DailyDirt: More Plastic Cars
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
It's been a while since the Pontiac Fiero was considered a "radical" car. If you don't remember it, the Fiero had a plastic body -- which some folks said made it unsafe (even though owners of it were more likely to be injured from an engine fire). Plastic cars have continued to improve, and here are just a few more car parts that are being made from environmentally-friendly plastic.- Bridgestone has designed some air-free tires from recyclable plastics. These tires aren't quite ready for full-size cars yet, but maybe someday no one will have to check the air pressure in tires. [url]
- Replacing steel in cars with composite materials will make our four-wheeled friends lighter and more fuel efficient. Unfortunately, carbon fiber car parts are still a bit too expensive, but that could change.... [url]
- Car parts from mad cows? Does anyone want to drive a car made from infected cow skulls, brains, nerves, eyes, tonsils and spinal cords? Oh, Canada! [url]
- To discover more interesting car-related content, check out what's driving around StumbleUpon. [url]
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Filed Under: carbon fiber, cars, environmentally friendly, lightweight cars, mad cows, plastic, tires
Companies: bridgestone, pontiac
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Recyclable Plastic Cars?
Don't believe me? We're half way there:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:13827
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Printing
The only downloadable car I have seen to date was nearly 700TB. Kind of huge to confirm if it was valid.
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Re: Printing
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Re: Printing
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Youtube - How To Make Your Own Carbon Fiber (Fibre) Parts
candlepowerforums - DIY fully carbon fiber knife building. :) Lots of pics!
Instructables - How I built a carbon bike frame at home (and a bamboo frame too)
Steampunkworkshop - A Victorian RV
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With the added bonus that they'll fly a lot farther when I hit them with my heavy ass truck!
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Fiero
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Re:
I think you were smoking the fiberweed. Up in smoke.
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Ironic
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What's newsworthy about Bridgestone's new tires is they're made from recyclable materials, not that they're non-pneumatic.
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Re: Printing
This one act would kick off a major billion dollar market. The local showrooms and factories would gain when they would have the huge 3D printers and can handle colours, mods and upgrades which would win over the home market.
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I drove several when they had first come out. I can't remember a more cheap feeling vehicle outside of the Dodge Omni/Charger 2+2 family at the time (The special edition Shelby's were high comedy....several interior trim pieces vibrated off including the rear view mirror). Compare the similar Toyota MR2 during that period and its night and day. Tight, solid, nimble and fun. Fiero was none of these things. There isn't a better example of why the American car industry ended up a sad joke that is just now starting to get its head out of its ass.
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