What are the pros and cons of plastic cars?

[FloridaWen]

What are the pros and cons of plastic cars?
by wcunning - 6/6/07
In my recent column, The plastic transparent car, http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10895_7-6740435-1.html
I wrote about increasing use of plastics in car body panels. Would you buy a car with a plastic body?

[attachmentid=9098]

221 CNET readers posts here:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7811_102-0.htm...nl.e497#2508953

"I want to say one word to you. Just one word."
"Yes, sir."
"Are you listening?"
"Yes, I am."
"Plastics."

The Graduate, 1967

[qbee42]

It would help if you put a little bit about the link in the body of your message. I almost never bother to click through on a link if I have no idea what I'm going to find on the other end.

Thanks,
Tom

[Tideland Prius]

Pros:

- dent resistant
- pretty much rustproof
- probably cheaper
- lighter (probably why Toyota used plastic covers over alloys on our rims)
- easy to replace panels

Cons:
- harder to paint (take a look at your bumper vs. the body paint)
- larger panel gaps = more eddy turbulence and unsightly gaps

[daniel]

My Xebra has a fiberglass body. I see no disadvantages in it.

[FloridaWen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 22 2007, 10:31 AM) [snapback]466301[/snapback]</div>

My Xebra has a fiberglass body. I see no disadvantages in it.
[/b]

I am getting VERY interested in ELECTRIC vehicles.......
Does your Xebra look something like this:
[attachmentid=9133]
or more like this model:
[attachmentid=9134]
Do you only "charge" it at home?
Any Commuter parking lots near you that will allow charging (actually have charging stations)??
Down here in Florida, near Tampa, an electric vehicle would be perfect as long as it can easily travel 60 miles between charges....

[hycamguy07]

Tideland:

Pros:

- dent resistant
- pretty much rustproof
- probably cheaper
- lighter (probably why Toyota used plastic covers over alloys on our rims)
- easy to replace panels

Cons:
- harder to paint (take a look at your bumper vs. the body paint)
- larger panel gaps = more eddy turbulence and unsightly gaps[/b]

I agree with TP, &

Traffic crashes more than 6 mph will need plastc body panel replacment..

I had a saturn dent resistant, but 6 mph and you are replacing a door skin.
Metal cars you can pull out the dent....

OMG, what a cute little car, (listening to the circus clown music playing in the background)

You wouldn't want to be on the interstate and have a semi pass you doing 75 mph, they'd find you in the trees somewhere.

Have you seen the other cars on the Xebra site??? they look like drawnings and those acid trip colors, I guess thats so others will pay attention to you.... Oh yeah notice "NO AIR CONDITIONING"

[hyo silver]

Never mind plastic, how about hemp? Isn't BMW making door panels out of it?

[FloridaWen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jun 22 2007, 01:43 AM) [snapback]466220[/snapback]</div>

...... Cons:
- larger panel gaps = more eddy turbulence and unsightly gaps
[/b]

My good friend had TWO Saturns, and both had extremely large "gaps" between hood and fender, fender and doors, etc. It was very unsightly. It was so large (about 3/8" - 1/2" gaps) one could almost put your finger in it !! I wondered just WHY did Saturn have to make these gaps so darn large? Was it sloppy workmanship or just an inherent design "flaw" of a plastic panel vehicle? I never found out why. Can you shed some light as to just why they leave such large gaps ??

[Rae Vynn]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ Jun 21 2007, 11:38 AM) [snapback]465887[/snapback]</div>

What are the pros and cons of plastic cars?
by wcunning - 6/6/07
In my recent column, The plastic transparent car, http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10895_7-6740435-1.html
I wrote about increasing use of plastics in car body panels. Would you buy a car with a plastic body?


[/b]

Okay, that is a cute car. I LOVE the transparent panels!
I wonder if you could put a good reflective tint on them, so the solar gains aren't horrible, without messing up the wonderful view of the world!

My Malibu had a moon roof... I miss that.
I'd love an entirely transparent roof...

[Pinto Girl]

Big pros of plastic/fiberglass cars is that it's cheaper to tool up for production than with automobiles that are of conventional construction.

Also, over time, as more and more steel fenders or whatever are repeatedly stamped, the tooling wears and panel fit begins to deteriorate.

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I think the biggest supposed advantage with plastics is, it's easier to use one platform for a variety of different models. Because you don't have to tool up for a large production run in order to turn a profit, you might be able to do more niche vehicles by creating more unique styles which intentionally don't appeal to a broad market. It's this (at least theoretical) versatility that plastics provide, which some say is a big, big advantage.

However...others say that any of these advantages are offset by the normal problems with smaller runs; you tend to make each unit more slowly and so it becomes more expensive, labor-wise.

Not to mention, you've added a TON of additional parts and such to the inventories which dealers stock, mechanics must work on, etc...just to please a few buyers. And you've got to support those cars for a long time to come.

Also ---and this is BIG with some enthusiasts--- any time you use the same platform for a wide variety of models (especially with vastly different target markets) the single platform tends to be a 'one size fits all' solution that, while being cheaper, doesn't lead to the best product in any of the segments in which it competes.

For example, the sporty version may not benefit from as performance oriented a suspension design, while the practical model won't have quite enough room inside or quite as many unique features because the limitations of the common platform.

Also, the common platform means that things like the rake of the windshield will be the same for every model. This tends to be a giveaway to an increasingly savvy buying public.

I think there may be a bit more to the equasion than the cost of the material used to make a plastic part relative to a steel one. The material costs are small compared to everything else which makes a car expensive.

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I have to say that your observation about the practial aspects of making such windows roll up and down is *brilliant*