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Any plastic haters here?
I notice that on older vehicles, the parts made of plastic are always the first to fail, yet the newer the vehicle is, the more plastic it incorporates...
I really don't see why; it's less durable, doesn't last as long, and it doesn't resist high temperatures as well.
Despite this, the auto manufacturers are using it more and more everywhere, even under the hood.
Anybody else wish there was a manufacturer out there that made a point of minimizing the use of plastic?
I really don't see why; it's less durable, doesn't last as long, and it doesn't resist high temperatures as well.
Despite this, the auto manufacturers are using it more and more everywhere, even under the hood.
Anybody else wish there was a manufacturer out there that made a point of minimizing the use of plastic?
It΄s hard to know really. I have no idea of how much cash the manufacturers save by making some parts in plastic instead of metal. But since new cars costs so damn much I think the cost of using metal instead would be just marginally higher.
When a car gets a little older it can get quite frustrating having to change all the small plastic parts that holds hoses and stuff just cause they get weak after a few years of heat and cold.
When a car gets a little older it can get quite frustrating having to change all the small plastic parts that holds hoses and stuff just cause they get weak after a few years of heat and cold.
Interesting question...not sure how I feel about it, personally. I do know that besides the material costs, the tooling for metal parts usually doesn't last as long as tooling for injection molding, so you have to consider that in the cost savings also. I think the plastics have gotten a lot more durable and heat resistant over the years and the molding processes have gotten much better giving better tolerances. I have had few issues in my last few cars with the plastic parts, so I guess I have no problems with it. And when it comes to chrome vs plastic, it's plastic everytime....I hate the look of chrome on a car.
Personally, plastic stuff is usually garbage. Plastic is usually used as a cheap replacement for metal. I like to be very rough with my tools, cars, etc. and I don't want them to break. So basically plastic sucks for me. However, plastic doesn't rust so I don't hate it in every way.
From my experience, plastic interior parts are usually junk, however plastic body parts tend to last a long time... with the exception of bumpers.
Yes it saddens me to see plastic "snap together" interior parts they break any time you remove them, but then again cars these days aren't designed to last several decades. And the newer vehicles get, the quicker people trade them in, and as a result they make them to last even less longer.. it's a vicious cycle! A paradox of sorts...
Houses aren't much different though. I just watched a new neighborhood being built... $250,000+ homes.. made with particle board and FAKE brick siding. I can't see them lasting 60+ years... the house I live in was built in 1928 and STILL in excellent condition.
Yes it saddens me to see plastic "snap together" interior parts they break any time you remove them, but then again cars these days aren't designed to last several decades. And the newer vehicles get, the quicker people trade them in, and as a result they make them to last even less longer.. it's a vicious cycle! A paradox of sorts...
Houses aren't much different though. I just watched a new neighborhood being built... $250,000+ homes.. made with particle board and FAKE brick siding. I can't see them lasting 60+ years... the house I live in was built in 1928 and STILL in excellent condition.
plastic is everywhere and our junk yards are proof.
we need to recycle the plastics better.
we need plastic in cars not only to keep the price down but also the weight to help with fuel economy.
also they are easier to make designs with vs metal and easier to replace.
we need to recycle the plastics better.
we need plastic in cars not only to keep the price down but also the weight to help with fuel economy.
also they are easier to make designs with vs metal and easier to replace.
| schumway wrote: |
| easier to replace. |
Everything else in your post was true, but not that.
| ocalhoun wrote: | ||
Everything else in your post was true, but not that. |
I would think that there is some truth to what schumway says. One of the biggest pains I have when working on cars is freakin' rusted bolts and nuts. Not so much an issue with plastic. That alone seems to make the "easier to replace" statement true in many cases.
^When it more commonly breaks of than comes of correctly, and when the replaced parts never seem to fit quite right, making it always rattle?
It wouldn't be nearly as bad if the manufacturers would stop using snap-on or snap-in parts that at least partially rely on plastic bending in order to fasten. Often such pieces can only be removed by breaking.
And what about modifications? Anybody with a little skill in metalworking can modify a metal part and make it look good, but modifying a plastic part without destroying it, or at least making it look bad can be very difficult.
It wouldn't be nearly as bad if the manufacturers would stop using snap-on or snap-in parts that at least partially rely on plastic bending in order to fasten. Often such pieces can only be removed by breaking.
And what about modifications? Anybody with a little skill in metalworking can modify a metal part and make it look good, but modifying a plastic part without destroying it, or at least making it look bad can be very difficult.
| ocalhoun wrote: |
| ^When it more commonly breaks of than comes of correctly, and when the replaced parts never seem to fit quite right, making it always rattle?
It wouldn't be nearly as bad if the manufacturers would stop using snap-on or snap-in parts that at least partially rely on plastic bending in order to fasten. Often such pieces can only be removed by breaking. And what about modifications? Anybody with a little skill in metalworking can modify a metal part and make it look good, but modifying a plastic part without destroying it, or at least making it look bad can be very difficult. |
I guess I've never broken a plastic part on a car but I can't count how many bolts I've snapped. Maybe it just depends on the person's skill (and tool) set? I couldn't modify a metal part if my life depended on it, but I have adjusted plastic parts with a heat gun, dremel and adhesive. I'm not saying plastic is better for everything...but it has it's uses and in some places does better than metal. (But I ain't gonna replace my tow hooks with plastic
)I hate the texturised plastic. If someone touches it with especially with the finger nails it makes me 
....it makes a noise which I can't stand.
I agree with plastic under the hood, but just for protection, not as a working component.
....it makes a noise which I can't stand.
I agree with plastic under the hood, but just for protection, not as a working component.
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