3 ms·
Scratches and dents are 2 different things. All modern cars have paint which is then covered in clear coat (which is then covered in wax). The wax layer can ea
by athenot 8y ago
Scratches and dents are 2 different things.
All modern cars have paint which is then covered in clear coat (which is then covered in wax). The wax layer can easily be scratched but it also easily buffs out. The clear coat layer is VERY strong and will put up with quite a bit of abuse; you can make that coat even thicker if you so wish, with aftermarket products.
Hail doesn't directly damage the clear coat or the paint, it dents the actual metal itself. To make a car that resists those heavy hail storms would require quite a bit of extra weight, and overall this problem is cheaper to solve via insurance than by building a bullet-proof carapace that will add weight and rarely ever get used.
- thatcat 8y agoIt would only be a lot of weight if you use steel. Remember the 90s saturns with plastic doors that would just pop back after being dented? The problem is that deformation properties in steel are used to absorb impact as a safety device during collision.
- catskul2 8y ago> ...building a bullet-proof carapace... I see what you did there.
- kpil 8y agoIt was an example. It's delicate in every possible way. It tolerates water, marginally, but that's it. I also understand that it's better for the manufacturer that I pay through my insurance or otherwise, but that is not my point.