Date:         Sat, 20 Apr 2002 20:38:05 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Crash involving Toyota van seen... impressive
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Saw the aftermath of a good crash today.
Looks like the driver of an upmarket early-80s Toyota Townace either
lost concentration or else was cut-off by a badly lane-changing
vehicle; whatever, he was going along the left lane of a one-way
system (RHD vehicles here in NZ, driving on the left) and hit a Mazda
Capelle (626) wagon, probably parked. It seems he was doing about
50-60kmh on impact ie he hadn't slowed down at all, indicating that
he wasn't aware that he was about to collide with an obstruction.

The impact rammed the wagon up onto the sidewalk and caved the entire
cabin in... it was bent in the middle and if anyone had been in the
rear seat he'dve been history. The front part of the cabin was munted
as well

On the passenger side of the van (LHS, remember; I had a GOOD look as
I went past in my Estima, as this has been a thread recently) the
roof was kinked upward a bit, but I looked in through the open
driver's (right-side) door, and the dashboard had not moved, the
floor was unbetn...in other words, the front-seat ossupants would not
have been in danger of injury to to bady distorsion. Makes me wonder
about that German website... this van is the Toyota equivalent of the
Nissan Sunny Vanette seen in the website.

I don't think these earlier Liteaces had the forked or Y-shaped front
chassis members found in the 84-and-later ones, but it certainly
acquitted itself well in this frontal 3/4 impact.

Anyway, I was IMPRESSED. The van utterly demolished the car ahnd was
itself probably still drivable, even though the left-front door
wouldn't have been openable.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut