gridlock61

I've seen some recent posts about the desire to remove airbags on either or both driver and passenger sides. I've seen pictures of members cars with steering wheels without airbags.

Just wondering why anyone would want to remove such an important safety device. I understand the reason for the track, but not for the street. I would not want to take that chance myself; in fact some years ago someone in a truck went through a red light right in front of my when I had a Lotus Elise, and the airbag may very well have saved my ***.

hkspwrsche

My guess it some folks are willing to take that chance. Especially those of us that were around long before airbags were required. Probably not smart but early air bag technology wasnt the greatest either. Newer cars with multiple stages and better processing, sensing and calculations are much better.

odurandina

993 airbag wheels aren't the most attractive...

and the early bags are somewhat lethal when they deploy... and now, getting on in years.

996 3-spoke airbag wheels are nice - and can be made to fit and deploy in a crash with only minor mods.

gridlock61

Yeah, I swapped my original wheel for the one below; an attractive wheel with a more modern airbag.

Jarg1

For both sides weight can be a motivating factor. On the driver's side, you have a larger selection of steering wheels to choose from if you don't need an airbag. On the passenger side, having children as passengers can be a consideration.

Regarding safety, in the case of the 993 with front airbags only, it would appear the benefits for the airbag are minimal if you are wearing a seat belt, which I always do. I found this an interesting read relating to the matter: http://freakonomics.com/2005/07/18/w...or-an-air-bag/

RodKnock

I have three thoughts.

1. A bit tongue-in-cheek, but according to statistics, approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of all Americans are overweight or obese. So joining a gym and dropping some lbs (most folks can drop at least 10 lbs) would be a better value for your money as well as your life and than buying the lightest wheel or removing air bags, etc.

2. With the increase in values for our cars, in the future, the most original 993's will have the highest value.

3. Even old air bags save lives and decrease the severity of injuries in car crashes.

Holger3.2

Initially, i thought the same as you but its a little more convincing if you realize that yes, the seat belt is clearly the best device to survive an accident BUT according to European studies, the additional airbag increase the chance of surviving an accident alive by ADDITIONAL 30%; again only if the person is already buckled up!

Racing is different, coz there should be a harness and a Hans device around ... then a airbag is most possible useless. But for sure, the special freak accident will come where despite everything in place the only thing missing to survive was the airbag ... RIP

Jarg1

I would never advocate for removing airbags, just explaining some reasons why one might do so.

1) Every pound counts I say. It isn't that I'm trying to find a way to save the weight of a couple of airbags. They can contribute to a much larger weight reduction plan. So losing that 10lbs of personal weight plus the airbags is 20lbs.

2) Keep the original parts and you can always restore the car to the original condition. Not that I have any plans to sell.

3) Of course airbags serve a purpose, but I have considered it in terms of risk reward. The odds of it saving my life are quite low.

David A

What is the life span of an airbag? My 993 is 19 years old, can I still rely on it?

axl911

#1 I race around in the street with a harness, so I don't need airbags.

#2 I can tell my doctor, "Hey! I just lost another 10lbs..............off my 993."

trophy

From my understanding the airbags in our cars have a life of 12 - 14 years. Meaning most if not all are already past their useby date...

So all of you that like to get things used before the useby date go out and run into something and deploy those suckers. That will make my non airbaged 993 worth so much more

RodKnock

I think the old adage was that you lose about 1/10 of a second in a 1/4 mile for each 100lb reduction. Not sure how that translates to road courses, but I'll venture to say that the time saved is inconsequential to nearly everyone, except to professional drivers of actual race cars.

Also, I was being generous with 10 lbs overweight. A good % of the population has a BMI of 25-30, which translates to 10-40 lbs overweight. I'd start there.

My point of view, though not necessarily aimed at any one in particular, is that saving the small amount of weight is a complete waste of time. And I personally would never compromise on safety no matter the odds. But folks can roll the dice.

Jarg1

Who said anything about the quarter mile or road courses? Lighter is quicker period. And that is of consequence to me.

I'm not overweight, so not much savings to be had there.

You're rolling the dice by getting in the car. Stay at home, it's even safer.

RodKnock

Jarg1, as I said, I'm not talking to you in particular. However, lighter does mean quicker, and I'll be sure to avoid the roads around San Jose. My odds will increase.

NYC993

This got me thinking:
Is newer airbag appropriate for 993? Seating position in newer Porsches is different and cabin is bigger.

More importantly, where are the multistage sensors? From what I understand, and maybe I'm wrong, the new airbags know the weight of the passenger and the speed or severity of the impact and deploy accordingly. If you put new steering wheel with this "new" airbag, where are these sensors that let airbag know how hard to deploy? Aren't you running larger risk of using airbag that wasn't designed for this car?