VW Bus/Beetle = Death Traps?
February 17, 2009 – 9:34 am by Chris Iwanowski
Filed under Aircooled, Vintage Volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1), Volkswagen Bus (Type 2)
Yahoo Autos Canada has an interesting controversial article on the Top 10 Deadliest Car Designs. Guess who’s favourite transport ranks in at #10 and #4?
There’s something exceptionally disconcerting in knowing your body is atop and ahead of the front wheels.…
Yahoo Autos Canada has an interesting controversial article on the Top 10 Deadliest Car Designs. Guess who’s favourite transport ranks in at #10 and #4?
There’s something exceptionally disconcerting in knowing your body is atop and ahead of the front wheels. Along with other flat-nosed pickups and vans of the day, this VDub took things a step further: If a head-on collision didn’t do you in, there was always the potential for engine fires from the under-aerated engine, signifying one of the rare occasions when a VW Bus produced any appreciable degree of heat.
Air-cooled cars never heated all that well, especially in the VW Beetle’s day. Some Bug drivers kept their ice scrapers at hand to periodically clear the inside of the windshield while driving. Others opted for the gas heater. Yes, a gasoline heater radiating its goodness throughout the cabin — for those who enjoyed fumes and flammability with their warmth. What’s most interesting about this deadliest car design is not the concern over toxicity at the time, but the worry of the heaters using too much gas that could otherwise power the engines.
I take this as a warning to tailgaters. I’ll stay off your ass if you stay off mine. For the record my buses have never over heated, but then I’m not trying to win a race. Slow and low is the tempo.
So are old VWs deserving of this title? Debate…
PS. From 1992-1995 I owned a Suzuki Samurai (#9) on this list. Seems I had some sort of automotive death wish.
VW Bus/Beetle = Death Traps?
February 17, 2009 – 9:34 am by Chris Iwanowski
Haha… I love how they worded the Samurai.. “…stability of a shopping cart…”
I’ve owned 3 beetles, 65, and 2 1970’s. They’ve all been daily drivers, still driving my latest restored 1970 today. I do a lot of driving everyday, on average 70 miles, never been in an accident in the 40 years of driving because I don’t tailgate, drive 65-70 mph, and always look over my shoulder before changing lanes.
Not one of them has ever overheated, or caught fire, to bad people with radiators can’t say the same. If someone is riding my bumper I just drive slower making them go to another lane if they want to drive 90 miles an hour. I’ll keep my VW bug over any of the over priced pieces of crap they sell today. Those cars keep the tow trucks in business.