Re: was Car Craft Ramblings, now Alky fuel

["Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A: I have often wondered how tires filled with Helium might react? Tough to 
keep it in there probably and the cold would make it worse.


From: farna@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: was Car Craft Ramblings, now Alky fuel
To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <ADVANCES62ix4A2DreB0000021c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Yes, hydrogen fuel cells that produce electricity, not burning hydrogen gas. 
Big difference, especially as far as safety! Remember films of the 
Hindenburg? I don't know about interchangeable bodies -- cost would be to 
much for most people. It would, however, be VERY cost effective for the 
manufacturer! One chassis, many bodies. Would even make it cost effective to 
remanufacture the vehicles. Hmmm.... upgrade instead of buy totally new by 
buying a more powerful or efficient chassis and having your body swapped on. 
Now THAT concept sounds interesting, but most people will be tired of a body 
style, especially if the car is worn, and will want a whole new one. But 
that's where remanufacture could come in. Trade your old car in, it gets 
sent back for a refurb and new body, saving roughly 20-25% of the initial 
manufacturing cost even if all moving parts are replaced. That could work as 
long as the manufacturer can sell the resulting vehicle as "new" again 
rather than as a lower co!
 st used or remanufactured vehicle.... I'd have no problem with it but would 
expect some of the savings to be passed on to the consumer. Say the "high 
line" cars are all new, and the lower tier cars get the remanufactured 
chassis along with the lower price. Sounds like a perfectly workable deal to 
me, and would keep resale value up a bit.

Remember a few years ago when we discussed a remnaufacturing venture on this 
board? Well, the conclusion was for a truly remanufactured car (everything 
gone through to like new status) you'd need one of the high volume mid size 
models (like a Taurus, Lumina, etc.) that was built over a long period to 
have enough raw material. At first it would probably work well, but then the 
price of the refurbed model would go up. I finally concluded that even in a 
mass production facility the final selling price would have to be equal to 
the next model down as a true new car. Buy a remanufactured Taurus that 
still had 4-5 year old styling or a brand new, and new looking, Contour (or 
whatever replaced it)? Some would want/need the bigger car, but there are to 
many hurdles. IF banks and such would finance it as a new car instead of 
used that would help, but I don't think there would be a high enough 
percentage of totally new parts to get a "new car" rating from the 
government. Going with on!
 e model you could have something like a new nose/grille and some side trim 
to make it look slightly different and maybe a bit more up to date, but I 
doubt enough.

Now with the common platform and the chassis going back to the manufacturer 
such a remnaufacturing will work, especially if a totally new body is put on 
it. Volume and a steady, easily obtained source of cars to remanufacture is 
ensured for one thing. Trucks going in delivering new cars have to turn 
around and go back, so shipping cores doesn't cost quite as much either. 
Then there is the number of parts that will be replaced and the fact that 
you're "buying" the new parts from yourself that makes the whole operation 
more efficient. Would be nice if that's what they have in mind! The "lower 
line" remnaufactured cars could even be a spin-off make instead of one of 
the more well known brands. My first thought would be for GM to keep the 
higher end names as they are and make Chevy the remanufactured brand 
(because it's the price leader), but Chevy sales volume is to high. Oh well, 
maybe John Mahoney (who seems to have ears in the auto industry) can pass 
some of these ideas alon!
 g! Would be nice to at least get recognition for it, but I don't mind so 

much if it actually improves the US economy and environment.