2009 Chevy Malibu vs. 1959 Chevy Bel Air

[Napoleon]

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/a-2009-chevy-malibu-destroys-a-1959-bel-air-literally/?hpw


I will use this as an excuse to post this story that I had intended to post but, got busy and did not, about advances in steel used in cars (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/science/15steel.html?scp=2&sq=steel&st=cse)

[extramundane]

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/a-2009-chevy-malibu-destroys-a-1959-bel-air-literally/?hpw


I will use this as an excuse to post this story that I had intended to post but, got busy and did not, about advances in steel used in cars (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/science/15steel.html?scp=2&sq=steel&st=cse)

I read elsewhere that the Bel Air was rusted to the point of near-disintegration and had no drivetrain. While the overall result probably wouldn't have been much different, I have to think that a more 'complete' '59 (aside from the inherent criminality of smashing a '59 in good shape) might have provided more accurate results.

The bro-in-law's father-in-law knows management at the IIHS smash-em facility. I've been angling to get an invite for over a year now. Perfect for bachelor parties & bar mitzvahs. :thumbup:

[SteveH]

fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view :D

[Napoleon]

fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view :D

That was a nice touch, although I think I would have been tempted to hang one of those car window trays off the driver's side with a malted milk drink on it.

[Sean Malone]

I read elsewhere that the Bel Air was rusted to the point of near-disintegration and had no drivetrain. While the overall result probably wouldn't have been much different, I have to think that a more 'complete' '59 (aside from the inherent criminality of smashing a '59 in good shape) might have provided more accurate results.

The bro-in-law's father-in-law knows management at the IIHS smash-em facility. I've been angling to get an invite for over a year now. Perfect for bachelor parties & bar mitzvahs. :thumbup:

Aren't they just a hop away for you? Like Charlottsville or Culpepper if I recall. It would make for a damn entertaining day!

[oddlycalm]

fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view :D
This test confirms what I've always suspected; fuzzy dice performance could be improved with use of modern composite materials....:gomer:

oc

[datachicane]

Meh. 50 years of technology oughta make a difference.

To be perfectly fair, they should try a 1959 Bel Air against a 1909 Buick (since IIRC Louis Chevrolet was working as a chauffer in 1909) and see how that stacks up.

http://i.pbase.com/v3/20/379020/1/33820493.Cars022.jpg

It wouldn't be pretty.

[oddlycalm]

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/a-2009-chevy-malibu-destroys-a-1959-bel-air-literally/?hpw


I will use this as an excuse to post this story that I had intended to post but, got busy and did not, about advances in steel used in cars (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/science/15steel.html?scp=2&sq=steel&st=cse)
Interesting articles. That a car designed from the ground up with finite element analysis to be crash resistant and made from optimized materials would destroy the 1959 Bel Air shouldn't be surprising even though it may be counterintuitive to some. Age and oxidation wouldn't have mattered; you could make the '59 new out of the same material and the result would be the same. Mass is on the side of the '59 but the Malibu has been designed to stand up to the ultimate mass of the concrete crash wall.

One observation about high strength steels is that we've already done it. What I mean is that close to 100% of the weight saving realized from their use has been realized. If we want further weight savings we will have to look to lighter materials because we have gone as far as we can with steel.

oc