some strange ideas that came up tonight (long)

[roadburner]

So i was sitting in the shop cleaning my accelerator cable when I started looking around at some of the parts i have piled up in there. I notice stashed in the corner a 94-95 steering column and leather wheel. hmmmmm So I dig out the column and try it out, of course it doesn't fit. This would leave a couple of options still, use a 93 column or try to swap in 94+ pedal assemblies. My reason behind this was i was thinking "it'd be kinda cool to have an airbag and use an fr500 steering wheel..yea that'd be cool" plus it would be a better looking steering wheel for adding cruise control. So what do you guys think? interesting addition? Just for fun I've been considering throwing ABS on as well. Since I have all of the brake lines out right now, it would be much easier to replumb now than later. From what I understand the 90-92 airbag wiring is its own there and that 93's use the same setup as 94s, but i'm gonna need to research this a bit. If so that means I can use that year column and not mess with the pedals. If not, I may try to snag some 94+ pedals and see if i can get them to fit or not. The multi function switch might be an interesting challenge as well, since i'd have to cut and splice the wiring from the column to the 86 harness, no biggie though. The worst will probably be some sort of column trim since the 86 and 87+ styles are so different. ok, i'm done....just figured I'd toss it out there and get some input...airbag and abs the 86 or not?

[f4fntm]

Well... no. It's just that, uhhhh... no. :?

[50 Proof]

if your good with wiring, i'd say give it a shot, otherwise this has the potential of becoming a wiring nightmare. Also, is the computer different on cars with airbags and ABS? Something to consider. I don't know what year your mustang is or how airbags work. You'd need to figure out how to adapt a complete airbag system off of a later model mustang onto your older model fox. You could always look around for a wrecked SN95 V6 stang and use it for parts. It's an interesting idea, I however wouldn't want to attempt it. I'd be too afraid of getting stuck and not being able to finish or reverse what I started.

[v8only]

the column may not fit, but I'm pretty sure the steering wheel will. This may be a deep search, but I know i've seen people bolting on sn95 steering wheels onto their fox column, and it looked pretty darned good.

[roadburner]

the steering wheel should bolt right on, yes, but why spend all the money on non functioning parts :) As for the wiring, at least on 94/95s i know that the abs and airbag is all separate from the engine computer. I have a semi-hacked 94gt harness i could probably use for the wiring of each should i decide to go through with it. I'd just need the computers, sensors and airbag (and a simulator to eliminate any codes if i use a 94+ airbag computer w/out a passenger side bag.) BTW, since it was asked, the car is an 86gt hatch. White on gray interior. I'm not real concerned with the whole running into a nightmare and not being able to reverse it. I think the only 2 parts i've never had off of this car are the windshield and the K-member and have no intention of cutting things beyond being able to put it back to stock. Thats the reason why I've kept nearly every part i've removed from the car, including the original interior when i swapped it to 87+ style.

I also had another thought for use in the 86 dash. In the gauge bezel, there is a non-function 'shift' light, which i think was only used on non-v8 cars and was set for 'economy' shifting. I was thinking....hmmm....with some creative wiring and/or use of a mini shift light or parts of one, you could make that light functional and adjustable, instead of having a big shift light on the dash or pillar somewhere. Just another oddball idea i thought i'd toss out there :)

I keep coming up with weird stuff like this for my various cars/trucks...maybe one day i'll get around to actually doing some of it.

[Coupester]

Let's just say ... this is one of those projects that if you have to ask "how," you're not capable of doing it...

[Iwantone2]

you could just use the wheel and pretend that you have an airbag :lol:

cheap abs: when the tires start to squel, let off the brake some...




sry, couldn't resist

[Mighty Mouse]

I love seatbelts because they do what they are supposed too, however if your like me (5'2") and you've ever had an airbag go off, lets just say all my airbags are currently dissabled.
I'll give you one reason why, my commuter car was a 95 escort, I was parked at Wal-Mart waiting for my wife to get off work. A shopping cart left in the lot hit the front, it missed the bumper and hit the hood hard enough to blow both airbags. I didn't think airbags were supposed to go off from such a small impact but mine did. The airbag broke 2 ribs and I'll find out if my left eye is permanently damaged in a few of days. One of the few times being height impaired really sucked. Supposedly the newer model cars don't open with as much force, but I still can't afford newer cars so mine all have the older killer style.

[v8only]

You may have a valid lawsuit on your hands. I'm so sorry, especially about the eye.

when i rear ended another vehicle in my tacoma, I was going about 30, and the airbags never went off. Found out in my 98 tacoma, I've got to be going 37 mph for the airbags to go off. You need to look into this. A shopping cart is WAY too sensitive (unless it was hauling some serious ass), and sounds like the system may not have been working properly?? Even if it is an older car, I wouldn't believe they should still be set that sensitevely, otherwise they'd go off everytime someone parked their car in the garage and bumped the wall.

[50 Proof]

I personally hate those airbags. They can be dangerous for small people. Airbags are basically useless for me. I sit far enough back because of my height, the airbags don't hit me. I found this out when my civic got wrecked. Both airbags went off and never hit me. All it did was choke me from all the powder and brake my windshield :evil:

[twister]

I also had another thought for use in the 86 dash. In the gauge bezel, there is a non-function 'shift' light, which i think was only used on non-v8 cars and was set for 'economy' shifting. I was thinking....hmmm....with some creative wiring and/or use of a mini shift light or parts of one, you could make that light functional and adjustable, instead of having a big shift light on the dash or pillar somewhere. Just another oddball idea i thought i'd toss out there :)

I keep coming up with weird stuff like this for my various cars/trucks...maybe one day i'll get around to actually doing some of it.my idea for a shift light is to remove the windshield washer and put it in the cowl....and as for an airbag, I don't like the idea of having one, personaly, I prefeer thr look of the 84-86 non-cruise wheel

[Coupester]

I personally hate those airbags.

You guys are naiive if you think airbags are useless/ dangerous/ harmful. You've evidently never been in a serious enough crash to where the airbag saved your life! We're not talking about drinking coffee while driving or whatever and rear ending someone ... we're talking serious roll-overs, etc. If you've ever had a friend in the CHP ... or law enforcement ... ask them sometime the mind-boggling accidents they've witnessed where airbags resulted in the vehicle's occupants emerging virtually unscathed ...

[twister]

Coupe, I have been upsidedown, I have hit hard, and if it is that violent to where it can help, then the roof will most likly be caved in.....

[50 Proof]

I had a friend get killed out on ortega highway. His car did flip upside down several times and landed on the roof. The car was a brand new 2000 Civic SI with less than 5000 miles on the clock. Keep in mind civics get good saftey ratings. An airbag smacking you in the face for a split second does nothing to save your life when your car is flipping over multiple times. He arrived at the hospital brain dead and his parents had to make the decision to pull the plug. For some one of my height, an airbag is a nuisance and only contributed towards increasing the damage to the vehicle.
I don't want to turn this into a debate about whether or not airbags are good or bad. Yes airbags can be good, but not with all cases.

[negusm]

I had a friend get killed out on ortega highway. His car did flip upside down several times and landed on the roof. The car was a brand new 2000 Civic SI with less than 5000 miles on the clock. Keep in mind civics get good saftey ratings. An airbag smacking you in the face for a split second does nothing to save your life when your car is flipping over multiple times. He arrived at the hospital brain dead and his parents had to make the decision to pull the plug. For some one of my height, an airbag is a nuisance and only contributed towards increasing the damage to the vehicle.

You can not blame the air bag for his death. The roll did it and yes, a frontal air bag will not help anyone getting knocked from side to side or bounced around because they did not wear seat belts.

Just because that air bag "annoyed" you in one instance does not mean it won't save your life the next time when the impact comes at you twice as hard.

-Mike

[50 Proof]

the point I was trying to make is that, in such a sever accident as the one I described, an airbag is essentially useless. And in my case, I have to sit far enough back to the point where an airbag will never touch me and I'm not even that tall either. I know airbags can save lives and are good to have but in my experiences, it did nothing for me and I was in the type of accident where an airbag would have been quit helpful had I been closer to the steering wheel. With the cost of airbags and the amount of airbags that some cars now have, it's enough to total out a near new car.

[negusm]

To ask a question and put things back on track a bit...where would you put the sensors for an air bag if you did attempt the conversion?

I don't even know how they work...are they inertia switches? Do they sense body damage?

I thought they were engineered into the design of the car....

I am just wondering if trying to put them into an older car may provide you with an air bag that wouldn't work under any circumstances.

-Mike

[mfpmax]

I believe impact sensors, and you'd just place them in semi-stockish locations...

Of course i'm talking out of my rear because I read "air bags" and thats it from this thread :D

[Coupester]

I thought they were engineered into the design of the car....

Evidently not ... Mustangs had airbags starting in 1990 ... can't say they thought of that in 1979 ?

[mfpmax]

89 didn't have bags?

[50 Proof]

nope, 90 was the first year along with black interior :lol: