Thought the 80 was tough Wreck Pic

[land crush]

Glad she's ok.......I say she was going 55+.The tree is half up rooted plus lots of damage to front not just the side.I had a uncle that had a 91.A semi came over in his lane going a round a corner.The semi hit about the front wheel and kinda glanced down the drivers side.My uncle was fine.The cruiser DONE.It pushed the front axle back taking the tranny and transfer case with it.The transfer case was pushed back 9inches.

 

[Grench]

After reading through the posts I went back and looked at the pic again and a question popped into my head. I wonder if the rig would have had a good set of sliders installed, would that have helped much - especially in occupant protection in a crash like this? Food for thought .

Sliders could have made it worse... By extending the frame out it would have compressed less on the leg area - and more on the head/torso area.

That is one serious impact. I'm glad she survived. I think that heavy side impact with a narrow object (tree in this case) has to be one of the hardest impacts to guard against.

 

[Offroads4x4]

Shes lucky to be in the 80. I can think of many other cars and rigs that would not have fair'd so well.
I hope she makes a speedy recovery.

 

[80t0ylc]

Sliders could have made it worse... By extending the frame out it would have compressed less on the leg area - and more on the head/torso area..........

I'm thinking it still might have protected her better. A solid object, like a tree, would not give much and the slider as an extension of the frame, as you say, would have crushed - but with more resistance. She would have probably felt more 'Gs' from the impact, but more protection. Might have even snapped off that tree at slider height. Interesting - glad she survived, though.

 

[Brunt Force Trauma]

That looks like a "chisel" crash to me. Basically the tree slid along the side next to the frame chiseling out the side of the truck with little resistance since there is no frame to absorb impact. One of the worst scenarios for damage. My cousin lost his arm the same way.

 

[Kernal]

Has anyone installed a Nascar style cage in an 80?

 

[CMY4XGO]

Im with 80t0ylc - I was involved in a side impact TC two years ago in my 80 equipped with some very beefy home built sliders. It wasnt a tree but another vehicle so it doesnt really compare, but the other vehicle actually ricocheted off of my sliders and in doing so totaled his car.
he did'nt believe that he hit me until i showed him the paint transfer on the sliders.

So i gave him a ride to work.

I am truly sorry to hear about the injuries sustained and trust for a speedy recovery.

 

[half k cruiser]

Would suggest if you are really concerned about surviving a crash you forgoe the sliders and armor and buy yourself a newer tahoe, or explorer, or arcadia thingy. Hell even the new malibu holds up to crashes better than an 80 ( no kidding ).

Over the last few years I have seen people just walk away from what should have been life changing, or ending wrecks. All newer vehicles mind you. Its truly impressive to see a car hit a tree at 55mph, completly destroy its front end, then the driver just opens there door and gets out. In fact most of the time three out of four doors will still work, thats how little intrusion there is into the passenger comparment.

 

[sky90]

Looking at pic, the 80 seem to strike the tree at an angle, on the PS front fender, and stopped at the a-pillar. Not a car engineer, but i think this crash angle is proly not typically 'reinforced'. (a car is not designed like a tank, i supposed)

A lesser car would have wrapped itself around the tree, no doubt.

Glad driver is ok.

 

[BrotherRob]

That looks like a "chisel" crash to me. Basically the tree slid along the side next to the frame chiseling out the side of the truck with little resistance since there is no frame to absorb impact. One of the worst scenarios for damage. My cousin lost his arm the same way.

Agreed, it looks like impact was DS front and peeled back the sheet metal down the side. She's lucky she only lost a leg.

 

[72RatCamaro]

Updated pics in op

 

[TNLandCruisers]

I also mutually know the girl that wrecked this. It was my best buds 16yr old sister.

A few more details..(from what her brother has told me)
• She hasn't been driving but a couple months
• Roads were wet
• She was admittedly speeding and it was downhill
• It was just about a mile or so from her house
• My buddy, her brother, had wrecked his truck there previously when he was around her age

Our other friend that helped cut her out, said it took over an hour to get her out. She was calm and not even crying or freaking out (shock).

I FaceTimed her with my buddy night before last and she just had her skingraph done on the leg/foot she was able to keep. The one leg is gone from the knee down. Her family, friends, and herself all realize that it's a miracle she is even alive, so a limb isn't that bad compared to her life from that viewpoint. High morality for sure! They are also super thankful she wasn't driving her dads 350z.

She loves reading all the support so I will send her this thread to check out while she is recovering.

Her guardian angel definitely had its work cut out for that day!

 

[6894kevin]

Would suggest if you are really concerned about surviving a crash you forgoe the sliders and armor and buy yourself a newer tahoe, or explorer, or arcadia thingy. Hell even the new malibu holds up to crashes better than an 80 ( no kidding ).

Over the last few years I have seen people just walk away from what should have been life changing, or ending wrecks. All newer vehicles mind you. Its truly impressive to see a car hit a tree at 55mph, completly destroy its front end, then the driver just opens there door and gets out. In fact most of the time three out of four doors will still work, thats how little intrusion there is into the passenger comparment.

+100
Ask any of your local Accident recon guys at your local P.D.

Speedy Recovery to her!

 

[lt1fire]

+100
Ask any of your local Accident recon guys at your local P.D.

Speedy Recovery to her!

x100 an 80 is a tank for its years but any newer car stands up way better in an accident.

 

[80t0ylc]

Would suggest if you are really concerned about surviving a crash you forgoe the sliders and armor and buy yourself a newer tahoe, or explorer, or arcadia thingy. Hell even the new malibu holds up to crashes better than an 80 ( no kidding ).

Over the last few years I have seen people just walk away from what should have been life changing, or ending wrecks. All newer vehicles mind you. Its truly impressive to see a car hit a tree at 55mph, completly destroy its front end, then the driver just opens there door and gets out. In fact most of the time three out of four doors will still work, thats how little intrusion there is into the passenger comparment.

+100
Ask any of your local Accident recon guys at your local P.D........

x100 an 80 is a tank for its years but any newer car stands up way better in an accident.

Good info and probably true. But still not convinced to replace my 80 with anything that's available at this time, especially in the SUV market. Isn't this a Land Cruiser Tech Forum? Driving an 80, you maybe sacrificing safety. But not enough to worry me in the slightest. Only reason I'd consider replacing it would be for economy, like I couldn't afford to drive or own it anymore. (That'd be a cold day in hell)

 

[fusionrx]

Want safety? Buy a Volvo.

 

[93yotasr5]

Wow. Glad she made it out alive .

 

[Ebag333]

Would suggest if you are really concerned about surviving a crash you forgoe the sliders and armor and buy yourself a newer tahoe, or explorer, or arcadia thingy. Hell even the new malibu holds up to crashes better than an 80 ( no kidding ).

Over the last few years I have seen people just walk away from what should have been life changing, or ending wrecks. All newer vehicles mind you. Its truly impressive to see a car hit a tree at 55mph, completly destroy its front end, then the driver just opens there door and gets out. In fact most of the time three out of four doors will still work, thats how little intrusion there is into the passenger comparment.

x100 an 80 is a tank for its years but any newer car stands up way better in an accident.

Gotta disagree with this one.

Don't get me wrong. There are some amazing vehicles out there that kick the 80's butt in terms of safety features (mostly European ones, where they have real safety regulations). But there are many current ones that are equal or less than even a vehicle as old as an 80 (the cheaper domestic vehicles come to mind).

Also keep in mind that there is a huge difference between earlier and later 80's. Air bags make an incredible difference in passenger safety.

There's also a bigger difference in design. Older vehicles like the 80 were not designed to crumple, they were designed to take a beating and keep on moving. New vehicles are much more likely to crumple on impact. Each approach has is pros and cons (ask FJC owners about their torn fenders for one of the cons).

+100
Ask any of your local Accident recon guys at your local P.D.

Well, I didn't ask any accident recon guys, but I have spoken to my pop who's extricated more than a few folks from vehicles (30 years in the fire service).

He loves my 80's, and has commented more than once that he's glad that my wife (and 10 month old son) cruise around in one. While he thinks that a newer Volvo/BMW/etc would be safer, he also thinks that an 80 is about the safest vehicle you can buy for the price. And I can't disagree with him, given some of the accidents we've seen around here that people have survived or even walked away from. Such as hitting a crane head on a 60+ MPH. Or rolling 4+ times at 70 MPH.

 

[AKcruiserfreak]

It's amazing she came out of that wreck alive. Praying for a safe recovery.
On a side note, I'd trust my old 80 over my 2010 Corolla in a major accident every day of the week. No replacement for...uh, mass.

 

[lt1fire]

Gotta disagree with this one.

Don't get me wrong. There are some amazing vehicles out there that kick the 80's butt in terms of safety features (mostly European ones, where they have real safety regulations). But there are many current ones that are equal or less than even a vehicle as old as an 80 (the cheaper domestic vehicles come to mind).

Also keep in mind that there is a huge difference between earlier and later 80's. Air bags make an incredible difference in passenger safety.

There's also a bigger difference in design. Older vehicles like the 80 were not designed to crumple, they were designed to take a beating and keep on moving. New vehicles are much more likely to crumple on impact. Each approach has is pros and cons (ask FJC owners about their torn fenders for one of the cons).



Well, I didn't ask any accident recon guys, but I have spoken to my pop who's extricated more than a few folks from vehicles (30 years in the fire service).

He loves my 80's, and has commented more than once that he's glad that my wife (and 10 month old son) cruise around in one. While he thinks that a newer Volvo/BMW/etc would be safer, he also thinks that an 80 is about the safest vehicle you can buy for the price. And I can't disagree with him, given some of the accidents we've seen around here that people have survived or even walked away from. Such as hitting a crane head on a 60+ MPH. Or rolling 4+ times at 70 MPH.

An air bag would not have helped this person at all in that accident..... actually that vehicle had an air bag.

Like I said an 80 is heads and tails above cars/vehicles of its time and still will hold up well in crash tests but new metals make a vehicle made after 05 much better. Crumple zones will almost always make it safer to an occupant. Domestics have nothing to do with it.... the new malibu's are amazing with their crash ratings.
Now most accidents the 80 will hold its own with most and many on here can attest to walking away from serious accidents. This time was not the case though and I think that had the occupant been in a new tech vehicle with its new metals and well designed crumple zones then she very well might have come away completely intact.


Your pop hit it right on the head when he said the 80 is the safest you can buy for the price.