Im scared now, how good will a 68 charger hold up in a crash? grusome pick.

[440charger68]

How well did the 2nd generation chargers do in the crash test of the 60's? This pick is making me have second thoughts of driving it. How fast do you think they were going in the test?

[suntech]

That must be a 80-100 mph strait in to a 
Nothing to worrie about!! Any car in to a brickwall in that speed, makes a pizza out of you
Still worried................. how much do you want for your 68?

[440charger68]

not for sale, its my first car and i will keep it until i die. Im repainting it lime green soon. Hope i never crash like this.

[Blown70]

Still worried................. how much do you want for your 68?

Sorry that made me laugh...

I believe they have the test info somewhere here or the net, as I do recall seeing that pic before.

[suntech]

Hehe, did´nt think you would sell it, and i guess i gotta stay with one car of the time anyway
Would be kinda interresting to find out in what speed the test was done though. Would have been a shitty day, being behind the wheel of that one!!

[400/6/PAC]

Nasty crash
I wonder if thats how They came up with the word test Dummy

[BigBlackDodge]

The rear bumper survived just fine.



BBD

[Khyron]

They hold up just fine 

[Mike DC]

 
There were no legit Federal crash tests done in the 1960s.  All the data before the mid-1970s is just internal stuff that the companies did.  That means there's no reason to assume the old crash test data on musclecars actually represents a modern-style test. 



These days, we usually see 30 or 40 mph frontal impacts in the famous slo-mo footage that we all recognize.  And the cars in modern tests are sometimes hitting a non-rigid object/barrier to simulate hitting another motor vehicle.  Sometimes the barrier is offset, too.   

But that old Charger test hit in the pictures above could just as well have been cable-towed at 65 mph into a brick wall or something.  A hit with that kind of speed & force would leave a modern car looking just as bad as the Charger turned out.   

(Remember Princess Diana's fatal crash?  Remember how utterly mangled that car was?  The foresensic guys have decided that crash was probably about 60 mph into the immovable concrete tunnel pillar.  But the car they crashed is considered a fine & safe modern car.) 

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


Older Dodge Chargers have decent body integrity.  They're probably gonna be somewhat worse in side-impacts compared to a good modern car, but they're not total deathtraps.  They're certainly no worse than another Ford/GM car of the muscle era (and probably better). 



The bigger danger of getting hurt in a classic car wreck is the fact that they DON'T crush enough. They weren't really made with "crumple zone" thinking at the time, and as the outer areas of the car crush less, the impact remains harder on the driver.

Look at Dale Earnhardt Sr's fatal crash:  Crash data guys determined that it was the equivalent of going 43mph into a solid wall.  The car's damage didn't look very bad at all for that speed, but the driver got an abrupt jolt so hard that it killed him.  The front end of the car's tube chassis structure didn't crumple inward ENOUGH to save the driver in that case. 

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


The only bad things I would say about crashworthiness and old Mopars are this:


--  1968-down noncollapsible steering columns are scary. 

--  Rusty and no-frame-connector cars are probably not as safe a more braced-up car.  You're better off with decent structure in the center of the chassis.

--  Dump the old seatbelts on a steet cruiser.  Get modern 3-point retractable shoulder/lap belts.  And wear them.

--  Get the friggin' brakes right. 

 

[68charger383]

To quote Top Gear: "In a crash, your always going to be 20' from it, no matter what corner its at" 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VdF8iRhahv4&feature=related

[440charger68]

To quote Top Gear: "In a crash, your always going to be 20' from it, no matter what corner its at" 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VdF8iRhahv4&feature=related

Thats a very good point

[pettyfan43]

Man, some things you just CAN'T control! You can't go through life worrying about every little thing. Plenty of those cars got wadded up over the years with the drivers walking away.

Need more proof that those cars are pretty tough, Watch Bullitt and watch Dukes episodes, Those cars weren't really beefed up much at all for what was done with them.

They are pretty solid cars.  ENJOY the thing!!! IF it bothers you that much, stick some frame connectors under it.

[skip68]

Don't go racing down Salmon Falls Rd    and you will live longer.    Chuck......

[Mike DC]

Need more proof the cars care tough, watch Bullitt and watch old Dukes episodes.

So true.

The Bullitt car was virtually stock, and yet it needed a lot less repairing than the beefed-up Mustang during filming.  That Charger basically just wore some stiffer torsion bars & leaf springs than a stock R/T.  Nothing else was done to it except checking for cracks in the stock suspension arms when they first got it.   




And most of the old General Lee jumps were survived on the strength of the stock Charger unibody alone.  Those cars normally had no subframe connectors, no torque boxes, etc. 

The configuration of the rollcage didn't make its presence felt unless the car actually landed upside down onto it.  It was only welded at 4 or 6 points on the cabin floor and it wasn't built very tight against the car's shape.     

Even the GL's beefy-looking front pushbar couldn't clear the jump ramps.  The crew used to have to cut away the pushbar's main supports down underneath before the jump.  The pushbars were only cosmetic during the huge jumps.   

 

[bull]

Just don't crash.

[440charger68]

Don't go racing down Salmon Falls Rd    and you will live longer.    Chuck......

How did you know i lived right next to salmon falls rd? Do you live in the same area? I've had friends that have wrecked on that road. I wont live in fear of driving my car, i cant because im getting it painted soon, hopefullt befor i turn 18.

[skip68]

     SKIP KNOWS EVERYTHING.                I grew up there.  My family has a ranch a few miles up from the salmon falls bridge.   P.S. nice car.        Chuck...........

[bigroge1]

i do agree with Mike DC (formerly miked) just do what good ol stunt man mike does. death proof the bastard and u'll be in a hospital bed with just a broken collar bone 

[440charger68]

i guess i can do that,

[0X01B8]

(Remember Princess Diana's fatal crash?  Remember how utterly mangled that car was?  The foresensic guys have decided that crash was probably about 60 mph into the immovable concrete tunnel pillar.  But the car they crashed is considered a fine & safe modern car.) 

I believe the guy that survived that crash was in the front passengers seat and was the only one wearing a seat belt.

[Death1970Proof]

i do agree with Mike DC (formerly miked) just do what good ol stunt man mike does. death proof the bastard and u'll be in a hospital bed with just a broken collar bone 

"I can drive this baby into a brick wall at 120 miles per hour- "just for the experience" 

[Big Lebowski]

  Forget the jaws of life, the fireman will use a shop vac to get you out of that wreck.

[hutch]

its not a total loss, the rear valance looks like it made it.

[Death1970Proof]

How well did the 2nd generation chargers do in the crash test of the 60's? This pick is making me have second thoughts of driving it. How fast do you think they were going in the test?

Imagine this type of crash in one those econobox imports though....

[RLC100]

Didn't they use cadavers for crash test dummies in those days?