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Safety ratings of classic VWs...

Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a front-on collision...is this true, how severe is it usually, and are there ways to avoid such problems to a point (such as reinforcing the car structure between the driver and the front of the car)? I'm looking into getting a Microbus (especially one of the 21-window types), but I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average Microbus fuel economy for something like a '65 deluxe 'Bus I've seen on eBay, at

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?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- andno gas to respond with! As an alternative, how safe are the classic VW Beetles? (A convertible wouldn' be a bad compromise if I wanted to do some cruising...) I've looked on Google for hours, but haven't found any good, informative sites, so I naturally came to the newsgroups for help on either.

Can anybody help me with these ones?

Reply to
milesattacca
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?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and> no gas to respond with! The old vans aren't too bad in some respects.

An example of the Vanagon:

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that 'Y' design of the frame rails I believe dates back to the '68 "Bay Window" buses.

And this:

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...shows how the height of the Vanagon caused it to do very well.

However I'd still be concerned about the steering column in it as well as older VW vans. Sure looks like it's aimed to go into your rib cage.

Somewhere out there is a pic of an early 70s bay window bus from a frontal crash test and it did very well. Not sure where the pic is but I've seen it.

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Try posting in the aircooled group instead (there might be more knowledge there about the older vehicles).

Reply to
Matt B.

Crash safety and old aircooled. I think that is called diametrically opposed. That link to the samba which looks Photoshopped is representative of 40 mph crash though. Chest hits steering wheel, front end collapses about the legs, windshield pops out but probably after you kissed it with your face. I had 3 air cooled vWs. I did not drive them thinking about safety. They were slightly harder to tip over than a motorcycle in a spin but not much. I spun a few Vws out. Once in front of a cement mixer that was heading down the road. I finished the spin to the right of the mixer so that was good. New tires were purchased that week.

There really is not anythng substantial up front to offer you protection from anything but the weather.

Loos>> Microbus drivers seem to run the risk of losing their knees in a

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> ?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and>> no gas to respond with!>

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

I would love to have one, seven passenger version. However I would not consider one for my daily driver. Sort of like my motorcycle. I like it, but I don't consider it safe and I don't drive it every day.

but I'm concerned about the safety. (And what's the average

Upper 20's maybe low 30's in good condition.

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?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal --> and no gas to respond with!>

No one has any comparable information as there were not standard test back then. The old bugs were not as much of a problem as the bus, but they had no air bags, door I beams and some had no seat belts. I lived through one and never felt less safe than many other cars of that day, but I feel a lot safer in my 2002 Beetle.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

According to my father the Beetles are immesly strong in roll-overs.

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?) No use in having one if I have no feet to push the gas pedal -- and> no gas to respond with!>

Reply to
Rob Guenther

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