Metal...body?

[Ekh]

They don't dent so easy. Yeah, I've seen the commercial where they drop pavers into the bed. Have you seen Honda's version? Not a dent or chip. You won't see Chevy doing that. Elio probably went to steel body panels for cost and availability's sake. I doubt weight savings had anything to do with the body choice. Now, the frame, on the other hand...

It's all a juggling game. Weight is part of every design choice Elio makes. But how much (forgive me) weight is given to weight will vary with the particular issue at hand.

For instance, in evaluating the radiator, weight might be more of a consideration than it would be in evaluating the rear wheel axle, because in that case strength trumps weight savings though both are important.

I would think that in the case of the body panels weight is very important, but so are strength, durability, and cost. And corrosion resistance, though that is also addressed in painting and galvanizing. Galvanizing does add weight, but it is essential for corrosion resistance. Alas, galvanizing does nothing for strength.

But I wander. The point I'm trying to make is that everything connected to everything else in the Elio, And choice of body panel material is certainly affected by weight.

 

[bowers baldwin]

Race truck? Oh?

Race truck...

 

[Horn]

No argument there [place is getting pretty crummy], the area where the plant was is just an open expanse of concrete and weeds for as far as the eye can see...I drive by it every day. There's talk of turning it into a "Industrial Park"...Which is pretty much what everything around it already is, and mostly vacant.

"Industrial park" is a really nice way of saying that a community lost a lot of jobs.
It sucks, but STL is going to keep getting worse. Turning into East STL...

 

[Coss]

View attachment 11148
Race truck...

Nice! S10 Blazer? And from the looks of the interior, drag racing? What class and times does it run?

 

[bowers baldwin]

Nice! S10 Blazer? And from the looks of the interior, drag racing? What class and times does it run?

Yup, 85 Blazer drag racer, It's not really that fast, I'm in the 12's with it. I'm not really that serious about it, it's more of a street beater for me, but I do hold my own on muffled street night at the track. Best $1700 ever spent on Ebay.

 

[imageon]

Back on topic.
Has anyone heard how the change to the all metal body and unibody construction will affect the production of the 100 vehicles in December?
MK

 

[Ekh]

Back on topic.
Has anyone heard how the change to the all metal body and unibody construction will affect the production of the 100 vehicles in December?
MK

not a peep

 

[Johnny Acree]

Could they build the 100 with composite panels?

 

[Ekh]

Could they build the 100 with composite panels?

Nope. These are supposed to be real-world cars for real-world testing. Not gonna happen with composite panels. The decision has been made: the Elio has galvanized steel body panels. End of story.

Why on earth do you think having made that decision, they should build, sell, and seek information back about cars that significantly differ from the real deal? Sorry, I just don't get your concern / angle.

 

[Johnny Acree]

I don't know how long it will take to have the stamping dies made. They already have the molds for the composite panels. I'm wondering, if EM has to build something this year, to satisfied some contract, they could build them with composite panels. That's all.