I'm wondering if anyone knows firsthand the strength of older (sc/3.2) 911s when in a collision. I'm aware they are good at avoiding accidents due to handling and braking, but I'm curious about the structure up front due to only having a trunk between me and what I run into. I'm looking to buy a 3.2 but recent events have me thinking of other things like safety. Are there any good articles on this? I've never seen one in Excellence, and it's not like safety reviews on the 996 are of any real use since obviously they are much safer than the older ones.

The reason I ask is that a cop failed to yield at a stop sign on Tueday and I T-boned his vehicle. Yes, he got a citation and ticket on the spot. It was low speed, maybe 25-30mph impact, and nobody was hurt, but my 944 turbo had enough damage up front to be considered a total. This has reminded me that even though I am excited at the prospect of being 25 and financially capable of buying a nice used 911, there are still idiots on the road. And I don't go so far as to pretend like I'm immune to mistakes or the weather.

I'm not looking to buy the safest vehicle on the road, as that would put the fun cars out of the equation, but a simple "I've head on smacked a pole and man is the 3.2 built stout up front" would ease my mind a bit.

 

Hi RicoJay,

This has gotten asked from time to time over the years, and I have yet to see any "hard data" on the crashworthiness of the 911SC all the way up to the 993. I have, however, heard/read a few anecdotal responses over the years of those that have "smacked themselves up against something," and their person faired pretty well. But that, I think, is where your questions diverge.

On the one hand, if you're asking whether a 911 (or in your case a totalled 944) will itself survive a wreck, I'd say that mass wins every time ...which is a big bummer for us. But if you're asking what is our likelihood of surviving in a wreck, I'd say that 911s are built very well from the onset (R&D'd on the autobahn, so to speak), and the anecdotal testaments from those who've walked away from wrecks (that includes on the track) speak well of the protection the 911 shell provides its occupants. Remember that all so-called "safe cars" (Volvos and Benzes, historically) are meant to crumple in pre-determined areas and in a predictable fashion, all with the hope of dissipating the energy transfer to it's more "vital" cargo So we would be well served, indeed, should our 911s sacrifice themselves for our benefit. Hope this eases your mind

Edward

 

No real data out there. Search here and on Pelican for some old posts of mine.

 

well most high end euro cars crash well due to the speeds they were designed to travel,

however, the 911 is the same basic design as it was in the early sixties, before they realy gave any thought to saftey,

far cry from the 356 that was as safe as an old VW but as far as 911's go Ive heard of people walking away, completely unhurt, and the sheet metal is fairly thick and tough. But Ive heard that cabs and Targas dont do so well when hit dead on front or rear as there is no roof to transfer the force through the car..................

My experiance with the 993's they crash similar to the old cars and are usually an instant write off, our shop foreman was driving a customers C2S when a car cut in front of him, clipping the front end, sending it spinning down the freeway in the rain at 70MPH into the cement divider *** first, he was a little sore, but the car was a complete loss.

My experiance with the 996 shows it to be a very safe car, the pass. compartment stays intact, unless you are going really fast or flip it on its lid, I've had customers do some really stupid stuff and come out unscathed and the car looks like it went through a mine field

I hope you sue the **** out of the Police agency, cops are the worst drivers.

 

I don't know if sueing is in the cards right now. I'm submitting a claim for damages form to the University Police agency where the policeman worked. I've put a dollar figure on everything from emotional damages, full replacement value of the car (well above blue book), rental car, towing, lost time from work, vacation time used to search for new vehicle, and a few other misc items. Anybody have any suggestions?

 

you pay high insurance for all the dirt bags that abuse the system, so given the opportunity, I feel you are intitled to get a fair deal, which a ins. company wont give you unless you sue them. What you mentioned sounds about right, they will whittle it away and you will end up with enough for a mediocre 951 unless you hire a lawyer. The Government has deep pockets.

I was in an accident and not at fault, and didn't sue, 3 years later my neck still sounds like a cement mixer, they waited three months to pay off my totaled truck, so I have three months of missed payments that still show up on my credit report.............I wish I would have sued

 

For thier size and age, SC/Carraras are very strong. However, as pointed out, they are also relatively small and light... if a 5,000 lb Dodge P-up t-bones you... well... mass always wins.

Later cars are cerlainly safer... with better engineered crush zones, upgraded belts and airbags... if I had to pick one car to have an accident in, it would be a brand new S-Class Benz...

All I can say is I drive an 84 3.2 everyday... so personally, I don't consider it to be "unsafe" just an opinion

 

Rico: I've had customers die in their 911s, but fortunately not many. I've seen these cars take massive hits, with the occupants usually surviving in pretty good condition. I've shared the responsibility (with my favorite body shop) of repairing 911s with more than $25K in damage, and their driver's usually walked into my shop a few days after the wreck to check on the project. Usually fatalities that I know of are at least partially due to extreme speeds as well as sideways hits, sometimes both. I had a customer and his passenger die in an SC when control was lost and the car slammed sideways into a power pole. Many years ago I knew of a fatality that resulted in a similar accident, but that time the stationary object was a concrete bridge abutment. It seems that very few serious injuries that I've seen resulted from 911 vs car accidents, which gives me confidence that my '82 SC will protect me in all but an extraordinary circumstance. Some of the pictures posted by fix'n would have resulted in, I think, fatalities in an F350. Locally we just had 5 people die in a pickup vs SUV accident, and two more die in a Mustang that was rear-ended by a pickup. My point is that you're never totally safe, and yes, I'm glad my wife drives an SUV with 800 airbags. I've made the decision to enjoy whatever I drive, with or without airbags. I also realize that what Edward said about "mass wins" is very true, but I also know that 215 pound tailbacks can almost always avoid the clutches of 320 pound linemen. These words scrape the surface of my experience, and I can only offer that everyone has to make up his or her own mind regarding the issue that you bring up, because only that person will drive the car that he, in the end, chooses.
Keep the shiny side up!
Pete

 

In the great state of Florida, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS GET AN ACCIDENT ATTORNEY. My family has been on the receiving end of too many jerks with cars, uninsured, owner of the car in jail, etc. The insurance company will stick it too you if you don't have an attorney, especially if you are injured. The attorney will hook you up with the right rehab doctor to get you the most care for the least out-of-pocket expense. They are completely necessary.

Mike Rappa
87 Carrera Coupe

 

Just because you obtain an attorney and have decent insurance doesn't mean you won't end up getting screwed in the end.
When my 74 911 was hit in the drivers' door (I was going ~40 and an idiot turned left into me. Not in front of me, into the drivers door as I went through the intersection!)
My insurance Co. paid for my car and then collected the funds from the other company. I had plenty of medical bills, all were covered by the pending settlement.
Once a settlement was reached, it wasn't nearly enough to have covered any of my inconvenience, pain, etc.
I can only imagine how little I would have received if I hadn't had an attorney.
+++

 

Right, hire a lawyer. This is the kind of case where tehy will talk to you for free. Find one with car accident experience. And be sure to ask how many prev. car accident cases they've done. If you were not injured then an attorney maynot take the case unless you pay them. But you'll at least have some add'l info for yourself. Also ask if they would just write a letter for you.... Sadly, there are lots of scum out there (insurance co.s usually come within that description) who will do nothing until they see a hired gun coming for them...

 

This might be slightly off-topic, but does anyone know of a Porsche/exotic 'junk' yard for purchasing parts?

Mike

 

as a dismantler I can honestly state that Porsches are without a doubt one of the safest cars you can drive, regardless of model
one drawback is that the unibody construction convinces many insurance companies to salvage repairable cars
here are a couple non-911 pics as examples
1. 944 driver climbed out roof and walked away
2. 928 side swipped while parked on shoulder by tractor trailer, driver climbed out pass side and walked away
3. roof cutaway on a 928
also, on tv recently that British chap on reruns tried to "kill" an early 80's 911 and ended up having to run it off a cliff to finish the job if I"m not mistaken
I'd be happy to post cutaways of any of the 911s we're working on

 

I agree - they are strong. ALso Porsche has been interested in safety for a long time. But the problem with figureing out how safe from a wreck is that you don't know the collision velocities, forces, deformation of the other car, etc.

 

wouldn't you build a strong, safe car if everyone in your family HAD to drive them?
{attributed to Ferry Porsche, by me...}