I thought these pictures would be fun to look at and see the marvelous construction of GM vehicles, love the styrofoam. This incident was car vs. guardrail going about 25-30 mph. Have any good ones of your own? Enjoy.
Found some old pictures .....ouch !
- Thread starter Fla02LS
- Start date
postalUT
Well-Known LVC Member
I would say this is a good thing. Thing if the front end was stiff. All of the energy would be transferred to the passengers. Imagine hitting your knees on the dash at 30 MPH. The car has done exactly what it was supposed to do. Crumple at the front end. I am however surprised at the damage if the accident happened as you stated. Guard rails are designed to give at those speeds. As for the styrofoam, I don't think it's styrofoam. I imagine it might be a fiberglass or plastic-y filler used to dampen impacts against the radiator mounts. Did your driver side airbag even go off? Was there any frame damage?
The front end body panels on that vintage Camarobird don't survive front-end collisions very well--they're mostly fiberglass/composites and SMC (synthetic molding compound, AKA plastic). It's not uncommon to see them with almost no body work left ahead of the firewall after a highway collision--it often looks worse than it was.
It's just the difference between fiberglass/composites and metal; the metal will crumple and the fiberglass/composites will shatter. They both accomplish the same things.
It's just the difference between fiberglass/composites and metal; the metal will crumple and the fiberglass/composites will shatter. They both accomplish the same things.
Pete02LSE
Active LVC Member
Wow...that's a pretty weak bash on GM vehicles. I wonder how many other vehicles would have the same styrofoam backing...it would probably be easier to find the ones that do not.
However, that is a pretty sweet Firehawk sitting next to the wrecked 93-97 T/A. It's either a Firehawk or a regular 'bird with the Raptor hood.
-Pete
02LSE
However, that is a pretty sweet Firehawk sitting next to the wrecked 93-97 T/A. It's either a Firehawk or a regular 'bird with the Raptor hood.
-Pete
02LSE
That damage totalled the car. I owed $6k, they valued it at $9k, cut me a check for $3k and i was sent on my way. The only way i can explain that accident is that it was an act from god above. I was on an on-ramp for a highway which was a right turn, uphill, banked slightly, pretty sharp. The speed limit on it is 25 mph which is about all you can do in any car due to its characteristics. The road wasnt "wet" but it had rained earlier in the day. Just had 4 new tires put on about two weeks earlier. At the top of the ramp i look over my left shoulder, see the road is clear to merge.....hit the gas slightly, car takes a HARD pull to the right and smacks the guard rail and i continue in a right hand spin for a complete 360 facing back down the ramp. Wasnt due to rear wheel spin, i didnt jerk the wheel, it just felt like the car hit a magnetic field and instantly dived into the guard rail. Only the passenger airbag went off due to the impact point being about at the right headlight area. The impact caused the front end to just explode into pieces, and yes that is just regular 'ol styrofoam, nothing fancy. After all the plastic and foam was gone it pushed all the front engine components back, lots of mechanical damage. The fastest i could have been going on impact was 30 mph, most likely less. It was a metal guard rail that only showed some scuffing afterwards, not even bent one bit. Strange event.
I found it ironic that my '96 was sitting next to a totalled '01. Yes that was true firehawk, i swiped its shifter knob :shifty: You cant see it but its rear driver side was completely smashed in.Pete02LSE said:
Pete02LSE
Active LVC Member
Sorry for the huge pic...
Ok...I'll post one up for everyone...this is my 70 Chevelle SS 396...my first car. The pictures were taken in about 1988. I was hit by a lady in a 80's Cutlass Cierra Wagon...yup...a $3 car trashed a classic. The accident occured in a residential area and she had her son in the car. She was going MAYBE 30-35 mph. I was sitting still.
This was 70 GM steel and the passenger side upper a-arm moved so much that it punctured the header.
-Pete
02LSE
Ok...I'll post one up for everyone...this is my 70 Chevelle SS 396...my first car. The pictures were taken in about 1988. I was hit by a lady in a 80's Cutlass Cierra Wagon...yup...a $3 car trashed a classic. The accident occured in a residential area and she had her son in the car. She was going MAYBE 30-35 mph. I was sitting still.
This was 70 GM steel and the passenger side upper a-arm moved so much that it punctured the header.
-Pete
02LSE
LennDawg
Dedicated LVC Member
holy sh!t Boom! hope whoever was drivin that Eclipse was ok after that...
johntomferg
Active LVC Member
The car I had to Total to get the LS... 
(or at least that is one positive way of looking at it)
I'll give this as a testament to improved safety...
This is the result of 97.5 Buick Regal GS vs Ford Expidition. Guy pulled out (claimed he didn't see me) and stopped covering my lane (this was a 4 lane, with median divider and crossover paths). I took the car to the left, went through his Driver side fender well, and out the front (braking his radiator in the process...hmmm...) shot across on coming traffic into a Taco Bell parking lot at lunch time, and managed not to hit anyone else but him. Car was totalled, Expidition had to be towed away... Other guy's fault as written on the accident report. Air bag didn't set off (I have no doubt it would have if I had opted to T-bone him instead of 'trying to dodge').
Legend: Green - traffic, Blue - Buick, Red - Expedition, speed limit in this area = 45MPH
Now, while the exterior doesn't look 'that bad' thanks to the shallow camera pics, remember, all the pulleys are on that side as it is FWD w/ SC. It ran long enough to get up on the flat truck, and that was all she wrote.
(or at least that is one positive way of looking at it)I'll give this as a testament to improved safety...
This is the result of 97.5 Buick Regal GS vs Ford Expidition. Guy pulled out (claimed he didn't see me) and stopped covering my lane (this was a 4 lane, with median divider and crossover paths). I took the car to the left, went through his Driver side fender well, and out the front (braking his radiator in the process...hmmm...) shot across on coming traffic into a Taco Bell parking lot at lunch time, and managed not to hit anyone else but him. Car was totalled, Expidition had to be towed away... Other guy's fault as written on the accident report. Air bag didn't set off (I have no doubt it would have if I had opted to T-bone him instead of 'trying to dodge').
Legend: Green - traffic, Blue - Buick, Red - Expedition, speed limit in this area = 45MPH
Now, while the exterior doesn't look 'that bad' thanks to the shallow camera pics, remember, all the pulleys are on that side as it is FWD w/ SC. It ran long enough to get up on the flat truck, and that was all she wrote.
2002OhioLSE
Active LVC Member
Thought I would share too. My wife was driving and I was in the passenger seat and we hit a stopped car at a light........we were doing 50 MPH+ I think. Neither one of us was wraeing a seatbelt and both walked away from the accident with me only having a scratch on my nose from the airbag. Needless to say she bought another Saab, vector this time, solely for the saftey factor.
Boomhower
Well-Known LVC Member
LennDawg said:
Surprisingly, she was fine. Only a few scratches on the arms, a black eye, and one very sore nose. Not broke though. I was very surprised considering she wasn't wearing her seatbelt. This was a little better than 2 yrs. ago.
Should of seen my LS after a 5 mph crash, quite pathetic. I had pics of it up the day after.
Only other car I had that was hit was my '88 Cavalier z24. Got backed into at a force of I'd say, 10 mph. Just replaced a already wasted headlight holder, there was a chipped paint on the bumper but nothing more, held up well for a econo-box(miss that ride).
This was my favorite pic of it. Car was flawless (in and out)besides the stock rims.
Only other car I had that was hit was my '88 Cavalier z24. Got backed into at a force of I'd say, 10 mph. Just replaced a already wasted headlight holder, there was a chipped paint on the bumper but nothing more, held up well for a econo-box(miss that ride).
This was my favorite pic of it. Car was flawless (in and out)besides the stock rims.
eastcoastLS
Dedicated LVC Member
the car i had to wreck to get my LS was a 93 jeep grand cherokee tinted out i was in a hurry delivering pizza haha on a two lane road and crossed the oncoming lane and swiped the side of a vw passat. and my sub survived it all now i upgraded to the lincoln
owlman
Dedicated LVC Member
digging up an old thread here
re: the styrofoam.... I had a 03 dodge stratus and it had a big hunk of styrofoam between the plastic bumper cover and the metal bumper. I was surprised when I took my bumper off once! But I think lots (most?) cars have some sort of foam or plastic in there.
re: the styrofoam.... I had a 03 dodge stratus and it had a big hunk of styrofoam between the plastic bumper cover and the metal bumper. I was surprised when I took my bumper off once! But I think lots (most?) cars have some sort of foam or plastic in there.
zoso618
New LVC Member
All newer cars have some form of styrofoam in their bumpers, INCLUDING OUR LS's. This is an integral part of the 'impact-absorption' system, and the stuff helps to save lives. It's an improvement over previous bumpers, not a way for automakers to save money. It may be cheaper, but that's not why it's there. I had a tire blowout in my '02 LSE while pulling onto a highway last year, and the car was totaled. We spun 180*, then hit a tree with the rear end, which then whipped the car 360* in the opposite direction. My head went through the side window, and the crash was so violent the seatbelt dislocated my shoulder.
The trunk was literally wiped off the car, and the front end was smashed in when I took a nosedive into the drainage ditch. My point is that there was shredded styrofoam everywhere. We hit the tree so hard that the battery (located in the trunk) was flattened to about the size of a thick book. If you roll a ball towards the back of the rear shelf (behind the rear seats), the ball will roll off & fall to the ground. In fact, we hit the tree so hard the rear window broke out on impact and landed in the grass in one piece.
Somehow I was able to walk away, and i'll bet it was partly thanks to the styrofoam. It isn't exactly styrofoam though. I could barely even put a dent in it with my thumb. It may be expensive to replace all that stuff, but that's why I try to avoid hitting people.
The trunk was literally wiped off the car, and the front end was smashed in when I took a nosedive into the drainage ditch. My point is that there was shredded styrofoam everywhere. We hit the tree so hard that the battery (located in the trunk) was flattened to about the size of a thick book. If you roll a ball towards the back of the rear shelf (behind the rear seats), the ball will roll off & fall to the ground. In fact, we hit the tree so hard the rear window broke out on impact and landed in the grass in one piece.
Somehow I was able to walk away, and i'll bet it was partly thanks to the styrofoam. It isn't exactly styrofoam though. I could barely even put a dent in it with my thumb. It may be expensive to replace all that stuff, but that's why I try to avoid hitting people.
eastcoastLS
Dedicated LVC Member
:I that is horrible what happened to that LS
that is horrible what happened to that LS
C-Snizzle
Active LVC Member
T-Boned a Grand Prix at about 60. Crunched my car up like a tin can and totaled his car also. The circled car is the Grand prix I t-boned.
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