EXTERIOR
forming, situated on, or relating to the outside of something.
PAINT
One of the first things that you see when you look at a car is the color. This is due to the paint job. Whether the car be white, black, red or blue, the paint is what gives a car its distinctive color. For some, this color is a symbol of recognition and identity.
Cars nowadays are mainly painted by machines. The cars are stripped down to their chassis, the frame of the car. They are locked in an air tight chamber, before robotic arms spray an even coat of paint. The car is left to dry, before a second coat is put on.
But paint is more than a color. Each color takes three years from creation to find its way on to a vehicle. That’s three years of research and the difficult job of predicting market trends and future tastes. Cars are painted in the temperature range of 21 to 25 degrees Celsius. It takes around 80 robots, and 6 hours for a car to be painted.
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DOOR
A car door is a type of door, typically hinged, but sometimes attached by other mechanisms such as tracks, in front of an opening which is used for entering and exiting a vehicle. A vehicle door can be opened to provide access to the opening, or closed to secure it.
The door has many functions. It keeps the car closed at all times, that is obvious, but there is more. One the inside of the door, there are many things that we take for granted. The electronic window opener, the small bin, the cup holder, and on front seats, buttons that control all windows in the car.
On some cars belonging to the rich, powerful and wealthy, car doors can be fortified. The armor protects the passengers from physical assaults like bullets and bombs.
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MIRRORS
Mirrors allow you to observe what is happening around your car. They are your most important visual driving aid, and are vital for safe driving. Their purpose is to let you know what is happening behind, which is just as important as knowing what is happening in front.
The mirrors of a car make driving so much easier. There are two main mirrors, the rear view mirror and the side mirror. They both have the same function, to help the driver see what is behind and around them.
This awareness allows drivers to know what is going on around them, and to avoid collisions.
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LIGHTS
A car’s various lights have specific functions to either help the driver or to signal to other drivers. When used improperly, or not at all, accidents can happen. Lights are important not only see the road when it is dark, but for drivers to see you and for you to see drivers.
There are many lights on a car, some in, some out. The various lights on the outside of the car include headlights, which consist of a high and low beam, tail lights, automatic day-time running lights, fog lights, indicator or signal lights, brake lights, hazard lights. Driving lamps for the inside of the car, allowing drivers to see the inside of the car when it is dark.
LED lights are gradually integrating their way into cars. They do not overheat, they have a long life, they are small and compact and extremely cheap. LED lights also reach full brightness instantly, emit no harmful UV rays or infrared radiation, cut greenhouse emissions and reduce landfill.
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CHASSIS
A chassis is the basic framework of your vehicle. Sometimes the chassis is only the frame, while other times it includes the wheels, transmission, and sometimes even the front seats. A chassis is one of the most important components of a vehicle, without which the car would have no structure. It also provides protection for the driving inside.
The chassis is made up of either aluminum or steel. Chassis means 'frame' in French. Every car, Ute, or truck is made of thousands of parts. The chassis is where all the thousands of parts are latched on. A chassis also gives the car its basic shape. Larger cars have larger frames, as smaller cars have smaller frames.
There are many shapes and types of chassis, of those include the ladder frame, the tubular frame and a monocoque. All have their pros and cons, but ultimately they suit the car they were designed for.
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BODY
The body of a car defines it shape. There are many shapes, they can even be called genres. Commonly, there are the Hatchback, Sedan, SUV, Coupe, Convertible, Ute, Wagon, Van and Sports Car. There are more less common shapes like limousines, hearses, sport backs, cabriolets, cross overs and station wagons. Then there are the less known shapes like lift back, Brougham, Landaulet, Targa and Barchetta.
Here is some background information on arguably the three most common shapes , the Sedan, the SUV and the Ute. The Sedan is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for engine, passenger, and boot or trunk. It has four doors and is always covered by a hard roof.
A Sport utility vehicle or SUV is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. It also has four doors and a solid roof.
Coupé Utility, or Ute, is commonly a two door truck, but occasionally has 3 or 4. It is essentially a small pickup truck with an open area at the back for storage. The car has a hard roof. The back area of the Ute can be open, or have either a soft canvas covering or a solid covering.
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