Mk1 crash safety??

I've had a couple of smashes in Mk1's and they are tough old birds.

If you hit them hard in the sides, they do fold up but I'd say they are as safe as an older Clio or an early Corsa and there are thousands of these on the roads everyday.

My attitude to crash test results is a little different to the rest of you probably as I do banger racing.

Basically, if you hit something moving quick, you are most likely going to die, even if you are in a brand new EURO N-CAP 5* car.  If you hit the wrong thing, ie a skip, a concrete motorway bridge support, etc, you are most likely going to die.

Remember in the crash tests, they don't slow the cars down and don't take evasive action.  Every crash is different.  Just drive sensibly and you'll most likely be okay.

Madferret said

Its true to say newer cars will stop quicker, but the majority of the time is reaction time, so being alert is the best thing you can do really.

I'm not sure a newer car is really any safer than an old one, not in real the world they do have a lot of safety feature but that probably just makes you feel safer wether you actually are or not is another matter

Im sorry old thread ect but i have to add something to it

the question is if someone does crash into you how safe is a mk1…  no point saying keep your eyes open don't crash and its safe,  thats just silly.  noone that crashes ever means to crash


The answer to the question is that the mk1 golf is a very very very unsafe dangerous car to crash in

It would be one of the last cars id choose to have a crash in…  Give me a new clio or any 5 star rating car any day

Its not just the fact they have air bags…  the main reason is the fact they pritty much have a rollcage built into them cause the energy to go round them and stop the hole front end / side caving in around you

personally i think it would find it hard to get a 1 star rating

put simply the mk1 isn't going to offer you any protection

If you want to protect your missis then sell the car and buy somthink with 5 star rating or put a full weld in roll cage into the mk1

roll cage it up.


good idea. any ideas on design?

then the impact will be so hard it will scrample your internal organs

oohh I can tell I havent been on here for a while!

Ill give you my view, and I have been alot closer to this than I would say every one on here…I am a trained crash test engineer  8) who now works for the govenment as a type arroval engineer and my specilist subject is Crash  


Firstly to "whatalotafun" yes they are missing an "airbag" or two…but they are also missing, seat belt presensioner, load limiters on the seat belt reels, and the airbags should be dual stage for frontal impacts…. then the shell its self is also missing a engine that is designed to drop in a crash, a steering column which will crumple, absorb some of the energy as you go into the bag, and also pull away as the engine and suspenion drop in the impact (I belive it has a cruse column that is supost to retract but I wouldnt like to say how well) then the shell is also missing load paths to channel the energy away from the occupants and dissapate it around the shell…and the A pillar to scuttle is not strong enough so in a offert impact the A pillar moves.

To Early 1800 - it will be a 0 star car dude, its hard to get 3 stars but manufactures spend millions of R+D doing simulations on PC and then full scale testing to make sure they have a 4 or 5 star car, they have to pass a min level to be sold in the EU (reg 94 frontal impact and 95 side impact (uless its a set distance or above off the ground…ie off roaders  these do not have to do the side impact test)) BUT manufactures worth their salt will design to more, the Ncap is a harder test, its faster and measures more variables. so if you can get a 4 ot 5 star car - which they know by doing their own internal tests to the same procedues - it will pass the EU level.

(and dont talk to me about minis… i grew up on them and know some old Rover engineers at work.. :wink:  the mk1 does at least have some crash test development in its design…the mini has well bugger all!)


Madferret - new cars ie from the late 90s on words ie mk4 golfs, ford focus, etc etc are a million times safer than old bangers! putting aside the fact a older car will have rot in the body work and wear and tear on the mounts etc etc which will all make it slightly weaker in places, modern cars safety kit like airbags make a HUGE differance.


Rustys_mk1 - you have the correct idea, you can drive as safe and as alert as you like, but you will never ever compensate for other folk!!! I too have been hit up the bum twice in traffic! both times in the middle of summer, with good visability, I did everything i could to be seen! but if the other persons away with the fairys you are at their mercy! and you are correct in your thoughts on the crash front…


Mr Matthews - yes if you hit something going very very fast even in a modern car you will be a mess, but you would be suprised, they really are very good at compensating for when it all goes wrong! some stuff is still iffy….esp some big old pick ups and some people carriers….naming no names….but they are still safter than older versions,  if it was a choice of a 80mph crash in a 5 star car, or 40mph crash in a mk1, ill happly take the 80mph one please.


whatalotafun - Caging is one option….but to save me typing shed load loads I have covered it here - http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180245

you basically get the problem of if you beef everything up too much and brace it all there is no energy absorption and you get internal damage among other things….  :wink:


sorry for the epic post    but this is one of the subjects close to my heart that i am a nerd on and I hate to see folk giving dodgy advice.

M7R said

oohh I can tell I havent been on here for a while!

Ill give you my view, and I have been alot closer to this than I would say every one on here…I am a trained crash test engineer  8) who now works for the govenment as a type arroval engineer and my specilist subject is Crash  


Firstly to "whatalotafun" yes they are missing an "airbag" or two…but they are also missing, seat belt presensioner, load limiters on the seat belt reels, and the airbags should be dual stage for frontal impacts…. then the shell its self is also missing a engine that is designed to drop in a crash, a steering column which will crumple, absorb some of the energy as you go into the bag, and also pull away as the engine and suspenion drop in the impact (I belive it has a cruse column that is supost to retract but I wouldnt like to say how well) then the shell is also missing load paths to channel the energy away from the occupants and dissapate it around the shell…and the A pillar to scuttle is not strong enough so in a offert impact the A pillar moves.

To Early 1800 - it will be a 0 star car dude, its hard to get 3 stars but manufactures spend millions of R+D doing simulations on PC and then full scale testing to make sure they have a 4 or 5 star car, they have to pass a min level to be sold in the EU (reg 94 frontal impact and 95 side impact (uless its a set distance or above off the ground…ie off roaders  these do not have to do the side impact test)) BUT manufactures worth their salt will design to more, the Ncap is a harder test, its faster and measures more variables. so if you can get a 4 ot 5 star car - which they know by doing their own internal tests to the same procedues - it will pass the EU level.

(and dont talk to me about minis… i grew up on them and know some old Rover engineers at work.. :wink:  the mk1 does at least have some crash test development in its design…the mini has well bugger all!)


Madferret - new cars ie from the late 90s on words ie mk4 golfs, ford focus, etc etc are a million times safer than old bangers! putting aside the fact a older car will have rot in the body work and wear and tear on the mounts etc etc which will all make it slightly weaker in places, modern cars safety kit like airbags make a HUGE differance.


Rustys_mk1 - you have the correct idea, you can drive as safe and as alert as you like, but you will never ever compensate for other folk!!! I too have been hit up the bum twice in traffic! both times in the middle of summer, with good visability, I did everything i could to be seen! but if the other persons away with the fairys you are at their mercy! and you are correct in your thoughts on the crash front…


Mr Matthews - yes if you hit something going very very fast even in a modern car you will be a mess, but you would be suprised, they really are very good at compensating for when it all goes wrong! some stuff is still iffy….esp some big old pick ups and some people carriers….naming no names….but they are still safter than older versions,  if it was a choice of a 80mph crash in a 5 star car, or 40mph crash in a mk1, ill happly take the 80mph one please.


whatalotafun - Caging is one option….but to save me typing shed load loads I have covered it here - http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180245

you basically get the problem of if you beef everything up too much and brace it all there is no energy absorption and you get internal damage among other things….  :wink:


sorry for the epic post    but this is one of the subjects close to my heart that i am a nerd on and I hate to see folk giving dodgy advice.

What the guy said  - Nota Bene!

Cheers,

Drew.