Things I love about Formula SAE

[ibanezplayer]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

One of our test locations usually attracts members from the local traffic division, and on really good days the street racing division.

We were tired and packing up just as they pulled in but they wanted to see it run. Apparently their radar guns could only take a reading every few seconds, but I never wanted to know that we can easily do 130 in that lot...

My favorite part of every officer visit is how quickly the tough-guy facade comes off once they find out we have permission, who we are, and what we're doing.

[coastertrav]

I love the fact that this is my favorite thread on the internet because I get to see that I'm not the only one.

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

ha... i think i may have used this before about our 06/training car with the unrestricted, carbed f4i in it. to date, I have only shifted into 2nd gear on one occasion. we have yet to run in a lot big enough to actually warrant shifting... plus the massive steel shift linkage on it is not the easiest thing to use.

maybe this summer at an SCCA event i'll get to see what 3rd feels like haha

[Simon Dingle]

+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".

+1 must have had that conversation, word for word (!), 10 times a day at the last show we exhibited at.

Although not as annoying as "So, how much power does it make?" Standard reply is "about 85bhp, but it's a restricted class"

It's never cool having to explain why you make less power than they expected

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by Simon Dingle:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".

+1 must have had that conversation, word for word (!), 10 times a day at the last show we exhibited at.

Although not as annoying as "So, how much power does it make?" Standard reply is "about 85bhp, but it's a restricted class"

It's never cool having to explain why you make less power than they expected </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

try explaining why you only make 35... they calm down a little when you mention that it weighs under 400 wet.

[js10coastr]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

As an FSAE alum, I always find it necessary to ask students "How fast does it go?" and "Who gets to drive?" Seems to be the two standard question every FSAE team gets asked...

[Matthew Bell]

+1 on the top speed
We just tell them that it's geared to like 150, but our competition focuses on handling, and you're an inch off the ground, so 35 feels like 70.
Raise you "what's it do in the quarter mile?"
Not to help a stereotype, but it seems like most of the people we run across only understand straight lines and funny shaped circles, oh and get upset when we say "it has to turn left AND right..."

Also, my favorite thing so far this year is using a 15 year old Dremel tool to cut, shape, de-burr almost every part on the car. And then having to take a personal day when it stopped working, since it's been with me since child-hood. After said personal day, coming in, stripping it apart and figuring out how to make the damn thing work again!

[t21jj]

Originally posted by Simon Dingle:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".

+1 must have had that conversation, word for word (!), 10 times a day at the last show we exhibited at.

Although not as annoying as "So, how much power does it make?" Standard reply is "about 85bhp, but it's a restricted class"

It's never cool having to explain why you make less power than they expected </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The worst one that I got on a regular basis was "Is that the Solar car?" Standard reply is a simple "um no". And if they push the issue it's "Do you see any solar cells?!?!?" Often followed by them asking "oh, do you know where the solar car is." My response "I don't know" and somtimes "I don't care." Our engineering college likes to push our craptastic Solar car team to the media. God people are stupid!

Another good one is "Does that have a 350 Chevy in it?" Followed by right after telling them the engine rules "You should put a 350 Chevy in it."

On the top speed one I'll sometimes give it to them in really odd ball units if I'm really annoyed that day and let them figure it out.

Several years ago I spent a week in the Iowa State University both at the State Fair with the car answering all these type of questions and more. All while not being allowed to sit down at all.

[Simon Dingle]

Raise you "what's it do in the quarter mile?"

I've always wanted to enter our car in a quarter mile day. But our drivers are tooo scared, something about a short wheelbase and concrete walls :P

On the top speed one I'll sometimes give it to them in really odd ball units if I'm really annoyed that day and let them convert figure it out.

We played a similar game when asked about our university's electric bike, none of us knew the power it was supposed to make and the last time it went on the rolling road it only made 9kW, so we just started making numbers up. One of the team decided to keep going higher until someone questioned him about it.

[Luniz]

I think FSAE cars suck on the quarter mile. They reach a speed of around to 100km/h (or 60 mph) in 75 meters, but after that there's not much more to come. Unfortunately the quarter mile is around 400m ;-)