Housepets!

yup. i still play with "toy cars" but id like to think im a little more so-fisticated than dat

i race radio controlled cars and collect/restore vintage ones as well. all the same adjustments you can make on 1:1 cars you can do with these. caster, camber, tires, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXLtPGrTGQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6chVGe1VAcw

i myself race a little of everything but my heart belongs to dirt and carpet oval.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd3ZKHSM6Pg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvOUmgiO_Y

Wow. The reflexes needed to race those cars at those speeds is pretty incredible. The constant tinkering with them to make them that little bit faster, just like in full-size racing, must be quite addicting. How much time do you spend adjusting the car?

Here's a little something I helped out with back in college. It's missing most of the bodywork.



Sometime, once I get out of the apartment complex and get a house, I will get something a bit more reasonable for an autocross car. I'm thinking a Miata.

thats a sweet go-cart man.

ive never kept track but i try to spend atleast one of my days off a week rebuilding gearboxes, shocks, and whatever else needs fixing. i tend to stick to my setups (shock oils, springs, camber, etc) when i find a sweet spot because after that its all bout tire selection to compliment the track conditions and my setup.

now my tire costs, well, you dont want to know

i don't know why put i have always been partial to Porsches. My favorite has got to be the '86 944 Turbo, but i'd also go for a sky blue '71 914/4. they are just great little cars! If i had a choice between a classic 914/4 and a Ferrari Enzo, the 914/4 would win hands down!

Arjay wrote:i don't know why put i have always been partial to Porsches. My favorite has got to be the '86 944 Turbo, but i'd also go for a sky blue '71 914/4. they are just great little cars! If i had a choice between a classic 914/4 and a Ferrari Enzo, the 914/4 would win hands down!

It looks like a solid car.
I really like Ferrari but the Boxer type engines of Porche are just so geniously made.

GUYS!
I think I just found the most beautiful car in the entire world!
Are you all ready for this? Here we go...!

BAM!





Just look at that bodywork!

Yeah!

You don't get those Colors with any Cheap Paint!

isn't that the ...thing from the back of the Top Gear Studio that the intro cam sometimes pans over?

Arjay wrote:isn't that the ...thing from the back of the Top Gear Studio that the intro cam sometimes pans over?

Yeah, it is. It was from an episode where they tried to build their own electric car (if I remember correctly). I think it was Jeremy's idea to give it wood doors, saying something about how wood paneling should come back in style.
Whenever they stopped the thing, Hammond would hit his head (sitting in the middle)

I hope this isn't too many pictures for this thread, but I thought I'd let the pictures do the talking:
It's my 1984 Trans Am, which is only 1 notch less fun than twisting the throttle on a CBR900RR. It's a 12.40 @ 114 MPH, 1.21 g skidpad turning kind of car. all design, fabrication & other labor done by myself. (except for holding the spray gun, which was done by Vision Collision, Lansing MI)

I never did get around to using the NOS, but it's still there & I'll try it some day.

Punchy wrote:

Arjay wrote:isn't that the ...thing from the back of the Top Gear Studio that the intro cam sometimes pans over?

Yeah, it is. It was from an episode where they tried to build their own electric car (if I remember correctly). I think it was Jeremy's idea to give it wood doors, saying something about how wood paneling should come back in style.
Whenever they stopped the thing, Hammond would hit his head (sitting in the middle)

Oh how I love Top Gear! Glad to see theres some other fans of the series here =)

Also, tychoaussie, That is a great looking car! You designed it yourself? Who did the building exactly, because that looks like a marvellous piece of engineering!

TheMobian wrote:
Also, tychoaussie, That is a great looking car! You designed it yourself? Who did the building exactly, because that looks like a marvellous piece of engineering!

No, I really did it myself! I bought the car in 1990, autocrossed it in SCCA F-stock for six summers, then started modifying in 1996. Each winter I did something different, from suspension to powertrain. Then in 2000 I put together a master plan for a 6-speed equipped, port fuel injected stroker & started stockpiling parts while at the same time pushing the 305 as hard as I could, wheedling a 14.00 @ 101 MPH out of it in 2002. I put in the roll bar and T56 6-speed transmission in 2003. Then in fall 2004 I disassembled the whole car and had it repainted over the winter while I assembled the engine. I raced it in '05, parked it in '06 to take care of a friend of ours, did a ton of suspension, axle, chassis, and exhaust work in 2007, did more racing in '08, just enjoyed it in 2009 , broke it in 2010, fixed it in 2011, but got busy and never finished putting it back together. That's something I might take care of over Christmas break.

http://www.ws6transam.org/rollbar_p1.htm

I was also a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers from 1993 until 2012, and was a Formula SAE member & officer here at Michigan State in 1993, 1994, and 1995.

Tycho, that is one fantastic machine you have there. I must get a place with a garage... you are reminding me how badly I want to have a project car myself.

TheMobian wrote:Oh how I love Top Gear! Glad to see theres some other fans of the series here =))

Top Gearheads unite!

I thought I'd post some updated pics of the car n stuff to keep this thread from dying completely lol

Saw this. Could not resist sharing it here.


Dodge Challenger Vapor, created in association with the US Air Force by Gaplin Auto Sports.

Features radar-blocking black paint, ultra-quiet stealth exhaust system, a roof-mounted camera capable of detecting movement within a quarter mile, biometric verification via the driver’s thumbprint, gull wing doors, a steering wheel for both driver and passenger so that either can use an advanced computer-system complete with internet access, a GPS tracking system, exterior proximity sensors, and a switch-on thermal vision projection on the windshield to track threats through low-light conditions.

Leave it to the Air Force...

Reliant Robin

Who wouldn't want one?

Punchy wrote:Reliant Robin

Who wouldn't want one?

Even though I'm not a fan of cars in general, Top Gear is incredible. Love his first 20 seconds into the drive xD

Just got the tie rods on my car replaced. My sister got into an accident with it and even after it was fixed up, the tie rods were still bent (Thats not a good thing for those of you who wouldn't already know).

Fortunatly we have a lot of mechanic friends around my new home town, so I was able to get it done for free (mostly)

Again, I'll try to get pictures up of my truck tomorrow. I love that thing

Alright. I needs some help from any of you gear heads that might know.


My car will not start. When I turn the key, all I get is a hissing sound. I think it could be the starter, the alternator or the battery. Any helpful hints? I know it is going to cost me, but how much is the question.

Radio Blue Heart wrote:Alright. I needs some help from any of you gear heads that might know.


My car will not start. When I turn the key, all I get is a hissing sound. I think it could be the starter, the alternator or the battery. Any helpful hints? I know it is going to cost me, but how much is the question.

So is the engine not turning over? Your engine might be flooded with gasoline. With the car turned off, hold the accelerator down and fuel might/should come out of the back of your car. Or, if it's really flooded like mine was, my dad had to take the engine top off and manually rev the engine underneath the hood to get the gas out.

~
My dad thinks my fuel injector is dirty, which could explain why I'm getting 25 mpg on a car that should be getting 32. Seriously, I have fresh spark plugs, properly inflated tires, a new air filter, the oil is extremely well-maintained, I don't carry around a lot of crap in my trunk, and everything in my car is mechanically perfect. So maybe on Tuesday (it's supposed to be like 79 here) he can take the engine apart and look to see if the fuel injector needs a cleaning.

Punchy wrote:Reliant Robin

Who wouldn't want one?

I'm gonna say Jeremy Clarkson.

yup.


And while we're still talking about Relient Robins...

Beagle wrote: My dad thinks my fuel injector is dirty, which could explain why I'm getting 25 mpg on a car that should be getting 32. Seriously, I have fresh spark plugs, properly inflated tires, a new air filter, the oil is extremely well-maintained, I don't carry around a lot of crap in my trunk, and everything in my car is mechanically perfect.

It took $10 and a bottle of this: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318D5AN4M4L.jpg to get 31 mpg for my car. The only problem was that when it cleaned the carbon build-up, the EGR valve didn't like that and tripped the check engine light in my car. XD It's not an issue though.

Also I put new axles on the front of my car three weeks ago. $200 out of my paycheck, oh my glub. ;_; I hate living on a dirt road.

Oh Lucas. How you never fail.

Dissension wrote:Well, you know I'm primarily concerned with safety and reliability. Speed isn't even a huge factor for me, assuming the vehicle in question runs well at highway speeds.

You're right Speed isn't the factor, it's acceleration. . Also tychoaussie, you have my respect. I'm assuming you went internal at least I hope you did.

@Beagle: Watch that EGR, it may give you a hard time when going through the emissions controls

Engine and transmission is not everything, keep on account the stering, suspension and traction
speaking of... check your tires and breaks don't know about you but this summer is surely rainy.

Tatsuo wrote: Also tychoaussie, you have my respect. I'm assuming you went internal at least I hope you did.

Oh, the only GM part in that engine is the block. It's an all-forged, internally balanced 4340 chromoly steel crank, H-beam rod, Lunati race piston engine with hydraulic roller retrofit custom cam. Line bored, studded, blueprinted, decked, and even sleeved. It ought to hold up to 700 horsepower or so, and it's done about 600 miles of road course action at wide-open throttle, 6200 RPM sort of stuff. That's about oh, ten tanks of fuel, about a hundred gallons. I haven't yet used the Nitrous system but it ought to hold up okay: The pistons and combustion chambers have been ceramic thermal barrier coated.

For safety and reliability, I would recommend you look no further than the M1 Abrams main battle tank. With a Honeywell turbine engine power plant, you could fuel it with virtually anything liquid that burns. Very stable and its tonnage should guarantee right of way in any circumstance. For something on the smaller side, an IAV Stryker will take you up to 100km/h since the tank can only do 67km/h.

Arbitrary wrote:For safety and reliability, I would recommend you look no further than the M1 Abrams main battle tank. With a Honeywell turbine engine power plant, you could fuel it with virtually anything liquid that burns. Very stable and its tonnage should guarantee right of way in any circumstance. For something on the smaller side, an IAV Stryker will take you up to 100km/h since the tank can only do 67km/h.

The last time I think I saw a live TV news broadcast of a civilian M1 Abrahms on the highway, it was being followed by a zillion police cars. Then he tried to jump the median barrier and got stuck. He phoned for his AAA roadside assistance but the law enforcement go there first and abruptly ended his car-destroying joyride.

tychoaussie wrote:The last time I think I saw a live TV news broadcast of a civilian M1 Abrahms on the highway, it was being followed by a zillion police cars. Then he tried to jump the median barrier and got stuck. He phoned for his AAA roadside assistance but the law enforcement go there first and abruptly ended his car-destroying joyride.

There was that. And there was a crazy person who cemented steel plates to a bulldozer and ran over his town.