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| Science & Technology |
| Demand is rocketing for bulletproof rides |
| 2006-05-29 |
| Rough 'n' ready vehicles for global trouble spots feature heavy armor and glass that can stop assault-rifle blasts. San Antonio - The windshield of a Hummer SUV in Trent Kimball's shop here is thick like a Webster's dictionary. One has to pull with both hands to open the vehicle's armor-plated doors. The wheels have an inner layer of solid rubber in case the tires get shot up. And the gas tank is wrapped with an extra sheet of shrapnel- proof steel. "It will survive if a hand grenade is rolled underneath this car," said Kimball, president of Texas Armoring Corp. "Our standard is to meet the challenge of the AK-47. Our tests indicate the windshield will crack but will withstand its close- range fire long enough to allow time to escape." It takes about three months to convert a car or an SUV into a fortress on wheels. And business is good, he said. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #1 |
| Posted by: RD 2006-05-29 12:50 |