It was 31 degrees C here in Leeds today.

Just noticed daughter's Citroen AX parked facing south, on our north
facing drive (hence in the shade of the house) has developed a
diffused melt/burn mark on the rear bumper about 12" x 1". The plastic
has definitely softened and flowed and is burnt brown.

We have builders working in the house who parked their large white van
facing north behind the AX but it was parked with the back doors open
all day so couldn't have been closer than 5' or so, so presumably we
can rule out hot exhaust fumes, and it's not as if they'd been sitting
in it with the heater on. 

Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
full sun?  

Anybnody seen this before?

DG

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Derek ^ 
saying something like:


>Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
>mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
>full sun?  


Not if it was a flat mirror - the rays wouldn't have been any more
concentrated than normal full sunlight. A convex mirror would have
diffused the rays to less than full strength.
A concave mirror might have done it, but that'd be an unusual fitment.
-- 

Dave
SE6a

"Grimly Curmudgeon"  wrote in message 
news:4i36d19qdq1fmgduod7rlbnsj0kj6dm8ri@4ax.com...

> We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
> drugs began to take hold. I remember Derek ^ 
> saying something like:
>
>>Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>>focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
>>mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
>>full sun?
>
> Not if it was a flat mirror - the rays wouldn't have been any more
> concentrated than normal full sunlight. A convex mirror would have
> diffused the rays to less than full strength.
> A concave mirror might have done it, but that'd be an unusual fitment.
> -- 
>

Several flat mirrors could do the job, which reminds me of this...

http://www.solardeathray.com/

:-)

The message 
from Grimly Curmudgeon  contains
these words:


> A concave mirror might have done it, but that'd be an unusual fitment.


Only for builders who like to shave as they drive along.

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:


>>Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>>focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
>>mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
>>full sun?  

> A concave mirror might have done it, but that'd be an unusual fitment.


Any number of combinations of mirrors, curved windscreen glass, bottles 
and even reflective bodywork could focus the sun's rays. The 12" x 1" 
shape of the mark might indicate a 1"x1" bright spot moving along over time.

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 10:05:32 +0100, Willy Eckerslyke
 wrote:


>
>Any number of combinations of mirrors, curved windscreen glass, bottles 
>and even reflective bodywork could focus the sun's rays. The 12" x 1" 
>shape of the mark might indicate a 1"x1" bright spot moving along over time.


As the sun precesses across the sky...

The van's back today so we were able to do a ceremonial re-enactment.

The van is a high top Ford transit with large windows in the back
doors. On the right hand back door there is semi reflective film stuck
over the glass, the door was fully opened at 90 degrees to the van
body,  the glass is concave ...

The rest is history.

DG

"Derek ^"  wrote in message
news:vu85d154o83qecmqf165fo2fs4k2udr91m@4ax.com...

> It was 31 degrees C here in Leeds today.
>
> Just noticed daughter's Citroen AX parked facing south, on our north
> facing drive (hence in the shade of the house) has developed a
> diffused melt/burn mark on the rear bumper about 12" x 1". The plastic
> has definitely softened and flowed and is burnt brown.
>
> We have builders working in the house who parked their large white van
> facing north behind the AX but it was parked with the back doors open
> all day so couldn't have been closer than 5' or so, so presumably we
> can rule out hot exhaust fumes, and it's not as if they'd been sitting
> in it with the heater on.
>
> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
> mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
> full sun?
>

Have the builders been working with a blowtorch round the back of the van?

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 14:15:38 +0000 (UTC), "SimonJ" 
wrote:



>> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
>> mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
>> full sun?
>>
>Have the builders been working with a blowtorch round the back of the van?
>


No, it's reflected off the rear door window. I kept checking all day
to see what's happening but the van must have been in a slightly
different place.

Then at half past 3 SWMBO came in, mad as hell, to say the rear bumper
on her Vauxhall Corsa had been melted. I went out and there was a
brilliant, dazzling, "star" shaped image of the sun projected onto the
back of her car from the builder's van door. 2 melted cars in 2 days 

:((

DG

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Derek ^ 
saying something like:


>The van is a high top Ford transit with large windows in the back
>doors. On the right hand back door there is semi reflective film stuck
>over the glass, the door was fully opened at 90 degrees to the van
>body,  the glass is concave ...
>
>The rest is history.


Well, fuck me. LOL!
-- 

Dave
SE6a

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Johnny"  saying
something like:


>"Grimly Curmudgeon"  wrote in message 
>news:4i36d19qdq1fmgduod7rlbnsj0kj6dm8ri@4ax.com...
>> We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
>> drugs began to take hold. I remember Derek ^ 
>> saying something like:
>>
>>>Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>>>focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
>>>mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
>>>full sun?
>>
>> Not if it was a flat mirror - the rays wouldn't have been any more
>> concentrated than normal full sunlight. A convex mirror would have
>> diffused the rays to less than full strength.
>> A concave mirror might have done it, but that'd be an unusual fitment.
>> -- 
>>
>Several flat mirrors could do the job, which reminds me of this...
>
>http://www.solardeathray.com/


Need an awful lot of Transit mirrors to do this...

http://www.energylan.sandia.gov/sunlab/Snapshot/STFUTURE.HTM


Hmm... I've got an old 2m dish outside and loads of mylar.

-- 

Dave
SE6a

Derek ^ wrote:

> On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 14:15:38 +0000 (UTC), "SimonJ" 
> wrote:
>
>
>>> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>>> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear
>>> view mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have
>>> been in full sun?
>>>
>> Have the builders been working with a blowtorch round the back of
>> the van?
>>
>
> No, it's reflected off the rear door window. I kept checking all day
> to see what's happening but the van must have been in a slightly
> different place.
>
> Then at half past 3 SWMBO came in, mad as hell, to say the rear bumper
> on her Vauxhall Corsa had been melted. I went out and there was a
> brilliant, dazzling, "star" shaped image of the sun projected onto the
> back of her car from the builder's van door. 2 melted cars in 2 days
>
> :((
>
> DG


You'd have though you'd have lerned your lession the first time.

-- 
ThePunisher
Latitude:   54.67N
Longitude:  5.96W

Derek ^ wrote:

> 
> It was 31 degrees C here in Leeds today.
> 
> Just noticed daughter's Citroen AX parked facing south, on our north
> facing drive (hence in the shade of the house) has developed a
> diffused melt/burn mark on the rear bumper about 12" x 1". The plastic
> has definitely softened and flowed and is burnt brown.
> 
> We have builders working in the house who parked their large white van
> facing north behind the AX but it was parked with the back doors open
> all day so couldn't have been closer than 5' or so, so presumably we
> can rule out hot exhaust fumes, and it's not as if they'd been sitting
> in it with the heater on.
> 
> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
> mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
> full sun?
> 
> Anybnody seen this before?
> 
> DG


Have you driven too close to the exhaust of one of these 227mph superbikes?
http://www.marineturbine.com/motorsports.asp

Johannes wrote:

> Derek ^ wrote:
>>
>> It was 31 degrees C here in Leeds today.
>>
>> Just noticed daughter's Citroen AX parked facing south, on our north
>> facing drive (hence in the shade of the house) has developed a
>> diffused melt/burn mark on the rear bumper about 12" x 1". The
>> plastic has definitely softened and flowed and is burnt brown.
>>
>> We have builders working in the house who parked their large white
>> van facing north behind the AX but it was parked with the back doors
>> open all day so couldn't have been closer than 5' or so, so
>> presumably we can rule out hot exhaust fumes, and it's not as if
>> they'd been sitting in it with the heater on.
>>
>> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear
>> view mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have
>> been in full sun?
>>
>> Anybnody seen this before?
>>
>> DG
>
> Have you driven too close to the exhaust of one of these 227mph
> superbikes? http://www.marineturbine.com/motorsports.asp


I love the way it has a rear view camera because of the exhaust's heat haze.

-- 
ThePunisher
Latitude:   54.67N
Longitude:  5.96W

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 00:40:03 GMT, Johannes
 wrote:


>
>
>Derek ^ wrote:
>> 
>> It was 31 degrees C here in Leeds today.
>> 
>> Just noticed daughter's Citroen AX parked facing south, on our north
>> facing drive (hence in the shade of the house) has developed a
>> diffused melt/burn mark on the rear bumper about 12" x 1". The plastic
>> has definitely softened and flowed and is burnt brown.
>> 
>> We have builders working in the house who parked their large white van
>> facing north behind the AX but it was parked with the back doors open
>> all day so couldn't have been closer than 5' or so, so presumably we
>> can rule out hot exhaust fumes, and it's not as if they'd been sitting
>> in it with the heater on.
>> 
>> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
>> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
>> mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
>> full sun?
>> 
>> Anybnody seen this before?
>> 
>> DG
>
>Have you driven too close to the exhaust of one of these 227mph superbikes?
>http://www.marineturbine.com/motorsports.asp



To melt the back bumper on daughter's citroen ax she'd have had to be
tailgating it at 227 mph, whilst in reverse.  :-P

DG

The message 
from Derek ^  contains these words:


> To melt the back bumper on daughter's citroen ax she'd have had to be
> tailgating it at 227 mph, whilst in reverse.  :-P


Hmmm, that'd be more the sort of thing you'd expect of a Nova.

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."

Derek ^ wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 00:40:03 GMT, Johannes
>  wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> >Derek ^ wrote:
> >>
> >> It was 31 degrees C here in Leeds today.
> >>
> >> Just noticed daughter's Citroen AX parked facing south, on our north
> >> facing drive (hence in the shade of the house) has developed a
> >> diffused melt/burn mark on the rear bumper about 12" x 1". The plastic
> >> has definitely softened and flowed and is burnt brown.
> >>
> >> We have builders working in the house who parked their large white van
> >> facing north behind the AX but it was parked with the back doors open
> >> all day so couldn't have been closer than 5' or so, so presumably we
> >> can rule out hot exhaust fumes, and it's not as if they'd been sitting
> >> in it with the heater on.
> >>
> >> Only thing I can think of is that something must have reflected or
> >> focussed the sun's rays onto the bumper, but what? The van's rear view
> >> mirror on the driver's door by any chance, which would have been in
> >> full sun?
> >>
> >> Anybnody seen this before?
> >>
> >> DG
> >
> >Have you driven too close to the exhaust of one of these 227mph superbikes?
> >http://www.marineturbine.com/motorsports.asp
> 
> To melt the back bumper on daughter's citroen ax she'd have had to be
> tailgating it at 227 mph, whilst in reverse.  :-P

 
There was a story that it had melted the front bumper of a nearby car while
waiting at the lights. The exhaust from a turbine engine is rather hot.