Vomex

I was wondering how well our cars hold up in a collision. If you have been in an accident and you car survived or didnt I would like to hear what happened and what damage was done.

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Later,
Vomex
'89 GTA 5.7L TPI

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Thirdgens always scored very high on safety tests in the 80s. I've seen a ton of wrecked thirdgens, and they all had the passenger compartment largely intact.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
Custom Thirdgen Subwoofer Enclosures
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

deadbird

It depends alot on what & how you hit something. They are very stout cars in an accident though.

Here's the damage to my car (a good while back) after perfectly t-boning a 92ish eclipse at 30mph that ran a red light. (the eclipse did not survive)

http://www.deadbird.org/a/a03.jpg

PhantomChamp

You and your passengers should be fine, but the car will take massive damage. My brothers old '88 Camaro was smashed to bit's, but we were fine. This is why decent insurance coverage is needed because the labor to repair them is expensive. The good news is that if the frame isn't bent, it can be rebuilt. Replacement parts are plentiful.


I won't buy stolen parts, however. I hope nobody else does, either.

We wrecked in the rain, our cars are notoriously dangerous in the rain.

elizabeth

I wish I could show you a pic of mine. I am repairing it (with the help of everyone in the forums) right now.
My beautiful 90rs Was PARKED and was hit (and run).They tore off the headlight valance, fascia, headlight wiring, Metal bumper, the brackets to attach the metal bumper, gfx, and drivers fender was squashed badly.
I almost have it finised, just some fine tuning. I didn't have full coverage(OOPS!!!) and the shop wanted $2500 to repair it. So I decided to try to do it myself. I love this car!!

coolguywalt

Yes, I agree, the third gens' are real troopers! I have had 2 hit and runs and a rear end collision on just the front and it is still the stock piece! I had a tire explode on the freeway once i "The Beast". *** bless non-plastic cars!!!

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1988 Camaro Sport Coupe

• 305 TBI
• 700R-4
• 14"x3" K&N Filter
• Flowmaster Cat Back System w/ 3&1/2" tips
• Y2K Origional Vette Rims
• Pioneer 6200 Deck
• 2 Kenwood 600 watts
• 2 Infinity Reference Subs
• Sony 3-way 6x9s in custom panels
• up to 137.0 dB
• "speed" stripes

Coming soon...4th Gen Seats

camaro chick

I took out an 85 El Dorado once- the caddy was a total loss- I drove mine (an 88 V6 sport coupe) home and for approx. a month after that (I sold it). These cars are tanks and the passenger compartment holds up extremely well. If you are concerned about safety-this is probably your best choice for a muscle/sports (whatever you want to refer to it as) car.

Christos

A friend of mine had an 85 z/28 with T-tops, and he skidded over a bridge, and landed on the roof.

The t-tops had it, but he was totally fine. He commented on how they towed the car out by hooking up a line between the section between the T-tops and the rear hatch glass. He was pretty surprised that it could hold up to the entire weight of the car when he landed, and was able to be lifted by a connection to the same section.

I also was in an accident, where i rammed up onto a curb, took out a street sign, continued into a light pole, hit it, and rebounded back.

I expected to have radiator fluid all over the place, but all i got was a bit of flecked paint, and a small crack in the nose!

Well, that and a bent frame, but that was from the front rim hitting flush with the high curb. Now that was expensive to fix!

Still, I think our cars are surprisingly strong and sturdy in accidents.

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1986 IROC Camaro
305 TPI "LB9"
3.23 gears
Doesn't know enough about cars.
AIM: jesusathome

82 TRANS AM

I've been working on wrecked third gens for 15 years now, and they are built (engineered) quite well. Mostly because of the upper rail, Where the top of the fender bolts to. It absorbes quite a bit of energy leaving you a softer hit, however the cars are usually toast.

I hate to pick on t-top cars, (i own one) but they are not as good as hard tops in a front collision. A hard hit to the front and they bend just under the dash, or the front edge of the rockers, all the way across the floor.

One of the weak spots, (it's really just plain physics) but when they get hit at 90 degrees in front of the front tire, (at the end of the bumper bar), they are big time toast. I've seen cracked blocks from these kind of hits.

Structurally speaking, these are not new style cars. They were designed in the late 70's and are'nt going hold up in a crash like say, an Aurora would. New style cars may look worse after a collision, but they are designed to absorb more energy so you don't have to.

Protect yourself. Install SFC's, maybe a loop or a 4-6 point cage. Try to be aware of things like (and this is really hard to remember, or do while it's happening) but don't lock your knee when braking for a collision. Or push your left leg into the floor, bracing for a hit. Just before you hit, pull your legs up off the floor. I've met several people who are limping around years after an accident because of that. Remember, the stright part of the lower rail is pointed at the bottom of your feet.

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Kenney
82 Trans Am WS7 notchback
83 Trans Am WS6 T-tops
Painter @ Chevy dealer
GM junkie

Z28 Boy

here are some pics of my accident...i let someone else drive my car and they lost control and KILLED a ford tempo...







the car was actually totalled, so i got 6 grand for it, bought it back for 500 bucks, and got it fixed and TOTALLY repainted for around 3500.

obviously the front clip, the fender, and the hood were replaced. the hood support moved back about an inch and cracked the windshield too. the radiator support was a little messed up but they fixed it. amazingly, the suspension was untouched, and so was the radiator, tires, and EVERYTHING else important.

the only thing other than the exterior that was damaged was the alternator..i think the impact jarred it so bad that it broke. the air bag didnt even go off. i even drove it halfway to the body shop until the battery just died.

-Brian

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1991 Camaro RS
GMPP 350 HO crate engine - 454 TBI, MSD ignition, SLP exhaust, everything is new
700R4 - 2,400 stall converter, vette servo, shift kit
My car's webpage - z28boy.cz28.com
President - Central New York F-Body Association
Email - z28boy@twcny.rr.com
AIM - "Z28 Boy"



[This message has been edited by Z28 Boy (edited October 16, 2001).]

Z28 Boy

camaroz28.com is down, so the pictures arent working...they should eventually though.

-Brian

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1991 Camaro RS
GMPP 350 HO crate engine - 454 TBI, MSD ignition, SLP exhaust, everything is new
700R4 - 2,400 stall converter, vette servo, shift kit
My car's webpage - z28boy.cz28.com
President - Central New York F-Body Association
Email - z28boy@twcny.rr.com
AIM - "Z28 Boy"

fredo92

My vert has been rearended giving it $3200 worth of damage, then some stupid woman ran a red light and i slammed into a brand new accord. It did $6200 worth of damage, but my insurance decided since i showed them over $12,000 in reciepts, they'd flip the bill to fix it. Go here to see why it's tougher than a f'n tank. www.angelfire.com/tx/brune.


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92 RS vert, LT1 with SLP headers, CSI water pump, LT4 hotcam, 1.6:1 GM roller rockers, LT4 knock module, SLP headers, high flow cats, 3" flowmaster, T56 tranny, centerforce clutch, B&M shifter, 1LE brakes and sway bars, polygraphite bushings, KYB shocks and struts, "modified" eibach springs, 4.10 gears, 17" torq-thrust II's.
www.angelfire.com/tx/brune

Tonyrodz

I once hit a guy in my 1st 89 Formula 350--w/the brakes on I hit him doing 75 mph!!!
He was in a Granada--put flat spots in my tires! I drove it home--he didn't!-didn't even break the radiator-this was the radiator w/the plastic end pieces-I hit him so hard that I pushed the driver side frame rail under the battery!
Then when I drove it home the hood flipped open--buckled the roof!!
Car was totaled-insurance gave it to me, and I fixed it w/paint for $3500!!! Of course I did all the labor--my friend owned the body shop!
That accident made me have alot of respect for the f-bodies!!

[This message has been edited by Tonyrodz (edited October 15, 2001).]

91DropTopTA

The F-bodies are very good in a crash. I fell asleep after a long day of working, more working, and some partying. I hit a culvert going around 55. The culvert was very steep and pretty large. When I hit, the car went airborne about 5 or 6 feet and turned 180 degrees around and landed in someone's yard. The front end was basically three feet shorter. It bent the front end on both sides where the fenders meet the doors and where the t-top brace meets the windshield. The center console, dash, and gauges pretty much shattered. The airbag deployed and hit like Tyson. But after all the damage, the actual passenger compartment was barely deformed at my feet. The doors would still open and close. The windshield shattered, but all the other windows were intact. The only thing that really bothered me the most was that the T-tops shot out on impact. They were pretty much intact. I couldn't find one and we kept looking, until I realized it was about 14 feet up in a tree that I landed by. Yet another good reason to wear seatbelts. But I walked away with only some scratches on my wrist and feeling sick about ruining a real cherry F-body.

Project86Iroc

It all depends on where you hit. In my 88 RS, I clipped a stop sign at about 20, and caught it just right to crinkle the fender in two places. In my 87 Z28(my baby, RIP) , a kid ran a stop sign and I t-boned him at 45. The car had previous frame damage(that I was not aware of)I hit him in the front fender, swung him around and hit him in the rear quarter. His was flatbedded with the wheel on the drivers seat, mine drove home with ice cold AC. Totalled though. What scared me, I had a friend in the passenger seat with the tops off. Thank good the car stopped in place, because she flew up and landed right back in the seat. I blew my knee out by locknig the brakes, but stupid me, didnt go to the ER. No, instead I tried to fight the kid and almost got locked up. These cars are great safety wise, but the bodies dont fair too well. Im now on f-body # 6
Mike

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I would love to be there when those Muslim Bastards hit the Pearly Gates and realize they were wrong...

TAdan

I know of several birds that were crashed, all front-end damage and all could be considered totalled. Two were rebuilt, one was written off, and one is still awaiting a decision. It does not make sense $ wise to rebuild them ($3000 in repairs for a $1000 car) but it can be done. In all cases the passengers were not injured and the passenger compartment was fine.

Vomex

these are great stories, keep them coming

dudelovett

When i put my 88 Firebird into a fire hydrant, it came out lookin like Z28 Boy's, but I came out without a scratch. Only thing that really got ****ed up on it was the hood, the now and the front 1/4.

So I guess they do alright....definately better than a stang.

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1991 Firebird Formula
305 TPI,Auto,Custom 3" Mandrel bent I-pipe, Flowmaster 80 series muffler, 3" hi-flo cat,Taylor Spiro Wires,Bosch Platinum Plugs, K&N Filter, Grant GT Steering Wheel, 5% Rear tint, Pontiac Windshield Decal, Fresh paint

Check it out https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/index...ew&rideid=1074

Spectre

I just got onto the highway.. the lane separations where repainted.. I took a quick turn and a pont transport ripped out my driver side mirror.. It went in his handle 'pod'?
anyways it was cl\early my fault.. I think i gave him 400 cash.. we have a record of stolen\crashes.. we're now with allstate..
Thers cars are great.. I crashed a '98 acura CL (80 km\h)againt a 88 golf.. and got 3000$ damage.. cheap cars..

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87iroc\305\5spd\bw tranny
3.45\ram air\momade muffler\headers..

Blackbari

My '88 IROC was hit in the rear by a very small car and my car looked worse than that small Dodge! All he had damaged was the front bumper which didn't look that bad at around 20 MPH (I'm estimating, could be slower).

My left rear was pushed in and pushed downward causing crappy launches and junk burnouts, the left quarter panel C-pillar buckled inwards, the left rear fender lip split and was pushed about 5 inches outward, and the whole rear body shifted to the right. My '78 Cutlass took some solid hits that only required replacing the chrome bumper and energy absorbers. Now that's a tank!

My IROC was repaired and I still drive it to this day. These cars, to me, are structurally very weak. You gotta put subframe connectors to make the body stop creaking, moaning and groaning. That says something about lack of structural rigidity.

Vomex

So the passenger compartment survives well, but what about the engine compartment?

------------------
Later,
Vomex
'89 GTA 5.7L TPI

Vomex

i hear alot of you say that you drive your cars home, so it hold up well under the hood?

nestz28

iTrader: (1)

About 2 years ago I had an accident that I am totally convinced would have destroyed just about any other car. I had a blowout going around a turn and before I could react, the car went right off the road. I crashed through a fence and ripped out two 4X4 posts set in concrete, and then ripped out a 2 1/2 foot tree stump out of the ground and launched it 50 feet across a field. The front drivers side suspension was almost totally ripped off the car! The fenders were buckled from the fence but the nose was just fine. I had the frame checked and it was okay, so I rebuilt the car and it is fine now. A body shop wanted 3 grand to fix it plus the cost of painting, but I did all the work myself for about 2 grand with some extras thrown in.

okfoz

I bought a wrecked 83 Camaro that had an 87 TPI in it. The front bumper & hood are toast. looking at the radiator core support it is pushed back at least 4 inches. suprisingly, the Radiator is good (I am currently using it in my 87), the fans were not broken.

The worst thing about the car is the driver door is jamed closed, and the passenger side will not close. so the car is twisted.

It is a hardtop, and I have considered welding the doors closed, install a 6 pt roll cage, frame connectors, and straighen the front to make it into a drag car. Make all the glass lexan (except the windshield.) Build a Fuel injected Big Block Buick (I have 4 of them laying around) stuff one in, and take it to the drag strip.

In short, it is salvageable.

John

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G O D BLESS AMERICA
87 Formula Yellow/Black

5.1 TPI Automatic
Baer 12" brakes 4 wheels, KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks & struts, Custom Leather interior, WAAAY TOO MANY MODS TO LIST

87 Formula TPI (5 Speed) Yellow/Gray STOCK

1967 Buick Riviera 430hp Turns high 14's (Not bad for 4300 lbs)

83 Camaro
83 T/A

http://www.3rdgenformula.com

okfoz

Now that I think about it, i have seen ALOT of wrecked Camaro's & firebirds in the Junk yards. one was a T-top roll-over and the passenger might not have made it. It looked like he slid a long way on the top. Other than that, I cannot recall any serious damage done to where the passenger compartment was impeeded upon to cause death. Alot of people die NOT from the car crushing in on them as much as the G's from the accident.

Having a hot engine on my lap does not sound like fun to me though.

John

91DropTopTA

I know this sounds lame, and I don't wear mine all the time with the top down, but it is really important to wear a seat belt with the top down or t-tops out. If you get hit hard enough the t-tops will eject from the car and then you are SOL anyway.

[This message has been edited by 91DropTopTA (edited October 20, 2001).]

Trent257

i hit a 6" tree at 35, no visible damage, the plasic bumper was cracked, and the metal bumper was bent, but nothing more, i took the tree out too

------------------
Trent
---Car---
89 Firebird
305 L03 TBI A4
t-tops
Open Element Edelbrock Aircleaner w/ K&N air filter
Summit Chrome Valve Covers

---Stero---
Pioneer DEH-P730 Premium
Infinity 2way 4652 4x6's
Pioneer 4way ts-a6985 6x9's
profile cl640 110x4

Future:im profile 1200sx 900watt x 1, and a pioneer cdx-p1270 12 disk cd changer

Snuffit

These cars are tough everyones proved that. but to you saying things about the t-tops..i was in my friends 85 t/a with t-tops...we were chaseing after someone and took a corner way to fast...went right up the guide wire for a light pole...doing probably 40...the car hit the pole and then flipped over off the wire. there were 4 of us in the car...the t-tops exploded on impact but no one was hurt..no one had seat belts on eather...
Snuffit

FAST RS

My moms 79 TA was totled 3 times by the third time it was totaled the engine ended up in the front seat and the back sail panils were creased but it was fixed as usual. Then my car got rearended did 1200 wirth of damage but my rear bumper has never sat the way it used to.

1991tealRSt-topGuy

1 rear-ending
3 360*'s
flying over a snowbank
scraping a painted pole
going over numerous curbs

and she's still in one piece and gets complents from everyone

cg91ta

The worst one I had is in the pictures below. I was making a left turn on a green arrow in my 89 Formula, when a 16 year old driving a 2000 Sebring Convertible ran the red light at over 50 mph. The impact occured at the right front corner. Other than feeling like someone had cold****ed me with a left hook, and a stiff neck because of it, I had no injuries.

Dealing with the insurance company hurt worse...

http://members.home.com/cgoblirs/fir...0to%20left.jpg
http://members.home.com/cgoblirs/fir...to%20right.jpg
http://members.home.com/cgoblirs/seb...ing%20back.jpg
http://members.home.com/cgoblirs/seb...eft%20side.jpg


------------------
Chris G
91 TA WS6


See more of her here!
Wise man once say "Red ones go faster!"

[This message has been edited by cg91ta (edited October 20, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by cg91ta (edited October 20, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by cg91ta (edited October 20, 2001).]

TorchTA

f*cking picturetrail wont let me post what i was gonna post, so f*ck it.

Burnin up Strts

Well i was in an accident back in oct with my 84 camaro t top car.
I T-boned a celica doin about 50 - 55
my whole front clip was destroyed. hood cam up over the winshield. fenders were cressed into the tires. neither me or my pass. were wereing a seat belt and we both had no injuries what so ever. Needless to say i had 3500 worth of damage. (im fixin the car) the celica had 13000k worth of damage (not a typ

Oh yeah there was no fluids leaking or anythin like that and the car was driveable (had it flat bedded anyway) but the car was driven off the st and onto the flat bed.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Front and rear impacts aren't bad... just don't get tboned. I've seen more then one thirdgen in the junkyards with the doors pushed up against he console.

IROC212

iTrader: (1)

My 86 got rear ended by an old 72 LTD. I needed a new bumper cover, impact bar etc, but it wasn't too bad. Of course nothing happened to the LTD.
Also when I first got my car I pulled out of someplace with too much throttle (I was 19) in a left turn and lost it; right into a median. I crunched the nose a little and hit the rim really hard on the curb. The bodyshop told me that the subframe connectors saved the lower control arm mount from tweaking. I guess they hold up pretty good, but like others say I've seen some in the boneyard smashed beyond recognition, cage or subframe connectors a must.

jester4666

my 82 camaro had a tree fall on it before i bought it, beat the roof back out some and put another windshield in it. got rear ended by a Dodge Caravan....the front of that van was pretty messed up and all it did was flake the paint off my bumper and put a small crack in my left tail light.

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

They sure as hell do! This is the pic of my GTA (day I had it taken to the junk yard) which I side swiped a tree with. Not only did I drive the car around for a few more days, but the ttops still fit perfectly. Now thats strength!

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

Up close shot.

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

Wolfpack

Funny that i have seen no Accidents Involving Deer hits:P anyway I hit a deer in my First Camaro at about 100mph dead center of my 92 25th Anniv wiped out the bumper cover, all the lights, hood, Core support, pushed the Radiator back bout 2 inches, busted a trans cooling line and did some frame dmg from what the body shop said..Drove it home though(only 2 miles) Airbag never went off though(glad too..would have been bad) No Insurance so it went bye bye...(cries)

Silver87S.C.

Kinda late with any reply, but oh well.....


I was coming home from McDonald's...I decided to go through a parking lot when an elderly woman, driving an '89 Pontiac Bonneville, backed into my pass. side front. The wheel took most of the hit, but she destroyed the fender, the nose and part of the hood was bent. (I was amazed, however, that my turn signal was not shattered)

There was no damage to the engine compartment, and no frame damages either. Insurance FINALLY gave us $25 short of $4,000. Repairs were $1,900 and they painted my pass. door for free.

Oh, this woman also bounced off of me, hit a curb, went airborn, went BETWEEN a pole and a parked Accord(clipping the Accord. The owner was sitting in the car) and proceeded to literally FLY 50 ft. into three lanes of traffic and land right in front of a pick-up truck that slammed into her and spun the car around, pushing it over a median. After that.....just coasted across three more lanes and stopped. No one else hit her...

The hood doesnt line up quite right, anymore, and I still haven't managed to get all the Dr. Pepper out of it but...she's still going.

Gator_Z28

My car was T-boned on the driver side by a ford escort. Besides a big dent the car held up very well and no injurys. As for the escort the front end was gone. A couple of months ago another car ran into mine parked in a parking lot head on at a pretty good speed. All that was needed was a new hood front clip and driver fender. Structerly they hold up.

phoenix350

I had a 1992 Camaro RS V6. My pride and joy...was getting ready to do a V8 engine swap into it. Well, I went out on a Wednesday night--2 days after Christmas--with my best friend. We were having an excellent time, and were about to go to his house to smoke a few nice cigars we picked up earlier to celebrate my enlistment into the Marines, and overall good times. I was attempting to turn left at a light and the car spun 180 degrees.....that is all I know. The other kid was driving a late model Civic, and walked away. I ended up in the hospital with brain swelling and a broken nose....no other injuries, minus scrapes. My friend didn't fare so well, he ended up having a funeral about a week later (they postponed it so I could attend). Nether of us were wearing seatbelts. The car looked as though it was run into a brick wall at 75+ mph. The rear quarter panels were even bent all to hell. The interior just blew up, and the roof and floorpans were bent outward. The firewall was moved a good 6 inches. There was a total of one inch either side of the tire (on what used to be the fender) on the passenger side, and maybe one inch on one side and 2 on the other in the driver side fender. To answer your question....the cars hold up well, people do not, wear safety harnesses accordingly, and please drive safely. As much as I miss my car, I desperatly want my friend back...my car was replaceable, he is not.

RMK

I think your engine fell out somewhere in the crash. Also, I rekon you could have buffed the dents right out of it.

XXROOXX

'87 Trans Am Vs. (a) a Toyota SUV (b) a Jeep Wrangler (c) a Honda Civic (d) a Buick (e) a Toyota Camry and finally (f) the Center divider of the freeway.....

(I was rear-ended and spun a few times on the freeway)

I believe there was at least 2 more cars involved in hitting me but this just happened last Sat and the Police report hasn't yet been released....

Oh yeah.....I climbed out of the missing passenger side T-Top without any injuries....

MetalliCamaroRS

iTrader: (15)

Wow, without any injuries? Thats amazing

White Ninja

XXROOXX the ThirdGen G O D S were definately with you that day... i'm sorry i can't say the same for the Birdie... Glad to hear no injuries!

AFRO IROC Z

I know the girl who owned my car before me fell aleep and drove into a ditch and only needed a new passenger side rear quarter panel. Then I just got into an accident about 2 weeks ago, i got t-boned and yes it was my fault . Any way I was wondering if someone could answer a question for me. If you look at the pictures posted by XXROOXX where the door jamb should be, that is similar to what my car looks like, only in the door jamb area. I was wondering if that area could be fixed. Does a new quarter panel come with that little door jamb area, i don't know exactly what it is called but it has that little metal piece that the door latches onto. Anyway there are quite a few broken pieces: Passenger side door is done, broken control arm where it meets the rear end, mount for the panhard bar is bent to crap, mount for the driver side control arm is a little bent, that little piece on the rear that the spring sits on is bent. other than that car is pretty good, t tops are still ligned up front and rear glass are not broken. anyone think all this can be repaired. oh and i hit a telephone pole once broke the nose bent hood and tore up drivers side quarter panel . most of the support stuff was okay though. Thanks for any help with my questions and sorry so long.

RC

yup, dem F bodies do good work, hehe.
here's my story.
about couple a winters ago, i was getting ready to bring my Trans Am into the shop <i work at a automotive independent shop>...and as i was pulling out of the drive way and into the intersection...
there were huge mounds of snow, and i couldn't see over the corners of the intersection.
Well,after making a complete stop, i started creeping forward very slowly, being as cautions as i can....and finally when i thought i was in the clearing, i started
making a right, and about 5mphs, a stupid lady in a honda civic
like darted out of nowhere, carring great speed i would think, right into my car coming from the westbond lane, and i noticed she didn't do like a 90 degree turn but rather a 45 degree, and i ended up hitting her driver side passage door (it's a 4 door P.O.S.)..... man i tell you these new cars with those new thin bodies sucked!, at 5mphs that door was crumpled like aluminum foil!...and i was like omg, my front nose must be totally damaged as well.....so i made the lady park her car, and i brought my car into the shop,....i took a good look at my front end and noticed all i got was some paint scrapes on the left front side of the nose..and i'm like dayum!, these things hold up pretty good..
anywayz, the cops came, we explained our situation, which i end up getting ticketed for "failure to yield at an intersection" which i went to protest against it, because the intersection was a stop sign and i stopped before i turned...
took it to court with photos of the intersection and won of couse...
but unfortunatly our insurance had to cover her car, being that it was told that i was at fault....which i say it's still B.S. to this day!!

i know i'll never buy a new small compact crap car, where i know these things can do more then just become performers!

SpeedCat86

I've never wrecked a ThirdGen, but I have probably wrecked more cars than any three of you put together. (The count is around 60)

All but one of these cars were crunched up at the old FHWA research center in northern Virginia, and so I have documented, instrumented and photographed all the stuff that happens when you run in to things like light posts and guard rails. Most of our work was with small compacts and SUVs, but the observations are valid here.

The heavier, body-on-frame vehicles (trucks) sustained less damage during frontal collisions than the smaller, unibody cars, but the occupant injury numbers tended to be higher, especially if the impact was directed along the axis of a frame rail. The more crash energy that can be absorbed by the car crumpling up means that less has to be absorbed by the occupant when they contact the seat belt / steering wheel / dashboard.
The unibodies took less damage during side impacts, but the injury numbers were about the same. Let's face it, any side impact is going to be pretty brutal. Most frightening was when we knocked the cab loose from the chassis of a Chevy 2500 going sideways at 50mph. We also bent the frame like it was made out of coat hangers. We needed a Ford diesel tractor and a Bobcat 853 to pry the truck off of the barricade after that one.

A lot of our testing was done on a fixed, non-deformable barrier, with a relatively narrow face. (Imagine hitting a large oak tree or bridge piling), so the car would have to absorb all the energy of the collision.

What does this have to do with F-Bodies?
First: Weight. F-bodies are heavy, and in a collision with another car or another, moveable object, the heavier one absorbs less of the impact, thereby sustaining lighter damage than the smaller one (F=ma)
Second: Unibody. Not just any unibody, but one designed to support the Small Block Chevy V-8, which is a pretty massive chunk of cast iron. The front ends are very strong just to keep from crumpling up from the weight of that motor. F-bodies and Mustangs are the only unibodies that haul around big motors like that anymore. (the Crown Vic is body-on-frame and the Corvette is a space-frame) The strong engine bay is why F-bodies seem to take less damage in head on collisions, especiallly with lighter cars.
Finally: Doors. Doors are the worst place you want to get hit; they offer the least crush distance, and they are usually not that strong of a structure in and of themselves. I think because the F-body is a rather sturdy unibody (compared to say, a Cavalier) the side sills do a better job than most. I also think that the sheer size of the f-body door contributes to this. Because the doors are so big, they must be fairly solid in order to support themselves, but the door portal must also be fairly strong in order to support that big of an opening in the carbody.

Remember, all cars are designed to be as light as possible, because more weight=more material=more cost=less profit for GM. Otherwise, why would we go to all the trouble of adding extra weight in the form of subframe connectors, strut bars, and the like in order to make them stiffer?

Do I have to say it? Buckle your seatbelt.