many years ago I worked at Ford at the Dearborn proving grounds at the crash test barrier and safety lab. we instrumented the cars with sensors, accelerometers and crash test dummies (no not me). the cars were hooked to a cable system and a masive GE electric engine that pulled them into a concrete barrier at 35 MPG.
got word today that this week the new GT will be hitting the wall! in fact 2 cars. Both GTs are being instrumented here locally by an outside prep company which will then be trailered over to the crash barrier in Dearborn this week. Not sure what all they do today but when I worked there, we removed the fuel and replaced it with a stoddard solvent with red dye to detect any fuel leaks. the dye was so strong that it litteraly would stain raw steel. we then drained the batteries and after weighing and replaced the cells with small ball bearings to simulate the actual weight of the battery. A stand alone electric brake system was installed in the brake lines so if the car started getting squirly down the barrier on it's way to the wall, we could hit a button and stop the car anywhere along the way. wish I could be at Ford when those cars hit the wall! was pretty dramatic when I first started working there when the cars hit but after awhile no one even blinked when they crashed.
all I can legally say is that I was brought in during the Pinto trials of the crash fires and that we discovered fairly fast not to use real fuel in the cars inside the crash barrier!
got word today that this week the new GT will be hitting the wall! in fact 2 cars. Both GTs are being instrumented here locally by an outside prep company which will then be trailered over to the crash barrier in Dearborn this week. Not sure what all they do today but when I worked there, we removed the fuel and replaced it with a stoddard solvent with red dye to detect any fuel leaks. the dye was so strong that it litteraly would stain raw steel. we then drained the batteries and after weighing and replaced the cells with small ball bearings to simulate the actual weight of the battery. A stand alone electric brake system was installed in the brake lines so if the car started getting squirly down the barrier on it's way to the wall, we could hit a button and stop the car anywhere along the way. wish I could be at Ford when those cars hit the wall! was pretty dramatic when I first started working there when the cars hit but after awhile no one even blinked when they crashed.
all I can legally say is that I was brought in during the Pinto trials of the crash fires and that we discovered fairly fast not to use real fuel in the cars inside the crash barrier!