Does running a benchseat without headrests worry anybody else?

[eightbanger]

Never! nor will it.

[Hubscrub]

i don't worry about it and i was rearended in my 86 monte carlo ss by a 90's chevy pickup at maybe 30 or so because the kid droped his cell phone/ and my monte took it like a champ the worst damage was my bucket seat frame was broke at one bolt in the front the newer truck well it needed some parts for it i didn't have to replace anything but the shocks things for the bumper, score one for one of the last full frame cars the only thing i might upgrade to is the 3 point seat belt but the only reason i really wear one sometimes is because it's the law. I don't drive my old truck for the safety of it.

[R.L.]

No and I could care less for a headrest, but that doesnt make it smart on my part; and that video crash test with the old chevy really opened my eyes.

[67chevy1series]

well no offense but my 67 has metal behind my head, so i will get a big concussion but i wont have glass stickin out my head!

[pmpski_1]

Yep. I will eventually upgrade to some seats with headrests. I still have a solid steering column and no air bags, but I'll do what I can.

[bobs409]

I've heard alot of things about that 59 Chevy vs. the newer car crash. First off, the 59 Chevy has an X frame and they "strategically" hit it in the best place to do the most damage, at the front corner. I'd like to see this crash head on!

Lets see that same crash but with an old car that has a perimeter style frame. Think it would be the same?

I may catch some flack about this but I'd be willing to bet that crash was rigged in the newer cars favor.

Even if I'm wrong, I'd still rather be driving that cool 59 over that puss case new car!

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by bobs409

I've heard alot of things about that 59 Chevy vs. the newer car crash. First off, the 59 Chevy has an X frame and they "strategically" hit it in the best place to do the most damage, at the front corner. I'd like to see this crash head on!

Lets see that same crash but with an old car that has a perimeter style frame. Think it would be the same?

I may catch some flack about this but I'd be willing to bet that crash was rigged in the newer cars favor.

Even if I'm wrong, I'd still rather be driving that cool 59 over that puss case new car!

I agree 100% especially the x frame
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[special-K]

Life is full of chances and "what ifs". What are the odds?,is what you have to ask. That train hit looks bad. But the truth is there would be no injury if you weren't even wearing a seatbelt,let alone having headrests. I wear seatbelts,but never used to. I was in a head-on which demolished my '69 Dodge Power Wagon. I mean demolished,way worse than that Suburban. I know I'm lucky,but I only broke my jaw and got cuts. The windshield and back window were out of the vehicle. I'm just saying,most instances will likely never happen and if they do it can go either way. You can live your life in fear of what might happen or you can just live. There are those things were can avoid with better awareness and there are those that we can't,no matter what,and even the best safety equipment won't save us. People can still get whiplash with headrests,BTW.

[ubtripn]

Or we can do both - live without fear and also live smart. I was just curious if people thought about it. The reality is that seatbelts saves lives, so do airbags. They do get whiplash with headrests, I agree, I did, just much less severe.

I didn't mean to light one off here - it's my first two pager as far as posts go. If safety was the primary concern I would just buy new. I think the advancements have helped alot but the reason I drive my truck is to go back in time. By that I mean to a simpler time and remind myself of when things seemed better.

One thing - how can not wearing a seatbelt give the same results in the trainwreck? It keeps you in your seat. Most people in roll-overs are thrown out then rolled over by their own car.

In closing - I think the biggest safety factor is being just a lttle higher than the car you are hitting or geting hit by. (Higher up in the air that is.) My truck does have that advantage so...

[bobs409]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

I didn't mean to light one off here - it's my first two pager as far as posts go.

This is a good thing. Means you started a hot topic.

[eightbanger]

Originally Posted by bobs409

I've heard alot of things about that 59 Chevy vs. the newer car crash. First off, the 59 Chevy has an X frame and they "strategically" hit it in the best place to do the most damage, at the front corner. I'd like to see this crash head on!

Lets see that same crash but with an old car that has a perimeter style frame. Think it would be the same?

I may catch some flack about this but I'd be willing to bet that crash was rigged in the newer cars favor.

Even if I'm wrong, I'd still rather be driving that cool 59 over that puss case new car!

You'll catch no flac from me...right on brother!

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

Or we can do both - live without fear and also live smart. I was just curious if people thought about it. The reality is that seatbelts saves lives, so do airbags. They do get whiplash with headrests, I agree, I did, just much less severe.

I didn't mean to light one off here - it's my first two pager as far as posts go. If safety was the primary concern I would just buy new. I think the advancements have helped alot but the reason I drive my truck is to go back in time. By that I mean to a simpler time and remind myself of when things seemed better.

One thing - how can not wearing a seatbelt give the same results in the trainwreck? It keeps you in your seat. Most people in roll-overs are thrown out then rolled over by their own car.

In closing - I think the biggest safety factor is being just a lttle higher than the car you are hitting or geting hit by. (Higher up in the air that is.) My truck does have that advantage so...

You are right, if I had not been wearing a seatbelt the impact of the train hitting me at 25MPH would have made me fly out of the seat and over to the passenger side, and yes the headrest didn't do much, if anything, in this circumstance.

[eagleuh1]

Padded rifle rack/gun rack, hmmmm. Have to rap some padding around that bolt action before I get a bolt through the back of the head. I'm with the don't worry, be happy, drive smart crowd. I ride a motorcycle, with helmet, hanglide with helmet, parachute. Leave room in front of you at stops... I once got rearended by a small Toyota doing 65. I had barely got stopped in time to avoid the painters van in front of me and his 2x10 planks sticking out the back. The girl driving the Toyota was turned talking to her boyfriend, he was reading a book. Neither saw what happened. They drove under my longbed Toyota pickup, totoled the bumper only, which ended up on their windshield. Neither was injured seriously though. My truck got pushed forward about 10 feet untill I had 2x10s sitting on my dash pad, no windshield or wipers and a split down the middle hood. Everybody was lucky that day. Don't remember ever hitting the headrests, it was a kind of gentle lift and push. I'm a bench no headrest truck guy.

[darush01]

Well ive recently been rear ended in my 83 custom deluxe the lady behind me got hit and her 05 camry i think it was was pushed under my truck, besides bending the bumper denting the drivers bedside and hurting my shoulder nothing major, then about a month later something went wrong i crossed the center line hit a 99 s10 i was doing about 30 he was doing about 45 needless to say it hurt my hood went through his windshield my truck slid down the drivers side of his turned his rear end sideways and spun his truck around several times stopping on top of a lamp post. Noone was seriously injured but after Surviving that i dont realy care about headrest because if its going to happen its going to happen, i dont even remember the impact
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[ubtripn]

wow - lucky day indeed. I get your point but I had a shotgun explode once because of muck in the barrel, now I check my barrel.

I am for the gun rack slash mini-airbag approach that would inflate on impact. Cool yet functional. Guess I will just have to wait for it to be invented.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

Or we can do both - live without fear and also live smart.

That's exactly what I do. The more aware you are,the less you have to fear.

[jocko]

that 59 impala crash makes me want to cry - I coulda used that steering wheel, it's common with a 60-66 C10 deluxe wheel...

[71sierragrande]

Heres my one and a half cents: I dont think about it at all. Sure, there have been some good safety advancements in the last forty years and I dont want to discount them, but I just feel that the old truck is a time machine and I'll take the good with the bad, as is. And that the more modern items that go on it or in it, the less classic it is. If safety is a big concern for someone, they might want to go with a more modern vehicle. Truth is, if Im going to make changes to it, it will be OLDER stuff, not newer stuff(you guys have seen the '59 impala dash in these trucks, OH YEAH!) Just one dummy's opinion.

[Mike Bradbury]

I definitely liked the older original bench seat when I bought my truck, It reminded me of my grandpas truck the way the old interior smelled. But I am also a father and my daughter loves to cruise in the truck. I want to grow old with her and she with me. The late 90's Ford F-350 bench seats fit in relatively easy with only a little welding on the front bracket. When I bought mine for $25 at a swap it was in pretty good condition but I had it re upholstered to match the color of the truck but also the stitch pattern of the original bench. I am 5'10" and my arm rests nicely on top of the bench and the palm of my hand rests on the vertical portion of the passenger head rest. I will soon be getting shoulder belts.

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by 71sierragrande

Heres my one and a half cents: I dont think about it at all. Sure, there have been some good safety advancements in the last forty years and I dont want to discount them, but I just feel that the old truck is a time machine and I'll take the good with the bad, as is. I just feel that the more modern items that go on it or in it, the less classic it is. And, if safety is a big concern for someone, they might want to go with a more modern vehicle. Truth is, if Im going to make changes to it, it will be OLDER stuff, not newer stuff(you guys have seen the '59 impala dash in these trucks, OH YEAH!) Just one dummy's opinion.

people worry to much they drove this stuff every day then I've rode many a miles as a kid in one, just enjoy the ride
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[ubtripn]

I like the avatar Special K

[DorianB]

Just my two cents, take it or leave it... at 16 years old I was rear ended by a Chevette while I was waiting to turn left across traffic. I was driving a little Mini truck at the time (Can't remember which). I do remember looking up in the rear view mirror and having just enough time to take my foot off the brake and hit the gas before she plowed into the steel step bumper I had.

The impact threw the truck about 30 feet forward and a bit sideways and bent the bumper down into what looked almost like a roll pan. The Chevette looked like it had been made of butter and everything was smashed back about 3 feet.

My head bounced off the back glass pretty badly, and gave me some serious headaches for some time. Luckily I was 16 and the brain had plenty of room to rattle around still

I will be getting some seats with headrests for the simple fact that it can happen and it is not that big a deal to get them. I'll be buying new seats anyway. It's like having insurance. By the time you wished you had them it will be too late to get them.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by Cole Trickle

Its better not to think of it......

Car safety has come a long long way in the last 50 years. Always cracks me up when you hear old timers talking about American Iron and how much damage it would do to the other party.

This video will give you a new persepective....

YouTube - ‪Crash test: 1959 Chevy Bel Air‬‏

They had the statictics previously and it went on to say the guy in the 57 was killed instantly and the driver in the newer Malibu had a sprained or broken ankle.

The steering collapsible column is one innovation that I would not want to do without. This video proves it again. In the mid '70s a teenage girl in our neighborhood was killed instantly in a crash by the steering wheel in a mid-'50s Ford truck. This video may have been rigged some how-I doubt it-but that column is hard to overlook where it goes. And doesn't the X-frame have a perimeter frame too, just not as much as a "conventional" frame?

[swissarmychainsaw]

I found a cool video of a guy who installed headrests on a bench seat.
These are 3rd row from an SUV but the idea looks the same.
Come to think of it though, my Suburban bench might be to low in the back for this to work, but it's interesting.

I even thought of just welding in a loop like the green seats above and upholstering them.

Installing headrests in bench seat of Ford...

[burnin oil]

No worries at all. I hate the newer seats, especially in Ford vehicles. When I drive the F150s at work the first thing I do is flip the head rest around. I like headrest for comfort but cant stand the way alot of the newer ones push you head forward. It works great if you are trying to drive with the seat in the horizontal position. I recently swapped out the bench seat for some power seats out of a Durango as it was cheaper than recovering my bench seat. These have integrated head rests but are almost perfectly vertical. No staring at my boots while driving. My truck still has the original seat belts and I have no plans of going to 3 points. Heck my 51 Mack doesn't even have seat belts.

Back when I was in high school and just after I worked at a junk yard. I can tell you that the cars from the early 90s did not fair to well in crashes. Each design has its merits. We used to wait for the rescue squad guys to come in to see if people survived. Older heavy frame vehicles tended to give whip lash injuries but people survived. Newer cars tended to pin the occupents and get impaled. One car that I remember very well was a Saturn with those highly toughted side impact bars. It was Tboned at 25MPH on the passenger side. The door was half way across the drivers seat! After talking to both the officer and EMS guys speed was verified and the unlucky driver did not survive. I have seen several pickups the nailed trees right between the frame rails on the front. Fans would be bent around the motor but the cab was untouched. I am sure the driver was sore but definatly walked away.