Automotive Paint = History?

[Ron Ketcham]

Ford dropped using magniesum for radiator supports a few years back as the warranty costs were huge!!! They would corrode away in as little as two years under the right conditions.

Grumpy

 

[David Fermani]

They also didn't weld very well either.....:nono: :target:ainkiller::flame:

 

[Darkstar752]

I have very little doubt that a plastic fender has any more or less crash value then most of the fenders on vehicles now a days. What car companies rely on is special crush zones as well as high strenght metals within the inner structure for higher speed crashes.

Thanks for clearing that up! Didn't realize the crush zones were inside the structure.

 

[David Fermani]

Yes, they're designed to deflect motion away from the cabin (occupants). If you look where the fender of a car bolts to (called the apron), or actually on the frame rail itself, you'll notice it has several divots (convolutions) that are intensionally engineered to buckle/collapse during an impact so it deflects energy away from from the cabin.