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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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#1 | ||
XB in parts...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2,890
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(courtsey of www.drive.com.au site)
Interesting article. Also mentions FPV & HSV's invite to look at purchasing lighter weight panels. http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/ar...f=4&bg=24&pp=3
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Daily Driver 2019 Ford Escape...looking for XR6T's. |
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#2 | ||
Guy that posts stuff
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 553
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Should be concidered, along with carbon fiber, aluminium and alloys.
But do we really want to drive plastic cars? Certain panels I think you could get away with.. Would love to see a falcon or a commodore with a transperant roof like some french/german cars. But the roof you don't touch, you don't see a whole lot of. Nothing hits it, except bird crap and hail stones which plastic would be superior. Plus with plastics cheaper tooling Ford and holden could afford proper tooling for sunroofs instead of cutting holes with angle grinders. It would also lower the cars C.G and could provide improvements in NVH.. |
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#3 | |||
Cuban... nothing like it
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Watching in amusement
Posts: 11,643
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Are panels part of the saftey crumple zones?
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#4 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 914
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#5 | |||
Uterus M.I.A.
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Gold Coast
Posts: 1,459
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Quote:
The Nissan X Trail (???)already has plastic guards its a weird feeling when you put you hand on the guard and it bows inward.
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#6 | |||
Cuban... nothing like it
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Watching in amusement
Posts: 11,643
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I fail to see the issue, if guards, and roof, have no impact into the safety design or structural integrity of the car, why does it matter?
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#7 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Melb north
Posts: 12,025
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plastic roof panel ,no thanks.
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#8 | ||
Get in the van!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Adelaide, SA
Posts: 1,110
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Have you guys seen a smart fortwo or forfour before? They have the main structure as a visible safety cell made from steel whilst the panels are made from plastic. Both of these cars still have class average or better EuroNCAP ratings.
Also, Rinspeed just built a concept car with a large number of plastic components to demonstrate just how far the technology has come. I don't think plastic is something to fear, and hell, we might even see family cars weighing less than 1500kg again one day.
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The Dad Bus (TM): 2004 BA XT Wagon, soon to be set up as a camper and tourer. |
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#9 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,504
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Definitely looking/looked at it.
Alot of issues remain, especially when it comes to crash characteristics and design limitations. |
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#10 | ||
The Guy You Love To Hate
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vic
Posts: 1,203
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Id much prefer a rollcage personally...
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#11 | ||
FTF Club Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Driving my Tickford T3 Wagon in Sydney
Posts: 3,132
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I am all happy for people to have plastic cars (is in there enough plastic in a car already?) if it passes the safety requirements, as long as it is not my car. I would prefer a heavier steel car than plastic.
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Albert Einstein: Es ist schwieriger, eine vorgefaßte Meinung zu zertrümmern als ein Atom. (It is more difficult to alter a preconception than split an atom) Falcon Tickford FPV (FTF) Car Club of NSW Fords in the Park 2010 I use and recommend Stingray Car Security. http://www.stingraycar.com.au/ |
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#12 | ||
Guy that posts stuff
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 553
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The outer roof skin doesn't contibute to the structural strength of the car in a significant way. The ABC pillars do as does the bits that go across the car to join them to the pillars. If they were structural then sunroofs would require crashtests.
Supporting a car in a roll over can be done with the A pillars only. Side impacts are more of a concern but a link between the two B pillars would solve that. Which is why BMW and Merc are keen to swap over to carbon fiber, its easy for them to do. I would love to sit in a falcon with a large transperant roof made out of durable light plastic. It would really open up the feel of the car immensely. As there is no convertable it would be the next best thing. Imagine sitting in the back of the new Orion at night watching the stars up above as you travel sydney to melbourne. You could then use LCD to darking the glass when the sun is out or have a moveable cover come across. I would have to be throughly tested. Australian sun + pastics = warp/cracks/discolouration/etc |
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#13 | ||
Formally Kia Chaser
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 2,493
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There's a new material which car makers may start using. They showed it on "Beyond Tomorrow" last night. It's a mix between sheet metal and fibreglass with lots of layers of both - alot stonger and lighter (by about 20 or 30%). They are using it on those new Airbus planes.
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Kia Grand Carnival (2006) Silver, Grill Mesh, Tints, Sidesteps (with lights), Towbar, 7" Touch Screen DVD Tuner with intergrated GPS & Bluetooth, Roof Mounted Flip Down 15.1" LCD Screen, Reverse Camera - 184Kw HSV Clubsport R8 VY (2003) Black, 6sp Manual, Coulson Seats, Red on black interior, Pacemaker extractors, Twin 2.5" exhaust, Custom Red 20" VE GTS Rims, Custom Red Stitching
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#14 | ||
Peter Car
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: geelong
Posts: 23,145
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VE is supposed to be using plastic for the headlight brackets and for the spare wheel well.
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