Formula SAE - Lateral-g Forums

B Schein · #1 05-19-2008, 06:57 PM

How many people here have been involved with formula sae. We just got back form Detroit and I am excited for next year. I joined the team this year didn’t do that much design but did 90 percent of the machining all the welding and more that 50 percent of the body. I thought already knew what it took to build car but man was I wrong. Pro-touring car is easy to build you just get on the internet and order parts yes some of use get custom stuff made but for the most they are off the shelf parts. Everything on a good fsae car is custom deigned and built.

After building one of these cars it makes you feel like you can build anything.

coolwelder62 · #2 05-19-2008, 08:30 PM

I have helped the Kansas Uniiversity team for some time now its been alot of fun. I have learned alot from the engineering kids.

Lemons · #3 05-19-2008, 09:50 PM

I completely agree with you. I recently finished my time at CSU Northridge where I was a member of the Formula SAE team. We competed last year in Fontana at FSAE West, and it definitely was the coolest experience that I have ever had. I learned a ton about building and designing cars, and I also got to run a CNC Mill. It was an absolute blast, and I would love to do it again. Those cars are phenomenal and a huge challenge for students. We had a successful year and finished 7th overall, which was our best school finish. I will always remember my experience in FSAE, and I know that it has made me a better engineer.

Chris

Payton King · #4 05-20-2008, 06:16 AM

the University of Arkansas as a mechanical engineer. I was part of the SAE team but we were doing dune buggy style cars that had to race on dirt and water. Had a great time

wiedemab · #5 05-20-2008, 07:28 AM

I went to Purdue and was involved with SAE, but I worked on the Min-Baja team. It wasn't quite as hi-tech as the Formula car, but we had a great group of guys. It was a ton of work, but great fun. We were like 9th or 12th out of over a hundred teams in the West competition my senior year.

Post up some pics of the car and the competition if you can - the formula cars are damn fast and cool looking too.

Beach Cruiser · #6 05-20-2008, 10:31 AM

I went to Virginia Tech and was involved in building the first three cars ever in that program. The third one took the national title in '90. But we had the advantage of having Todd Bowland on our team, he went on to become an IRL Chief Engineer and now works for Joe Gibbs Racing. It was a blast, I learned a tremendous amount both design and fabrication.