19 how safe?

Spammer Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 69

my 19 has no airbags or safety features. although had a sierria run into the old 19 i owned. passenger side had a piece of cake took out of it, but it still drove, so i think they are strong bodily .is it time to change up to a modern car?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

I have seen them in a few hefty crashes including being in one at 80 mph where I actually got the car driving and cone another 50k in it after fixing it.

Airtbags etc cause more problems than they prevent.

Bad burns on your arms, broken jaws/nose etc. Plus the gas shit stings liek a bastard.

The amount of rust on the average 8 year old car is more than on a 19 as well which I have found!

Site Subscriber Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 1141

When I was at college I was waiting to cross the road, a Pug 106 learner driver stopped at the traffic lights and I was just about to make my way across when *BANG* a Green Renault 19 TD went into the back of the 106, couldn't have been doing more then 30mph (the speed limit).

The boot of the newish 106 (Saxo shell) caved in so far that that it touched the back of the drivers / passenger seat and the drivers side rear wheel was lifted off the road totally.

The 19 on the other hand broke a headlamp / wing rippled the bonnet but after the Police took details I saw him let the old woman drive the car home. It was probably written off as an uneconomic repair but it was certainly repairable from what I saw.

19's are pretty strong, had someone go into the back of mine and it only bent the rear quater, the guy didnt stop (bastard) but from the carnage left on the road behind my car did his car lot of damage. Think that was a new shape Passat.

Quite strong these cars, unless you cover up rust with filler, no names mentioned Wink

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

I crashed my old 1.4 19 on a country road. Had a Land Cruiser screech round the corner slideways so I had the choice of 2 ton 4x4 or grass verge. i decided with the limited time i had that grass verge was the better option........wrong!!!!!

As I skidded along the drivers side was on the road and passenger side locked into a deep muddy tyre track on the grass verge. So since I couldn't steer out of it just jammed on anchors and hoped the car would stop. As i was slowing down a nice hole appeared in the grass verge about 2 foot wide 3 foot deep with scaffold and breeze blocks of various sizes and lengths.

Anyway once I was out the car I saw the passenger side wheel 20 metres away down the road and steam pissing out where a pole had gone straight though radiator, twisted chassis, indicators broken etc.

Funny thing is I was doin no more than 20mph by the time I got to that hole and even the police confirmed my speed so it didn't take that much to completely kill it.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

well how often is a car damaged from under neath?

My subframe took the central resevration at 80mph and I managed to drive it home with a 40mph top speed! lol

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

what else happend with that by the way? other driver stop?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

who me?

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Nope....the guy kept driving and never even hit the brakes from what I saw. Big old school Land Cruiser in Green on an L plate (I think). No one ever caught the guy as it was a fairly quiet road at 8am on a sunday.

Wish I'd hit the B*****d now at least I'd have insurance paying out.

Quote:

well how often is a car damaged from under neath?

This is very true, hadn't thought of it that way.

Even more remarkable you managed to drive home then.....I stack it at 20 and end up with car everywhere and you get to drive home from 80 Rolling Eyes

Bloody typical.

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Apart from that it ended up being a 4 car incident Laughing

Nowt to do with me. Some friendly drivers stopped to help and had the bright idea of leaving their cars on the outside of the corner just behind mine Rolling Eyes

All was going well and I got on the blower to the police to come help.......
"how many cars are involved"
"oh just the one...........two.........three errmmm....four now"
"Don't be silly!"
"NO........REALLY"

While on the phone one of the cars that had stopped went to leave. While pulling out from behind my car someone came round the inside of the corner stacking straight into the guy pulling away and sending his car into the other one parked up behind the 19. Basically the two kind people that stopped to help ended up with cars in worse nick than mine and not one other motor hit the 19.

Even the policeman that questioned me thought I was taking the piss but after talking to the other drivers was seen laughing out loud and shaking his head. And because my car didn't come into contact with another vehicle my insurance didn't suffer a bit.

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

astrojon007

i ment chris.

and lol, rather an amusing day really.

well prolly not then.

and just out of curiosity how did you hit the central reserve chris?

i mean it dont jump out at your or nowt Confused

Forum Moderator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 1356

he had a blow out

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

then hit the central reservation and slid along on top of the guard rail before coming off it on 2 wheels then managing to get it on 4 wheels and bumped it up on the grass verge. Then drove it home after the cavalry came to help out.

Rusty wrote off his Rover 820 in the exact same place.

Affiliate Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 219

I had a bad accident 3 years ago in my megane hatch (which i think it basically a r19 underneigh); overtook 2 artics, hit a patch of frost and then span 4 times in front of them before going backwards into a lampost at 60mph. Damage wise the boot had caved in about 20cm and the suspension was fooked from hitting the curbs but i still managed to drive it home...

It was also written off but could have been repaired for not that much IMO.