Re: That bumper "accordian" thing

[Andrew Duane USG/PE <duane@zk3.dec.com>]

Hairy green toads from Mars made David Ritter say:

> Andrew Duane USG/PE writes:
>  > A couple of weeks ago, someone started a discussion of a strange
>  > black plastic "accordian" looking thing inside their front bumper.
>  > 
>  > I saw this yesterday on my '89 100Q, and am perplexed. It's
>  > about 8" long, and fits between the bumper and the frame of
>  > the car. It seems completely unattached to anything, and I
>  > can't see how it does ANYTHING funtional.
>  > 
>  > Whatthehellisit?
> 
> I heard that it was actually some type of energy absorption device as
> a balance of some sort for the offset engine.
> 
> I am not convinced that this is correct, I can't believe that the
> accordion does anything useful. 
> 
> However, I saw some type of econobox the other day with a cracked
> front bumper, and a piece of styrofoam was exposed. I guess anything 
> is possible.

This thing would absorb about 0.5 grams of energy, and isn't even
fastened to anything. So I can't believe that theory either. Since it
weighs <50 grams, I can't believe it's a balance either....

-- 

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)			duane@zk3.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corporation		(603)-884-1294
110 Spit Brook Road
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH    03062-2698

Only my cat shares my opinions, and she's too psychotic to express it