Signs of getting old. Nice steering wheel or airbag?

[Madda]

I just updated my thread on the new Mx5 and it got me wondering if anyone else feels the same?

Even a year ago I wouldn't have ever considered not changing my wheel for a nice dished Sparco wheel, but now, the original is staying because I don't want to lose the airbag. I wonder if it comes with age?

Who runs well spec'd cars (not competition caged cars) and has changed the steering wheel and who has left the original for the same reasons as me? It will be interesting if it has a correlation with age as well so post your age if you have an opinion.

I am 28

[Daz]

Your just older than you actually are

[nevins]

Ditch it, you want something nice to grip and not something thats going to slide through your hands.

[Ken]

I've binned the original wheel and airbag and passenger airbag aswell

[Guy]

Original wheel gone, no passenger airbag on this one. As I am harnessed up an airbag would potentially do more damage I believe?

[hoopsbhoy]

Airbags are shit anyway.

Dished nardi all the way

27

[Madda]

Airbags are shit anyway.

Dished nardi all the way

27

I hope to not have to find out, but I assume there is a reason why they are now in almost every car which comes off the production line

[BLAKTOOTH]

Nardi 330mm deep corn suede with quick release FTMFW!

I've seen a demo of an airbag going off and I literally filled my Calvins. No way I want one of those exploding in my boat thank you.

Once you've felt a Nardi there's no going back.

Edit: I'm 30 years of age.

[Teggers]

Not as "well specced" as some but I'm keeping the airbag. I've been in an accident where it went off and it certainly saved me from a more serious injury than I actually received.

I'm 33.

[MaxxD]

I hope to not have to find out, but I assume there is a reason why they are now in almost every car which comes off the production line

its the law thats why, i think they gotta have a min number of airbags now to pass safty regulations.

btw omp deep dish sude with snap off ftw

[Delboy]

Most of the cars I've owned didn't leave the factory with one anyway

I would swap a bagged wheel for a decent OMP etc if I wanted to though. I'm not big on personal safety

[Madda]

Nardi 330mm deep corn suede with quick release FTMFW!

I've seen a demo of an airbag going off and I literally filled my Calvins. No way I want one of those exploding in my boat thank you.

Once you've felt a Nardi there's no going back.

Edit: I'm 30 years of age.

I have a Nardi too, it just has an airbag

Not as "well specced" as some but I'm keeping the airbag. I've been in an accident where it went off and it certainly saved me from a more serious injury than I actually received.

I'm 33.

its the law thats why, i think they gotta have a min number of airbags now to pass safty regulations.

btw omp deep dish sude with snap off ftw

LMAO, and they invent these laws just for fun do they? Like wearing a seatbelt and not talking on your phone whilst driving. This whole conversation is about safety over style, its a law, and a law for a reason

[Scottie]

Watch the crash footage of SM Kev at Cadwell Park from inside the car on a wet track.

This is the reason regardless of age why I have always left the airbags intact.

It does not matter if you are harnessed and helmeted, the car deforms and flexes to such an extent during a heavy impact the airbag is still very useful (slows the retardation of the head and as such the speed as which the brain hits the skull) and why I have it even with proper harness and seat etc.

[Sidewaysfun]

Ditch the airbag, and if worried about bad crashes drive everywhere with a helmet and Hans device fitted

[CBomb]

I'm not under 35 or over 35

But I have binned the airbag wheel for a tasty Nismo

[Prior]

Airbag deployment is sporadic at best in accidents, especially on older cars. Theres no way id trust the system on my 16 year old S14, Ive seen to many bags deploy after the accident, usually when we were trying to cut people out of the wreck. And the powder burns are a bitch.

New cars systems seem to be pretty awesome though, especially with the side ones.

[Teggers]

Airbag deployment is sporadic is best in accidents, especially on older cars. Theres no way id trust the system on my 16 year old S14, Ive seen to many bags deploy after the accident, usually when were trying to cut people out of the wreck. And the powder burns are a bitch.

New cars systems seem to be pretty awesome though, especially with the side ones.

Ouch. Yes. I did have a burn on my hand from the charge going off. And the car was a 3 month old Focus (in 2002) not my Nissan!

[Zornyan]

We 'tested' an airbag the other day, was about 12 years old, placed it under the bonnet of a scrap car and set it off. Put it this way it deformed the bonnet that I wouldn't be able to even get it semi straight with a hammer.

Not to mention I've been in 2 accidents and the first one I was only able to stop myself from hitting a crash barrier was by pulling the handbrake up and steering. The initial impact would have been enough to deploy an airbag, therefore stoping me, from stopping a more serious injury.

Finally on a driving course lately a lad I was with had a knock in his astra 04ish. It wasn't that major but the airbag deploying knocked him clean out and burned his face, 6 months on when I saw him and they were very visible

[pdh 14a]

Watch the crash footage of SM Kev at Cadwell Park from inside the car on a wet track.

This is the reason regardless of age why I have always left the airbags intact.

It does not matter if you are harnessed and helmeted, the car deforms and flexes to such an extent during a heavy impact the airbag is still very useful (slows the retardation of the head and as such the speed as which the brain hits the skull) and why I have it even with proper harness and seat etc.

Any link to that vid Scottie?

[Madda]

Votes are evening out a bit as time goes on