It makes you think

[AGT]

Driving to work early this morning when a fine fellow ran through a red light and just failed in his attempt to swerve around my car. I was in my two tonne S-Class Panzer. The big Benz is scuffed with a small crinkle in the wing (fender); the opposing Peugeot is a complete mess. Fortunately, no one was injured.

I must have come out of that junction a few hundred times in my Pagoda and, as it is a bit slower off the mark, the Peugeot would have been straight into my driver's door. And it makes you think...

I have only seen one smashed Pagoda which, although a write off, had stood up very well to a front end impact. I know this is not a cheerful topic but what are the views and experiences of the safety of our cars? I have always tended to think of the risk as being caught out by the 60s handling and ending upside down by a country road. This morning has made me sensitive to the risk of a side swipe as a result of everyday carelessness in city driving.

Obviously, I don't expect the Pagoda to be as safe as a modern S-Class but a little back up before I go home tonight with this tale would be good!

Regards
Andrew

[mdsalemi]

Andrew,

Thank goodness you are safe.

Drive defensively, always.

The other day I was driving my Pagoda "up north" (160 Miles) where it winters in my garage.  I was about 10 miles from my destination, behind a minivan, when a pick-up truck pulls in front of the minivan, caused us all to slow for a moment.

Shortly we were all up to speed again, 100km/hr.  Suddenly, the minivan swerves because the CHRISTMAS tree that the IDIOT in the pickup was hauling (unteathered) blew out the back!  I immediately followed suit.

No injuries, no damage, but boy if I had not been paying attention...

...and it just kills me to see these 6'4" "men" driving Mazda Miata's, when their head is about 6" above the windshield frame and thus would serve as a roll bar...what are they thinking?

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[hauser]

Been there and done it!

http://index.php?topic=2376

The worst is that it will never end.  If you're out there always be prepared for the unexpected.  I also highten my defensive driving to the next level or two when out in the Pagoda vs my daily driver.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[glennard]

As my late father preached, you not only have to drive your own car, but you gotta drive the other guy's too.  Defensive driving a must- Positive Pagoda Protection.

[ejm]

Its not just other drivers you have to watch out for   http://www.metacafe.com/watch/96745/moose_vs_car/

[bpossel]

Hi Andrew,

Here is a picture of a 113 that hit a concrete wall, here in Memphis about 4 years ago.  A friend of mine that works at the Memphis MB dealership sent me this photo.  The story goes that the driver stepped on the gas pedal vs the brake during an argument and thus slammed into a parking garage wall.  Both passenger and driver lived, but the driver had a severe knee injury.

You can see how the steering wheel did what is was designed to do...  collapse when your chest is pushed against it...  In addition, the car body did "crumple" to absorb the impact.  Mirror popped out...

Download Attachment: 280SLCRASH.JPG
75.22 KB

Bob

bpossel  (Memphis, TN.)
'71 280SL  /  '97 E320

[Kemal]

It was a lovely day here on Sunday, so I thought I would drive my daughter to her tennis lesson in the pagoda ...
I stopped of to get a news paper & on my return I saw a young boy reversing in to the Pagoda ... Bump !
I asked him '' Who taught you to drive ? '' He of course  apologized profusely .
Admittedly he was driving a small car [ new Mini ] . I did see the Pagoda move, however no damage was done ,''Thankfully'' to ''Cees Klumper's'' old & my new bumper guards!
Had the bumper guards not been on, I am sure I would have found a very dented rear chrome bumper & a very upset me !

I understand that a lot of you Pagoda drivers don't like the bumper guards, I couldn't live without them.

Last year while driving our 320 ML I reversed in to a tree & cracked the rear of the car !
In short, I think the Pagodas are very solid having being made of metal, as they were in those days.

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

[AGT]

Thank you all for the comments.

Bob, it is an interesting if not wholly encouraging photo. The damaged Pagoda which I saw bore a similar testimony to reasonable rigidity on a perpendicular front impact.

The collapsed steering column and wheel in the photo has made me doubt the wisdom in swapping to a Nardi wheel on my 280! This photo should be patched in to the thread on merits of a Nardi wheel where the safety benefits of the standard wheel are discussed. It's pretty compelling.

Regards
Andrew

[Cees Klumper]

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[Peter van Es]

Cees,

I'm sure I've seen you post something similar before. You're getting lots of mileage out of this cartoon!

Peter

Also known as 'admin@sl113.org' and organiser of the Technical Manual. Check out http://bali.esweb.nl for photographs of classic car events and my 1970 280SL.

[Shvegel]

I saw a rollover on ebay once that was flat at the windshield.

I always debate fastening the seatbelt. With an aluminum door and no side beams you might be better off if you were not strapped in.

[Paddy_Crow]

quote:Originally posted by Shvegel

I saw a rollover on ebay once that was flat at the windshield.

I always debate fastening the seatbelt. With an aluminum dood and no side beams you might be better off if you were not strapped in.

There are very, very few circumstances where you would fare better being ejected.

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch...

[blue230sl]

quote:Originally posted by kemal shah

It was a lovely day here on Sunday, so I thought I would drive my daughter to her tennis lesson in the pagoda ...
I stopped of to get a news paper & on my return I saw a young boy reversing in to the Pagoda ... Bump !
I asked him '' Who taught you to drive ? '' He of course  apologized profusely .
Admittedly he was driving a small car [ new Mini ] . I did see the Pagoda move, however no damage was done ,''Thankfully'' to ''Cees Klumper's'' old & my new bumper guards!
Had the bumper guards not been on, I am sure I would have found a very dented rear chrome bumper & a very upset me !

I understand that a lot of you Pagoda drivers don't like the bumper guards, I couldn't live without them.

Last year while driving our 320 ML I reversed in to a tree & cracked the rear of the car !
In short, I think the Pagodas are very solid having being made of metal, as they were in those days.

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

i was backing out of an angled parking spot and a fellow in a large van was backing out of the opposing spot - we didn't see each other (me cause i was looking in the wrong direction - him possibly cause he couldnt see my "low rider" from his higher seat) anyway i creased his plastic bumper and he pushed my bumper into the body panels. bent the bumper mount but the bumper itself was unmarked!


john
64 230sl
89 190e 2.6

[TheEngineer]

Have to admit that I feel safer in my '95 E320 Wagon than in the Pagoda. Yesterday we had a couple of inches snow and it was very interesting to observe some of the drivers making a real mess of it. It never fails and happens every year. They never seem to learn.

'69 280SL,Signal Red,Automatic,retired engineer, West-Seattle,WA

[Kemal]

(' ') You mean I should double check my rear body panels
Oh boy !

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

'' he pushed my bumper into the body panels. bent the bumper mount but the bumper itself was unmarked!


john
64 230sl
89 190e 2.6
[/quote]

[J. Huber]

John's story is eerily similar to something that happened to me this summer. I had looked once and then backed out veering left only to ram into a big old Blazer that was doing the same thing veering right... Bam. I was shocked. I jumped out and was ready to strangle -- only to realize it was as much my fault as hers... :oops:

My bumper was forced up tight to my rear valence -- enough to scrape some paint but not enough to hurt the body. My bumper mount didn't bend -- instead the bolt slid sideways. I was lucky in the sense that I had been the one who had "tightened" it previously...

James
63 230SL

[marti]

Hello all.  As you may remember 4 weeks ago a 21 year old crossed 3 lanes of traffic and crossed in my lane.  She couldn't see me because of a truck to my right I guess.  I was going about 30 km and hit her yaris -- my pagoda got it on the driver front bumper--a little on the grill, left corner panel and fog light but her car had front fender, drivers door and passanger door too.  (no one was hurt by the way).  

Moral of the story....solid metal construction beats cheap metal and fiberglass any day!

marti

Mpotter