for not using steel in their pickups.

Now GM is not even using metal...

.


God only knows what those glues will be made of, probably whatever shit is floating in their contaminated rivers.


.

The HDPE plastic pipe is heated and forced together, creating a bond that is of the same strength as the rest of the pipe.

from the same people who think, despite all evidence, that older cars are safer because they have steel bumpers instead of plastic and crumple zones. All the engineers in the last half century, all of physics, is wrong because Great Uncle Hiram walked away from a crash in his Studebaker once.

but I still think the structure of this '62 in this crash test is impressive.

was doing other business with aircraft mechanics, I tried to get from them some of the stuff Gulfstream uses to glue its planes together. No way, though-- it was super secret, super expensive and not allowed for the general public.

So, I got no problem with GM gluing my car together.

(And maybe now I can get the stuff from body shops...)

It's glued in, with a urethane adhesive (some older cars used rubber gaskets and silicon adhesive which is far weaker). Some people just can't shake the idea that only metal is strong.

. . .who's lives were saved by kevlar that only metal is strong.

That would be like all kinds of fail

How come my glass cracks every time I go hard around a corner?

Drinking and driving

but I know better; I can see right through it.

There is a reason piano wire goes through windshield adhesive like butter.

The whole point is that FMVSS should mandate windshield free tests BECAUSE they provide structural support, so help weak roofs pass muster

I feel like this is going to be one of those circular arguments.

Maybe we can just end with some greatness that is Eminem- And at 2:42 some of the greatest tracks every thrown down!

Worked as an engineer for a major auto glass manufacturer for 18 yrs. Windshields and Backlites absolutely provide structural support to vehicles.

Where are the flames?

Back in the '90s actually.

The hinge pin bushing wear out pretty quickly and its a bear to replace them so you're left with a sagging, rattling door.

Buy a Ford and get quality, simple as that.

I took a coal mine tour years ago in Beckley, WV. Obvious when they dig a tunnel into a mountain they need to reinforce the ceilings so they do not, in theory at least, collapse. They used to drill massive steel rods with threads and angled brackets into the ceilings but it was very dirty, hot, dusty work. Now they actually drill less and use adhesives to attach the brackets to the ceilings. Yes glue holds caves together.

I had a Materials class on this in grad school; it's really fascinating stuff.

all the fancy doodads and whirligigs seem to be on their last legs by the time i put my key in the ignition....

to find a mechanic who can help you is really important

can these things be fixed and maintained

it has been helpful...

useful conversation because the conversation can shift to
-reliability.....engine ok but the trannys have been an issue
-parts.....its an easy fix but you can not get the parts anymore
-cost of parts....everything from dealer only
-ease to work on....had a please please do not buy the car...have to take the whole damn thing apart to fix routine stuff.


he has not steered me wrong yet

His dad is a great mechanic, the kid picked up enough to know how to take care of basic things, and he has a friend who buys cars at auction.
Spends 500.00 or so for a car that is old, but reliable for a couple of years, pays very little insurance, gets to work and back just fine.
I am really roud of the lad for not buying hype, and knowing what real value is.

They were adhered to the metal. A couple of them actually detached though. I hope it's improved since 99. Lol

With a new car a low speed "fender bender" accident in a parking lot will do little or no damage. In a higher speed accident, the passengers will be protected but the car will be totaled.

Cars are becoming like home appliances or televisions. When they're broken you throw them out and get a new one.

I drive a mid-eighties car which was probably the pinnacle of conventional automobile design, before computers, before exotic materials. The car is heavy and slow, with lots of protective steel. As a teenager one of my kids crashed it, typical teenager stuff, and yes, seatbelts do work... A similar accident would have destroyed a modern automobile, the airbags would have deployed, etc.

It cost me $350 to repair the old car, a few parts from the wrecking yard, hammering a few things back into place, and the car was good to go again.

Modern cars are MUCH safer for the occupants. The car is just stuff. Get good insurance and don't sweat the "thing."

I can repair cars, sure, but I sorta resent the fact that communities are built that require them.

My ideal form of transportation is walking. I don't think it's a coincidence that places where owning a car is a nuisance, like San Francisco, are very expensive.

One of my nephews lives in San Francisco. He doesn't own a car and he doesn't want one.

My wife and I escaped the Los Angeles commuter lifestyle decades ago, but we still live in a place where cars are somewhat necessary. I could theoretically navigate the bus system for a doctor's appointment, but it would likely be a long adventure with no assurance I'd get there in time unless I left several hours before the appointment.

My car cost $800 dollars and insuring it is inexpensive. I like that.

I don't want the car coming unglued while I'm driving it. This sounds scary.