Instead of replacing car parts like bent fenders, dented doors or a hail-pelted roof, make the outer shell out of memory metal. After driving or being towed to the nearest car wash, the heat would cause the nickel-titanium alloy to resume its earlier shape. Any original car paint would have to be flexible. Expensive models would be 100% memory metal so that even if totalled, they would get back in shape in minutes.
-- FarmerJohn, Apr 26 2002

Car sheetmetal out of Nitinol?   Seems to me they would all be "expensive models."
-- bristolz, Apr 26 2002


Cars would be all shriveled on cold days.

("Shrivel." We need to use this word more often.)
-- waugsqueke, Apr 26 2002


shrivel my timbers
-- po, Apr 26 2002


Paying for the Nitinol wires in my braces has certainly made my wallet shrivel.
-- half, Apr 26 2002


If heat does the trick, then manufacture the memory metal panels with flexible heating elements attached to the inner side. After a little fender bender, just push a button to apply power to the heating elements and like magic you have a remake of the movie "Christine".
-- half, Apr 26 2002


Saturn makes their fenders and doors out of a flexible plastic for that purpose exactly. They are designed to spring back to their shape after getting hit ( similar to kicking the front of a soda machine ) thus minimizing dents
-- Shocker, Jul 03 2003


Most vehicles now use Dual Phase steel, for the main structural parts, which rapidly work hardens in the event of a collision. It is more dent resistant as well.
Dual phase steel is produced by finish rolling steel strip at approx 870C, cooling to 650C, holding for 3 seconds, and then reducing temperature quickly to 200C.
Wouldn't the problem with Nitinol be that it would be very easy to bend or dent, initially? But real fun, all the same.
-- Ling, Oct 26 2004



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