Porsche 911 safety?

[Bart_dood]

Hi Folks,

Long time lurker, used to own a boxster but long since sold.

So me and the wife have been talking about getting a 911, year wise somewhere between 1978-1994 (964, not 993, carrera 2 not 4), I know its a big range.

However my question is about safety, initially I would have been happy with a mid 80's 911 however we started thinking about a later 964 for the simple fact of it having airbags and possibly ABS (not sure if it was stock item).

Does anyone have any idea how much "safer" (I know its a subjective term) a 964 is compared with an older 80's 911?

And is it possible to fit an aftermarket airbag to an older 911? I would only put one on the drivers side, on the passenger side the seat can be set back to avoid a dash impact, but not so with the drivers side.

thanks!

[dw1]

I may be wrong about this, but it is my understanding that front air bags don't much more in a positive sense that a good lap and shoulder seat belt does.

Further, it is my recollection that air bags were instituted after it was established that the % of people using seatbelts wasn't high enough to avoid the legislative limit that made them mandatory.

While I certainly agree an SRS is a notable safety feature, the structural integrity of the car, the ability of the vehicle's structure to absorb impacts via "crush zones" and most importantly, good seats & seat belts are all extremely important considerations.

Of course, the ability to avoid an accident using the vehicle's handling & excellent brakes is also an important consideration.

IMHO, I wouldn't sweat the airbags if you plan on wearing your seatbelt 100% of the time.

BTW, some years ago I did involuntarily eat a steering wheel because the car I was driving only had a lap belt and not a shoulder belt or multi-point harness, so I have a little first-hand experience in this area.

[Porsche_monkey]

I would not put safety in the top ten criteria for choosing a sports car. But that's just me.

I'm not a big fan of ABS or air bags. Learn how to drive defensively and wear your seat belt all the time. It's an easy habit to get into. And before long you feel naked without it.

Flame suit on....

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Retrofitting an airbag system is, for all practical purposes, impossible. The work would cost twice what the car is worth, assuming it could be done.

I have an '83 SC. The only thing that I do that is more dangerous than driving it on a major highway is using a chainsaw (which I'm careful to do only when my wife is home and can call the ambulance before I bleed out).

But then she's a 100-mile-a-day road biker, which is probably more dangerous than chainsawing from a moving 911SC.

[Porsche_monkey]

It's easy to retro-fit an airbag, that's part of the steering wheel.

But it is impossible/impractical to make it work as required.

And while I do not know how Steve drives, I suspect he does lots of things more dangerous than single trip highway outings in his 911SC. He just doesn't know it.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

The part that goes in the steering-wheel hub is only the most obvious component of a complete airbag system. Hell, you could put an airbag in the glove compartment for that matter. That wouldn't work either.

Sure I do more dangerous things than driving an SC, like flying an airplane I built myself, probably. And don't ask me about my drug-smuggling days, or when I volunteered to fly in Biafra.

It was written in partial jest, but the fact is that anybody looking at an early '80s 911 with safety in mind is looking in the wrong place.

[glewis80SC]

Don't sweat the air bags, good belts and good driving are your safest bet. Being a firefighter/paramedic i see quite a few accidents and i'm still surprised out how few air bags actually deploy. The saving grace for people is the crumple zones and proper seat belts.
I have a 80SC and feel very safe in the car, i don't hesitate at all to take my kids with me at all.

[Porsche_monkey]

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

It was written in partial jest.

So was mine. But since you fly, you proved me right.

And frankly, I can't think of anything more dangerous than a 'home-made' or 'home-wired' airbag.

Aside from a home-made airplane.

[RWebb]

NHTSA and IIHS will have actual data on the incremental effect of air bags when seat belts are already in use

contact them & report what they tell you

replace all seatbelts - do not let the fabric get 30 years old and expect it to retain strength

my main worry would be that many trucks do not have the required safety barriers in the rear and any low car could be run underneath a tractor trailer combo

[javadog]

I'd wager that the 964 is a much safer car, given the it was designed over 25 years after the original 911 chassis. Porsche stated at the time that 85% of the parts were new. I imagine they learned a few things over the years and being able to utilise a computer for the design was a good thing.

ABS brakes are standard on the 964. They work much better than the earlier stuff, in all conditions.

JR

[aigel]

Maybe ask this same question on the 964 / 993 side of this board.

I bought my 993 partly because it has more safety features than my old SC. Aside from the air bag, the brakes are night and day even before the ABS kicks in.

George

[MOMO3.2]

ABS is a HUGE safety factor IMO.

I used my 87 Carrera as a daily driver for almost 3 years and not having ABS in panic stop situations, varying surface conditions, and braking while turning demands a heightened level of awareness and respect on the part of a driver. Particularly when one factors in that old 911's are pretty quick, fast cars with a huge rear weight bias. I have two grandchildren myself and would not dream of asking my daughter or son-in-law if I could take their babies anywhere outside my neighborhood for a drive in the 911.

That being said, I believe my old 911 is a hell of a lot safer than a motorcycle (which I crave to own) and it has to be one of the safer pre-ABS/Airbag sports cars based on stout construction and quality materials.

My Carrera is again going to be my primary mode of transportation starting this fall, so I really do feel "safe" and confident in my car.

It all comes down to what you are willing to risk. If you have any doubts, get a well sorted 964 or 993.

Good luck.

Mike

[BeauBlues]

Uh, take my advise when I say, Do Not buy a 911 for it's "safety features". I just crashed my mid year '84 two months ago. Just take a look at the picture below. No airbag or abs would have prevented that...period. My crash was relatively low speed too. Some lady in a van pulled out in front of me while I was traveling at 40 mph. IMHO, the Only safety system I trust is a good ole fashion seat belt.

A word of advise to ALL 911 owners, "Don't lock your leg to the brake pedal if you are about to crash head on."

[Todd Simpson]

I'd wager that the 964 is a much safer car, given the it was designed over 25 years after the original 911 chassis. Porsche stated at the time that 85% of the parts were new. I imagine they learned a few things over the years and being able to utilise a computer for the design was a good thing.

ABS brakes are standard on the 964. They work much better than the earlier stuff, in all conditions.

+1 on all that.

I love driving my '71 on the track but on the street I'd take a 964. It was a significant redesign and ABS is very nice in unpredictable situations.

[dentist90]

Porsche really emphasizes 'active' safety features... good handling, good brakes. ABS falls into this category and I agree it is an excellent safety feature. Seat belts, crumple zones and air bags are passive safety features... things you need when the active safety features fail to prevent a collision. If I had a choice I would take ABS over airbags in a heartbeat. I would prefer to have the best chance at avoiding an accident. As MOMO (Mike) pointed out, it is easy to cause a non-ABS car to skid in a panic situation. There is a very fine line between threshold braking and lockup.

[beasty]

come over, im in glen cove. ill take you on a ride in my '84... you'll see the lack of safety features first hand.

[47silver]

most hips are broken when the leg is completely extended and acts as a battering ram through the force from the brake pedal on a front collision. It may have been on here or an article in excellence that described the proper method of poitionng your car seat so that your arms and legs cannot go straight upon a crash.

I will try to find it.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by BeauBlues

Uh, take my advise when I say, Do Not buy a 911 for it's "safety features". I just crashed my mid year '84 two months ago. Just take a look at the picture below. No airbag or abs would have prevented that...period.

The ABS combined with much better brakes and significantly more tire would have slowed you better. A better engineered crumple zone certainly would have helped reduce the forces on your leg. What also would have helped with reducing forces on your leg would be the 3200 pounds of a later car!

I wish you good luck in the future driving - don't test that 993 - but I guarantee you in the same situation, you would come out better in a 993 than you did in the 84.

Cheers,

George

[3.2 CAB]

Being 6'4", there is not enough room to "straight leg" the brake or clutch pedal for me. I guess that is one advantage of being taller, when it comes to front end crashes??? How is the leg coming along?? That was a nasty looking break! Tony.

[David]

Just decide to buy a motorcycle and then buy a 911 instead. You'll be much safer