Looks like Chrysler had a space frame in 1934...
So what else is new?

http://www.time.com/time/sp...7686_1657675,00.html


Spoon

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Two yeast spent their entire life "about 2 days" discussing what the purpose of life could be and not once did they even come close to the fact that they were making champagne. Quoted by: Unknown

Yes, high tech is not as high as you'd think. 4-valve, double overhead cam engines date back to, what, 1910?

There is a gentleman local to me that has an Airflow with a Street Hemi 426 in it. Actually quite a striking car that was way ahead of it's time in many ways.

The more I read the more it looks like old technology being recycled.

Spoon

They had hybrid vehicles 100 years ago or something like that too.

There have been many ideas that were before their time, didn't have a cost justafiable application, or technology wasn't where it needed to be... many times ideas just wait for the market/application/technology to catch up.

A few weeks back they were talking about a glass that was developed in the 60's and put on a shelf because it had no viable application (it lost its original application due to cost) at the time is now being used in flat screen TV's and high end phones... So the glass had been around for 50 years with nothing to use it on... but eventually an ecomonically justifiable use was created... just glad they remembered they had it on the shelf!

In the auto industry:
Overhead Cams, Air bags, AFM/DoD, Wankel Rotary engines, multi-fuel engines, space frames, air-less wheels, etc have been around the block a couple times each with the later iterations being much, much more effective than their previous versions.

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 09-25-2010).]

quote Originally posted by Spoon: The more I read the more it looks like old technology being recycled. Spoon

Most everything we have is a product of slow evolution, not instant revolution. Part of the problem is that while we did have all the major 'ideas' long ago, materials and manufacturing processes hadn't caught up yet.

quote Originally posted by WhiteDevil88: There is a gentleman local to me that has an Airflow with a Street Hemi 426 in it. Actually quite a striking car that was way ahead of it's time in many ways.

Please tell me you have pictures of his car., i'd kill to see that car!

Preston Tucker had a lot of great ideas too.............they all had him removed from the picture quick. Safety glass, pop out windshield, rear engine, roll cage, turning headlite..........

Here's the "space frame".
You guys are something else!
Looks like a conventional frame to me.
http://www.diamondbackresto...hrysler-Airflow.html

For your edification, here's a space frame. Now you know.

Maserati (Birdcage) Im pretty sure had the first real space frame.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Maserati (Birdcage) Im pretty sure had the first real space frame.

If it wasn't the first, it certainly was the most.

quote Originally posted by htexans1: Please tell me you have pictures of his car., i'd kill to see that car!

I may have it. I probably do. I just have no computer to upload it. You might find it on Google, he shows it a lot. It is a very tasteful resto-mod. It looks almost stock,except for the widened rear wheels and beefy tires: no gaudy colors or graphics, no wheelie bars or rollcages. Just a nice solid car that he would drive to the show in and haul huge amounts of cargo and six adults in spread out comfort. Really an enviable ride.