Stainless Steel Fords.

Those are way cool- thanks for the pointer.

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@storefull-3172.bay.webtv.net:

Stainless steel gets a patina?

One definition of "patina" is superficial appearance or coating. In that sense, stainless steel would have a patina, but, you're right, it isn't the common usage of the word

I saw a at least two of those cars at the Pittsburgh art museum years ago (literally just off campus from where I went to college) I don't remember if the T'bird was there or not but I'm certain that examples of the other two were.

i wonder if these had gone into production if they wouldn't have ended up having the same problems as old Avantis - having fiberglass bodies, an Avanti always looks pretty good unless it's got so many miles on it that the seams have started to crack apart. But it's still not uncommon to find a nice looking/driving Avanti that needs serious work, usually the torque boxes go first but often the frame itself rusts out from under the car.

I suppose a stainless steel strong enough to use for the frame would be way too expensive for a normal production car...

nate

I suppose a stainless steel strong enough to use for the frame would be way too expensive for a normal production car...

nate

***** I think the price of stainless steel has come down a bit, since offshore oil producers now use it a lot in production tubulars, etc. I dont think there should be any trouble with basic strength, but since stainless steel is very susceptible to chloride corrosion, winter salted roads could cause a problem.

DeLorean made stainless bodies but that wouldnt be a very good example of anything positive.

right, but the body is not structural (or if it is, in only a contributory way) on a traditional body-on-frame car. The modulus of elasticity for most commercial stainless steel is lower than that of regular carbon steel, at least when we're talking about fasteners - so by association, I ASSume that the same is true fo the steel normally used in frames (I would think that mfgrs. would tend to use high strength alloys, and presumably have been doing so for years)

nate

I saw an article at MSNBC Articles that says China scientist find use for cigarette butts.They say the nicotine keeps steel used for oil pipes from rusting.Maybe that can be applied in the production of cars too. Anybody want my cigarette butts? cuhulin

right, but the body is not structural (or if it is, in only a contributory way) on a traditional body-on-frame car. The modulus of elasticity for most commercial stainless steel is lower than that of regular carbon steel, at least when we're talking about fasteners - so by association, I ASSume that the same is true fo the steel normally used in frames (I would think that mfgrs. would tend to use high strength alloys, and presumably have been doing so for years)

nate

******* Agree, body panels are usually not a part of the structural strength for the case you discuss.. I dont guess there are many body-on-frame applications for modern automobiles (not counting trucks in this definition).

I think there are better ways to get corrosion protection than to go to stainless in these types of applications.. Cheaper too. And appearance alone doesnt seem to justify the problems involved.

All-composite is another way to go.... Lotus tried that with the original Elan... wouldn't mind having one of those, really.

FWIW I believe that the current Corvette could still be considered a fiberglass body on a separate steel "frame" although in recent models it doesn't much look like what we traditionally think of as a frame...

nate

One drop of pure nicotine on a cat will kill the cat, or so I once read somewhere. cuhulin is over 700 years old.The Cattle Raid Of Cooley. cuhulin

Where does the name come from?

Seriously, nicotine extract can be pretty dangerous. Will kill people as well as insects. Cats are pretty moxie...They are particular about what they eat.