first year airbags were an option on 911s?

[p.sherrill]

What was the first year airbags became optional for a 911? Ive heard 87 and Ive seen some for sale claiming to have a drivers side only airbag but they have been scarce. I want to buy a carrera 3.2 with a g50 transmission but airbags are a must due to the fact that my moms a nurse.

[john walker's workshop]

never seen a pre-90 with bags.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by p.sherrill

I want to buy a carrera 3.2 with a g50 transmission but airbags are a must due to the fact that my moms a nurse.

don't see that connection, but the Carrera 3.2 has no airbags.

Airbags in the 911 started with the 964.

[Evan Fullerton]

Only safety device statistically proven to reduce fatalities is the 3pt. seat belt. An air bag may or may not save you from hurting your face in a mild accident but a frontal air bag only won't do much more than that. Let alone that even the 964 airbags (first 911 to get them was the '89 964 C4) is about 20 years old and has a good chance of not functioning properly.

[GrantG]

Originally Posted by p.sherrill

What was the first year airbags became optional for a 911? Ive heard 87 and Ive seen some for sale claiming to have a drivers side only airbag but they have been scarce. I want to buy a carrera 3.2 with a g50 transmission but airbags are a must due to the fact that my moms a nurse.

I think Porsche began to use airbags for Model Year 1987, but it was only for the front engined cars (944 and maybe 928). 89 C4 (964) was first 911 to have them...

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Evan Fullerton

Only safety device statistically proven to reduce fatalities is the 3pt. seat belt. An air bag may or may not save you from hurting your face in a mild accident but a frontal air bag only won't do much more than that. Let alone that even the 964 airbags (first 911 to get them was the '89 964 C4) is about 20 years old and has a good chance of not functioning properly.

where did you get this info?

NHTSA says that > 6,000 lives have been saved by air bags, not to mention the prevention of serious injuries.

and what is the design lifetime of an air bag?

[Joe Bob]

Got rid of MY airbag.......got divorced....

[Evan Fullerton]

Originally Posted by RWebb

where did you get this info?

NHTSA says that > 6,000 lives have been saved by air bags, not to mention the prevention of serious injuries.

and what is the design lifetime of an air bag?

Can't remember where I read the study or by whom it was conducted but I do remember at the time thinking it was a reputable source. It was probably 10 years ago now so the 6,000 lives listed by NHTSA is not necessarily conflicting given that air bag technology has come a long way in the last 10 years. (though 6,000 is a pretty darn small percentage of total fatal accidents let alone all air bad deployment accidents in general). I believe the study I read was old enough that it was only on front airbags, side curtain air bags I believe do a lot more for safety. The conclusion of the study was that the safer the car felt and the more touted for its safety it was the more recklessly it was driven and that this was the driving reason why traffic fatalities have not significantly dropped on a percentage basis of vehicles on the road despite the advents of ABS, airbags, and the like.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by RWebb

NHTSA says that > 6,000 lives have been saved by air bags, not to mention the prevention of serious injuries.

of those 6K, how many were not wearing seatbelts?

with a 3pt seatbelt properly worn, how can an airbag in a steering wheel really do much of anything? It wouldn't even reach a properly belted driver or passenger (or barely reach).

[RWebb]

are you aware how air bag deployment works??

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Evan Fullerton

Can't remember where I read the study or by whom it was conducted but I do remember at the time thinking it was a reputable source. It was probably 10 years ago now so the 6,000 lives listed by NHTSA is not necessarily conflicting given that air bag technology has come a long way in the last 10 years. (though 6,000 is a pretty darn small percentage of total fatal accidents let alone all air bad deployment accidents in general). I believe the study I read was old enough that it was only on front airbags, side curtain air bags I believe do a lot more for safety. The conclusion of the study was that the safer the car felt and the more touted for its safety it was the more recklessly it was driven and that this was the driving reason why traffic fatalities have not significantly dropped on a percentage basis of vehicles on the road despite the advents of ABS, airbags, and the like.

- it sounds like you are talking about effects that took place in the very first years of air bag use (not just on the first cars to have air bags)...

- also sounds like Volvos are often driven recklessly??

[p.sherrill]

hmmm does anybody know how i can argue that a four point harness is as safe as a 3 point and an airbag? or any other arguments? i really want a 87,88 not a 964

[RWebb]

personally, I'd bet on a 4 point

is this a Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF) issue?

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by RWebb

. . .

- also sounds like Volvos are often driven recklessly??

Oblivious and slowly so as not to flow with traffic translates as reckless in my book!


About the only time I ever see a Volvo get up and leap is when my wife drives the V70 turbo... (Should have never replaced the 740...)

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by p.sherrill

hmmm does anybody know how i can argue that a four point harness is as safe as a 3 point and an airbag? or any other arguments? i really want a 87,88 not a 964

How many racing organizations have an airbag requirement? I think the magic number is zero...

As good as a 3 point is compared to the other factory offered options, it is pretty weak compared to a correct harness. The 3 point's shoulder belt is restraining the body by going diagonally across it. In a serious crash a body will be subjected to incredible Gs. Under this kind of force the body tries to fold itself around the belt. The injury this can create is commonly a broken sternum.
The dual shoulder belts of a harness do a WAY better job of supporting and decelerating the body in a controlled fashion. With a harness an airbag would be useless as you're body isn't going to move from the seat.

If people were truly serious about safety a harness (and a cage) would be required. People are more serious about reaching for their cell phones and keeping their clothes from being wrinkled...

[p.sherrill]

@ Rwebb It's actually a mom who's a nurse. I'm 17 and in high school. My dad told me that if I got all A's(I was taking all AP classes) that he'd buy me an old 911. So i worked my butt off and did it. And its funny that yall are talking about volvos Im currently stuck with s70t5

[Evan Fullerton]

As someone who drove a old Porsche in high school for a short while as a daily car and then picked up a much newer but still old BMW as a daily car let me say that if it is in addition to the S70t5 I say go for it but if it is as a replacement for, I wouldn't be so inclined to get a 3.2L Carrera. Not sure what your budget is or where in the country you live but an old 911 takes some stoicism to be a daily driver. Not saying that a 3.2L Carrera isn't a great car because it is but a 964, 993, or even dare I say a 996 would all make progressively more comfortable and pleasant daily drivers and can all be had in that same mid $20k range that nice under 100k mile 3.2L g50 Carreras runs in.

[Paul K]

Mr. Sherrill:

Never heard of airbags in a 3.2.

I have heard that the '89 964 didn't have them, but the '90 did.

Either way, you only get 2 front airbags, which will only deploy under a frontal impact, unless you get a 996 (which I do NOT recommend).

Please add your location to your profile so we know where you are!

Cheers,

Paul.

[ratpiper71T]

Quote de p.sherrill

I want to buy a carrera 3.2 with a g50 transmission but airbags are a must due to the fact that my moms a nurse.

don't see that connection, but the Carrera 3.2 has no airbags.



Airbags in the 911 started with the 964.

For any one who doesn't know, if your mom's a nurse you are constantly warned on the dangers of every activity which could endanger your safety and the precautions you should take at every moment to avoid serious bodily harm and injury...- more so than non-nurse moms!

[JeremyD]

Get a 3.2 - and get a decent set of seats (recaro buckets) and get a rollbar - and use 5 point harnesses. On the rollbar - get some decent SFI padding.

Before I think I would allow my 17 year old son in a an older 911 - I think I'd probably require him to have two years of driving a non rear weight biased car - without any tickets - + straight A's - then I would spend the first 6 months teaching him to drive at Autocrosses and Sebring.

Tell your Mom that the 964's have a lot more HP and are a lot faster...