Trailer 4 Creation
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 564
From: Margaritaville Daytona
I also remember reading a few years ago that the hydroformed rails in alum had to be thicker than steel to perform to the same specs.
I'm enjoying the hunt for the real C7!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
Are you saying that all the stampings used for the center box, the rear bulkhead, the door jams, etc are magnesium stampings? That would mean that those magnesium stampings would then have to be welded to the hydroformed aluminum frame rails, or are you also saying the hydroformed frame rails are also made of magnesium.
I'm not that knowledgeable about welding, but my understanding is that is near impossible to weld magnesium to aluminum.
Maybe GM is pulling a big one and making the entire car of magnesium. Is that what you are implying?
I found a patent on cold welding aluminum to magnesium but it looked to be a lot of trouble vs just welding aluminum to aluminum. I don't know if those small castings would save that much weight if cast from magnesium to warrant the trouble to weld to aluminum.
I'm not that knowledgeable about welding, but my understanding is that is near impossible to weld magnesium to aluminum.
Maybe GM is pulling a big one and making the entire car of magnesium. Is that what you are implying?
I found a patent on cold welding aluminum to magnesium but it looked to be a lot of trouble vs just welding aluminum to aluminum. I don't know if those small castings would save that much weight if cast from magnesium to warrant the trouble to weld to aluminum.
Last edited by JoesC5; Jan 10, 2013 at 03:38 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 8,099
Likes: 398
From: Oakland, CA
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,776
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Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 20,200
Likes: 400
From: NY
St. Jude Donor '26
that is true. However, the chassis of the c6 was designed as a steel structure then made out of AL for the Z cars. If it were origonally engineered out of AL as we believe the C7 to be, it certainly would have had different charicteristics than a warmed over steel design. That being said, I would guess the C7 frame to be lighter and more rigid than the C6 z care due to that fact.
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Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,083
Likes: 190
From: IL / FL .
Amazingly not.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-g...o-more-bs.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-g...o-more-bs.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 8,099
Likes: 398
From: Oakland, CA
I do not understand. Please explain. Is there something inherent about these welds that proves all of the material we see is aluminum?
We believe they've gone to an aluminum chassis, but what in this video proves or even strongly suggests that the shiny stuff is aluminum alloy? I'm not asking about one particular part, the whole thing.
.Jinx
We believe they've gone to an aluminum chassis, but what in this video proves or even strongly suggests that the shiny stuff is aluminum alloy? I'm not asking about one particular part, the whole thing.
.Jinx
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,776
Likes: 11
I never thought the "rear seat theory guys" were really serious. Just trying to liven up the forum with a wild theory. We all know where C5 / C6 fuel tanks are located and we all knew the C7 would be an evolution of that design with the tanks in the same area. Sure, a rear seat cushion and back could be added but there would be no place for feet to go.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,083
Likes: 190
From: IL / FL .
that is true. However, the chassis of the c6 was designed as a steel structure then made out of AL for the Z cars. If it were origonally engineered out of AL as we believe the C7 to be, it certainly would have had different charicteristics than a warmed over steel design. That being said, I would guess the C7 frame to be lighter and more rigid than the C6 z care due to that fact.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 71
From: St. Jacob Illinois
\The depth immediatley jumped off the page. Look at the background. It looks like *something* is up like glass, a hood or a trunk lid. Then it looks like there is something sitting inside the car. The size of the hole kinda seems like it would be a hole where a hood vent goes based on the size and how far it is from the edge. Seems like it wouldnt be a hatch.
But if you look all the way to the right, there are hard angles/drop offs there. I'm not even sure the front without a clip would look like that.
If you want i can kinda draw on paint to point out what i'm saying. Just take a good look at *this* picture, not the first posts. There is a difference.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,435
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St. Jude Donor '14
Ok looking at this picture....it just kind of jumped out at me, this is a different frame than the picture posted in the first post. The background is now somewhat in focus, not all blurry where we thought it was hood vents.
The depth immediatley jumped off the page. Look at the background. It looks like *something* is up like glass, a hood or a trunk lid. Then it looks like there is something sitting inside the car. The size of the hole kinda seems like it would be a hole where a hood vent goes based on the size and how far it is from the edge. Seems like it wouldnt be a hatch.
But if you look all the way to the right, there are hard angles/drop offs there. I'm not even sure the front without a clip would look like that.
If you want i can kinda draw on paint to point out what i'm saying. Just take a good look at *this* picture, not the first posts. There is a difference.
The depth immediatley jumped off the page. Look at the background. It looks like *something* is up like glass, a hood or a trunk lid. Then it looks like there is something sitting inside the car. The size of the hole kinda seems like it would be a hole where a hood vent goes based on the size and how far it is from the edge. Seems like it wouldnt be a hatch.
But if you look all the way to the right, there are hard angles/drop offs there. I'm not even sure the front without a clip would look like that.
If you want i can kinda draw on paint to point out what i'm saying. Just take a good look at *this* picture, not the first posts. There is a difference.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,776
Likes: 11
I do not understand. Please explain. Is there something inherent about these welds that proves all of the material we see is aluminum?
We believe they've gone to an aluminum chassis, but what in this video proves or even strongly suggests that the shiny stuff is aluminum alloy? I'm not asking about one particular part, the whole thing.
.Jinx
We believe they've gone to an aluminum chassis, but what in this video proves or even strongly suggests that the shiny stuff is aluminum alloy? I'm not asking about one particular part, the whole thing.
.Jinx
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,223
Likes: 556
From: Tallahassee fl
Usually the last of the prior generation is a lead to the next. With the 427 not having the aluminum frame because of flex does that lead us to believe it isn't aluminum or does it lead us to think they found a way to make the frame using a new method that allows aluminum even with a topless car?
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2012
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Likes: 11
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,435
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St. Jude Donor '14
that area looks to large for a vent to me, that opening is not defined to a certain area. I'm hoping that the glass just that narrowly tapered at the bottom. I figure the palm of that guys hand may be about four inches?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
Maybe by applying a little common sense. GM has eight years under their belt using aluminum as a frame material. That was the whole idea of making the limited production Z06/ZR1 with aluminum; to gain knowledge using aluminum. Why would they mix a heavy steel stamping with a light weight aluminum casting when a much lighter weight aluminum stamping would do the job and then weld it to aluminum castings The large front engine cradle that is BOLTED to the aluminum frame rails saved 10 pounds over the same part made from aluminum. The castings we are looking at in the GM photos are much smaller then the engine cradle so I'm guessing they might save a pound using magnesium instead of aluminum. The question is, is it worth the additional trouble to weld magnesium to aluminum to save a pound?
Here is some reading material for you in welding magnesium to both steel and aluminum.
http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/12757...ium_alloys.pdf
Here is some reading material for you in welding magnesium to both steel and aluminum.
http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/12757...ium_alloys.pdf
Last edited by JoesC5; Jan 10, 2013 at 04:25 PM.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: WA
While it looks like the front end to me, upon seeing the render below, it makes me think again. The body lines for the front clip do not match up. In the picture above, shouldn't we be able to see the cutout on the fender for the headlight? In the renderings, the headlights come way up the fender, I am not seeing that in the above picture. Anybody catch what I am saying? Or am I way off base here? I usually rely on you guys to decipher all this for me, while I sit back and enjoy the benefits of your labor.
