In the past I have had arguments with my parents about the safety of the
MGB. Today I had the oppurtunity to show them how safe one was. We have
this 1973 MGB at work that someone completely totalled. The long and short
of it is that the passanger and drivers area WAS NOT damaged at
all...considering the car was doing 75 when it crashed.
(Now for a story)
These guys have been coming into British Miles for the past 2 years buying
parts for their restoration. And they finally finished the restoration
about 6 weeks ago. 2 brothers own the car...one is bound to a wheel chair
and the other wan't his girlfriend to drive it on the first test drive
after the car was done.
So all is cool and she is doing NORMAL highway speeds (about 75mph) and
someone cuts between her and a tractor trailer....she steers the right, and
then counters to the right....the car turns hits a gaurd rail in the front
and then comes to rest with the backend about 2 feet higher and 18 inches
sorter and a nice big telephone poll located in the place of the gas tank
and differential.
Now you should be able to imagine a freshly restored MGB with a good
ammount of front end damage and a telephone poll imprint all the way into
the back axle of the MGB. She walked away from the accident. The interior
compartment is still perfect except the drivers seat is broken from her
slaming into it. The rear lights are still perfect...doors are perfect,
wheels are perfect.
And get this the spare that was in the trunk moved with such force that it
forced the boot lid up and it flew out of the car when it hit the poll. No
damage to the wheel!
This led to a lunch time conversation of crumple zones...and our the lord
of MGs noting that the MGB was crash tested numerous times to US standards
and always did exceptionally well.
Anyway I'll take some pictures of this crashed MGB and post them to my site
soon.
But my parents still insist I get a safer more reliable car for college, I
am thinking Porsche 944 Turbo (951) or a early 1970s 911. (yes they agree
with the Porsches)
Kai
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