I honestly had no idea plastic body panels were a thing

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
03/26/2014 at 09:00 • Filed to: None

I've seen a couple dually trucks that have cracked/broken plastic rear fenders, but I never would have thought someone made an entire car out of them.

DISCUSSION (20)

tromoly > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:04

Saturn? Yeah, they were basically plastic on wheels.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:05

That should buff right out.

Actually, that was supposed to be one of the Saturn's big features, the "dent resistant" plastic body panels. Plus they were supposed to be easy to swap out, so that they could make minor styling improvements without a big investment. That never seemed to work out exactly, but I must admit I had a soft spot for these little cars. I'll pass on this particular unit though.

thebigbossyboss > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
03/26/2014 at 09:08

My fiance's mom's saturn was at 269,000 kms last I saw it two years ago. Probably at or near the 300K mark now.

Brewman15 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:10

Yep. Saturn promoted the crap out of their plastic cars because they were 'dent resistant'. While true, it means you have HUGE body panel gaps because the plastic shrinks and expands so much more than sheetmetal and when you get in a wreck the plastic parts just sorta explode like in your pic.

Here's a commercial for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSCDlM…

It's kinda funny the slogan at the end is 'People First' considering the Ion is major player in the recent GM recall fiasco. Irony, is that you?

505Turbeaux > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
03/26/2014 at 09:11

the sl1 wagons run out for the long haul...especially if it isnt cold where the car is from. Those panels get awfully brittle in the cold...

MonkeePuzzle > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:12

on a cold COLD winter night my friend was showing off his new Saturn and it's dent resistant doors, *kick* *pop* *laughter* *kick* *shatter*

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > thebigbossyboss
03/26/2014 at 09:12

The people I know personally who had Saturns seem to fall into two camps, lovers and haters, without much between. It's odd. Glad she's in the "love" category.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
03/26/2014 at 09:16

Today I Learned. It does seem like it would be a good idea, as long as they're fastened on in a sane way. *glares at interior panels in his car*

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > 505Turbeaux
03/26/2014 at 09:16

That's interesting! Never thought about them getting brittle in the cold actually.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > 505Turbeaux
03/26/2014 at 09:18

there's an up and a down to that in cold areas, no rust on the body panels from salt....but brittle...

Cake and eat it too situation?

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:21

It always worried me when GM had those plastic-bodied minivans that looked like Dustbusters and had their body panels glued on. Maybe it's irrational, but that just seemed...not ideal for the long haul. But rationally, it seems like it should work, and I'm just being, I dunno, narrow minded.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:22

man I saw countless examples of those old saturns breaking 300k miles. Probably some of the best engine/drivetrains ever released under the GM umbrella

Ike > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:35

I had a Saturn when I was a teenager love the shit out of it because I was able to know take all the abuse of my friends hopping in and out of it not only that but why was at the dealer I hit it head on with my head hurt like hell but no dents to the car

Sn210 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:41

I had a 99 SC2 3-door coupe when I was 18. It was great on gas and ok to look at, but that was about it : /

Oh yeah, and it was plastic down the sides. I had a big dent in my hood though, figures...

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
03/26/2014 at 09:53

Aah, the Lumina APV. Such a strange bird, that one.

Every time I work on my LeSabre I question the fastener choices made at GM. The door panels are held on with christmas-tree-like things that break if you ever have to remove a panel, the plastic inside the front wheel wells is held together with some sort of cheap snaps that like to break all the time, and the entire front bumper is CLIPS CLIPS CLIPS CLIPS.

Last year I was taking a date to prom when one of the metal snaps holding in the cow-skin-covered panel beneath the steering wheel fell onto the floor and the panel started rattling around. Classy. We went over a bump and I used the opportunity to kick the panel and it stopped rattling. I don't think she noticed. I still didn't get laid. I blame GM's shitty fasteners for my intact virginity.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Ike
03/26/2014 at 09:53

I have this hilarious mental image of you spotting the Saturn at the dealer and full-on headbutting it for absolutely no reason.

jariten1781 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 09:59

A dealer in my home town used to do 'live specials' during the evening newscast (it was basically just a dealer advertisement but live for some reason). When he first got the Saturns in, his thing to show off the plastic doors by banging them with a hammer. One time he had just finished an interview with a young couple who had purchased an SL-1 then was showing them and the live audience at home how 'dent resistant' the doors were on the car they'd just purchased with his normal hammer swat. Door just busted right through and the couple just looked like WTF. Then they cut to the young spokeswoman and the incident was never spoken of again.

Rainbow > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 10:48

Kinja'd!!!

Ike > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 10:49

Dealer dared me to do it, "just try and dent it! Can't happen!"
... (17 year old brain ) screw it, let's head but the shit!
Hurt like hell but got a discount out of it, so I call it a Win

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
03/26/2014 at 12:31

The plasti-panels were one of the things that sold my mom on her '94 SC-2. I remember seeing a Saturn commercial where they guy would knee one car door and dent the hell out of it. He'd then knee a Saturn's door, it would pop out, he would turn around and say "At Saturn, you can't dent our doors."