Cobra crash, no seatbelts

[t walgamuth]

My thought is that it is easier to lose control in the Cobra.

[Bruce.huling]

I recently watched in rear view mirror a friend spin out into oncoming traffic at 35 head on into a Prius. He walked away with 5 point belt marks on shoulders otherwise fine. Amazing as front half of car destroyed. Prius driver had bloody nose and showmen up from airbag deployment. I found the cobra hood about 40 feet away in bushes. Not a scratch. Otherwise parts and bits everywhere. Glad both lived to tell about it. Those race harnesses really did a good job. Nothing to sneer at.

[Blue66]

There is nothing really there to help ya in a crash.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Blue66

There is nothing really there to help ya in a crash.

Generally, I agree. Cobras are lacking most of the safety measures mandated by governments over the past 60 years. They're an homage to the '60s and, as such, have little more than seatbelts and good brakes.

Regardless, it's worth noting there are substantial differences in how different cars are constructed:

E.R.A. 427:




Superformance MKIII:




Kirkham:




Factory Five Mk4:




West Coast / Kellison:



Note the door beams and other occupant protection in FFR and West Coast cars. I understand Arntz / Butler shared these features as well. Those with 'ladder' frames generally don't.

Notwithstanding substantial differences in frame / chassis construction and occupant protection, few of these cars have collapsible steering columns and probably none have engineered crush zones.

Be careful out there!

[spdbrake]

Great point Brian.

The 50 year mark of the IIHS.
Matchup 2009 Malibu VS 1959 Bel Air.

https://www.iihs.org/about-us/50th-anniversary

[kris-kincaid]

Thats a Shelby CSX4000 chassis for a fiberglass bodied car, not a Kirkham

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

Kirkham:

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by kris-kincaid

Thats a Shelby CSX4000 chassis for a fiberglass bodied car, not a Kirkham

This post indicates it's an early Kirkham chassis: Kirkham frame/CSX 4000 Body...AGAIN...and AGAIN

[strictlypersonl]

We don't use beams, but have a complete fabricated waffle structure.

[jeffgrice]

Prayers for my friend Cameron, his family and that his girlfriend recovers physically and that over time she will recover from the horror of this tragic accident.

Jeff

[74proii]

Other than being ejected, i seriously doubt they the driver at least would not have been pretty bad off. Looking at the impact damage, how the steering column was broken and ripped out whole probably. Clearly a Lexan windshield. Look at how the trunk is skewed. Clearly an idiot not wearing seat belts is plain dumb in any vehicle. Yeah there are always those one in a million being ejected actually saved their lives. Why do most of those stories all seem to involve Corvettes? California does not need any more help in being stupid.

[74proii]

Clearly not a roll over in the KTLA footage you see he creamed the light pole. Exploding fiberglass of even normal metal vs almost immovable objects are always loud. Do not know they are so "stunned" by the noise.

[USC_COWBOY]

Originally Posted by raybones

I wear my lap belt every time in my Cobra, so does any passenger. To be 100% honest though I have never used the shoulder restraints.

Start using the shoulder restraints immediately. My father, Paul Cunningham, was a Cobra privateer, campaigning against the factory team cars, on that fateful day in November, 1963 he was leading the last race of the day at Willow Springs Raceway near Tehachapi California. He was temporarily blinded by the setting sun in the last corner, put two left wheels off the paved surface onto the loose earth, flipped and tumbled for the length of a football field, lap belts only as that was all that was required. Died instantly from blunt force trauma to his head as he impacted the steering wheel/column. Shoulder restraints were immediately required as safety equipment. You can save yourself, wear them religiously, fifty years later I miss my dad. RIP

[t walgamuth]

I am sorry for your loss.

[74proii]

So sorry to hear that.

[t walgamuth]

The main virtue perhaps with a lap belt it can keep you at the controls when the car starts moving in ways you don't want.