When my father died in 2015. We found his first car still covered up setting in the back stall of the barn. A 1955 Chevy Bel-Air. I don't believe it had ran since the late 70s. My younger brother wanted to sell it for scrap. My sister called it a reject for the yunkyard, so I took it. I worked on restoring it at nights and on weekends. Two and a half years later I was finished. Today it is my daily driver. ❤😊

@williampaz2092

Ай бұрын

I envy you…

@davidleavitt3804

Ай бұрын

Wow.Good on you.

@dickslocum

Ай бұрын

Good on you Keep it running for as long as they will let you.

@baneverything5580

Ай бұрын

I`ve rode in a spotless one kept in a garage and barely driven. Cranked right up.

@gregbenwell6173

Ай бұрын

I wish my dad was that cool....my father was one of those guys where "IF it ain't new he didn't want it!"!!! When he died three years ago....he'd just bought a brand new Dodge Mini van.....and all I can say is "I'll pass on that!"!!!

In the 1950s they "relied heavily" on the fact that people knew how to drive

@EduardoGonzalez-uf1vf

Ай бұрын

Driver safety is up to the driver!

@samuelmcgill-rl3lb

Ай бұрын

assuming at the time , most of their customer base had just survived a world war, where they were pelted by artillery fire ,and flown planes daily , held together by DUCT TAPE . they were more concerned about making a vehicle that somebody actually ,WANTED TO BUY . MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED .

@eyeswideopen7450

Ай бұрын

Not really. There was just no traffic compared to today's road

@swmovan

Ай бұрын

@@eyeswideopen7450 Are you trying to say all those 2 lane highways had very little traffic? I remember getting stuck in slow traffic many times. Especially when the National Guard trucks were on the move. And don't forget, there wasn't much of a shoulder to pull off on, if you had car trouble.

@dougberdan3906

24 күн бұрын

Back when they paid attention to the road and not the phone

We now have touch screens that are far more dangerous.

@richardwarren7492

2 ай бұрын

No truer words spoken, that and phones.

@garycarpenter2932

Ай бұрын

yep, mine flashes a 'driving without watching the road can be dangerous' notation on it's screen. i catch it out the corner of my eye, it's a distraction to say the least. then you really have to look at it to hit the 'ok button'. it stays on until you do.

@jamesaustralian9829

Ай бұрын

100% I used it in a company Mitsubishi Triton, and scrolling the centre screen to make a call, was outright dangerous as it took your attention off the road entirely for 40 seconds or more. Needless to say that was the last time I'd ever used it, and simply reverted to using the phone normally while driving one handed.

@jonathaneastwood2927

Ай бұрын

​@@jamesaustralian9829 doing that in the UK will land you with a massive fine

@mattrowan2680

Ай бұрын

@@richardwarren7492 The "guy" who made this video sounds like he would be afraid of his own shadow on a wall....he needs to definitely "man-up" and get over it. The fact is that there is a risk in everything we do. I actually think that today's cars and their systemically messed up systems of operation are more likely to get us into accidents than any 1950 - 2000 vehicle. Ever tried to figure out how to run the touch screens without taking your eyes off the road for at least 3-5 seconds? YOU CAN'T.

Today's cars have an item that is totally unsafe, and you could say illegal in some states. I'm talking about the computer touch screen in the dash to control everything. Cars of the 1950s were much safer in this respect as they had buttons on the dash that the driver could operate by feel and never take their eyes off the road. The computer touch screen requires the driver to take their eyes off the road to control everything. Many states have laws against using cell phones (unless they are set up for hands-free operation) and I don't see any difference in looking at a cell phone or looking at a computer screen on the dash.

@elultimo102

Ай бұрын

There was a report that the EU is going to require real control switches, instead of the touch screen, for that very reason.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. Touch screens should be outlawed, and too bad if the yuppies don't agree.

@Wireball

Ай бұрын

@@michaelbenardo5695 I think the yuppies would agree too

@Bobrogers99

Ай бұрын

Having to perform simple actions like changing the volume on the sound system or turning on the defroster by navigating menus on a touch screen is dangerous! Anything control that requires the driver to take his eyes and attention off the road is a hazard.

@patricknesbitt4003

Ай бұрын

At least my Buick Verano has a physical button or switch on the dash or steering wheel that duplicates every touch screen function.

I would absolutely drive one of them. Beautiful pieces of art.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

Maybe not as a daily driver, but as a collectable. That would be sweet!

@Skilful_basics8

21 күн бұрын

I agree. I ride a motorcycle so safety isn’t really my top priority

We now have safer cars, but much more dangerous drivers who look at their phones instead of the road while driving.

@sailingspark9748

Ай бұрын

if you watch any of the car crash videos online, it is amazing that people survive some of those accidents, let along get out on their own.

@buckshot6481

Ай бұрын

This narrator should design a car from soft cushy foam with a top speed of 12 mph.

@sailingspark9748

Ай бұрын

@@buckshot6481 Nader, is that you?

@EduardoGonzalez-uf1vf

Ай бұрын

Disrespect for laws!

@laneetherington614

Ай бұрын

Not safer just more gas mileage.

If you're a pedestrian who gets hit by a car going fast enough to cause you injury, the hood ornament is probably the least of your worries.

@chrisb7198

Ай бұрын

We were taught how to cross a street back in the day. Dad told us right of way meant nothing a car hits you, you lose.

@FinlayMacintyre-ti9li

Ай бұрын

I'd rather slide across the bonnet than be disembowelled by a viciously sharp hood ornament

@danscott3880

Ай бұрын

Fun fact. If you get hit by a vehicle going 30 mph or less you have a 95%chance of surviving. 40 or higher. The chance decreases

@roberthaworth8991

Ай бұрын

Untrue. The ornament on my ‘41 Packard was a large stylised bird (cormorant) whose upswept wings were both pointy at the top and had thin, sharp leading edges. You had no chance of rolling over onto the top of the hood, or spread-eagling yourself across it, without being cut to ribbons by the ornament, which both looked and acted like a palm-sized open jackknife.

@patricknesbitt4003

Ай бұрын

@@FinlayMacintyre-ti9li If you slid across the hood of a 40's or 50's vehicle chances are it was just your top half. Rest of you would be fused to the grille and bumper.

I love all the colors. Today’s cars are all generic.

@lesaber251

Ай бұрын

Today's cars have colors too. But customers are choosing the drab colors instead. It shows in fashion too.

@brienperkins6062

Ай бұрын

In Phoenix the main colors are white, black and 2 shades of grey, yuck. I drive a red Colorado, how boring some of the new cars are. All this safety stuff just made it easier for bad drivers to cause traffic for the people that actually know how to drive and are trying to get some place. It's like Karen took over the design of cars with all the safety equipment. A salesman once was trying to tell me about all the safety equipment on the truck, I told him I didn't care, does the thing go fast when I need it to. Kind of like the comic that said they ought to remove all the warning stickers on stuff to cull the herd

@Offthbadan

Ай бұрын

@@brienperkins6062 I agree with a lot of your comment. I had a silver Century. Most boring car I’ve ever owned. I happened to have a red vehicle also and a blue Colorado. My first blue vehicle. But I’ll drive a yellow vehicle before I own another silver.

@darrellcaraway6068

Ай бұрын

Black silver white maroon gold

@darrellcaraway6068

Ай бұрын

People buy what's available

This video makes me want a classic car more than ever

I also like the burst-into-flames feature of the modern EV's.

@stephenwhited1833

Ай бұрын

About bursting into flames I live life on the edge by commuting to work in a 1980 Pinto.

@gibbsey9579

Ай бұрын

Nothing to worry about... That's just the built-in use-by date starting the auto-recycle function.

@brucerogermorgan2388

Ай бұрын

So the Ford Pinto was OK?

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@stephenwhited1833 By the late , had

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@stephenwhited1833 By the late 70s, Ford had corrected that burst into flames problem, finally. So your 1980 Pinto is safer than you realize.

Even with all the safety features that modern cars have, if somebody's driving recklessly enough, they can still wind up dead.

@richardcline1337

Ай бұрын

With all the so-called "safety features" of modern vehicles. it still requires one thing, a driver with enough working brain cells to actually drive them properly. With all the built-in gadgets and distractions, a less than alert driver is far more dangerous than any of the 50's vehicles ever were!

@paulbrower

Ай бұрын

@@richardcline1337 '50's cars obviously 'lacked' the troublesome cell phones.

@roberthaworth8991

Ай бұрын

Incorrect. I’ve seen modern cars pancaked under semi-trucks from which the driver walked away - after being extracted from the wreck with the Jaws of Life. That would never happen in any of my old cars; their mass and their safety-ignorant design prevents it.

@EduardoGonzalez-uf1vf

Ай бұрын

BINGO!

@1940limited

10 күн бұрын

Fatals in new cars are not uncommon.

I would drive a 1950's car in a minute if it was in good shape, they were built to last.

@Looneybob1

Ай бұрын

I drive a 1955 dodge with every one of these issues, lol. BUT, I feel bad for ANY modern car that gets into an altercation with it, that thing is a literal tank. I feel the Royal would probably survive anything except a semi hit. They were built with actual metal back then, and lots of it.

@briansomething5987

Ай бұрын

​@@Looneybob1that's probably true. And once they clean your remains out of it, your heirs get a practically undamaged car.

@99Hudson

Ай бұрын

Yeah, they were built to last about 75,000 miles, a little more if you were lucky.

@waggitnshaggit6592

Ай бұрын

@@99Hudson pretty easy to repair and still around 70 years or more later for the win!

@forestghost7

Ай бұрын

​@@99Hudsonthat's where engine tech was at back then, that's hardly a flaw 🙄. and most cars didn't get driven 20 - 30K mi/yr like now

Cars may have been less safe back then, but it also forced people to drive more cautiously and respectfully. There's so many crazy drivers nowadays that act like they're invincible!

@wrotenwasp

Ай бұрын

BINGO. There are actually some people in these comments who have some real common sense.

@AtZero138

Ай бұрын

Absolutely Correct.. I daily a 68 Dodge Dart... Survival of the Fittest

@keithlowe1982

Ай бұрын

Exactly ! Today people say; "I've got ABS, Traction Control, Stability Assist, Lane Minder ... >>>" "Or, if anything does happen, 16 airbags !" More like 17. Forgot the one between your ears !

@paulbrower

Ай бұрын

@@wrotenwasp It was easier to get away with DUI. That was a real killer. Also we now do much more of our driving on beautifully-designed expressways in which deadly head-on and T-bone collisions are impossible.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@keithlowe1982 Yeah. You can still get hurt.

I don't see those things being dangerous. Its the idiots that are dangerous

@geoffmower8729

Ай бұрын

Yep no matter what era there are always idiots to spoil it for everyone else!

@bobroberts2371

Ай бұрын

Look up the " 2009 Chevy Malibu vs 1959 Bel Air Crash Test " and think again.

@bobroberts2371

Ай бұрын

@thegunsngloryshow Yep, or even look at an older car that has crashed in modern times, there are pics floating around. A modern Toyota or similar was in a parking lot and ran into the passenger door of a mid 60's Pontiac 2 door during a car show. The Pontiac door was pushed into the center console. . . . .

@markbroad119

Ай бұрын

Right? Like why do we need a padded dash when we need to wear seat belts? The 50's and 60's cars are way better than plastic crap of today

@bobroberts2371

Ай бұрын

@@markbroad119 Seat belts stretch and arms flail about, this is why padded dashes help reduce injury.

my 1st car was a 1957 Chevy Belair, no seatbelts, but I put 100,000 miles on it , I am still alive

@randykelso4079

Ай бұрын

Same here. Mine was a '47 Ford.

@swamprat69er

Ай бұрын

Mine was a 50 ford. 3 on the tree.

@jimsix9929

Ай бұрын

@@swamprat69er glad you and I made it without airbags LOL!!!

@johnp139

Ай бұрын

But how many other people AREN’T ALIVE?

@DanaTheInsane

23 күн бұрын

It’s what’s called the Belk curve. Look it up.

Hood ornaments also help prevent you from hitting the curb when parking if you know how to use them. Miss them.

@lancerevell5979

Ай бұрын

My 1985 Ramcharger 4X4 truck had a Ram styled hood ornament. Wish I'd kept it when I sold it for junk.

@user-wp6ex4xc9e

20 күн бұрын

I heavily relied on my hood ornament when I learned how to drive.

@janetchildress

20 күн бұрын

​@@user-wp6ex4xc9e Me too. Then when my kids were learning to drive I really missed having a good ornament.

I'm 72 so yeah, I've had several 1950's and 60's cars with no safety features. When I was growing up you could get your learners license at 14 1/2. Naturally I got mine! After lots of pleading and begging, my dad bought me a motorcycle. Back then helmets weren't required, motorcycles didn't have turn signals and the headlight didn't automatically come on when the motorcycle was started. In fact the only thing my state required was a rear view mirror that I had to purchase because the motorcycle didn't come with one. I learned to drive in my moms 1957 Chevrolet car and my dads 1956 Chevrolet pickup. When I turned 16 I was ready for my regular drivers license. By then mom had a 1963 Plymouth Valiant. That car had no safety features either! She picked me up after school on a Friday and took me to take the drivers test. I passed! That night I picked up my girlfriend and we went to the drive in movie. The bench seat was great because it allowed her to sit right next to me while I was driving! It was great for making out at the the drive in too! After school got out for summer I found a part time job and saved enough money to buy my own car. It was a 1957 Chevrolet Belair, 2 door hardtop, 3 on the tree like the one I learned to drive in. I paid $175 for it! Those kind of cars were plentiful and inexpensive back then.

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

Yep, you could buy cars from 50 to 500 dollars in those days. I bought many did a little work, put a drip job from Earl Schieb on them, some used chromes, sold them. Did well on them.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@richardwarren7492 500 or even less than that.

YES, I would drive a 1950's car.

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

I have a 1953 Hudson with aftermarket seat belts. Still, I feel much safer driving my Toyota RAV4 with seat/shoulder belts, padded dash, air bags all around, a front-end, engine crumple area, and telescoping steering column. Sometimes people will comment that my Hudson is a much safer car because it is built so strong especially with the uni-body frame. I then tell them this car is like a metal box with an egg in it. Throw it against the wall and the metal box is fine, but then look at the condition of the egg inside.

@alanjones4622

Ай бұрын

I remember watching crash test footage of some of these huge long American cars. The striking feature was the way the dash almost exited via the rear window because the intervening structure collapsed on impact.

@paulbrower

Ай бұрын

But I would want modern safety features.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

I still have a 50s car, and I love it and REFUSE to buy a rolling computer

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@WAL_DC-6B Speaking of the egg in the box, I remember a seat belt commercial in the 70s that used these to stress the importance of using seat belts.

Although the overall safety of today's vehicles is certainly much better than the 50's. I mean we have cars that will pull the car over to safety if you pass out. However, I would counter that in cars today we are over stimulated/saturated with electronic devices and screens. How many videos have we all seen here with distracted drivers. Back in the day when I had my first car, 62 Chevy II, there where only two distractions. The radio and my hand "accidentally" sliding off the shifter onto my girls knee.

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

"The radio and my hand "accidentally" sliding off the shifter onto my girls knee." OR vice-versa!

@unconventionalideas5683

Ай бұрын

There were also cigarettes. People smoked like chimneys and the process of lighting and smoking cigarettes while driving was quite a common distraction that killed many people.

@chrisb7198

Ай бұрын

@@unconventionalideas5683 Nah it wasn't hard to light up while driving at all.

@swamprat69er

Ай бұрын

@@chrisb7198 That is why they put lighters in cars, to make it easier than fumbling with a match and driving, too.

@chrisb7198

Ай бұрын

@@swamprat69er Yes and ash tray so you didn't throw the lit butt out the window to litter or start a fire.

The problem with the A pillar wasn't that it was an A pillar, it was that it was weak. Same could probably said for the other pillars on the car. Volvo, as I recall, was the first to integrate a roll cage construction into their cars, solving that problem. And, I'd just like to mention, by its nature, a steering column already protrudes into the passenger compartment. That's kind of how the driver controls it. The collapsible aspect was so that when an unrestrained driver hit the column during an accident, the column would collapse absorbing that impact, rather than the driver's chest absorbing it. I actually find it hard to classify any of this as "obsolete". We still have dashboards, they're just padded now. Most of this falls under the category of "improved now" as opposed to "obsolete".

Pretty much all Bullsh!t. I just turned 65, and have had a lifelong love affair with 1950s cars and trucks, especially 1955-1957 Chevys. I have owned many of them, and currently own three. I have restored them, hot rodded them, daily driven them, and drag raced them. I have never been injured by one, other than minor injuries while working on them. As long as everything is working properly, like brakes, steering, lights, etc., safety is the responsibility of the driver. Remember, back in the '50s, roads were not combat zones like they are today, and we didn't have idiots using "smartphones" and touch screens back then. People actually paid attention to driving, which is ALL the driver should be doing.

@briansomething5987

Ай бұрын

And yet, even with today's "combat zones" and phones, etc, the fatalities per vehicle mile are 5 times LOWER today than in the 50s. Why? Because cars back then were absolute death traps, your survivorship bias notwithstanding.

@geraldscott4302

Ай бұрын

@@briansomething5987 If you are so worried about safety, then I suggest you live (or rather "exist") in a sterile padded room, and never leave it. To me life is about a whole lot more than just how long you live, but what you get out of your life. There is no way to be 100% safe, and I personally have no idea why anyone would want to be.

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

@@briansomething5987 B/S

@ohasis8331

15 күн бұрын

And yet, there is four times the amount of traffic on the road today and the kill statistics are about half of what they were fifty years ago.

I disagree with almost everything you stated. Nothing wrong with old cars or trucks the problem is dumb people

@timhallas4275

Ай бұрын

I mean, who wouldn't feel better at 100 mph if surrounded by 5,000 lbs of steel.

@oledennis6918

Ай бұрын

Actually, dumb people are ok until they get in a drive.

@mikespencer9409

Ай бұрын

AMEN BROTHER

@stevemiller1517

Ай бұрын

But they do not know that they are dumb.

@THEFINALHAZARD

Ай бұрын

@@timhallas4275with no safety measures like crumple zones XD yeah. Yeah, no. Modern car in the regard thanks. I’d rather survive a crash, thank you. Old cars like that, you usually don’t.

I rode of many cars from the 50s to 70s and never thought about any of this stuff; you just had fun driving around these beauties!

The guy doing the voiceover sounds exactly like someone who would say the riding a bicycle downhill is a disaster waiting to happen. XD I like my old death traps, you can keep your modern debt traps! :3

@psquared5574

Ай бұрын

He unnatural voice inflections nearly caused me to be suicidal.

@psquared5574

Ай бұрын

Next a video on the horrendous unsafe prairie wagons!

@tedlewis4105

Ай бұрын

His last name is probably Nader or somehow kin to one.

I have drove a 1957, 1960 Chevy and a 1958, 59, 60,, 63, 64, 65 Fords and never had any problems with them.

Preston Tucker tried to address some of these issues, and the oppressors-that-be ruined him for it, but he built himself back up with a full heart.

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

Preston Tucker refused to put seat belts into his 1948 Tucker as he figured their presence might scare people away from buying his car. He did, however, provide what was supposed to have been a "crash compartment" for the driver and right front passenger. It supposedly would work by the driver and front passenger quickly realizing (together!) there was going to be a head-on collision and then dive down into it and thus survive the crash. I have a Tucker brochure and it reads for new safety features of the '48 Tucker: "Under cowl (dash) is spacious safety chamber, protected by steel bulkheads, which driver and front seat occupants can drop into, in a split second, in case of impending collision." No mention of seat belts in the brochure.

@judsongaiden9878

Ай бұрын

@@WAL_DC-6B The movie 'Tucker: The Man and His Dream' made it out like he was pro seat belts. I don't recall if it addressed the crash compartment.

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

@@judsongaiden9878 I have an actual, vintage Tucker Motor Car sale brochure and it's stamped "Eggebeen Tucker Sales," 2102 Calumet Drive, Sheboygan, Wisconsin (I wonder how well that dealership did!). I purchased it at the annual, winter, auto swap meet near West Bend, WI a about a decade ago for a few bucks. Anyway, opening up the contents there's one area that lists "A Few of Many New Safety Features." One is, "Crash Board Cowl and Safety Chamber." Here's what it says about it: "Conventional instrument panel is replaced by attractive sponge rubber crash board cowl. Instruments in steering column. Under cowl is spacious safety chamber, protected by steel bulkheads, which driver and front seat occupants can drop into, in a split second, in case of impending collision." By the way, safety belts are not listed in the "many new safety features." There you have it!

Regarding hood ornaments; he neglected to mention the most important safety improvement of all - they became spring-loaded in the 1960s and beyond. They were designed to bend back and/or break off in an accident with a pedestrian.

Bench seats and seat belts are mutually exclusive, one has nothing to do with the other

@asrcav8r

Ай бұрын

My C20 chevy has a bench seat AND 3 belts...

@tazman8697

Ай бұрын

Bench seats could lead to pregnancy........Seat belts resolved that problem if worn correctly..

@drosera88

Ай бұрын

Bench seats have the potential to negate some of the protection a seat belt offers. The issue is side to side motion, in which case your upper body can flail around inside the car during a crash, bludgeoning you with every hard surface in the car. A modern bucket helps to restrain the upper body because it wraps around you slightly. Bench seats often don't have headrests either, which can make a high-speed rear end accident fatal or debilitating due to a broken neck or spine.

@asrcav8r

Ай бұрын

@@drosera88 And buckets are just plain cool!

@susanking9033

Ай бұрын

My parents dodge custom 880 had seat belts. Also seat belts

Hood ornaments being a danger to pedestrians is a bit of a stretch. Being hit by all that metal, pretty sure the hood ornament was the least of a pedestrian's worries.

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

Try rolling over THIS, bub.

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

[Meant to insert photo of a 1940s Packard cormorant ornament, with two sharp, upswept wings].

Go ahead and cry some more. These car are beautiful.

My opinion on this video and the car features mentioned. An automobile from the era portrayed vs today had to have an attentive driver behind the wheel. They also involved a greater driver input to maintain control. This meant you actually had to PAY ATTENTION and not have the car tell you how to drive. The 'A' pillars were narrow enough where you could actually SEE instead of having a huge 'blind spot' as in modern vehicles. It has been my opinion for years to have all of the 'safety' features removed from vehicles and let the thinning begin.

@Robbie-sk6vc

Ай бұрын

Yep. Imagine that, a driver actually paying attention to driving! What a concept! The driver is the biggest problem here, not the car. I agree, get rid of all of the "safety" nonsense and force drivers to actually drive. What an idea! Either get better and be more careful and attentive. Or, become a statistic. Your choice!

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

@@Robbie-sk6vc .....take them out of YOUR car, not mine, ditship....

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

And then get hit by an idiot driver and STILL end up in casts and bandages or 6 feet under.

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

@@aaronwilliams6989 ....so i may be injured or killed, but likely alive.....you'll just be DADE for sure....

Re: steering wheel hubs: Now we have air bags that do the same thing. If you wear a seat belt you don't have to worry about the dashboard.

So if the car gets hit in the rear and there is a fuel spill, the gas is somehow going to touch hot engine components, ALL THE WAY AT THE OTHER END OF THE CAR, and the car is going to catch fire?? The irony of all of the safety features we now have is that drivers feel they are invincible and they take chances on the highway, speeding WAY above the speed limit, cutting in and out of the lanes, tailgating people, etc which is what REALLY leads to serious accidents and injuries. Before, people definitely drove more carefully and did not do stupid things on the road that they now do. And yes I would still drive a car from this time period, and I have done so. I just wouldn't drive it to and from work on the highways during rush hour where I have to deal with idiots.

@richardcline1337

Ай бұрын

The problem with that was the same as what plagued the poor Pinto....leaking fuel hitting the hot exhaust pipes. I had a Pinto that was actually rear ended. Outside of having to have a lot of repairs, the car held up very well. Like Nader's hatred of the Corvair, it all depended on the accident and any accident could be fatal under the right circumstances.

@ajkleipass

Ай бұрын

Fuel at the rear of your car could touch the hot engine of the car that hit you.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@ajkleipass Plus the 🔥 spreads very fast.

@user-hq4jz6lc9d

Ай бұрын

@@richardcline1337 It seems to me that there was some steel projection on the frame of the Pinto that would tend to pierce the fuel tank. I've heard too that rather than recall the Pintos to fix them, Ford thought it cheaper to just pay the lawsuits.

@richardcline1337

Ай бұрын

@@user-hq4jz6lc9d Actually it was the pumpkin on the rear end that would rip into the tank. Part of the so-called "fix" was a thick plastic or rubber shield that went over that part of the rear axle plus a modified fuel filler pipe. At least that's what they did to mine.

I've been driving for 40 years and never had need of rolling my car over yet. A good driver can operate any vehicle safely. A bad driver can't even operate a modern wonder safely. Really the only feature that makes a car safe or fatal is the temperament and skill of the driver.

@richardcline1337

Ай бұрын

With all of the distracted drivers on the road today, we are actually more likely to die in a modern car due to them than in a car of that era back then.

@paulbrower

Ай бұрын

You forget the highways -- Interstates instead of the old Blood Alley intercity highways.

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

@@richardcline1337 ......statistics show your opinion is total BS.....

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

Yeah.

@kenbrown2808

Ай бұрын

that's only valid if you're the only person on the road.

How many were trying to recognize car manufacturer based on the dashboard or hood ornament?? And would I drive a 1950's car today? Absolutely.

@1940limited

10 күн бұрын

I got most of them, but a lot wee not 50s cars. And the 55 Chevy with an opening tail light for the gas cap never existed.

@HEr-gh2hp

2 сағат бұрын

@@1940limited Those came out in 1956.

Today's cars have all of the electronics that are a major distraction which increases the probability of a wreck. Those big touch screens are a major disaster. BTW: Part of the 1950's cars did have a padded dash. They also had a frame under them with a real bumper, not just a piece of plastic. My first car was a 1957 Oldsmobile to give an example.

I survived riding and driving a 1950s car. My family had a 57 Chevy and by the time I graduated high school in the early seventies I got, first one, and then another 50s car because they were cheap then. Fortunately none of us had a wreck in these cars.

In the '50s, the condition of the roads usually mandated driving at 35 to 45 miles per hour. Going above 55, one was considered a dare-devil.

@chrishayden7016

Ай бұрын

Here in Iowa, the open road limit was "Reasonable and Proper" until the mid fifties. Towns and cities had limits.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

You are thinking of the 20s. There were plenty of roads that allowed much higher speeds than that

@bassbone2010

Ай бұрын

@@michaelbenardo5695 Where I grew up, rural, dairy New Jersey, we did not have many roads that were straight for a long time. One State highway, and the rest local farm access roads.

@BigWolfBoy50

28 күн бұрын

@@bassbone2010 Pine Barrens here, you are right. Even rt. 70 in 1976 was 50MPH

I heard that there was a problem when the manufacturers moved the Headlight dimmer switches from the floor to the steering column. Some people kept getting their feet stuck in the steering wheel.....😂

Somehow, I lived through all of this nightmare.

@cynthiaweston767

2 ай бұрын

And no cars seats or seat belts,only moms lap.we are lucky,it's a privilege to age that's a fact.

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

Yep.

@markrenfrow9873

Ай бұрын

And I remember standing in the back of the pickup leaning against the cab. It's like it was a different world. Kids died every year from Polio too.

@eatonjask

Ай бұрын

So you have survivorship bias!

@randykelso4079

Ай бұрын

So did I. And loved every minute of driving classics. Modern cars are not desirable.

Another danger in those days is that 0.15% blood alcohol content was the DUI threshold. It has since been lowered.

I'm glad for all the safety features of modern cars but those cars from the 50s were beautiful.

Goodness me! However did I survive my childhood? And all my friends too.

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

Google the classic highway-safety film, "Signal 30". It consists of dozens and dozens of professionally-shot crash-scene photographs and video, ca. 1955. Not everyone lived, by far.

Would I drive a 1950's car ? In terms of reliability and serviceability, yes. Today's cars are safer but insanely complex and when they develop issues, good luck getting them fixed. Also, the primary function yesterday's cars were to get people from A to B with reliability, and relative comfort and safety. Today's cars are just cash-cows for the manufacturers. Also, when talking about safety, today's cars are full of distractions, gone are the days when all you needed to do was turn a knob to turn up the radio or the heat. Now you have to search for those functions on the BS touchscreen. As for the '50s A pillars, the A pillar is so damn thick with a big side mirror it's really hard to see the road in certain circumstances. I've driven 60's, 70's, '80s and 90's cars and honestly, if drivers drive these cars sensibly and properly and maintained properly, they were okay. I will agree totally though that seat belts, front disc brakes, radial tires were the best of the basic safety features introduced.

I grew up near a gas station that had a towing company behind it where cars that had been in fatal accidents where the steering wheel had pushed into the seat

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

Back then, in front-end collisions at speed the engine could actually break free of its (typically 3) flimsy rubber mounts and come visit you in the front seat, right through the sheet-metal firewall. Modern engines break away even more easily (by design) -- however, they are not only transverse-mounted, but there is a channel made of thick metal that directs them downward, toward the road surface, instead of plunging straight backward. They don't enter the cabin.

My 56 Ford had a padded dash and deep dish wheel....it was the start of safety.

@RandalMontgomery

Ай бұрын

I think the 1952 Chrysler also had a padded dash

I restored a 55 Ford Customliner and enjoyed doing it. Even all safety features will be lacking, as mentioned. I installed seatbelts per state requirements at that time.

Since I was born in 1951 I remember those 1950s cars and 1960s cars. In those years there were no safety regulations, however cars were very stylish. It seems that safety awareness started to increase in the early 1960s when Ralph Nader came out with his book Unsafe At Any Speed. This book had one whole chapter devoted to the Chevrolet Corvair.

@richardwarren7492

2 ай бұрын

And - - - he was later proven incorrect.

@99Hudson

Ай бұрын

@@richardwarren7492 About the Corvair, maybe. He was absolutely correct in his overall criticism of the safety of cars of that era, and even automotive magazines were critical back then of handling, brakes, tires, build quality, etc.

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

@@99Hudson The Corvair was just fine handling wise. Try driving an early Porsche 356. Also you could buy a camber compensator from EMPI for 29.95 back in the day, problem solved. When the 65 came out with independent rear suspension it was truly fine. As to quality? I started in the auto business in 1964, want poor body fits? the 70's, poor paint quality? The 70's, tires? 60's 2 ply, go 4 ply you were just fine. Brakes? The brakes were fine, of course once disc became de-facto in the 70's it got better. I worked as a tech from 1964 until 1974, then became service manger, service and parts director for 11 stores, then the CEO of those stores until sold to Penske. I've seen tons of stuff and worked on it. What do I drive left over from those years? 1973 Porsche 911T Targa, As to handling, you could make any of them handle if you'd taken the Bob Bondurant high performance driver course back in the late 60's Nader was wrong, from start to finish. The biggest problem? The drivers.

@jbau4985

Ай бұрын

@@richardwarren7492 The problem was always "the loose nut behind the wheel".

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

@@jbau4985 Yep

I would still be driving my 1959 Mercedes-Benz 180D if it hadn't rusted out.

Then - what appeared to be a minor collision often resulted in serious injury or death. Now - the vehicle can be totally demolished but the driver/occupants only suffer minor injuries or even walk away unhurt. BUT - I would drive a 50s vehicle in a heartbeat - 1956 is my very favorite year !

@balsachopper7

2 ай бұрын

My favorites: 55-56 Plymouths, 56 Dodge Royal Lancer 1st. Loved that old Dodge.

@briansomething5987

Ай бұрын

Yep, that's what happened when they let the occupants absorb the energy of the crash instead of the vehicle absorbing it.

@ReadyFreddie5523

Ай бұрын

Funny, the things they didn't mention are drum brakes and nylon belted tires. The anti lock disc brakes with today's tires with all wheel drive are truly fantastic for safety. If cars then had those safety items, the 50's cars would have been dramatically safer even with no seat belts and steel dashboards.

@elultimo102

Ай бұрын

'59 Ford, Chevy, or Caddy convertible. '65 & '67 would be second choice. (But I always wanted a 65-'67Jaguar XKE. I couldn't afford one then, and sure can't now either. Mechanically junk, but so damn beautiful !!!)

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

@@ReadyFreddie5523 Good point! Bias-ply tires "follow" almost every crack in the road surface, resulting in minor jostles back-and-forth -- that can sometimes become major jostles. Modern radial tires don't behave this way. Bias-plies also deform dangerously in hard cornering (as during an emergency swerve), and the old drop-center steel rims were prone to shedding the tire (breaking its bead) in such circumstances.

I love my classic cars!

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

Desenbergs and 1920s-30s Packards?

@pachuco1815

Ай бұрын

@@WAL_DC-6B import and domestics all makes and model classics.

Real cars, real people. (they could take it) Today's people are p******! I'm taking delivery of a 1955 Chrysler Windsor Newport Deluxe 2-door coupe this summer.

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

I have a "real car" 1953 Hudson Super Wasp sedan with aftermarket seat belts added. But to be honest, I still feel much safer driving down the road in my Toyota RAV4 than in the Hudson.

@luisreyes1963

Ай бұрын

No wonder Japanese & German cars got popular by the 60's. 😅

@stevenlitvintchouk3131

Ай бұрын

They didn't take it. 50,000 died every year.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@stevenlitvintchouk3131 Again, no seat belts. Sure didn't help.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

Be sure to add some seat belts. They will enhance your classic ride even a little bit more with the added safety.

Yes, I would definitely drive a 1950s car, I love classic cars, much better than the cars they make today.

@richardcline1337

Ай бұрын

One thing nobody seem to mention is that nearly ALL of today's cars are dull, drab, no styling, no class Toyota wannabe's. Unless you can see the name plate you really don't know what you are looking at in many cases.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

FACTS.

Cell Phones cause more accidents than ever.

Add to this: Undersized, bias-ply tires that commonly blew out; Too narrow wheel rims; Inadequate, overheating 4-wheel drum brakes; Single-reservoir brake master cylinders (brake fluid low - lose all brakes); Buggy spring suspensions with no torsion bars (poor handling); Over-laminated safety glass windshields that closed around the neck when the head went through the windshield; Rearview mirror on a fixed, metal spike…. Still, I’d love to own a ‘57 Oldsmobile today…

@bernarddavis1050

20 күн бұрын

Most US cars of the 1950s were technically (from an engineering point of view) quite primitive and unsophisticated. Huge efforts were put into dramatic (ridiculous) styling features and massive gas-guzzling engines, but basic elements like steering, braking, suspension and handling were woeful, especially compared with European cars of the period. They were relatively advanced in only one area, and that was the automatic transmission.

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

Also, by 1957 the compound curves designed-into one-piece windshields -- they were curved in both the north-south and especially the east-west dimensions -- became so extreme that visual distortion was introduced, esp. in dinner-plate sized spots in the lower right and left corners and at points where the curvature was most extreme. I owned Edsels that had that proble. This is right from the factory, now -- objects viewed by the driver in those areas would appear to "swim" as if you were looking through plain glass that was about 4" thick. Corning Glass Works had patented compound-curved, one-piece, laminated auto windshields in 1954.

@bernarddavis1050

7 күн бұрын

@@roberthaworth8991 OMG you admit to owning Edsels (plural). You da Man!

The placement of the fuel filler doors were a headache for the gas station workers who might not be aware of the different types on different cars.

@richardwarren7492

2 ай бұрын

Funny, when I worked in a service station (my first job) I never had an issue finding the fuel filler. And - the lube manuals supplied by the major oil companies back the showed where the fillers were.

@jackpoage5419

Ай бұрын

I remember someone putting gas in the radiator of a foreign car. It was outside just below the center of the rear window and looked like a gas cap.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

Must have been a Renault.

@randykelso4079

Ай бұрын

Ah, but we found a solution: do away with gas station attendants!

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

@@randykelso4079 And - - made yourself a free surrogate employee.

My grandfather and his presumably third wife were going to wait until after got back from their vacation to install the seat belts in thier 1950s car. Unfortunately, they were both killed in a head-on collision during their vacation and never came back home. RIP Grandpa.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

MERCY!

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

Sorry to read this!

There is a video floating around that shows a 1950's Impala doing a head-on, off set crash into a modern one. The idea of being in a 1950's steel tank didn't hold up well. I remember the "A" pillar coming into the 1950's car which would have speared the driver for sure. Recently a friend of mine was in a head on collision with his 2015 Suburban. They are ok but going though some issues but they are alive. Amazingly the Suburban with it's crush zones saved them. All the doors still opened and the driver compartment was intact. Good video to make people remember why cars are designed they way they are today.

@bobroberts2371

Ай бұрын

2009 Chevy Malibu vs 1959 Bel Air Crash Test

@jrmason

Ай бұрын

@@bobroberts2371 That's the one! Pretty stunning really.

@bobroberts2371

Ай бұрын

@@jrmason Yep, some falsely claim that the 59 Chev was doctored to crumple by removing the engine and transmission. Well, engines don't absorb impact so having an engine or not would not make a difference.

@richardcline1337

Ай бұрын

@@bobroberts2371 Well, except for the fact that engine might possibly be bolted to the frame and also backed up by the transmission with is also bolted down? Granted, they won't stop the damage but they do tend to hold it down than in a vehicle rigged to fail. However, NONE of today's features ware really worth much if the driver is distracted or has very few actual working brain cells.

@bobroberts2371

Ай бұрын

@@richardcline1337 Cars from the 50's to 70's had rubber pad motor / transmission mounts that would shear off in a crash. Engine or not, the passenger compartment should never crumple as the 59 did when hit by the 09. How about looking at modern on the road crashes of older cars for proof that the 59 was not " fixed " ?

We were skipping class and my buddy rear ended a car. The door popped open and he fell out. Luckily he was not seriously injured but my first thought was how I was going to explain to the Dean how and why my buddy was dead, lol

@elultimo102

Ай бұрын

Gen. Patton died from injuries sustained when the car door flew open and he fell out---It's speculated that the lock was tampered with to assassinate him. It worked.

Hard metal dashboard and no seatbelts. What could go wrong with that? Sarcasm off.

The problem would be to find a 1950s car, and if you found one, you won't want to drive it because they are so rare.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

I still drive mine. I don't like today's cars. They are too small, ride to hard, don't have to enough room inside, and are too ugly. Plus, I refuse to buy a Japanese car. They attacked us and refuse to truly apologize.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@michaelbenardo5695 I'm with you about size.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@michaelbenardo5695 And looks.

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

That's true 👍. I wouldn't want to mess it up driving it too much, either.

Back then cars were not designed for safety as they are today. The manufactures wanted to make them stylish

@shaundis2117

Ай бұрын

They were plenty safe for the time and speed limits at the time. People driving them inappropriately got them selves killed . exactly like today

@roberthaworth8991

7 күн бұрын

Investment in, and promotion of, safety features was actively discouraged b/c carmakers didn't want potential customers to get the idea that their cars were unsafe. Only a couple of Independents, like Nash and VW, touted safety, as a way of differentiating their products from those of the Big Three.

As a child of the ‘50’s, this is a classic episode! I will never forget going on a trip with my parents and my aunt and uncle. My uncle had just bought a 1959 Sedan de Ville Cadillac in pink coral. It had the fantastic four “red flame” taillights. It also had a gas door hidden just above the rear bumper in chrome filler. It was almost impossible to find. The first stop that we made for gas, my dad, who was driving said, “Watch this!” We pulled up to a pump and being in the full service gas era, two attendants began cleaning the windshield and another went to fill it with gas. This young man made two passes around the whole car, which was huge, and finally said’ “Where’s the gas door?” It gave my uncle great satisfaction to get out and show the attendant where the gas door was located. 😊

We didn't think they were fun, they were the only cars available. No seat belts; some folks did not even bother locking their doors; air conditioning was a luxury feature, so most kept windows rolled down to breath in that lead-infused air. Tunnels were noisy and smelly, and back then the PA turnpike had seven tunnels. As a kid, I was too naive to be afraid while traversing the tunnels, but looking back, yeah they were scary. On the plus side, drivers seemed a little less distracted than in recent times.

If it ain't got chrome I'm walking home!

Being born in 1959 I have been a passenger and driver in many of these cars. We didn't think about safety too much. No seatbelt and definitely no air bag technology. You just drive carefully 😅. It was easier driving around town back then. Less traffic. People were nice and courteous and there were no road ragers and jerks like now. 😊

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

.....in the 70's there were PLENTY of jerks in GTO's,Chevelles, Novas, Road Runners, etc. who drove fast and dangerously....AND 3.2 beer for 18 year olds that minors could readily get....compare traffic fatalities today to the 50's, 60's, and 70's....no comparison....

In the fifties, and for a few decades later, the driver could still enjoy driving his car. Today, and more and more, the driver can enjoy being driven by his car ... Is this an enjoyment ? For commuting maybe but for pleasant journeys certainly not for those who enjoy and know how to drive. Needless to add the smiles and thumbs up popular classic cars generate along the road, which make driving them a rewarding pleasure.

The old cars were made of steel; they could take a lot f abuse, but the occupants were almost disposable. Today, cars have crumple zones and are safer for passengers but are more frequently written off because of the higher cost of repairs, so insurance rates are higher.

I daily drive a vehicle that was built in 1957. It's manual transmission , steering and brakes keep me involved in the act of actually driving. That metal dash, amongst other things, constantly reminds me that I could actually die if I crashed.... On the other hand, big windows allow me to actually see all around me, and there are ZERO electronic distractions. It's a tradeoff, but I feel that I am safer driving something that I'm afraid of, vs driving a hollow promise that I will walk away from a crash in something that is safer to crash in........

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

......your '57 does not steer, handle or brake nearly as well as a modern car....and even if you feel you are a safer driver, the drunk/speeding/distracted driver that crashes into you will be the one walking away from the crash...

@timmcooper294

Ай бұрын

@@chrisgermo1956 I choose not to cower in fear of that.... I grew up on two wheels and refuse to be transported in a government mandated "safety capsule" that you will still die in a head on collision at interstate speeds. My life, My choice. Having seen first hand modern high end cars ripped apart and dead bodies, I am not fooled by the propaganda machine.....They are safer than my old cars, but still shockingly unsafe. That's the unfortunate reality of driving. It's a privilege, take it seriously.....

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

@@timmcooper294 .....anecdotal evidence, opinion, and just "made-up s--t", is not a very compelling argument....your life, your choice, absolutely, but you are not convincing anyone but flat earthers....

@timmcooper294

Ай бұрын

@@chrisgermo1956 Duuuude Chill, No need for insults to a guy who is just stating the way HE chooses to live, the tradeoffs, and why...... , NOT trying to convince anyone else HaHa!! Wow....... 🤣

@chrisgermo1956

Ай бұрын

@@timmcooper294 .....Duuuude Wipe, if you like to offer free Oscar Mayer BALONEY SANDWICHES from the WEINERMOBILE, that's fine....sorry you and your friend Bud Hertz are so touchy about detractors.....

The occupants weren't 'ejected from the vehicle', they were 'thrown free from the accident'.

@williamborges3914

2 ай бұрын

After passing through the laminated glass windshield, of course. 🤯

@vxy357

Ай бұрын

And their bodies landed in such contorted impossible positions

@paulbrower

Ай бұрын

Worst thing possible.

@Colorado_Native

Ай бұрын

@@paulbrower I'm old. At our school they used to teach us if we saw an accident about to happen to tuck into a ball. Kind of like how the flight attendant tells you to tuck if they are expecting to crash. Except we didn't have seatbelts. Padded dashes, a quarter inch of foam covered with vinyl, gave us a feeling of safety. Not to mention 'break-away rear view mirors'. Ah, I think I will go fire up my 1955 Thunderbird (actually has seatbelts but nobody used them back then so Ford stopped installing them for a while), my 1958 Edsel or the old 1958 Ford Ranchero. Ah, would you rather die in style, or cramped up in a Toyota Camry, a Honda Accord or a Hyundai Sonata (Yikes!)?

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@Colorado_Native interesting thoughts.

According to Federal Highway statistics you were twice as likely to die in an automobile accident in 1946 than you are today despite there being way more vehicles on the road now.

@paddlingrubberduckie8766

Ай бұрын

This is only half the truth. How likely was a wreck in the first place with fewer cars running?

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

@@paddlingrubberduckie8766 Its going by per capita. In other words, for every thousand accidents as an example, so many people were killed in auto accidents in 1946 versus, say, 2016.

@fcaughli

Ай бұрын

A lot of factors go into those numbers

@WAL_DC-6B

Ай бұрын

@@fcaughli Indeed, like on a per capita basis.

@fcaughli

Ай бұрын

@@WAL_DC-6B Thanks clueless

is the narrator an hoa member?

@forestghost7

Ай бұрын

😂 or a condo commando? I couldn't watch all of this he's really annoying

@rsmith3033

Ай бұрын

i just turned tha volume ALL tha way down an loved lookin @ tha cars we grew up in 😎

@rickhouse373

Ай бұрын

Certainly sounds like one

@mtlnascarfan

Ай бұрын

Sure sounds like one. Maybe even an HOA admin!

Of course! It's nostalgia! I grew up with these cars, crashed in one and still here.

It wasn't just 1950s cars with features considered dangerous to occupants during a collision. Automatic seat belts, commonly found in many late 80s and early 90s cars, have resulted in some horrific injuries when not used correctly. My older cousin, who was an EMT in late 2001, arrived at the scene of a crash involving a 1990 honda civic, automatic seat belts, the driver was not wearing the lap belt and her neck was snapped like a twig, when the shoulder part snagged her chin as she slid underneath, pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the other car involved were seriously injured, but survived. Some GM models from this era had the front belts attached to the door, in these cars a crash that caused the door to pop open can eject the occupant wearing the seat belt; my first car was a 1992 Pontiac Sunbird convertible, door mounted seat belts.

The irony, people had much fewer accidents back then than today. People today have no clue how to drive.

Shaking a memory loose "bouncing around like a pinball". I remember a film shown in school to promote seatbelts called "Dice in a box"

I would love a 57 Chevy , we used to have one when I was a kid

Boomer here, my God, how did we ever survive this backward era! I need water, where's the garden hose!!

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

"I need water, where's the garden hose!!" Yep another Boomer here, 75 and in good health, even after eating all those "dangerous" foods too.

@misters2837

Ай бұрын

LATE GEN-X, Here...Grew up riding in Model T's and 40's / 50's / 60's Cars....pass the hose when you are done.... I remember as a kid in the 80's when Bottled Water just started taking off in the Midwest....I was thinking 'WHY" would someone PAY for WATER that we get out of the ground nearly free...(There is even an Artesian well near my house) My well at my house has minerals...And I have filters...I still don't get the bottled water thing.

I'd rather die in style than die from distraction from staring at a screen 😁

Almost every item you mentioned is no safety issue at all if only there weren't so many incompetent drivers on the roads. (I.E. - Hood ornaments could cause injuries to a pedestrian! I submit to you that if you were just hit by a car, you have far bigger concerns than a flippin hood ornament!) Somewhere along the line, a drivers license became a "Right" instead of a "Privilege".

Most of the "features" mentioned are not features at all, it's just the way cars were designed and built back then.

We referred to steering wheels as the ring of death in ER in the early 90s..

I drive one daily in the summer

They need to throw out these obsolete functions no one uses anymore like the brake pedal.

@user-hq4jz6lc9d

Ай бұрын

Yeah, what do you need brakes for anyway? All they do is slow you down. 🙂

@lv4077

Ай бұрын

@@user-hq4jz6lc9d My point exactly

Yes due to being easy to work on and built to last.

I drive a 1952 Cadillac Convertible on a very regular basis. Yes in a wreck I will die! The car will survive but I won't. That helps to make you a better driver. You leave far more space around if possible. The one savings grace is it is very noticed. It doesn't blend in the background. It is actually more dangerous for other drivers because I have actually seen people run off the road trying to get a photo of it. The one terrible most horrible thing about the car is there are no cup holders!!! I have to carry my beer in my lap.

Hell yes. I drive my 57 bel air almost every weekend. No power steering, no power brakes no seat belt. When you drive a vehicle with no safety features, you pay a little more attention to the people around you.

Warning:... A minor collision in todays automobiles is a serious threat. Those deadly hood ornaments vs pedestrians is laughable 😂

@user-hq4jz6lc9d

Ай бұрын

Laughable indeed, when one considers how everyone is using full-size pickup trucks and SUVs for daily passenger service, with their big, tall front ends. Pedestrians that got hit used to go over the hoods; now they go under the vehicles.

The reasons to not drive a car from the fifties today are (1) fuel expense and (2) scarcity of parts for most models.

@user-hq4jz6lc9d

Ай бұрын

Probably true. Some models however have a great aftermarket parts supply. I think you could pretty much build a new 55-57 Chevy from scratch.

Bench seats caused lots of back injuries in rear enders because all there was no back support, just a metal bar or hoop in some, with the rest just on springs like a sofa. As i recall headrests did not become a requirement until the 1969 model year, so broken necks and related fatalities were not uncommon. All the safety standards is why so many people walk away from the kinds of wrecks that were once almost inevitably fatal.

@pedalpower57

9 күн бұрын

bench seats also caused alot of pregnancies

The biggest safety concern may never be solved, the NUT behind the wheel..

Yes own 6 55 -61 cars great cars better than new cars now days

I would own and drive a 1955 - 1957 Chevy any day.

OMG the sky is falling!!! I better hide under the bed!!! . .... Wait, maybe the bed might fall down on me....

I grew up riding in ‘50s ( and a couple from the late 40s) usually standing up behind the front seat- and loved the rear-facing Station Wagon seat in an Uncles Dodge.

@elultimo102

Ай бұрын

Then there was riding in the back of a pickup, or in a small trailer----only on country roads.

Well if its so bad why did so many people make it back in those bad days. Like riding your bike with no helmet or jumping off the house with a sheet thinking you would parachute down lol.

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

"Like riding your bike with no helmet or jumping off the house with a sheet thinking you would parachute down lol." Been there, done that, the jumping off the roof thing was pretty cool - also "walking backyard fences all the way down the block.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

Did plenty of both as a kid!

@aaronwilliams6989

Ай бұрын

@@richardwarren7492 My! You must have plenty of aches and pains from getting pretty banged up back in the day. LOL!

@richardwarren7492

Ай бұрын

@@aaronwilliams6989 Not for 75, just a bit of ankle pain in cold weather.

@chrisb7198

Ай бұрын

Wait? I was supposed to use a sheet to help slow my fall? NOW YA TELL ME!

You obviously don't know what you're talking about. I've cut through many A Pillars in both modern and fifties cars there's not a lot of difference. Today's cars are much safer because of the use of finite element analysis in their design. But the facts remain that the most dangerous thing in the nineteen fifties was alcohol in the driver. Today the most dangerous things are alcohol Drugs and Cell phones. Cars from the 50s are perfectly safe as long as you don't get an accident. The same is true of modern cars. Modern cars just cost more.

The most dangerous thing on todays car is the Cell Phone the driver is focused on.

I remember a frightening episode in 1954. A friend of ours had bought a Citroen Traction Avaunt, front-wheel drive, with "suicide" doors, and, of course, no seat belts. Buzz was taking my family on rides through our neighborhood, noted for its hills and winding roads. I declined, as I was quite prone to motion sickness. His daughter, Lois, was in the back seat, and, on a fast turn, her door sprung open and hurled her out onto the pavement. Nothing broken, but she was badly scraped up. I remember my mother, who was a nurse, tending to the sobbing teenager in the bathroom. Wow! Just thinking about it, 70 years later, curdles my blood.

Bullshit. My 1947 GMC truck has a shear pin that allows the steering column to collapse and telescope in on itself. GMC and Oldsmobile were kind of test beds for new features for GM.

@michaelbenardo5695

Ай бұрын

I knew GMC and Olds, sometimes Pontiac, were indeed GM's experimental divisions, but never heard of that safety steering column.