Does running a benchseat without headrests worry anybody else?

[ubtripn]

I don't want headrests because I like stretching my arm out across the top of the bench as I drive but I also don't want my head to be used as a rear window remover. I know I can't have it both ways but does anybody else worry about this? Maybe I could put a headrest just on my side since I drive it mainly alone but how does one go about adding a headrest to a non-headrest bench? Or I could just run a fast engine and wif I see it coming stomp the gas. =)

[68gmsee]

I've probably driven over a million miles in the last 50 years since my job required a lot of driving in my own vehicles and haven't needed one yet.

To be honest, I don't even think about it.

[cdowns]

same for me

[ubtripn]

Cool, I watched a vehicle safety history program and they talked about the whiplash and window smashing that occurred prior to the introduction of headrests and it started me thingking. Thanks.

[special-K]

Nope. And,I don't worry about not having any of the other mandated safety equipment in use since these trucks were built. It seems people create new ways to get injured for every new safety feature added.

[ubtripn]

Lol - very true

[bobs409]

I never thought about it until now.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it though. If I gotta go, it might as well be in style.

[Jeffs70]

haha thats funny you mentioned that. I had some honda seats with tall backs and head rests in my truck but now I got low back buckets im putting in mine and I thought about that often now. my truck has some power behind it also is why I Have thought of this subject because if I hit that pedal is my head going back into the window lol

[Steve Hafner]

I think about it EVERY time I drive it !!! My friend's dad was "rear-ended" by a car going 10 mph, in his 1952 pickup back in the 1960's while waiting for a traffic light. His head hit the back of the cab and he was never the same. I've been thinking about what I could do to mine that would look like it belonged. Maybe someone here can help with an idea.

[Number98]

Originally Posted by special-K

Nope. And,I don't worry about not having any of the other mandated safety equipment in use since these trucks were built. It seems people create new ways to get injured for every new safety feature added.

Very True....

[Dunenutt]

never really thought about a rear end crash, but probably will now. When I had ny 55 F-100, I took great pleasure in popping passengers heads against the back window. Usually only got to do it once per person though, LOL!

[LEEVON]

I don't "worry" about it but yes it's one of the inherent differences of driving an old truck. But you don't even have to break a window with your head to be hurt or killed, happened to a good friend of mine (died) and the window was intact.

It does however affect the way my son rides with me. He's 6 years old and in his booster seat his head is aimed right at the window plus the seat slides around on the vinyl and is hard to buckle in. I let him ride down low in the seat (middle) and cinch the lap belt good. I could get a ticket but I know it's safer for him that way, hopefully I woud be able to reason that with an officer. I put the seat in the bed just to back it up in case I have to.

Take the good with the bad. How tall would a headrest have to be though? I'm 6'-3" and my head is pretty much at the top of the window...so another reason NOT to worry for me.

[Jon Scully]

I put my head through my dad's 90 gmc- reg cab long box-- young and dumb-- hit a 32in tall post (north of the 49th a lot of parking lots have short posts with plug in power for engine block heaters) in a parking lot going a little too fast in reverse......Hit it hard enought to push the box into the cab a bit and leave a perfet 'ibeam' indent in the stock steel bumper- and a good gash and concussion to add to the excitment.

Now I have a 71 blazer with low-backs-- and am very concious of my surroundings, both backing up and on the road for rear-enders--

THE best safety feature in any vehicle is the DRIVER! Most accidents.....even the ones that 'were not your fault' can be avoided by being alert and safe. I have never been in an accident except the one described above....only takes once to learn a lesson!

my 2 cents
jon

[greenbd71]

If a new car hits this truck the new car is going to crumble like a piece of tin foil. I don't use mine as a daily driver so it is not a situation for myself. Daily driver's might want to get a little more into the safety aspect. I got the lap belts and the bench seat and love driving by the cars with seat belts choking people's necks in todays rides.

[leddzepp]

No.

[fastwillie 696969]

i rememeber when back when i was a kid ,seatbelts were just a good tie down system for the ice cooler and i sat in the back window area in the 57 chevy

[Beelzeburb]

I have actually thought about the lack of headrests before. It'd probably be easy enough to add them onto your existing bench seat. You'd have to disassemble a newer car's seat to find out how the headrest mechanism is attached to the seat back's frame and then transplant that attachment style to your truck's bench. The back of the bench seat is simply a metal hoop with a grid of thick gauge wire criss-crossing it. Wouldn't be too hard to weld something to that after you undid the hog rings on the fabric cover and pulled the foam away. Poke two holes in the fabric for each headrest and reassemble. Of course, you'd probably want to have the headrests reupholstered to match the bench seat's fabric too.

[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...

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.

[big mike71]

My head almost touches the roof so a headrest wouldn't do much.

[Already Gone]

Shoulder belts and headrests are for me. I was in an accident and walked away because of shoulder belts and headrests. After I walked form this I bought seats from a 2003 Chev with the integrated seatbelts and headrests and they are going into my truck.

[big_al_71]

Three point seat bealt and bench seat for me with no head rest..

[ubtripn]

Man, you got hit by a train!?!?!? Wow.

I think about it because I was waiting at a light with a truck in front of me when I was rearended by a Mercedes doing around 35. I was in an S10 with Headrests. There was NOTHING I could do but pray. No way out. The headrest made the impact much less damaging.

As far as older cars being stronger, my 68 is lighter than alot of the new trucks driving around so I am not so sure it would buy me much plus the new cars have crumple zones that have saved millions. Once I saw a girl in a Geo Strom take a head on collision with a Van in a rural area, both doing over 60 and both swerved the wrong way at the last minute. Dead stop, no displacement of energy, the airbag saved her life. She literally walked away. Dazed but alive. The driver of the van was not so fortunate. He was bigger, driving heavier metal and he was the one who came out on the losing end. I was amazed by it.

I think I am going to go for one headrest not just for safety but also for the neck sunburn protection =) Since it's my daily driver. Thank you Beezleburb for the advice on how to do it.

[DesertCat]

Well, I have thought about this and wisdom might say to keep the 04 seats that are currently in my truck... but it ain't gonna happen. First thing to go when I get home, that and the hideous matching steering wheel the PO put in.

Now I know where the designers for the Pontiac Aztec went. Just can't stand them. No offense to those who have them, but they are not for me.

But if one was to put seats in with a tall back/headrests, limo black tint on the rear window might help hide them. To me, they just look odd in these trucks but what can you do? Maybe a gun rack with built in head rests/

[purple gas]

A cousin of mine used to drive an amulance. A volvo and a 57 chevy had a head on. The solid steering column in the '57 drove the drivers head nearly right through the roof of his car. The Volvo was smashed, but the drivers door opened and closed prefectly.. There's more to surviving than the amount of "Iron" in your ride. The head rest thing is not only for rear end colisions. In a frontal crash the occupants are thrown forward and can recoill back later in the crash seqence. Headrests are a great thing, but they stick out like a sore thumb in these trucks. But that back window is so damn close..

[Shane]

... about as much as I worry about riding a bicycle without a helmet.