GS limo
Lexus Champion
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,474
Likes: 2
From: Tennessee
I've seen one of those before and I'm still confused...
Limos, to my knowledge, are all body on frame. To my knowledge they absolutely HAVE to be body on frame becasue of the distance between the front and rear wheels as well as the fact that most limos are basically production cars and SUVs that have been cut down the center and extended- this is something that isn't too hard to do to a body-on-frame vehicle because you can pretty much just weld in an extension to the frame and then do whatever you darn well please with the body... the two are about as independent as it gets.
Thus why almost every limo you see is a caddy, lincoln, or some sort of SUV... all body on frame vehicles straight off the dealership lot.
The GS is unibody. Therein lies what I'm confused about. It's nearly impossible to convert a unibody structure to body on frame as far as I know... they are so extremely different in the way they create torsional and bending rigidity that you just can't mix one with the other and expect it to work. On unibody cars, engineers have to take into account every single nut, bolt, curve, and seam that goes into the car, as its all integrated into the structure of the car, thus why your average limo conversion place couldn't just cut a unibody car in half, add an elongated center section and expect it to actually work.
So either I'm completely wrong in my understanding of limos, or this "GS4" is actually more likely a lincoln or a caddy chassis/frame with a GS' front and rear end grafted on for looks, and possibly a GS motor/tranny transplanted into the chassis if they were able to get it to hook up with everything properly.
Ideas?
Limos, to my knowledge, are all body on frame. To my knowledge they absolutely HAVE to be body on frame becasue of the distance between the front and rear wheels as well as the fact that most limos are basically production cars and SUVs that have been cut down the center and extended- this is something that isn't too hard to do to a body-on-frame vehicle because you can pretty much just weld in an extension to the frame and then do whatever you darn well please with the body... the two are about as independent as it gets.
Thus why almost every limo you see is a caddy, lincoln, or some sort of SUV... all body on frame vehicles straight off the dealership lot.
The GS is unibody. Therein lies what I'm confused about. It's nearly impossible to convert a unibody structure to body on frame as far as I know... they are so extremely different in the way they create torsional and bending rigidity that you just can't mix one with the other and expect it to work. On unibody cars, engineers have to take into account every single nut, bolt, curve, and seam that goes into the car, as its all integrated into the structure of the car, thus why your average limo conversion place couldn't just cut a unibody car in half, add an elongated center section and expect it to actually work.
So either I'm completely wrong in my understanding of limos, or this "GS4" is actually more likely a lincoln or a caddy chassis/frame with a GS' front and rear end grafted on for looks, and possibly a GS motor/tranny transplanted into the chassis if they were able to get it to hook up with everything properly.
Ideas?
G35x - RWD/AWD goodness
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,950
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
Threxx, you bring up an interesting point. I’ve seen a show on TV where they showed how they maid a limo and it was exactly how you described it for a body on frame truck.
I wonder how the heck they make the middle section for these unibody limos? From RA40’s pics they don’t appear to be just grafted on front and rears.
I wonder how the heck they make the middle section for these unibody limos? From RA40’s pics they don’t appear to be just grafted on front and rears.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,104
Likes: 0
From: Hamilton, NJ
It's a new pic but It's been posted before. 
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ght=GS400+Limo
I think there was another one in the lobby too but I couldn't find it.
-Anthony
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ght=GS400+Limo
I think there was another one in the lobby too but I couldn't find it.
-Anthony
and...
wow...