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.

Any diesel Dodge. You'll get twice the mileage while towing and you will be much more comfortable with the boat behind that truck. Plus, the Cummins motors are tough as hell and warrantied to 300,000 miles.

I wish I had some more of these, but the subscription to the magazine is over $100 a year. I'm going to see if I can find a few of the older issues at the shop.

The motor is close to 1200lbs and those transmissions take forever to shift. They're meant for hauling, not for going fast. I've seen over 700HP and 1500ft lbs of torque on a stock internal Cummins, but it would be way too heavy. A better option would be a Duramax. More compact and lighter if I recall correctly.

For those that may be interested, Nathan Rennie and some friends ran into my brother in the Oakland Hills while riding. Unfortunately, I wasn't there, but apparently, he's better in person than what you see in the videos.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was attacking your choice. I just wanted to express my experiences, hopefully in a positive way, which I obviously didn't do. If you get a chance, try Klasse. Great stuff and lasts longer than Zaino without all the work IMO. Do half your hood with Zaino, and half in Klasse. Here's another site that develops most of the smaller car care products out there: http://www.chemicalguys.com/

I've had a little experience with Zaino, but not much. Didn't like it. Too much work for the same results. I dove head first into car detailing about three years ago, and have been jobs every once and a while for people ever since. Tools needed to make a decent paint job look awesome: Porter Cable 7424 random action buffer Good pads High quality claybar from any reputable company with good lube Good polish Good glaze Klasse or a really nice sealant High quality pure carnuba wax (no cleaner waxes) Really high quality microfiber mitt(s) and towels. Here's what I do: 1) Bust out my pressure washer and go to town. This really helps to get all the lose, big crap on your paint off. Its the stuff that will get in your mitt and scratch the heck out of the car. If you don't have a pressure washer or access to one, get a nice sprayer that can do the job. 2) Use a clean spray bottle, mix some soap in, and start with the top of the car. The soap is there to lubricate your wash tool, so it won't scratch the paint. Use a lot. Make sure your high quality microfiber mitt is soaked with a soapy solution also. When washing, don't "buff" with the mitt. Work in straight lines as its much harder to see a straight scratch then one that forms a circle. Every so often spray the mitt out with the hose (I do this while its on my hand) to get all the crap out. Make sure to spray down each panel as you go to keep the soap from drying. I use the spray bottle and hose, because I'm not dipping in a bucket. Even with a grit guard (or two buckets), stuff floats around and gets caught up in the mitt again. Not to mention, that when spraying the mitt off with pressurized water, it removes most of the stuff better than shaking it around in a bucket. 3) Finish rinsing, making sure to get all the soap out of cracks and crevices. Take sprayer off of hose and rinse the car. If you're panels are even slightly sloped, the water should gather and flow off the car leaving only droplets behind. 4) Dry car. I start with the roof, then windows, then the rest of the car. Don't rub your microfiber towel onto the paint. Open it up completely and drag it along. Keeps scratches to a minimum. 5) Claybar. Start from the top and work down. I use lots of lube and work each area until I feel little or no drag on the bar. Each area should feel very smooth after doing this. If not, repeat. You can also do your windows, headlights, tail lights, and clear-coated wheels if you desire. Doing the headlights will help keep them from hazing over. Also wipe the lube off after finishing an area. Some lubricants are soap based and not fun to clean once dry. If its starting to dry, spray a little more lube on it and wipe (with a microfiber towel). 6) Polishing. There are all kinds of polishes, rubbing compounds, glazes, etc... Rule of thumb for those products: Compounds -> Polishes -> Glazes in order of most aggressive to least. Use compounds to get out sanding marks or deep scratches. Polish to get the paint to remove swirls and become reflective again (some are also cleaners to remove odixation). Glaze to add luster and fill tiny scratches and spider-webbing. I've always really liked Meguiar's products. They're easy to use and hard to screw up. I really like the Speed Glaze, Dual Action Cleaner/Polish, and Swirl Remover 2.0. I do have a new favorite though. Sonus makes something called the SwirlBuster. You can almost work it until dry and repeat. It gets some pretty bad swirls out and all the tiny hairline scratches. Use in conjunction with their SwirlBuster pad, and it really cleans up the paint. Great for newer cars or ones that have been decently taken care of. 7) This depends on what you did in step 6. If I used the SwirlBuster stuff, I have to use a sealant that is of the non-cleaning variety. SwirlBuster, like many other products, has a little bit of filler in it. This fills in those hairline scratches that are very hard to get out with the buffer (or by hand). If using a cleaner sealant, or wax, it will remove all of the filler, leaving you with the scratches exposed again. My favorite product for this step is Klasse's acrylic sealant. It lasts, and lasts, and lasts. Not to mention you can also layer it for more protection. Wait about 24 hours between coats (and don't get the car wet) to make sure its had time "seal". 8) This is the fun part and is by no means necessary. After you've let the car sit for a day, come back with a nice pure carnuba wax. Again, you don't want anything of the cleaner variety, because it will remove the sealant that you spent all that time putting on. The sealant gives you the protection and makes the car look a little plasticy for lack of a better word. That's what a Zaino'ed car looks like to me. Adding a good wax on top will give you that depth of shine back. Won't last long, but for the look, it works. Here's a great site for learning (and also sells Sonus products): http://www.autopia-carcare.com/how-to.html A few other tips: Try to wash, polish, wax, etc... out of the sun. The car will clean and dry easier, and products will setup better. Washing and drying in straight line is important. It helps.

He washes out of a bucket. That's a big no, no if there is any grit let on the car prior to washing. The clay he uses you can get online for $10 or $15 if its what I think it is.

Funny how the mention of attorney tends to "clear" things up. Glad to hear that things are starting to move along. I really dislike the insurance business, and more importantly, the many idiots that seem to be involved.

Just start threatening legal action. Then find yourself an attorney that finds your case strong enough to work without pay until the case is settled. Some will do this. Make sure to negotiate their percentage and then have them factor that into the equation. Another thing to do is start riding your insurance. They should authorize you a rental car and paid medical attention for your girlfriend. It will be then be their responsibility to sue lady's insurance for the money. Fault has been proven by the police report. The most important thing is that if someone isn't being helpful, ask to speak to their supervisor. Just keep going up the list until you find a person that is willing to do a little work for you. It was the only way my brother got a check for his car and a little more money for opting out of a rental. That didn't happen until he spoke to the lady that managed the whole office and oversaw all the claims. Don't take no for an answer!

Don't put up with any of their B.S. Take your truck to have it appraised now. Usually only takes 30 min or so, and its good if you have a few quotes. Call the lady's insurance company and find out where their "approved" body shops are. Don't tell them you were in an accident with one of their customers though. I just went through this with my brother's car, so I understand how frustrating it really is. You also need to notify them that about your girlfriends medical situation immediately if you have not done so already. Let them know its a neck/back injury and that she is in a good amount of pain. It will get things moving much quicker. Did you do what I suggested as to obtaining a rental car? That's something I've learned from my own experience and the that of other's who work in the insurance claims field. Telling them that you will be suing for lost wages, because you can not get to work will motivate them to get things rolling for you. Works wonders.