Mallard

I just put one in my garage and it been great. Looking to replace all the flood lights (recessed/can lights) in my house now

I would hate to inherit someone else's headache, and no basement would be tough, but at least it's not a slab. At the same time, there is nothing like that around here, so the land and pole barn would be enough to make it worth it for me. Around here for that price I could get a total gut job on a quarter acre (if lucky). At least here you have a partial gut job on 12 acres with a giant pole barn.

That work should be permitted, especially if all that living space was added. Call the city and check for permits and have a thorough inspection. Is this built on a slab or is there a basememt? That would be the only thing to deter me, if the work upstairs checks out. Other than that, I say go for it. We looked at houses for over 2 years until we found one we liked.

1. Probably right. You see all the OEM's adding active grill shutters to their vehicles, which open and close on demand. In NASCAR you see teams adding or removing tape. 2. Probably thin, light plastic or sheet aluminum. You just have to be careful how much you seal because heat from the exhaust could build up. Start with the problem areas and build from there. 3. I agree. You'll also see cars like the Tesla have a small air dam in front of the tire in order to divert air around the wheel well. 4. I think you have to have one mirror by law. Camera's are illegal as OE equipment, but not sure about aftermarket. 5. Not sure. Some don't actually go much lower, but just stick out. As you see on the Volt, it's just a flexible piece of rubber that sits further back under the bumper. For some examples, here are links or pics of the Volt, Cruze Eco, and Dart Aero, all of which have spent extensive time in the wind tunnel to improve MPG. The Cruze and Dart has underbody panels, but the Dart is more extensive. You'll also notice the air dam's behind the leading edge of the bumper and in front of the tire. media.ed.edmunds-media.com/dodge/dart/2013/fe/2013_dodge_dart_det_fe_1241355_600.jpg www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/506/EcoUnderbellyMed.jpg static.ed.edmunds-media.com/unversioned/img/long-term/misc/volt_underbody_06-thumb-717x477-113345.jpg

True. I looked back and saw I was thinking of an example we did in class for estimating the frontal area when limited data was available. However, lowering the ride height does slightly reduce the frontal area by having less tire exposed to underbody flow, and reducing ride height and/or using an air dam can reduce underbody drag. This is why cars with air suspension (Tesla, Jeep Grand Cherokee, etc) reduce their ride height at highway speeds. Tesla even quoted a reduction in range associated with raising the ride height during their fire scare. Also, almost all modern cars are being optimized for aerodynamics due to fuel economy regulations. You'll see most cars have low air dam's in order to limit the flow going underneath the car. The Volt's is pushed to the extreme because they are trying to maximize EV range. http://static.ed.edmunds-media.com/unversioned/img/long-term/misc/Volt%20front%20end%20lead-thumb-717x477-91996.jpg So an air dam may slightly increase frontal area, but the benefit may outweigh the cost. Obviously, there are other factors that influence this, and it seems that rake angle has a huge effect, so the body should be dropped evenly, if lowered. But I think we're in agreement that the places to focus are: -radiator's (block unnecessary grill openings), -underbody (smooth under trays, keep exhaust tucked up tight to the body) -wheels (wheel wells are huge sources of turbulence) -side mirrors (as small as possible while staying legal)

An air dam doesn't actually increase frontal area since frontal area is calculated from the ground to the roof. Also, my Volt has a very low air dam that scrapes more than Farkas's car.

Lowered, block off as much of the grill as possible, seal all panel gaps, replace side mirrors with smallest possible, flat underbody panels...

He signed up on CR a few months ago but not sure he's active. I also went to HS with a girl that works there.

You can see imstock's posts??

You can pick the transaxle, but you still have limited choices. You could spend $5k to $20k+ on the trans alone, depending on how crazy you go. Still, there are stories of people completing cars for $65-70k when on a 'budget.'

It obviously depends heavily on the engine used in the build and how finished the interior is, but they state that a car with a Subaru flat 4 would weigh 2000 lbs, while a LS V8 car with full interior, sound insulation, and electronics would be about 2450 lbs. The most common engine used is the LS V8 (some turbo or supercharged), but a ton of different engines have been used, ranging from Ford mod motors, Hemi's, Ferrari V8, Maserati, Audi, 4 rotor, etc. A car with an LS7, full interior, and Ford GT transaxle went 10.4 at 132 mph in the quarter, 0-60 in the 3.2 sec range, and that transaxle is geared high enough for 257mph. In it's 4th race weekend an SL-C won the NASA Super Unlimited National Championship, and since then cars have been running NASA events, 25 Hours of Thunderhill (I think they had pole last year), etc.

And of course the SL-C. (They also make a really nice GT 40 replica and have done several one - off cars as well, including a Porsche 962) http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_25093214730218.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_25080528725580.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24930956613748.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24923618784161.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24664352055989.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24656402989826.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24581593663654.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24566625005207.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24553439946613.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24362839756962.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24311691655155.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24252208714482.jpeg

The Jag replica http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24626986882649.jpeg

They also make some other cool cars, which I will now turn this thread into a giant photobomb... The Nemesis http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24797352884502.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24943945688457.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_25128932930901.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_25149419564203.jpeg Nemesis LMP http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24444734502277.jpeg The LM-P http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24230224949832.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24414024144612.jpeg http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24465107152423.jpeg Apparently, Fran (the owner of Superlite Cars) actually owns one of the old Cadillac LMP1 cars, and all the molds and suspension geometry were taken from this car. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h92/mallard1055/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_24831319650860.jpeg

I've been talking about these things for months on here any time a home built is brought up. You can have one completed for $70k, according to the build forums, if you don't go to crazy on the engine and trans combo. Stacy David was building one on Gearz too. They're built in Detroit and also make some pretty nice replicar's too.

Jalopnik posted a video of Superkarts racing there too, but it was short so I'm not sure if they run the full course.

El oh El Don't forget that these ZL1's, Z/28's, HellCat's, Super Snake's, etc. are also high margin models that also draw interest to the brand.

This has long been a philosophy that I believe is dead, at least at some companies. You basically said what Ralph Gilles told Hot Rod, in that it's possible there may be a car with higher HP than the Viper, but it comes down to power:weight, so the Viper would still out perform. Although that will always raise questions about the need for a V10 program if you have a V8 with higher HP. I am in agreement, and I think limiting a platform does nothing but open the door for the competition and just makes your product inferior. If a Camaro/Fiero/GN/etc. can outperform a Corvette, then the Corvette's not as special as you think and it needs to be made better, instead of limiting the other models.

No. The 3.5L Shortstar was, but it was only ever used in the Olds Intrigue and deemed to expensive to produce, so they kept making the 3.8L for 10 more years.

The Aura is a 4 door sedan on the same platform as the Malibu. The Outlook is a 7 passenger SUV that is shared with the Acadia. The SRX is a 5 passenger (currently, for first gen see post above mine) that rides on a 'premium version of the Equinox/Terrain platform. None of the vehicle's you mentioned are related.

A ZL1 is 4120 lbs. An SRT Challenger is 4203 lbs.

That should be interesting. And yea, I haven't heard good things about Probst being able to wring the most out of a car.

I would love to see a Challenger T/A to compete with the Z/28.

Don't get me wrong, the car is an amazing performer, it's a performance value, and I have no doubt it's fun to drive, but I see a ton or people posting this video and using to hail the car as a GTR destroyer, when that's not true at all. The Z/28 is a stripped of Camaro that was built with one purpose: to turn fast lap times. They took weight from everywhere they could, fitted 305 R compound rubber all around, added downforce, equipped it with a track suspension that will ride harsh on the street, and used the C7 Z06 carbon ceramic brakes. Then C&D makes this video and everyone hails it as a GTR beater, even though it's 1.3 seconds slower to 60 mph, 1.3 seconds and 8 mph slower in the 1/4 mile, and it took 3 extra feet to stop 60-0, even though it's riding on 305 R comps. But, hey, it's 0.3 seconds faster around a drying track that it got to run later in the day, so it's a fuking awesome world - beating performance car. The comparison to a GTR isn't fair, IMO, because the GTR is a livable, year-round, daily driver. But it also costs $50k more. The problem is, no one else makes a car like this. There is no Mustang R, the Challenger doesn't a have anything close to it (for now), and the European's don't either. I applaud GM for building it, and I hope it ignites a fire under other car maker's to compete in the performance arena. It's worthy car porn, but a GTR beater it is not.

As amazing as the Z/28 seems to be, I agree 100%. The Camaro is wearing 305 R compound rubber all around and can pull 1.5G, it has massive carbon brakes and Multimatic suspension. But it also has no sound deadening, no floor mats, no carpet or trim in the trunk, no A/C, and a 1 speaker radio. The Z/28 is a $75k one-trick-pony track car, while the GTR is a ridiculously fast, livable, year round daily driver (and Kirk proved it).