P5 Driveability

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

The "dyno" headers are the only headers in existence. Low-priority compared to getting body panels stuck to a frame!

The prop rod is the stainless rod that bends around the clutch and brake reservoirs at the back of the engine bay.

I also noticed that the trunk lid has provisions for a prop rod.

 

[John Painter]

If you ever watched the movie "Tucker", you might recall the scene where they were scrambling to get the car together before it shambled onto the stage. I imagine the same thing went on with the P5. I suspect there will be weeks of clean-up work before they allow any journalists or other non-employees to drive it.

The P5 is still a LONG way from production. Look closely at the large pictures posted by Autoblog. The body panels are held to the frame by glued-on and tack-welded perforated steel. The radiator has inlet and outlet on the wrong side. No hood latch. Climate control screwed to the dash with visible phillips-head screws. The random hoses and clamps plumbing the engine. Cable ties holding the plug wire boots onto the coils. The list goes on.

Even so, the P5 is a good improvement over the P4. At least this one has the right engine. They did a great job of cleaning up the front suspension, though I'm curious if there will be any more enclosure of the opening. The hood and trunk lid hinges are complicated, not sure they are a good choice for cost containment! Gauges still look dumb, but at least they are in the car. Interesting new third spoke on the bottom of the steering wheel. Don't see any cup holders, but nice to see a real row-your-own shifter in the right spot and three pedals on the floor.

P5 was together long before the show, it was taken apart and put together several times to work out the fitment process for the 25+ engineering versions. A number of your concerns have been explained by EM, e.g. the hood latch is reliable old school pins, etc, etc.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

John, did they explain the perforated metal used to attach body panels to the frame? I don't think that's going to work for the engineering versions, much-less production. I'm curious what the actual solution is, and why that isn't on the P5. I'm sure they have one but the fact they didn't use it says the panels aren't quite production-ready yet, and it's why the P5 still looks "rushed" to me.

 

[NSTG8R]

John, did they explain the perforated metal used to attach body panels to the frame? I don't think that's going to work for the engineering versions, much-less production. I'm curious what the actual solution is, and why that isn't on the P5. I'm sure they have one but the fact they didn't use it says the panels aren't quite production-ready yet, and it's why the P5 still looks "rushed" to me.

Actually, if you want to permanently attach a composite panel to a metal structure (or vice-versa), perforated metal attach points (hard points) is exactly how you want to do it to mechanically 'lock' the dissimilar materials together. Adhesives have come along way, and depending on which type they go with (UV activated would be my guess) the bond would take seconds to attain a full cure. Robots could apply the adhesive, position the panels, and zap them with UV...securely attached, off to the next station. Even if you wanted to make the panel removable (bolt-on), you'd still use the same method for attaching the nut plate/bolt plate to the composite skin/panel.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

That's all reasonable, but I'm talking about the perforated metal on the P5.
It is just tack-welded to the frame. That is not production ready.

 

[NSTG8R]

That's all reasonable, but I'm talking about the perforated metal on the P5.
It is just tack-welded to the frame. That is not production ready.

View attachment 7645

Now I see what you were referring to. Yep. Not production ready.

 

[CheeseheadEarl]

Now I see what you were referring to. Yep. Not production ready.

While you guys are right, it does give them dimensions for the final mounting brackets, likely a steel "L" bracket that would attach to a nut molded into the fender and a hole with a self tapping bolt on the frame side, to give some adjustability.

I'd like to see that frame tube bolted as well, removing it to service the front of the motor looks to be helpful if not necessary, otherwise dropping the drivetrain out the bottom of the chassis to change a water pump or alternator could be a sad reality.