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Reason To Keep Classics Off The Road

Started by Seville1957, March 12, 2017, 01:03:06 AM

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Seville1957

Some of you may have heard about the 87 year old man who was involved in an accident with his 1959 Cadillac Convertible. It's stories like this that deter me from putting my baby on the road. Too many ignorant morons driving behind the wheel these days!

Quentin Hall

#1
Life is a lottery. You won it being conceived. Being born in the last 100 years, you won it twice. Whatever life throws at you good or bad after that is up to you to absorb or deflect.
It's very sad what happened . I hope John makes a full recovery. Please don't let it deter any of us from enjoying our hobby.
A life well lived is more desirable than a life of regrets.
53 Eldo #319
53 Eldo #412.
53 Eldo #433
57 Biarritz
53 series 62 conv
39 Sixty Special Custom
57 Biarritz

Steve Passmore

A terrible thing to happen to this poor owner, but I agree with Quentin. We all take our lives in our hands when we walk outside the front door.  One has to drive defensively. I won't let it stop me driving my cars whenever I can, even today on a dreary damp English Sunday.  I do my best to stay off the mad rat race highways but sometimes one has to use them. I drive like every other driver is out to get me but still enjoy every minute.  When you let idiots stop you using your cars they have won!
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

64\/54Cadillacking

#3
My eyes hurt seeing those pics, and what a beautiful 59. :'(


http://www.ksby.com/clip/13163902/driver-of-classic-cadillac-hospitalized-after-crash

There's always risk when you take your classic on the road, the man is 87 years old, he probably shouldn't be driving at his age and as his reflexes aren't that great. It maybe contributed to him crashing into the pole although he was trying to avoid hitting the truck. The car looks bad, but can be fixed with a lot of work obviously. Considering him hitting a light pole, the car held up well and saved his life. I am sure if he was in a modern midsizer, if could have well be dead right now.

The best ways to at least minimize the risks is driving in less dense areas where there are a higher number of cars on the streets. Creating a greater distance from the cars in front of you and not driving too fast, or on the freeways. Sometimes the sheer size of our cars intimidate other drivers on the road that it can actually cause them to panic and crash.

I'll never stop driving and enjoying my 64, it seems actually rare for classics to be in accidents anyways as they're not driven often.

Currently Rides:
1964 Sedan Deville
1954 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special
1979 Lincoln Mark V Cartier Designer Series
2007 Lexus LS 460L (extended wheelbase edition)

Previous Rides:
1987 Brougham D' Elegance
1994 Fleetwood Bro
1972 Sedan Deville
1968 Coupe Deville
1961 Lincoln Continental
1993 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
1978 Lincoln Continental ( R.I.P.) 1978-2024 😞

jdemerson

Quote from: 64CaddieLacky on March 12, 2017, 06:51:46 AM
I am sure if he was in a modern midsizer, if could have well be dead right now.
...

I'll never stop driving and enjoying my 64, it seems actually rare for classics to be in accidents anyways as they're not driven often.

Without knowing all details about this tragic accident, I'd take my chances on "a modern midsizer" like an Accord or Camry over a '59 Deville Convertible. It would have good seat/shoulder belts, multiple air bags, collapsible steering column, energy absorbing body structure, and effective antilock disc brakes.

I'd agree that it seems rare for classics to be in accidents, and the reasons may go beyond the fact that they are driven fewer miles. It likely has to do with the drivers and the cautious and conservative way they drive their classic cars -- very defensively, I suspect. In spite of the differing risks, I hope that most of us will continue to drive and enjoy old Cadillacs, and drive them as defensively as we have always done.

Data from insurance companies covering thousands of cars driven millions of miles would provide the deepest insights into these questions.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac 6219X
John Emerson
Middlebury, Vermont
CLC member #26790
1952 Series 6219X
http://bit.ly/21AGnvn

CadillacRob

The IDIOT who caused this pulled on to a highway on ramp, decided they didn't want to go that way, and backed up into the road.  This poor guy swerves, just scraping the truck and into a light pole.  He was medevaced out due to his injuries.  What a fool driving that truck. 

I've had a few close calls in my 50 caddy.  You can never leave enough distance between you and other drivers.  It's hard for me because I usually like to scoot along, but im reminded every so often it's best to really take your time in this car because of the a-holes out there.
1950 series 61 sedan
1956 coupe de ville

76eldo

Nothing will keep me from driving my Caddys out on the road.
This could have happened in any car he may have been driving.
Modern cars are hands down safer in every way than a 59 Cadillac.
Bulk and weight  don't really translate to safety. A friend of mine was rear ended in a Hummer and sustained bad back injuries.
You never know but new cars are designed to crumple and with all of the air bags and belts you stay safer.  This is a real shame and my prayers are with our Cadillac brother.
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

cadillac ken

Hate to agree with this  :(  but yes the new cars are safer.  Several years ago when Chevrolet introduced a new Impala they posted a video of the crash test.  They also posted a video they staged with a, IIRC, 1959 Impala.

The conclusion was the driver would have been dead in the '59 Impala (head on crash test) while the driver of the new Impala would have suffered only minor injuries.

As many here, I agree.  Life is a risk.  Enjoy but be vigilant in your drives to expect anything from today's self absorbed, selfish, distracted drivers.

Ken in florida

WTL

I drive very defensively, but the truth is I could easily be the victim of a bad driver in my 95 Ram, or my 99 c280.  I could also be a victim in a new car if I chose to buy one. 

We talk about keeping the classics off the road, but the real question is one of bodily harm to ourselves, forget the car.  The only reason the car is any part of the question is to ask 1.) Are they as likely to get hit as a new car and 2.) Are you more likely to be hurt in one or the other. 

The answers for those 2 questions really depend on which classic you are driving, and in the worst case, how are you hit?  But I think with proper driving, in appropriate circumstances, one can be pretty safe.  I avoid city interstates and traffic if I can.  When I took the 69 Fleetwood on a vacation, I made sure to tour Manhattan at 4:45 am....had an opportunity to drive through Boston at 6 PM, but decided to hit the loop and go around despite it being waay longer.  Such decisions invariably must be made, or leave it at home.  Mine isn't as old as the others and has relatively modern (and personally serviced, thanks to this board) disc brakes, collapsible steering column, and good acceleration.  I bet as you go older, it becomes a sliding scale. 

Scot Minesinger

Agree with much of the posts:

I will never stop driving my 1970 Cadillacs because of fear in general or that others will crash into me.  I drive the Washington, DC regularly in my 1970 Cadillacs.  Just last week, my red 1970 Cadillac was driven past 40k miles during my decade of ownership.  The best part of ownership is driving it, and if I can do it, then please hand over the for sale sign.

Take issue that because the owner was 87 years old he did not have good reflexes or was not a good driver.  The other driver was ticketed.  The cause of the accident was also not caused by the 59 Caddy driving too slow or other poor driving characteristic that although not innocent to me, but nonetheless lawful, does cause accidents when encountering impatient or even normal drivers.  I'm 56 and enjoy a nice driving record.  There are plenty of terrible drivers of all ages out there. 

The major problem with drivers that unfortunately fall into the older person category is that they drive less, when they do become unconfident, then they drive even less, become more out of practice and you have a catch 22 self fulfilling prophecy.  This happens a great deal with older people driving at night.  This guy was driving, so let's hope he is skilled and can continue to drive.

I choose a 1970 Cadillac because it has safety features that are more protective than a decade before, such as collapsing steering column, head rests, perimeter frame, door beams, radial tires (my modification) and disk brakes with dual master cylinder.  The 59 passenger compartment looked intact from the pictures, but that steering column had no give and the driver impact to steering column is likely why he is in the hospital.  Sure hope he recovers fully.

The newer cars are safer than the older cars.  If I own any classic, it will have the collapsing steering column (fist mandatory in 1967), door beams, dual master cylinder brakes, and other easy to include safety features that at least bring the car up to 1969 safety standards.  Understand that if I bought 1966 or older would have modernize the steering column.  The newer cars have a major passenger safety structure (even big trucks suffer major cosmetic damage in a crash to protect other vehicles it hits from more severe damage), air bags, anti-lock brakes, and numerous accident avoidance features.

Finally, when did backing up become a video game where we use monitors and mirrors?  I always use my eyes and turn around.  Some stupid person backed into my daily driver in a parking lot and the reply was "well my sensor did not warn me", and it was difficult not to react - they paid no issue.  Switching lanes, backing up onto a major road and etc., you have to look with your eyes directly, not rely on mirrors and cameras.

Drive your classics and enjoy them, no matter what the world is doing!
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

russ austin

Cars are meant to be driven, unless it is a super rare, unreplaceable automobile.  Folks have insurance for a reason.

It sure does suck eggs that classics are involved in accidents, but life happens, and I have spare parts to replace and damaged stuff, due to an unforeseen accident.
R.Austin

59-in-pieces

Being a 59 fanatic myself, I certainly wish the injured drive fast recovery.

But, I also hope that I - like this fellow - live to 87, and can still take my cars out for a spin.
I stopped to think how many miles that fellow likely enjoyed driving his car - and how well he kept its looks.
And after all, isn't it the enjoyment our classic Cads bring to us, is why we have and drive them in the first place.
IMHO.
Have fun,
Steve B.
S. Butcher

chrisntam

Quote from: jdemerson on March 12, 2017, 07:58:09 AM
Without knowing all details about this tragic accident, I'd take my chances on "a modern midsizer" like an Accord or Camry over a '59 Deville Convertible. snip......

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac 6219X

+1

Not too long ago, a vintage corvette was damaged in a Florida Wal Mart parking lot.  But like Forrest Gump said, "S*** happens".

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/florida/classic-corvette-run-over-at-charlotte-county-walmart/419873408
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

Jon S

Maybe the 87 year old bought the car new at age 29 and felt he knows the car inside/out. He has every right to enjoy his car. Like others have stated, things have changed in auto safety and sh**t happens but that should not deter us from enjoying our cars.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

johnmereness

They are just cars - drive them and have fun.  And, if they need re-restored for some reason then re-restore them (my 41 Cadillac 60 Special was driven 80K miles from 1979 to 2015 (it was a 14K mile totally unrestored car when found in 1979 and excepting mechanics was still pretty untouched in 2015 - and new owner is continuing to drive it).  Also, 1935 Auburn 851 Phaeton just received an engine rebuild and partial repaint after 49,900K miles of driving on prior restoration.

Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373

If you dont drive it, why have it? Life is short so have fun. Mine certainly is not pristine and I drive it.
I do my best to avoid traffic because she doesn't stop as well as my Honda but also because I can't see out of it all that well. That 5 o'clock position is a pretty good blind spot. There is a ltitle salt on the road today so its staying in the garage.
I did put more modern seat belts in.
Jeff
Jeff Rosansky
CLC #28373
1970 Coupe DeVille (Big Red)
1955 Series 62 (Baby Blue)
Dad's new 1979 Coupe DeVille

cadman56

Scot makes a good point about backing up and when I still drove I turned around and used my eyes.  However, I grew up on a farm and learned to back up with mirrors.  That said, the vision out of the rear of my 56 Seville is superior to my 91 Brougham, 2005 LaCrosse, and 2015 Silverado.  Vehicle design today with small rear windows and high rear backs is stupid in my estimation, even though it is probably for aerodynamics.
I sincerely hope the driver of the 59 recovers.  So sad a stupid driver caused this accident.
1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille (sold)
1956 Cadillac Convertible (sold)
1956 Cadillac Eldorado Seville (sold)
1967 Cadillac Eldorado (sold)
1968 Cadillac Convertible (Sold)
1991 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham dElegance
Larry Blanchard CLC #5820

7gen

I agree with Scott that "eyes only" is the way to go but as time takes its toll on our bodies, that standard becomes harder to meet. Arthritis, back surgeries, shoulder surgeries, neck surgeries - life piles up the restrictions incrementally. I'm impressed that the fellow was still enjoying his car at age 87. My co-pilot helps me ensure I'm aware of everything, thank goodness.

Enjoy both your car and your health at the same time. There will come a time when the things we did automatically when younger just don't function the same way and we'll need to compensate.

A guy drives up the wrong ramp, panics, synapses close and he stops thinking clearly. He does the wrong thing because he is in sensory overload - cars honking, the OMG feeling of being where you shouldn't, the "I gotta get out of here now!" feeling, adrenaline dumping into the system, flight or fight kicking in. He lost it and someone else paid a big price. He'll carry the fact that he hurt someone for the rest of his life. The guy in the hospital needs our prayers but the fellow that put him there also needs some mercy.

Hey, if we pay everyone what they deserve, would anyone ever escape a whipping? The less they deserve, the more our generosity is worth. Or so I've been told...

Carl Fielding

I am physically as old as this victim of another's stupidity. My reflexes are as good or better than they ever have been. (Oh , did I mention it only took 72 years for me to reach 89 physically - according to my doctors.) Yeah , reflexes are millisecond fast , and usually bullseye accurate. What degrades is concentration. A couple of years ago I almost caused 2 freeway accidents. One merging , the other changing lanes. I figured it was getting time to hang up the spurs. Before I dismounted, I took an all day safe driving class at the racetrack. 1/2 day classroom , 1/2 day saddle time. Page one in the classroom diagnosed and cured my disability. MY REAR VIEW MIRRORS WERE ADJUSTED INCORRECTLY !!!!! How many of you guys and gals know how to adjust to eliminate blind spots ? And since true confessions time has rolled around again , anyone ever come close to causing a merge or lane change accident ?

We all know how to adjust the inside rear view mirror. Right ? Yes , that is indeed correct. Outside ? Drivers side ? Adjust out until you can barely see the rear end of fender at the extreme inside edge of the mirror , right ? I think it was Big J.P. Richardson who said "Tha'sa RIIIIGHT , you catch on FAAAAST !" Uh , but hold on there : From where ? NO ! NOT FROM THE DRIVING POSITION, as almost everyone  mistakenly believes to whom I preach , as a recently converted myself. Lean far left until you are an inch or two away from the side window and adjust thusly from THAT position. Right side , wide angle mirror ? Adjust accordingly from a "Gangster Lean" position , with your head aprox in line with the already adjusted inside rvm................................Waddaya say we go for a drive ?

Doesn't feel  quite right , huh ? Nope. Slow down a bit. It is night time . Straight down the freeway. Headlights approach in your inside rvm , and slowly migrate to the edge. As the lights are about to exit the field, they are handed off to the inside edge of your outside mirror. As the lights from the overtaking car are just about to leave the outside edge of the mirror , you see the vehicle in your direct peripheral vision.Good trick ! You have just eliminated blind spots ! If you can not see it , it is not there ! And there is a bonus for the now safer driver. We who just learned this will not totally get used to the new environment. We will constantly lean this way and the other , just to make sure. You have now become an even MORE aware , vigilant driver ! I have tried to teach this to a number of people. Some get it , some don't. I hope YOU get it. And you don't have to spend any of your hard earned $$$$$ , and a long day at , and driving to and fro , the racetrack. The lives you may save could be you and your loved ones. Or someone else's. They may have even been around for a long time already , driving a brand X , or maybe a '59 droptop. I am hoping to drive through Orcutt fairly soon in my 1927 deathtrap. I hope I have someone to visit there.  - CC

Carl Fielding

Mmmmmff.......... I forgot to mention. No oldster I have yet "learned up" has known about this potentially life saving optical imperative. Not one. A youngster who had been through a very good drivers training course knew of it. But not all driving schools are aware of this. I am guessing at least one of you will be. Please confirm this. There are even some cars which have difficulty adjusting far enough out. This information should be taught to every licensed driver. The lives they may save could be yours or your loved ones. Or someone else's.  -  CC