ellevehc Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Ok so I have had this 1987 gl wagon for not too long. Now at the time I just thought, "ok my brother needs something cheap with decent mileage that I can fix up for him." Well after some hunting around and thinking back on when I built my chevelle, I realized that when he gets the urge to do something stupid that it's better he do the stupid off-road while camping and just get stuck in mud rather than fly off the road trying to drift or drag. Subaru gl seemed perfect for his first car. But now after driving it around some and seeing some wrecked ones at the yards I wonder. There's no abs, no air bags, and the body doesn't seem all that reinforced. At the same time I don't have much of a problem with merging onto the highway with the 5 speed and low hp. Had to continue accelerating on a shoulder earlier because the cars wouldn't slow down and let me in, he thought we were going to end up on the wall/ditch. So yeah just made me a bit nervous and think twice... An auto obs should be a better step up safety wise I would assume and still give him something fun to do with it? Anyway, let me know what you guys think, he'll be driving in a few months so I still have time to get something setup for him if the obs would need a little work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thornleyjacob Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 (edited) Honestly, I think a crash at 60mph or more is basically going to be pretty traumatic in either car and it also depends greatly on what type of vehicle or obstacle you crash into. Here is are pictures of GLs that appears to have been T-Boned... https://images.copart.com/website/data/pix/20131008/28183313_1X.JPG http://images.copart.com/website/data/pix/20131119/31704383_1X.JPG Those survived well and one should be able to assume that they were hit within the 20-45mph range. When you look at pictures of wrecked Impreza cars, you notice one thing... most are wrecked in the front. These cars tend to make people go faster than they should and feel safer than they should... allows for more dumb mistakes to happen. Edited August 21, 2014 by thornleyjacob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellevehc Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Yeah thats a good point. Ill see how he picks up the 5 speed. Hes not really into "cars" that much. Im more worried about something hitting him than him speeding a lot, even though it could happen, its less likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 It's a car from the 80s. It's not very safe. In low speed front end collisions the crumple zones work really well and absorb a lot of the impact but anything over like a 30mph hit is probably not going to be fun. Wear your seatbelt (AND lap belt if youre in a Loyale.)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 The Impreza is not really that safe until the the late 2000 model. That one was designed with safety in mind from the outset, with things such as the much larger bodyshell and the extensive use of boron steel. The much heavier weight was also a result of the increased safety. Anecdotally, in Australia the 'jaws of life' tool used to cut open cars involved in accidents had to be redesigned thanks to the strengh of the boron steel used in the Impreza's B pillars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellevehc Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Well I do know that abs has helped a lot in the past and I have taken an airbag to the face... I cant imagine that force hitting a steering wheel instead of a pillow. Cool little tidbit about the b pillar info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Well I do know that abs has helped a lot in the past and I have taken an airbag to the face... I cant imagine that force hitting a steering wheel instead of a pillow. Cool little tidbit about the b pillar info. Yes I suppose I was referring to secondary crash safety. An Impreza with AWD and ABS would certainly be safer than the older Leone/GL models in terms of primary safety (ability to avoid an accident in the first place). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86 Wonder Wedge Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 (edited) There is actually a special bullitin published for firefighters/EMTs about Subaru's "3 rings of safety". In the newer Subarus (late 90s and up), the boron steel rods hidden in the B pillar were so strong, they advised them NOT to cut the pillars because it could take HOURS to cut through the pillars. [http=http://moojohn.com/subaru/extract.pdf]Source(Good read)[/http] I think is also boasts a 2x load rating for rollover protection? (Roof structure can support 2x the car's own weight if flipped over!) Edited August 23, 2014 by 86 Wonder Wedge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferp420 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 i was woundering about this to as its time to build a car up for my daughter i was thinking build my extra loyale but i dont trust the electric seat belts what year did they start using the boron steal i also have a 98 outback with another poped 2.5 i could build up for her but i might just pick up a newer one if there that much stronger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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