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Rocker Panels. A rocker panel is a three or four inch piece of metal that runs
along the bottom of the car body underneath the doors. Rocker panels are usually
coated with a rock proof protectant which rubberizes the exterior surface before the
car is painted. If you have mud flaps behind your wheels, this protects your rocker
panels, as well as your fenders and your doors. Rocker panels are often made of
chrome plating, and enhance the car.
Wheel Well. The wheel well is either plastic or metal. Metal wheel wells are
usually part of the body shell. Metal wheel wells strengthen the structure of the car
because of their shape, and because they are strongly welded to the body shell. Most
rear wheel wells are made of metal. Wheel wells are coated with a rock-proof,
rubberized coating underneath, in order to prevent the rocks kicked up by the wheels
from damaging the metal and making a lot of noise when they hit.
Often the front wheel wells are made of plastic. This is because it is harder to
mount the engine with the front wheel wells in place. Plastic wheel wells can be
removed, and make it easier to mount the engine during the manufacturing of the car.
Front Quarter Panel. The front quarter panel is composed of the body skin, or
sheet metal, that runs from the front corner of the hood to the front of the door. It is
usually a separate piece that is welded on in a few places. This makes it easy to
replace if you get in a «fender bender». Front quarter panels can usually be replaced
relatively inexpensively. Some newer vehicles use a rubber-like plastic for the
fenders, which allows small impacts to be absorbed without damage.
Windshield. In the 1930s many cars had hinged windshields that could be
folded on the hood of the car or opened up. Today, most windshields are stationary.
They are fixed in place with a weather-strip made of rubber. The strip has a groove
on the inside and a groove on the outside. The inside groove holds the glass; the
outside groove holds the metal rim of the windshield opening in place. The glass
«floats» in a plastic sealant that is spread out between the edge of the glass and the
frame of the windshield.
Windshields are made of laminated safety plate glass, which is a sandwich of
glass and clear plastic. The plastic acts as a soft, protective barrier, keeping the glass
in place, if it is struck during a collision. The glass sticks to the plastic to eliminate
glass from flying around the interior and injuring someone.
Safety glass for windscreens was one of the first passive safety devices
introduced into cars, but its use remains a controversial question. North America and
Scandinavia favor a laminated glass, which consists of two sheets of annealed glass,
separated by a layer of transparent plastic. In recent years, laminated glass has been
improved by changes in the properties of the plastic interlayer. Research has
demonstrated that this new laminated glass is about 4 times safer than toughened
glass, but because it is more expensive, controversy continues as to whether or not
toughened glass windscreens should be banned by legislative action and replaced by
laminated glass.
