QuestionYou may not consider my 1986 Toyota Landcruiser old enough to be a classic, but I do. I am it's only owner and it has only 60,000 miles. I drive it as my pleasure car, never been off road, perfect condition. I believe it was built just before they started installing driver air bags, it has the steering wheel that has what appears to me to be an air bag container in the center. I would very much like to have an airbag installed. Is there anyway this is possible? I know this is not your field of expertise, but I'm not sure it is anybody's.( I would love safety test info on it, but thosestatistics are not available anywhere I can find either.) Thanks.
AnswerThose are indeed excellent vehicles, and I am somewhat familiar with them as my oldest son had one for a few years - a very capable vehicle, and well built (as all Toyota's seem to be since the late 70s.)
Unfortunatly, I do not have any way to advise you about installing an air bag. I have not heard of an aftermarket setup for any car. I know that these are very dangerous devices if the engineering isn't done well, and of course provisions for the sensors and structural features of the vehicle have to be designed into it for air bag use. Unless there was a production line phase-in just after your car was built, I think it is very unlikely that one could be adapted to your car. The only way it could be done is if the phase-in did not involve any major change to the structure or electrical system - and that's very unlikely in my opinion.
Of course, if you can find a mechanic who knows these particular cars well, with understanding of what it takes to have an airbag system in it, perhaps that person could give you some useful information. Have you asked around your Toyota dealership? Maybe someone who has been there for 20 years would have an idea about this.
I'm sorry not to be more encouraging - but that's the way I see it. Please don't shoot the messenger!
Dick.
