Prepped And Ready For E-series Assembly

[outsydthebox]

I was thinking about these panels only yesterday. I believe they are a wet layup and not the thin prepreg panels that will be on the production models. Does anyone have any information on this? The prepreg products that we use are only .020 thick. They are very hard and light when cured, but can be somewhat brittle. I would like to have more information about them.

IIRC, EM will be using FRP (fiber reinforced plastic?) on production models. They said recently, "the fiberglass panels being used in the E's, is part of the reason they are 500lbs overweight." (Not a quote, just a recollection from my feeble mind)

 

[Sethodine]

IIRC, EM will be using FRP (fiber reinforced plastic?) on production models. They said recently, "the fiberglass panels being used in the E's, is part of the reason they are 500lbs overweight." (Not a quote, just a recollection from my feeble mind)

Was that for the E's, or for the P's?

 

[outsydthebox]

Was that for the E's, or for the P's?

The E's ....the ones currently in construction

(Edited)

 

[Marshall]

Was that for the E's, or for the P's?

I suspect that the actual panels to be used on the production models will be used on those E series models where it is part of the test. Testing anything else defeats the purpose of the tests and invalidates the results.

 

[Indiana Dave]

I suspect that the actual panels to be used on the production models will be used on those E series models where it is part of the test. Testing anything else defeats the purpose of the tests and invalidates the results.

Now THAT makes since. Good job.

 

[TCBronson]

I suspect that the actual panels to be used on the production models will be used on those E series models where it is part of the test. Testing anything else defeats the purpose of the tests and invalidates the results.

I agree, the E series should be as complete and as close as possible to the actual production vehicles unless one of the tests doesn't require the vehicle to be complete for testing.

 

[wizard of ahs]

I'm pretty sure I read "somewhere" that the panels on the production model will be composite (similar to the smart's panels...not fiber reinforced).

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong

 

[TCBronson]

I'm pretty sure I read "somewhere" that the panels on the production model will be composite (similar to the smart's panels...not fiber reinforced).

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong

This topic is confusing to me too. Fiberglass, composite, fiber reinforced, like a Corvette or Fiero, or a Saturn?

 

[ross]

I have one concern, it says they are using water based paint, I hope the material has vastly improved since GM tried it in the mid '90s. I'm sure everyone has seen Chevrolet pickups from that era with whole sheets of paint lifted off the hood, roof, and fenders, it seems that water would make it's way through any paint chip or scratch and dissolve the primer and the paint would just lift off. They repainted a lot of vehicles under warranty back in the day and you can see the results on the ones they didn't to this day.

 

[Sethodine]

I have one concern, it says they are using water based paint, I hope the material has vastly improved since GM tried it in the mid '90s. I'm sure everyone has seen Chevrolet pickups from that era with whole sheets of paint lifted off the hood, roof, and fenders, it seems that water would make it's way through any paint chip or scratch and dissolve the primer and the paint would just lift off. They repainted a lot of vehicles under warranty back in the day and you can see the results on the ones they didn't to this day.

But does the paint react the same way on synthetic body panels as it did on metal ones?