What is the best material to make a car from(all materials will given due consideration)-Kevin
I don’t think you could make a car from just one material. It would have to be made of at least three different materials, including rubber, glass, and some kind of metal or wood. It would be impossible to make one without glass and rubber.
Well Whitey generally speaking(not including strategic metals)I have heard of the polimotor,anyway I’m basically talking about the chassis and body-Kevin
Well right you are about the rubber used to be classed as the 4th strategic material-Kevin
“Better call Orkin!”
Based on that title for your post, I would suggest that wood is not a good material for the construction of your car.
Just being facetious,more wood been used in transportation then most folks realize-Kevin
I am well aware of the use of wood framing for automobile body work in years past.
I am also familiar with the wooden frame used on the old Franklin automobiles.
I am even more aware that wood is not something that should be used if you have a termite problem, and the use of Orkin’s trademark slogan implies that you have a termite problem–hence, my response.
So, I have to ask–What does that title for your thread have to do with the question that you posed?
Diamonds?
Planes,trains,ships and automobiles,etc-actually just to get people to warmup to the idea of using alternatives in the construction of automobiles,ever see a plywood floor in a KW?-Kevin
Weight , cost , longevity , availability , serviceability and intended useage all play a factor in materials choice. The Delorean body was aluminum. Carbon fiber is used in race cars. Wood and fabric was the standard for airplanes, then aluminum.
Take your pick.
My dad, brother and I built a canoe kit from wood slats and fiberglass. Perfect quality time project but, man that thing was heavy. And it would sink if swamped. But a good ol’ Grumman aluminum canoe could be portaged by one guy and wouldn’t sink when swamped. You could keep paddling the canoe submerged just below the surface. - cost -vs- usage. ( Old boy scout trick ; two guys standing on the seats of a submerged canoe look like they’re walking on water. )
Good post Ken,wasnt the Delorean skin stainless steel?Anyway I know what you mean about the weight of wood,from building a turtle trap and a solar oven,boy the weight on those things crept up-Kevin
Ah yes, stainless steel, that’s the ticket.
Just think how much you have to spend up front, to avoid calling Orkin.
Oh yeah and as they found out has a characteristic or so thats not so endearing-Kevin
Talk about a Carbon footprint!
I once rode in an all aluminum car. Correction, I think only the body, not the chassis, was aluminum. It was a 30’s Avon, around 1936. there weren’t many made. Looked sort of like an old MG.
The owner died, and I think his heir is trying to sell it with no luck that last I heard. It sat in a barn for many years, so the upholstery is gone, of course, but mechanically it should be in good shape – except for the rubber.
I think the owner thought its rarity made it valuable.But, a car is only valuable if someone wants it. And, as far as I can tell no one wants an aluminum body 30’s Avon.
True, but it’d never rust, safety would be really good(hardest natural substance on earth), and that new car sparkle will never go away
sounds interesting-a lot of Land Rovers had aluminum bodies,seems like I’ve heard of Avon cars-Kevin
I guess the market has spoken-thin guage carbon steel,termite proof also-Kevin
There is no “best” material. All materials have strengths and weakness, and all automotive parts have specific needs. What’s best for the body is not best for the block. What’s best for the block is not best for the pistons. What’s best for the pistons is not best for the piston rings.
For the body, every material I can think of except ceramic has been used (if we ignore the countless spec variation), all successfully. Steel, stainless steel, fiberglass, carbon fiber, wood, and aluminum.
For the chassis, all of the above list except fiberglass and stainless steel have been used. And I may be wrong about the stainless steel.
Even seals have different needs and use different elastomers. Seals in fuel pump appliactions have totally different requirements than CV boots, which have totally different requirements than bushings, which are totally different than door gaskets. And then there’s seat cushins.
Even the windows are different. The windshield is designed to stay together. The side windows are designed to shatter into a million little pieces.
For the body I’d vote for fiberglass. It’s impervious to weather and readily repairable.
For the frame I think steel is best. Steel absorbs vibration better than aluminum.
Actually, it was meant to be a joke…because diamonds are made of Carbon. 