crumple zones now, right?

Reply to
~^ beancounter ~^

James, very glad it wasn't worse for you or the other driver.

The idea nowadays is that the survival of the occupants is more important than the survival of the car, so it is seen as sacrificial.

Reply to
Tim McNamara

Notice I wrote "low-speed crashes." How worried are you about not surviving one in your Volvo?

Reply to
Leftie

...and always leave the hitch in the receiver. Sure, you bust a shin on it now and then, but it goes a long way to protecting your rear end.

I got plowed on the way to an AC/DC concert at Long Beach Sports Arena. Ten of us in a '66 Plymouth wagon battle cruiser. Caught it in the rearview just in time to say "Were gonna get... bam! hit" The folks partying in the back said 'huh?'... didn't even feel it.

The newish Celica that hit us was mortally wounded. Radiator bleeding (thanks to the hitch) bumper, grill, and hood buckled. I couldn't even tell which dent it put in the bumper of the old wagon.

The kid got nervous when ten of us piled out to check the 'damage.' He was going to the concert too and we were one turn away so I suggested he drive it in and enjoy the show. Then he can call mommy later and explain how he wrecked the car she just bought him.

Reply to
clay

Yeah and the 240 has crumple zones too, there's just some real structure involved so they don't crumple so readily. In a high speed collision they perform as designed, seen many 240s in salvage yards that crumpled just as intended to protect the occupants.

Reply to
James Sweet

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