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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1979)
Page 8 THE BATTALION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1979 Metal scrapes, causes sparks Plastic gas tanks safe, save fuel United Press International DETROIT — United States au tomakers are looking at pliable plas tic fuel tanks as a way of reducing the danger of fires and explosions in rear-end collisions. Automotive engineers say tests have shown tanks made of sturdy, moldable plastic can hold up better than metal in hazardous situations. Because they weigh less, they offer a potential fuel saving bonus. T FORX 1 T ( STEAKHOUSE + Hwy. 6 South, College Station 1 * —ft— Now serving Prime Rib ‘Meet me at the FORT for lunch.” Matt Dillon Our Message is: Disco Dancing from 8:00 till 12:00 Friday Night Feb. 16. Admission: 1.00 per person, Everyone welcome. Our Location is: Bryan Lodge 99 Downtown Bryan Sons of Hermann 1104 W. 25th Across From Wehrmans Cafe However, U.S. car makers are concerned that plastic gasoline con tainers may not be popular with the public or with federal safety offi cials. The Chrysler Corp. and Ford Motor Co. have equipped some light-duty trucks, vans and recre ational vehicles with plastic fuel tanks. After the 1974 Arab oil em bargo, Ford offered a small, plastic auxiliary tank on some full-size and luxury cars. Few buyers picked up the option. Ford scrapped plans to put a molded, polyethylene tank in its 1979 Mustang. “We didn’t have the guts to take the risk,” Chairman Henry Ford II told an interviewer recently. “In every way we thought it was much better,” Ford said. “But we didn’t have the courage to put it on our product because we didn’t know what the liabilities would be and what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would say about it.” Present NHTSA standards, which apply to all cars, trucks and buses under 10,000 pounds, say fuel tanks may not spill more than an ounce of gasoline per minute when rolled over after a rear-end impact of 30 mph. The standards do not specify what material manufacturers must use for fuel tanks. “You can use paper mache if you want to, as long as it meets the per formance standard,” one company spokesman said. A recent report on high density polyethylene gas tanks by Phillips Chemical Co. said tests conducted in the 1960s indicated “plastic tanks were not only as safe as metal tanks but possibly even safer.” It said both metal and plastic tanks, when engulfed in flames, failed in about two minutes. But the metal ones often exploded, scatter ing their flaming contents, while the plastic tanks melted down and fueled the fire. In impact tests, water-filled metal tanks ruptured when dropped from a height of 10 feet while plastic tanks withstood drops of 30 feet, the re port said. One auto company spokesman noted that, unlike metal tanks, plas tic ones will not generate sparks in a collision or if scraped along a road surface in an accident. The Phillips report also noted polyethylene tanks weigh 30 to 50 percent less than template steel, adding to the fuel-saving potential. Spokesmen for the plastics indus try say they have high hopes for plastic fuel tanks and other plastic automotive components as the auto companies continue downsizing cars to meet the 1985 fuel economy standard of 27.5 mph. 1 Lonely to find owtie this weeken By PHYLLIS P0Nl)K« Saltali 0 " R e po rte r I he Wheelman’s Club oft A&M University will sponso | chon of abandoned and und bicycles Saturday in the CroJ ginning at 1:30 p. m . *1 The bicycles will include, speeds, 2 five-speeds, hj speeds, and 14 one-speeds brands include Schwinn* Western Flyer and Raleigh The auction is held annua sell unclaimed bicycles the U sity Police have picked up ol pus. Most of these bicycle] picked up in May after the i of the students have left tog said Thomas Parsons, directorj| curity and traffic for Univd Police. He said only those 1 left unlocked on campus aree eated. Every bicycle in the aucfal been advertised in the Battal the Eagle by the University] to try and find its original 4 nobody responds to the ment in seven months, the 1 becomes eligible for tion. If the bicycle was register^] the University Police, the# send out registered letters i last owner and wait six monta reply to the letters. If therel reply the bicycle is advertisd| becomes property of the i if no owner claims it. jy|/# ATTENTION FRESHMAN WOMEN Freshman Women’s Honor Sella Society You are invited to become a member of AAA if you meet the necessary requirements: you attended A&M in the fall semester as a Freshman, took at least 15 hours, and posted a 3.5 GPR or above. You must confirm your interest by 5:00 p.m. Feb. 16. Call 845-1228 or come by Rm. 108, YMCA. Young says In similar to c rights movemei Texas United Press International WACO — United Nations bassador Andrew Young there is a similiarity betw«| conditions in America durii peak of the civil rights movei the 1960s and the current in Iran. Young, in Waco for a civic tion, said Wednesday the Iran are organizing around gious forum just as the hi when most of the civil ri| ment leaders came from theji Blacks in America esstnl uervatio EW’s re lecific qi oposed p those locked out of the politid cess by denial of the right began to go to their churci search of leadership as a Ix G f political organization andsoi ligious institutions and the community became the moti and organizing force for acivl political process,” Young t# xbe Un porters. On another matter, Yoim the relationship between the! States and Mexico was good,o () f, some differences in the said Mexico must be give: nomic development aid so its would not find it economical 1 ficial to cross the U.S. bon order to find work. Depart m d Welfai verning rcollegiat: verse ef Jam Texa als. Texas A sure ec ams for ges and e nation, rning pc omen’s : nse to ixk: The pc andard v\ thousa Oman pa ty added am, reg cMyumdcC& A NOON-SEVEN ■> 75c bar drinks 40c beer penditi [rovide e asoned t This fa ties for i omen’s ; iscourag vely strf NORTHGATE (Next to the Dixie Chicken) otic—: me one otic otic Now Better Than Ever. You Will Be Pleased These Carefully Prepared and Taste Temptina Each Daily Special Only $1.79 Plus Tax. “Open Daily” nDll Dining: 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. — 4:00 P.M. to 7:00PJ articipati ply to ] Pita stai ith the ( dpation. Texas A t that f Ward ' ifcollegft 'e same ,|> situatioi lr ily met In add reposed reductiv MONDAY EVENING TUESDAY EVENING SPECIAL SPECIAL Salisbury Steak Mexican Fiesta with Dinner Mushroom Gravy Two Cheese and Whipped Potatoes Onion Enchiladas Your Choice of w/chili One Vegetable Mexican Rice Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Patio Style Pinto Beans Coffee or Tea Tostadas Coffee or Tea One Corn Bread and Butter WEDNESDAY EVENING SPEC Chicken Fried Stea w/cream Grav y Whipped Potatoes^ Choice of one oth Vegetable Roll or Corn Bread an Coffee or Tea THURSDAY EVENING SPECIAL kalian Candle Light Spaghetti Dinner SERVED WITH SPICED MEAT BALLS AND SAUCE Parmesan Cheese - Tossed Green Salad Choice of Salad Dressing - Hot Garlic Bread Tea or Coffee FRIDAY EVENING SPECIAL BREADED FISH FILET w/TARTAR SAUCE Cole Slaw Hush Puppies Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SATURDAY NOON and EVENING SPECIAL Chicken & Dumplings Tossed Salad Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee “Quality First” SUNDAYSrg NOON amt EVE “ ROAST TURKEY Served wit'