BobbyZ

Im pretty sure that steam has less efficiency than internal combustion. The main benefit of steam is that you can use practically anything for fuel: gasoline, diesel, garbage, small animals... lol

Worked fine for me on all of the deadening material. I had to hit the stuff pretty hard with a hammer to get it to break up though.

Awesome...

Tried the grease trick, never worked for me.

Hey, Nice catch! Definately an s30

Has anyone looked into using this paint as an interior treatment. http://www.alsacorp.com/products/softtouch/softtouch.htm It says that the final product has a soft feel to it and the way the light hits it is kind of cool. I think primering the dashboard and then painting it black with the soft-touch stuff might be kind of cool. It would probably make the dash look less "plasticky".

I would totally join you guys if my computer would run the stupid game. I am hooked to all kinds of racing games. For a while I was really into Live For Speed. Maybe in a couple of months once I get a new box I will be able to join you. Sounds like fun

lol... This is not a Giken head, we have been following this guys crazy head construction for awhile now.

I have some of those suspenders! I love those things.

Pismo?

Woohoo another update. Mull, you have one of the most ambitous projects I have ever seen. The craftsmanship is top notch.

For lack of a more educated guess I am going to have to say you have a goose in your engine.

Lol... I actually really like it. I totally see the aquatic theme that you were going for. The reflections and the color make it look like you are looking into a large aquarium. Really cool effect.

buttplug...

I just finished the Electrical Engineering program at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and all the way through I wished I was doing M.E. The way I look at it is this, getting the degree in some form of engineering will get your foot in the door. Proving that you can learn and want to get better at your job will allow you to do whatever you want with that degree (to an extent). For me it was always between ME and EE, I like working with robotics and cars and mechanical objects but I also really enjoy programming. Both of these majors make sense for what I enjoy. I guess what I am saying is make the decision based on what you enjoy, but dont worry too much if it doesn't focus exactly where you want to end up. An engineering degree can be very flexible depending on how ambitious you are.

How is this different from applying the emergency brake while you are driving? You are using the engine to slow down only the rear wheels of the car. Wouldn't it be better to just change the braking bias if you think the rear tires can handle more braking without breaking loose?

The main purpose behind ABS is not to decrease braking distance. It is to improve steering control while under hard braking. It is actually quite common for braking distance to decrease without ABS, but it takes skill and concentration. I like being able to slam on the brakes in the wet and I know the ABS should kick in and make my life easier. I dont always want to drive like a race-car driver.

Finally finished the school thing and now I am making some money! Yay, started at $60,000 out of school! Not bad. Whats funny is my wife makes more than me. I spend 6 years getting my BSEE and she makes $40/hour as a nurse! Its wierd having money, I cant wait to blow it all on my car! I will be completely broke soon though, my wife is quitting work to have a baby and we are buying a house in Santa Cruz county. Most overpriced place to live in the country.

The gun actually has a really nice over grip which makes it easier to shoot but it still almost ripped itself out of my hand. lol My brother in law bought it as personal protection against Grizzly Bears (lives in Alaska). Good fun.

There was a few big gun pictures awhile ago so I thought I would continue the theme. Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan shooting a 454 Casull round. Big Gun... Cant really see me in this one but who cares, I'm flying through the air in my wife's bone stock pathy.

I am in the middle of shopping for my first bike and I was actually thinking something more along the lines of a cruiser of some kind. There was a Honda Magna for sale for like $3000 that I really liked. Just getting into this though so I dont really know what I am going to like. Any tips for a bike newbie?

I want an s4 so bad... I guess the only way to own that car is while it is still under warrantee, oh well someday. The BMW idea is another one I have toyed around with. I really dont like the image that comes along with them, but from what i hear they are really great cars. I am also afraid of the mainenance costs to own one. Maybe I will test drive a couple, I was seriously looking at the 328.

I unfortunately do not fit into a miata. I am 6 foot 3, I tried to drive one once and the top of the windshield blocks my vision. Your advice on VW/Audi is exactly what I have been hearing from a lot of people. Which is unfortunate because the 2000 s4 is cheap.

Well it has been 6 years and I am finally graduating from college. I have been living the student life for far to long and I am ready to have a few bucks in the bank. My first mission is to buy myself a daily driver to commute in and I was wondering if anyone here had some advice for me. This is going to be my first big auto purchase (before this I had a pos ranger). My requirements are pretty boring but I really dont want something like a corolla or a civic, I want my car to have a little personality. 1. Fun to drive 2. Comfortable (1hr commute each way) 3. Reliable/Cheap to maintain (I dont need another project) 4. Good gas mileage 5. Around $15K I have shopped around for a few ideas and one of the best seems to be the 2004 wrx wagon. I like the look, fun to drive and around 15K. I also like the 2000 audi s4 but I think I would spend too much time and money on something like that. Any new suggestions or comments?

It is true that drag from the air is proportionate to the velocity squared. But drivetrain loss has very little to do with air flow. The loss is all due to kinetic friction, which is not proportionate to the speed at all. This means that as you increase the speed of the engine, the power loss due to friction is going to remain constant. Your plots seem to verify what I am saying. That no matter the engine speed, the drivetrain will absorb a roughly constant power.