The 10 least safe cars of all time

At least from *my* perspective, Mr. Muzi (through his fine bike shop) has done far more positive for me personally than Nader ever did.

nate

snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

My '56 Studebaker Golden Hawk had factory seat belts at least in the front. I'll have to check the '55; I can't recall if it had them or not. (they were not there when I bought the car, but I *think* it had the tapped holes in the door for them. I installed more modern style seat belts through the floor with reinforcing washers instead of going with the factory setup.)

nate

"Econo-cars" wrote in news:idma9d$cjs$ snipped-for-privacy@speranza.aioe.org:

I call bull. I was a tech in the ford dealership when the pinto deal went down. We did a recall and the fix was a plastic cover between the gas tank and the rear end, because in a crash the tank was pushed into the rear end and thus the tank was punchured and fire risk. (also a longer fill tube in the tank) there was no tank relocate on those cars. they were the same platform from 73 to 80 when they were done. I never saw or heard of a replaced car in Iowa or minnesota. KB Besides, ford and mercury were seperate and could not exchange one for the other. PS the pinto and Bobcat were the same dam car.

"Econo-cars" wrote in news:idrck5$ggt$ snipped-for-privacy@speranza.aioe.org:

apparently you are clueless. For your info the Pinto and the Bobcat WERE the exact same car in those years. the interior using better materials had nothing to do with the design being the EXACT same. KB

innews: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

The '64 Bug was the first car I had with them, or wore them. Replaced a '64 Olds. The Olds didn't have them. My best buddy was killed when he rolled his car about that time. All 3 guys were tossed out but the car cut off his legs. So I started wearing the belt when I got the Bug. Once I wore a belt I didn't feel comfortable without it, especially cornering. Picked up my uncle once in the Bug to go fishing. He saw me buckle the belt and damn near went crazy. "What if we go in the river with you strapped in like that!?" He didn't change my mind.

--Vic

My understanding is that there was a bolt end that stuck out and caused the tank to rip open. Is it true that the fix was to add a cover to the bolt?

Of course, moving the fuel tank to a different location is most likely pure fantasy. Thanks.

At least from *my* perspective, Mr. Muzi (through his fine bike shop) has done far more positive for me personally than Nader ever did.

nate

------------------------------------------------

How any given thing might or might not effect solely you alone is all that really matters anyway, isn't it. Fortunately for the rest of us there are unselfish humanitarians like Nader to help light the way.

That's one reason. The other big one would be his responsibility for the prominence and subsequent appointment to NHTSA of his protege, Joan Claybrook, who instead of simply following Europe's lead (Germany would have been a good country to use as a pattern) insisted on US- specific FMVSSes and 55 MPH speed limits (and the subsequent erosion of respect for traffic law.)

nate

------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph does his homework, and doesn't shoot blanks. Despite their previously developed close personal friendship, he and Claybrook famously and justifiably (he's a man of uncompromising principle) broke ranks during the Carter administration over mandated air bags.

Kevin Bottorff wrote in news:idrhtf$qiu$2 @news.albasani.net:

Chrysler's default belt-install was in place by about 1960, as I recall, if not before then.

I realize something is wrong with him. He seems to fly off the handle as soon as anyone says anything that is against Ford.

Econo-cars

Nothing you listed is from the court case papers, absolutely nothing.

In the actual court transcripts you will see that Ford argued there were a total of 50 deaths in Pintos that caught fire (in the USA) after being hit in the rear. They do not comment on deaths that occurred during recovery and those due to suicides over the loss of body function and maiming. That's what the Dowrey reports delved into, although I myself have never read them so I won't comment further. Also as stated you won't find the court transcripts on the internet, you'll have to go to a public library to view them.

Econo-cars

No the 1975 Ford Pinto was NOT the same as the 1976 Mercury Bobcat. I know, unlike you I had both. You're not clueless, you're just too lazy to look up facts on anything but the unreliable wiki.

Econo-cars

Dam? LOL, you know so much.

You must have been the worst technician ever at Ford if you didn't know that the 1975 Ford Pinto was NOT exactly the same as the 1976 Mercury Bobcat. Call your former employer (so you say) and ask. I know, I owned both thanks for Ford replacing my Pinto. I was never informed of a recall, and a quick look on the net seems to indicate there were no recalls for the tank until

Econo-cars

I was informed by Ford in writing that the tank on the 1976 Bobcat was in a safer location, and better reinforced than the 1975 Ford Pinto.

Also that guy if full of bull. Ford owned Mercury since before either of those years.

Econo-cars

The recall of 1.5 million Ford Pinto cars in North America over the fuel tank issue happened in June 1978. Therefore you are just a liar because you would not have been being recall repairing the fuel tank issue in 1976.

Econo-cars

Translation: You have blind faith in a political system such that you believe a lie if they act on it. Sorry, it's false. Plain and simply false. Let me guess, you believe the wikileaks guy is guilty of rape because government reopened the case against him?

The US government has gone to war, killing millions of people because of lies like the Gulf of Tokin and WMDs in Iraq and you think because it acts on something that makes it truth?

This might come to a shock for you, but a lot of what is taught in school isn't true, a half truth, or an outright lie.

What a lawyer files with the court for a trial may or may not be true. That determination is made at trial. Even if it was 50, your mother jones article is still a factor of ten off.

According to my 1978 and 1973 Ford Shop manuals, they are the same. I am looking at the structural measurment drawings and there are no notes indicating anything different for the bobcat. The drawing I am looking at is Page 47-09- 10 & 11, Underbody dimensions, Pinto and bobcat sedan & wagon. (1978) Same dwgs are in the 1973 book. I know of no section where the two aren't referred to as the same outside of the trim.

I have 1973 and 1978 ford shop manuals. Tell me which page to look at that shows this "difference". The chasis books are with one of my cars and I won't be able to check those until saturday. The body book shows no structural differences between pinto and bobcat. 1975 and 1976 like

LOl. ford magically just keeps giving you new cars? BTW, a family member's signature isn't your signature. It's legally meaningless with regard to any legal recourse for compensation due to you. And even if the post office got YOUR signature for the letter, it would also be meaningless with regards to a court case. That is just signing for the letter, it only means it was delivered, nothing else. Lastly ford could not have taken your wrecked van from the impound lot or where ever it was towed to without your written permission, that would have been theft.