Date:         Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:39:24 MST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike White" <MIKE.WHITE@law.utah.edu>
Subject:      RE: Volkswagen 'quality' /L

> Nope. Aluminum is very soft, and fairly brittle when fatigued. And it
> fatigues much more quickly than steel, and so is vulnerable to vibration,
> of which a car has lots. Even if it's alloyed with other metals, it retains
> many of these troublesome properties.
> 
> So, it is rarely used for structural parts, unless the parts can be very 
> thick
> and resistant to deformation (engine blocks, cyl heads, bumpers etc.). And
> never for body panels, since it dents and scratches VERY easily. Otherwise
> Saturn would have used aluminum instead of the (even more durable) plastic
> body panels it now uses.

I'd be weary to discount Aluminum (or Aluminium for our members 
across the way) too much.

Audi in conjunction with Alcoa, has that new A8 frame and body made 
of Aluminum.  I'd imagine if they've improved it enough to build a 
production car, it can't be too brittle or dent super easy.  ("Honey, 
where's the Al foil, I need to go patch the car door!") ;-) 

If only VW had perfected it 50 years ago...  My bus would still be 
rust free!




- Mike White 

[Mail: mike.white@law.utah.edu   -   mwhite@eng.utah.edu]
Visit my '57 23-Window VW BUS at: [http://fpc99.law.utah.edu/]