Rear ended with low back buckets!

[vintagetin]

What happens if you are rear ended in a '66 Dodge with little, quite comfortable, bucket seats? If your sitting at a light and some texting someone comes crashing into your butt at a good 45-60 mph? Do you just snap your neck and it's all over? The car is my daily commuter so I'm beginning to wonder about safety. I've been hit from behind once before at a low speed and I was fine..so was the car. I want to put something in there with a head rest to save me, but I also want it to look fairly original. Any ideas? Did 66 or 67 Chargers, or Coronets ever come with head rests?

 

[LuvMyB]

I was rear-ended while sitting at a stop light. Guy was going about 35 mph at impact. Whiplash from neck down to middle of my shoulder blades. Bent the frame of the bench seat and twisted the uni-frame/rear end on my 67 Belvedere. It was 43K original miles, 1 owner. Wanted to kill that s.o.b. He smelled like cheech and chong.
Head rest...66/67 B-body...I don't think was ever made with head rest. Check later model mopar's that have a small head rest that retracts...it looks better than a high back bucket. Good luck!

 

[vintagetin]

Thats terrible! How does your neck feel today? Better? I'll keep my eyes out for the adjustable head rest type. I like those better than he highbacks too. I've seen some in the '69 Barracuda..I wonder if they will bolt in?

 

[LuvMyB]

Happened about 10 years ago. Still feel it. Not sure about the 69 Cuda seats bolting in but it can be "massaged/modified" by a fabricator. KIT.


Lance

 

[Cranky]

I'm paranoid about getting rear ended and always watch my mirror and keep a good distance between my car and the one in front of me at stops so I can nail the gas and get out of the way (hopefully)....and paranoid enough that I put high backs in my 66 Belvedere.

 

[YY1]

Head restraints were optional but rare on 67, never seen on 66 but that don't mean never was. I think they were made standard mid year 68. That is spotter's guide to an early build 68. Chances are high no restraints is early build. Oddly I've seen several 67 cars with a pass side restraint but no driver side...that way from factory. Guess each side was seperate option. My late 80's Dodge 600 seats are verry similar to 66-69 seats and have small head restraints...and they recline.

As a motocycle rider I always assume other drivers don't see me and are horrible drivers.

I agree with cranky. Sometimes a quick escape from the area is the best defensive manuver, especially on motocycle. I've avoided several crashes by being aware of a safe if not technically traffic approved alternate space to drive through. Sometimes it's much easier to turn than stop. Be aware of poles/ditches, though, although sometimes it's better to hit a small pole than another car, even if the wreck wouldn't have been your fault.

 

[vintagetin]

I'm paranoid about getting rear ended and always watch my mirror and keep a good distance between my car and the one in front of me at stops so I can nail the gas and get out of the way (hopefully)....and paranoid enough that I put high backs in my 66 Belvedere.

I do the EXACT same thing in traffic as well. I just don't like high backs much. I feel the old Charger would be much more safe with some head restrants of some sort.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

My 67 Coronet 500 has the optional headrests on the bucket seats. They were a rare option, however, the 67 C-body bucket seat models used the same seat frames so headrests for a 67 Polara 500, or Sport Fury should fit as well.

 

[vintagetin]

My 67 Coronet 500 has the optional headrests on the bucket seats. They were a rare option, however, the 67 C-body bucket seat models used the same seat frames so headrests for a 67 Polara 500, or Sport Fury should fit as well.

Are you saying the headrests from a C-body would somehow mount to my buckets?...Perhaps I could weld them in!! Or are you saying that C-body seats have the same dimensions as the b-body seats? Either way, it sounds like a good alternative if I can find any. I don't have the guts to pull apart a nice C-body. (I love the C-body cars!!)

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Actually, the 66-67 Polara 500/Sport Fury Bucket C-body seats were a bit different in appearance than the A and B body bucket seats (alot more chrome trim, a different seat back panel). But, the optional headrests were the same, so, if you were looking for 67 headrests in a salvage yard, check the 67 bucket seat Furys, Polaras and Monacos. I don't believe that headrests were available in 66, but, I've been told by people more knowledgeable than me, that All the 67 bucket seats would have been made to accept the optional headrests with just the addition of the two post headrests and the metal and plastic trim piece around the holes for each post.
While the 66 bucket seats look the same, they likely aren't built to accept the headrests.
68-69 bucket seats were very different in appearance than the 66-67 bucket seats.

 

[vintagetin]

Thanks alot. I'm hoping maybe I can just fabricatre my seat frames to have head rest. I need to recover and refoam them anyway.

 

[YY1]

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?p=88372#post88371

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=12044

 

[vintagetin]

Not bad! Thanks for that.

 

[Dennis H]

Late model seats. For comfort and the headrest. We'll die in the fire anyway.

 

[Meep-Meep]

Those of us with our 66 and earlier cars have the non collapsible steering column too, so we're screwed in both directions. At least we don't have X frames like the old Impalas.

 

[vintagetin]

Those of us with our 66 and earlier cars have the non collapsible steering column too, so we're screwed in both directions. At least we don't have X frames like the old Impalas.

I've seen some thread on installing suttle shoulder belts...not a bad idea. And I've seen those X frame Impalas..interesting..

 

[YY1]

Pair of 67 head "rests" on ebay right now $19...

Not a big seat belt fan.

Understand what they do.

Understand they save lives.

Should be my choice, not government.

 

[chrisd]

So other than an eBay listing that I can't find right now ( my luck it's probably gone) where do we get headrest's for 66-67 cars? I've found mounting kits for sale before but no headrests. Any one have any ideas?

 

[68 Roadrunner]

I'm with Cranky on this. I watch the mirror, leave enough of an escape route. Get some funny looks, but had to light it up twice. Got out with my car, sanity in tact. For the guy that was in front of me at the light, Sorry Dude! To the guy that almost creamed my recently restored Roadrunner, maybe next time if you still have your license.

 

[vintagetin]

I'm with Cranky on this. I watch the mirror, leave enough of an escape route. Get some funny looks, but had to light it up twice. Got out with my car, sanity in tact. For the guy that was in front of me at the light, Sorry Dude! To the guy that almost creamed my recently restored Roadrunner, maybe next time if you still have your license.

But what do you do if your on a bridge? Or if you have traffic stopped on both sides?