Moridin

Assuming the upright is designed around a centerlock, wouldn't it be lighter and stiffer? Otherwise, I agree that its pointless based on the cost to benefit ratio.

Have you thought about where the Cg of the 240 is compared to the E36 (I know it will most likely change with the swap)? Wouldn't you want to play with the BMW suspension's roll center to better reflect the Cg of the car its going into?

I hate to be the guy that rains on the parade, but the geometry on these setups are not that great. The subframes were designed to mount in place of the four link setup on the V6 and GT chassis. If you can find a Kenny Brown modified subframe, it may help, but you have to run his aftermarket arms which are expensive and not made all that well. The 8.8 is pretty indestructible and has a great selection of diffs available, but the axles can sometimes leave something to be desired. I believe it has a lot to do with play in the CV joints from the factory. Some are better than others, and the aftermarket selection seems to have the same or worse issues. Make sure to get a later 03/04 IRS setup with the 31 spline differential inputs as opposed to the earlier 28 spline. They are much stronger. The later setups also have a much stronger cross member. My other big issue with the Ford setup is the single shear damper (shock) mounts. It's fine if you leave the factory coil spring setup, but its a problem if you switch to a coil over. That bolt is not designed to transfer the loads that are originally handled by the spring on the A-arm. Additionally, if you're dead set on doing this, replace the bushings and other parts with something worth the time. Check this guy out: Full Tilt Boogie Racing or Maximum Motorsports IRS There are also a lot of damper options with my favorite being the KW Variant 3's that retain the factory spring location and add an oval track style spring perch adjustment in the spring bucket. Here's a decent article written by the guy who owns Full Tilt Boogie Racing: IRS Tech Article

Try Cramster.com. Saved my behind for several classes. Walk-through answers to odd problems are free, and you can get access to even ones and other help by paying. I looked on MIT OpenCourseware and couldn't find anything for Statics. Keep them in mind for your other classes though.

Did you mean FEA?

What I meant by a standard setup is something like that found on most high level race cars, like that of the Corvette C5R pictured in a prior post of this thread.

I guess I'm failing to see the difference from a 'standard' hood vented setup. Does the reduction in drag and increase in downforce mainly come from the side hood vents, the separation of intercooler and radiator ducting, the way the wide narrow horizontal slits on the front end are configured, or something else?

I realize this is an old post, but what ALMS/Grand Am team did you crew for?

Was this Petite?

I really don't like the idea of a heat-sink so close to the intake ports or the injection system. Look how much trouble Ford has been having with their turbo diesels that have the turbo located in the block valley.

What community college? Some of the CSU's and UC's have automatic acceptance programs if you maintain a minimum GPA in the required classes. I believe a signed agreement (contract) is also required. By no means is this a knock on the UC system, but I've noticed that those who graduate in engineering from CSU's or either of the Cal Poly's have a much easier time finding work in the practical world. UC's seem to prepare many for staying in academia. I have a boss who graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from UC San Diego, and who's father works as a professor at UC Berkeley. He's pretty opinionated on the issue saying it seems UC's tend to teach learning for the sake of learning. Where he to do it over again, he said he'd have probably gone to a state school or changed his major to business. With all that being said, if you were to put a UC graduate against a CSU graduate (both with the same degree and all other aspects being equal) for a job, the UC graduate may be the more likely one to get it. Both UC Davis and Sac State have very good engineering programs. Berkeley too. Any of the UC's will serve you well, while you may have to be more selective about what state school. Both Cal Poly's are amazing. Have you thought about joining the Formula SAE program at whatever school(s) you're looking at? Might be a deciding factor. Not all of this is hearsay, because I have spent enough time at my community college to be a doctor on any other "normal" track. Many of my observations come from seeing many of my peers from high school graduating from their respective universities. I know most who are now working, and many who are back at home despite having some very respectable degrees from "good" schools. I guess my point is, if you plan on staying in academia, go with a UC. Otherwise, a M.E. degree from almost any accredited school will serve you well. In the end, experience holds more weight than what university you graduated from.

You going to the Belle Isle race on Saturday?

Ported blower (the first gen), throttle body, intake, exhaust, 2.8" pulley netted 489.9HP to the wheels on my parent's 03. Pretty solid cars, but they have their issues. Fixed a few and found a lot more when dealing with the family's. I know you've most likely done your homework, but I've done lot of work on the car. Let me know if you need any help.

For the budget conscious, wouldn't honeycomb aluminum panels be just as good with a slight sacrifice in weight? It should also be a bit better suited to those "off-line" excursions so many people like to take in terms of longevity.

If you really want the rear diffuser to be much more effective, make a flat belly pan for the car. It would be cool to see the numbers for the difference it should make.