Thread: One way to total a '32 Roadster

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I've also thought about what use seat belts would be in a roadster if it got shiny side down. I have them in mine but if it got upside down- that windshield post & frame is useless. I wonder how many roadster drivers are belted in their cars?
Makes me think I should fab a hoop.

Damm, I'm really sorry to see that happen to such a nice car that I've looked at many times at shows. Hope he recovers quickly.

This is the same kind of accident that my wife was involved in several years ago on the 241 toll road. Someone cut her off and in the process of advoiding the other car she rolled her SUV several times. Even though eyewitneses chased the other car down and got the license number the CHP said they could not charge the other car with the accident, or leaving the scene because the two cars did not "actually touch", LOL.

I'm sure many of us are looking at the chrome/stainless drilled I-Beam axle and are saying the same thing, THAT'S ON MY CAR ALSO! Yikes, I really try to buy, and/or build with "safety first" in mind but that broken axle gets you thinking. I would have felt better if it bent and did not separate.

A "Stated Value" policy is what we need on these type of cars.

Hope all turns out well.

* Actual Cash Value (ACV)This coverage can usually be provided by standard auto policies. At the time of a complete loss the insurance company claims adjuster will decide what your car is worth. You may have some input, if you do not agree with the claims adjuster, but in the end the insurance company decides the final settlement. If you don't agree with the settlement, you may have no choice except to seek legal action, or arbitration if specified by your policy agreement.
* Stated Amount or Stated Value This policy is often misunderstood, and frequently used for collector cars. Most insurance agents represent stated amount or state value policies as being the same as "Agreed Amount." It is not!

* A "Stated Amount" policy usually says the insurance company will pay the lesser of: The Stated Amount or The cost to repair the covered auto not to exceed the "Stated Amount" or The "Actual Cash Value"
The "Stated Amount" helps determine the premium cost but is no guarantee of the settlement amount of the car if a total occurs. The "Actual Cash Value" is explained above and allows the claims adjuster to determine the loss often for less than the "Stated Amount". Most insurance agents are not aware of this claims detail. Many agents, unaware of the actual policy language, will insist if your collector car is stolen or totaled, you will receive the stated value. They are Wrong!

* Agreed Amount or Agreed Value Policies are the only guarantee in writing of the amount you will receive if your car is stolen or totaled. There is no "Actual Cash Value" clause in the policy. The "Agreed Amount" policy says the insurance company will pay you, the lesser of: The "Agreed Amount," or The cost to repair the covered auto, not to exceed the "Agreed Amount".
With an "Agreed Amount" auto policy, your agent and you must agree together what the "Agreed Amount" should be before the policy is issued. The "Agreed Amount" should represent the true market value of the car at the time the policy is written. If the market value changes during the policy period, the "Agreed Amount" can be adjusted to reflect any market changes during the policy period and should be reviewed at renewal.


My son sells insurance. You want agreed, not stated.

Thanks for the correction Steve, I stand corrected.

I also have had the seat belt and roll bar thought for the roadster. But I decided that #1 it would be better to stay inside the body of the car in the event of an accident so I opted for lap belts. Yes, I agree that there's not much to the body on these cars but it's something and on my Rod Bod body it has a tubular support cage inside the body.

But, I have a different thought on the roll bar. In a street driven car you do not normally drive with a "helmet on", and you would stand a greater chance (In my opinion) of injury from having your "unprotected head" hit the car's "unpadded" roll bar during a otherwise minor accident. There's not much extra room in these cars to space everything out away from the driver. The new crushable steering columes look like a good idea to me to incorporate in a new build.

Thoughts are with him for his recovery . Sad news to hear someone wasn't paying attention and it happens so much . Seen some cross a couple lanes just recently to make a exit .

Hope he comes out of the whole thing ok Ken!!!! Give him my best! The car can be replaced, too bad on the insurance though... I have mine on agreed value, along with detailed pictures of most everything in the build. From personal experience, just a couple outside shots of the shiny paint on the car means little when you're in court fighting some clowns rip off insurance company!!!!! I also keep the reciepts and have a detailed listing, now it's a spread sheet, of the cost of the build and hours expended on it.... Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst!!!!!

Steve-I have also thought about the seat belt thing. I have lap belts in all my cars. I think in a rear end collision they would be helpfully, but after seeing this accident I think I would take my chance being thrown out. He was not wearing seat belts and I believe it saved his life.
As for as the Axle goes, remember he was air born for awhile then landed on that front wheel. We think it rolled once as it went off the shoulder then dropped about 25' then hit again on that front wheel then rolled a half time and landed upside down.

John- Thanks he is doing better, really sore. I hope your wife was not injured. I agree with you also on the roll bar on the street. It could cause more damage. I think this is one of those Damn if you do and Damn if you don't deals!

Bluestang67-Thanks, I forward all these comments. It's happened to me to, just the results weren't so devastating.

Dave- Thanks, he has it insured but I think he is going to be a little short!

Ken

I wish him well and hope for a complete recovery. I really hate to hear about these things. It's bad enough to have someone T bone you in a 4000 pound SUV with all those crunch zones, air bags, side impact construction, etc., but in our little 2000 pound hot rods the damage to the occupants is another matter altogether.

I've weighed the seatbelt thing too, and I honestly feel I don't want to be strapped into a topless car. I would rather take my chances away from the carnage. Who knows if that thinking is going to get me through any eventuality, but I just have to go with my gut instincts on this one.

Don

This accident has had me thinking all day. After looking at the pics again- and seeing that windshield- I think the lack of seat belts saved his life!
Think about it. Sit in your roadster & take a look around you. Everything from your shoulders up is fair game! If you get upside down- I don't think it's survivable if you are belted in. I don't think my Sid Chavers BopTop would help much either. Went to a cruise today- about 30 miles round trip by freeway. Wore the belts there- but all I did was look around & play devil's advocate. What if this? What if that?
On the way home- I left the lap belts under the seat.
Maybe that's why motorcycles don't have belts.

Tell your buddy we are thinking about him & hope for a quick recovery.

I think this is a discussion with no definative answer. I kind of relate it to motorcross. When things go bad you're better to stay on the bike and let it take the initial impact, from there it's up to a higher power.
So in the case of seatbelts, yea a rollover would be bad but at least you're held in the tub and not being thrown under the engine, frame etc. These things could cut you in half. Just be thankful if you're thrown completely clear, but that won't always happen.
Then take into account all the other things that can happen. Being rear ended and thrown over the engine, out into traffic.....Also hitting someone from behind and going headfirst into the back of a Hummer or a lamp post. I know I probably won't change anyone's mind but just think about it and remember, how many rollovers versus front end accidents have you seen.

I used to fly medevac flights and I've seen some horrible results of highway accidents, even from those being thrown clear.


Sean

Ken,
I am glad that your friend is OK and wish him a speedy recovery with no lasting limitations. Thanks for posting the pictures and the story. I wish that local papers would cover hit & runs - maybe the driver would feel enough guilt to come forward and admit fault - fat chance, I know.

I have to say that using a seat belt is still the best way. Most accidents are not rollovers but two vehicles running into each other one way or another or into something stationary. I have lap belts so far but will be converting to a lap shoulder harness before the car is on the road. Most of the time I want to stay with the car, not be tossed around, i.e. through the windshield, impaled on my shifter or e-brake lever or rolled over either by the cars' wheels or the 18 wheel semi following too close on the freeway or as the car goes shiny side down. Yes, you are taking a small chance if the car goes over, but that chance is a whole lot less then being thrown out.

If you think you can hold yourself behind the wheel, then just watch a vehicle test with a real world car, not one of our '30s style street rods that have virtually no safety features like crush zones and air bags. These are on You Tube - and those tests are at 35MPH. You can't hold yourself - G forces are a lot stronger then any of us!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjp7dFnuU4c

Another just for consideration, and probably a lot closer to our '30s cars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s

As for the seat belt thing, I've crashed with them and crashed without them, think I'll keep mine on... a rollover is not the usual crash... Guess I like a roll bar of some sort in my roadsters.... Ken's buddy getting thrown clear and survivng is the exception, not the rule.....most aren't so fortunate as sgo suggested....

Perhaps you are right. Last Feburary when I hit that wood & tore up my suspension- I got quite a bit of air- I mean it felt like the car was 5' off the ground! Then the landing- I got pretty tossed in the car but was belted in & the car stayed on all 4's. I guess if I was beltless, it wouldn't have taken much to toss me right out on the road. Ok- belts back on from now on.

On a couple of other forums there is a guy named Fred who has a T bucket. Just the other day he wrecked his too. He was going down the road, through an intersection and had the green, and a cop going the other way turned directly in front of him causing him to smash into the cop car. Cop jumped out accusing Fred of running the light, but a witness stepped up and contradicted that. Even the cops are out to get us.

What's going on with all these hot rods getting hit lately? Don and I are taking our T's to a cruise about two hours from here today. We are definitely going to be on the lookout and taking it easy.

Don