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Do Computer Geeks and Gearheads Overlap?
Johnath asks: "One of the great things about finally owning a place with a garage is that it's given me a chance to start taking apart my car and putting it back together. I'm certain I'm not the only one here who does so. The analogies between custom cars and custom computers are as obvious as they are numerous: the quest for higher performance, the analysis of detailed benchmarking and comparison studies, the fanatical brand loyalty -- a nitrous tank on an inline-4 is materially identical in my mind to a 4" heatsink on an overclocked duron. How much overlap is there between these groups, how many people here are car geeks? My preference is to optimize for efficiency and mileage over power gains, but I'm interested in car-hackers of all persuasions. Where do you go for geek-level treatments of oil brands, exhaust options, and dyno results? Is there a gearhead Slashdot hiding out there, or only the brand-specific boards like myfordfocus.com?"
No, only first post and computer geeks overlap.
but I dedicated my life to free software.
overclocked duron.
No, THAT would be the computer equivalent of a 4-cylinder honda civic with racing stripes.
I would expect such blatant racism on Fark, but on Slashdot? Mods please ban this asshole.
I installed a turbo charger on my 71 charger... my computer got a little left out so i designed and fabricated a blower for the top of the case and 2 smallish fans to drive air into my case. My next step is to find the same paint that i used on my car and paint my case. Midnight blue... that looks great with the blower and RAM cooler...
while(1) { fork(); };
Cars and modded computers have windows.
Go here to create your own Slashdot dis
Yes.
Well if they're both consenting adults then I guess they can do whatever they want in the privacy of their own homes.
They can overlap in major ways. The best way to get more power out of your car (without adding a turbo or supercharger) is to remap your car's fuel and timing (and boost, if you've got a turbo already) curves in the ECU. The code is proprietary to each manufacturer, so you have to reverse-engineer it first.
I own a Subaru Impreza WRX, and one of the major tuning companies, Cobb Tuning, hired a computer engineer to do exactly that. Now I can pay $400 for 35 more horsepower. I like the crossover.
I don't think the two areas are naturally related other than both are technical areas guys like to get into for speed, whether Mhz or HP it is all about going fast
I grew up as a geek in a small rural town. That meant two things: first, any money I had went into my computer, meaning the truck I drove was a POS; and second, the teasing you took by being a geek in the lower grades turned into the teasing you take having a slow POS when your low-GPA, V8-loving classmates are getting their licenses.
Karma's a bitch, though. Being a geek today means a lifestyle that those same knuckle-draggers can only envy (assuming, of course, that you're working right now), and their "old-n-busted" will have a tough time keeping up with my "new hotness".
Seriously, while I might have gotten a bit of satisfaction out of the way things played out, I just sort of naturally gravitated towards import modification after finally coming up for air after immersing myself in technology for so long. Racing (autocross is my primary interest right now, although I make it to the drag strip every so often) and performance tuning makes the time and effort you put in "real" to others around you in a way that an elegant hack can never be. Go ahead, tell a non-geek friend or family member that you're entering the International Obfuscated C Code Contest this year, and compare that reaction to the one you get when you say you ran your car at Real Street Drags last week and smoked a few V8s with your little four-banger.
Still, I don't see automotive performance being a mainstream geek thing. Sites like DSMtuners are filled with /. readers, but whenever I mention that my car is up on jackstands again, most of the folks I work with give me that "why wouldn't you just have your mechanic do that?" look.
-Ed Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.
As far as overlap between car and computer geeks go, I can see alot of it. I've got a number of friends in my "circle" who are car geeks as well as computer geeks.
Depending on your definition of the term "geek" -- I'd consider myself a quasi car-geek, only because I don't fix everything on my car. I do stuff like suspension work, brake work (pads, rotors, adjustments, etc), and routine maintenance, but generally avoid any internal engine work (or, for that matter, anything that would involve dropping the engine or transmission).
That being said, I love cars. I simply think that they're neat machines that are fun to operate. I'm a particular fan of (what I define as) sports cars. My definition is a general adherance to the British (European) sports cars of earlier days. Lightweight (2500 LB or under is a MUST), inexpensive, purpose-built (no/few frills), RWD, and typically low-powered. I track my car (I'm cheap as well, so my "sports car" is both a track car and daily driver), and will tweak it as needed. Part of my car geekiness moves away from mechanical upgrades, and focuses on fixing the driver to make the car go faster...this a bastardization of an old axiom from my autocrossing days. I've now given up autocrossing entirely to persue track driving. I'm only able to do it a handful of times per year, since it can get quite expensive -- but I often will be on-track with my computer geek comrades.
-Turkey
well, i rebuilt my car (bought a '93 Subaru Justy with 145k on it, stuffed in a new block, and now i have a 45mpg gas miser with a new engine for $550) and insofar as i'm a slashdot reader who exclusively runs linux (albeit mandrake), i suppose i'm a computer nerd. so yeah, one vote here!
U.S. War Crimes blog. Email for free Mandriva support.
And for all the reasons you listed. I'm a computer/car geek, in that I see both my computer and my car as not only tools, but extensions of myself and my personality, and as such. they must be bent over and vigourously spanked until they do my bidding. My current state of employment has prohibited me from doing all the things I want to do to my car, but trust me we'll get there.
/., but as you said there are plenty of brand-specific sites, generally using customized YaBB for forums, rather than Slashcode. Here's a few fo' ya:
I don't know if there's an all purpose gearhead site like
Overboost They sell aftermarket shtuff, and have a decent forum, generally for the Honda/Acura crowd.
XceedSpeed Detroit-area car club. Whether you live in Detroit or not, there's plenty of good stuff on the import scene in there.
Take care!
El riesgo vive siempre!
After always looking down on those who worked with their hands I'm finding so much enjoyment doing it myself. I would have loved to have been a teenage gearhead, but I was too concerned with people's perception that I be "smart".
In short, being an insecure fool made for missing out on a lot of fun, and yes, I think gearheads and techies overlap a ton.
note that you can optionally encrypt the data stream too by specifying -x to either telnet or rcp. So next time someone tells you telnet, rcp are insecure you can tell them they are wrong!
Note there are is also a kerberos version of FTP server/client available.
I use Friend/Foe + mod-point modifiers as a karma/reputation system.
I'm a mac user... Well, I always used them to connect to unix iron, but now macs *are* unix iron, so I am a happy camper. I don't do silly casemods, but I do enhance the innards to give it a bit more power.
I am also an SCCA Rally driver [no, not professional], and a Solo I and Solo II driver. My daily driver is a honda accord that I've modified with a Japanese Domestic Market H22A [JDM Prelude], coilovers, lightweight rims, etc. For the most part, this daily driver looks stock [slightly lowered]. The rally car is a Group N [class] WRX. It's the ugliest thing on the road, but *damn* it is fun to drive.
I suggest you check out www.scca.org if you are interested in racing, get into a club and get involved. Just like in the computer universe, being able to bounce ideas off other people is invaluable. Just don't be arrogant. Geeks tend to be a bit thick when it comes to social interaction, especially when the people you may deal with aren't peers intellectually. Do yourself a favour and keep the ears and mind open, and the mouth closed
Blocklevel: Practical Information Architecture
As a fellow gearhead/nerd, this is an area I'm pretty familiar with. You are definitely not alone out there, though I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a totally general interest "car nerd" site like /.
/. -- I'm sure there a Microsoft-loving nerd sites out there, right?)
This is because, like tech nerds, gearheads are generally divided up among their different camps. (Heck, we're in a camp here on
You'll generally find:
-- the Asian Import crowd (Hondas, Acuras, Nissans, etc.,) -- clubsi.com, etc.
-- the VW crowd (vwvortex.com -- my home)
-- the Audi crowd (audiworld.com)
-- the BMW crowd (bimmer.org)
-- even the Ferrari crowd (ferrarichat.com) -- and believe it or not, these guys are a LOT more nerdy and friendly than the BMW crowd.
Ferrari and other exotic car rentals in New York
a nitrous tank on an inline-4 is materially identical in my mind to a 4" heatsink on an overclocked duron.
.uk links, but the idea is very popular in .au and .us as well.
Exactly. Both are pointless, will probably lead to pointless destruction, and be a lame way of buying better gear in the first place.
Case modder=people who put giant wings on their 100 HP cars.
Lots of analogies.
There are only brand specific stuff. Occasionally you'll get some reasonable discussion.
Now, if you are a car guy, and like things like 'rock linux' and 'gentoo', may I suggest it is time to build your own car? Many
Nope, not all brands, but definately DIY. No, you don't sand cast your own engine. OTOH, you probably didn't get Intel to make you a one-off chip either.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
I've always found it interesting that the guys who like the really high tech things also like vintage and/or antique items. Personally, I'm the IS Manager for a school system. I have the newest computers and gadgets you can buy, but I also have old tools and other mechanical devices. I have a Ford F-350 diesel truck (very advanced engine, drive by wire, performance chip, etc.), but I also have a 1966 Ford Mustang for pretty days. I also work on a stock car race team with a friend.
My two hobbies come together on my website TheDieselStop.Com, a website with technical information about Ford diesel vehicles. It isn't a geek/gearhead Slashdot, but we have over 30,000 users and around 1.4 million messages to search through dating back through 1997. A high percentage of our users are also in the IS/IT field in some way.
Interesting question, hope you get some answers on why this is so.
Jason
"FORMAT C:" - Kills bugs dead!
i've always seen software as the reason computers were cool -- pimped-out hardware with DOS on them aren't any fun, but i've seen obsolete, minimal hardware do amazing things with well written software. while i can appreciate sexy hardware, imho it is software that makes a machine much more than a box with flashing lights on it (and don't forget the clear panels, 18 fans w/ lights and the glow in the dark, flame paintjob)
My roomate is a car guy. I explain computers to him in brute car language, and he explains cars to me in 1337 speak. It is a technical coexistence. We're both in the college of Engineering at the Uni (compsci and mech.engr), and I'd say we have a good bit in common with most engineers - science and technology are a common language.
All it takes is a common language.
I've been both for as long as I can remember...
I grew up taking things apart to see how they worked... just like my big brother, but unlike him - I put them back together (and they worked).
I was rebuilding motorcycles and building home-made go-karts (with motorcycle and snowmobile engines, lawn-tractor tires, etc.) as a young teen, and got hooked on computers the first time I saw one... ah, the number of nights I got such a small amount of sleep because I couldn't stop coding in assembly on my new (at the time) Apple
Since then I've gotten much worse.
My first car was my Grandma's '72 Duster with a slant-6.
Rather than do the oh-so-common V8 swap, I decided to do the geek thing and hopped up the
I lost count of the number of times I had to pop the hood to prove to a GM V8 driver that I wasn't kidding about my powerplant! (after dusting him off hitting 2nd!)
I now drive a mildly modified (still undergoing the transformations) 2nd-gen RX-7 Turbo II, a 1976 Triumph TR7 (was a basket-case when I bought her), and am restoring a 1980 TR8 convertible.
I'm also restoring a 1970 Kawasaki Mach III 500 (triple 2-stroker)... the model frequently refered to as "Satan's Chainsaw".
As for computers, I switched to Linux (completely) back in 1992 (tried FreeBSD a couple times) for my home systems, and became a SunOS/Solaris sysadmin back in '95. I only have 5 systems at home at the moment, but 4 of them are dual-processor (one's a notebook), and two are SPARCstations.
I'm also into electronics, and plan to megasquirt at least one, possibly all 3 of my cars.
I think I'd have to answer "YES!" to your question.
- Preferences: Solaris 10 (servers), Ubuntu (desktops), Solaris 11 (personal servers) -
Well, yeah, I think so.
... first it was oil changes ... then tuneups ... (this was in the sixties when tuneups were a routine part of owning a car). Then it got bad ... in the 70's I got hooked on rebuilding carburetors (remember them?).
... I've done four engine rebuilds from the pistons out. One even involved synching side-draft SU carbs on an old Triumph Spitfire after I had a machine shop custom build parts I couldn't get on the market (oh, the SHAME of it). Hand-grinding valve seats ... clearancing rod and main bearings ... I was doing it ALL just to feed the need.
... and all I got out of it was a sore back and temporary relief of the parts-changing monkey on my back. All the thrill, the art ... the magic ... was gone. All I was doing was feeding the habit. Modern engines had made it too simple. The rush of having an engine start on the FIRST try was gone ... (SIGH).
... think to myself "mixture's not right" ... then I have to use my "thought stopping" techniques to keep me straight. It's HARD trying to keep off the drug "ICanFixIt," but I work at it one day at a time.
...
;-)
I started out as a gearhead before I got into computers. It was one of those "gateway drug" experiences
Replace a throwout bearing? No problem. U-joints? Child's play. Replace the points in a Lucas distributor with electronic switching? A godsend for an MG owner, but merely a trivial task.
My habit grew worse
The last one convinced me that I HAD to give it up. It was a fuel-injected computer-controlled Nissan
I've worked HARD over the last 5 years to break the habit. Some days are better than others. I'll notice a little stutter in the acceleration when I punch the throttle
Now you know my story. I'm a humbled and chastened grease addict. I've broken the habit and my life is better now.
I'd write more, but that's all there is to tell. I'm off to recompile my kernel so that it will support the latest alpha-level I/O modules
(Laugh, it's a JOKE, son)
utter rubbish
...than Grassroots Motorsports
Chris Owens
San Carlos, CA
I'm guessing there's a sizable portion of the Slashdot population (such as me) not yet old enough to even have a car, let alone be a "gearhead"...
I did build a 3-speed transmission out of Lego once though, if that counts. (No, I'm serious! It even worked! Complete with a shifter lever!)
In my circle of friends (geeks) it's 100%. You either get machines or you don't.
Oddly enough even we're all gearheads and keyboard jockeys.
And before you snipe, Yes, were all married.
F X=0:1:9999 F D=2:1 Q:((X>2)&(X#D=0)!((D>X/2)&(X'=1))) I D>(X/2) W:$X>75 ! W X,?$X+5-$l(X) Q
If it wasn't for hardware register support, you wouldn't even have virtual memory. So much for your theory.
...I can't really consider myself either. Having been brought up fairly poor, I didn't have access to a computer outside of the 40 min once a week class in grade school. I wasn't allowed to even change the oil in my mother's car, only add more when it leaked out at the rate of 1 qt every Friday. My father does his own breaks, he just doesn't turn the rotars or replace them, ever.
As much as I'd like to be a geek of any sort, I know my social class. But I love my Duron and my Slant-6.
Someone hates these cans.
I've said this for years, and it's formed the central analogy of my explanation of what makes hackers hack. Almost everyone can understand the drive to explore, tweak, and compete when it's placed into the context of car enthusiasm. To me it's an identical mindset with different tools. Sympathy for hackers seems to skyrocket when people can connect the hobby to something familiar.
I'm an irregular poster on MatrixOwners.com and GenVibe.com, which are nearly identical and I'm not sure why both exist when they serve the exact same need. (the sites AND the cars!). It's funny how much difference there is between the content of the forums though. Drivers of the Pontiac version seem more concerned with function than form, whereas the Toyota-centered site gets more postings about cosmetic modifications. (Personally, I drive a Matrix but I could care less about decals and painted calipers. I want more outlets!)
I am fanatically loyal to GM, and I fix my own cars. I am into vintage. I have a 1970 cadillac sedan deville, and a 1994 toshiba laptop... I fixed both myself. My cadillac has a 472 8 - cylinder, second largest made by GM,and a posi rear... I guarantee my 2,000 pound caddy is better in the snow than your puny little front wheel drive rice burner... I also am loyal to AMD, and I will put my overclocked athlons up against any wimptel machines !!!!
A 300hp car is useless if it ain't got good brakes, suspension, etc. The same applies to computers. It's sad to see people trying to run faster processors and forgetting to use more memory (avoid swapping), faster disks, efficient OS's, etc.
As an example, I race an old '96 145hp bike. I managed to drop my track times by a few seconds not by getting more power, but with the help of two fork springs from White Power and a rear damper from Ohlins (in my country racing is more concerned with fast cornering rather than brute acceleration).
Anyway, back to the original question, these two types of geeks have a common place: Just google at "carpc".
Incidentally, WTF is wrong with Slash? Why can't I use accented characters or pound signs?
I use google as a source of links for information on what I'm working on. Usually once you hit a major (brand specific) site they'll have more links to other useful sites. There are some generic sites (/. style) but they're usually not very helpful unless you're the guy asking "how do I change the oil in my ....."
If you're interested in simulation analysis, there are software packages that'll let you see how mods affect performance. The low budget software (~$59) I use is Desktop Dyno If you have money to blow, Dynomation is available (~$600). They're both written by the same people.
My current project is a truck -- I needed something to carry around parts for my projects... I found it's computer to be seriously lacking; and, will soon remedy that = ) BTW, I have painted my PC with a hammered metal finish, to look like a toolbox... Too much?
#cars
Give it a shot.
UK based but with members from various parts of the world...Pistonheads
demon
-----
Nothing is ever a total loss; it can always serve as a bad example.
I really get satisfaction out of working on my vehicles. Plus I save money. And I know that I can do the work better than most mechanics, who while not necessarily malicious, are usually idiots.
The thing is, cars are so fsking complex, and each individual make/model has so many unique nuances, that I honestly can't belive that your average mechanic can really learn it all. Hell, it took me years to learn everything there was to know about my VW Passat alone! Start tossing in GM's, Fords, 'yotas, Hondas, etc. and damn that's a lot of different kinds of cars to learn to work on.
Obviously there are some pretty significant differences between cars and computers. Building high-performance cars invariably involves machining and metalwork for example. Nobody fabricates their own sillicon chips, or even does mods on the sillicon level. Computer parts are mostly all plug and play these days. Car parts, IMO, require a lot more specialized tools and knowledge to work on. The only tool you really need to work on a computer is a Phillips head screwdriver. You can't work on a car at all without a wrench and socket set. And if you want to do anything serious you're going to need a whole slew of specialized tools and chemicals. I never start any job on my car without a can of Parts Blaster and a tube of RTV. On a computer, you might need a little dab of heatsink grease, but only if the old stuff is all dried up and shitty. Oh yeah, I don't have to replace a gasket everytime I pull out a hard drive. Oh yeah, my engine weighs hundreds of pounds and is the size of, well, and engine. My CPU is obviously much smaller and easier to carry around.
I think that cars and computers both appeal to hackers because they are both cheap, commonplace, and hackable. Those rice boys with their riced out Hondas, they're hackers (some of them). The guys building lifted Jeeps with 44" Super Swampers for rock crawling, they're hackers too.
My current vehicle is a 90 Jeep Cherokee Laredo, 4WD of course. I'm already shopping for a 3" lift kit so I can fit 31" tires on it. Add a couple of skid plates and some rock rails, and a Hi-Lift jack for getting unstuck, and I'll be ready to hit some easy trails. I'm just about the biggest computer geek I know. Answered.
-73, de n1ywb
www.n1ywb.com
Cars for Tinkerers
I was a Ford mechanic for ten years doing drivability and electrical work before deciding to switch careers. Now I am a the "computer guy" for a small business. As a mechanic family members would always ask me to work on their cars, now not only do they ask me work on their cars they ask me to work on their computers too. I can't win.
I'm a bit late into the car game, I started a couple years ago getting a Dodge Neon to auto-x. I did oil changes and all that stuff, then I got a cold air intake and new exaust... Next thing I know I'm totally replace ing the suspension, swaybars, spring, shocks. I just sold it now a couple guys at work are doing the Grass roots Motor sports $2004 challenge
We are putting a chevy V8 into an 86 RX-7. The thing is sitting in my garrage currently getting taken apart when we get time. But I work for a small programming company, in which most of us are car guys also so it seems to go hand in hand... Up here in ME anyway...
-G
I just got my newly EFIed Volvo 242 Turbo (now there is an oxymoron! =P) started a couple weeks back, running on a Megasquirt. I've been a member of a couple of Volvo related mailing lists for years now, and that has been helpful in so many ways. Many of the members were longtime mechanics, and had worked on Volvos for years, so help was always an email away for the most part.
Now that I've moved into a more exotic area I've subbed to a couple of EFI lists, mostly related to the EFI I use. While discussions on the primary list are mainly troubleshooting/feature requests, noone minds talking about new technology on cars or off-the-wall ideas.
Additionally, many projects have forked off the main Megasquirt (which is itself a fork of EFI332). One of which I'm following is the MegasquirtAVR, which is a port to the Atmel AVR architecture. This has given us a ton more power to work with, allows us to use C instead of assembly (like on the Moto-based Megasquirt), and there are some terribly bright people on the list discussing new features. We're finishing up work on a daughterboard to the main EFI board which will drive a Bosch LSU wideband oxygen sensor that also has an onboard knock sensor processor, ignition drivers, high-res ADCs, etc. Next up is a full ion-sensing ignition (!).
As for my project car (more like my science project), now that shes running, next up is a T3/T04 hybrid and bigger injectors! I just HAVE to be able to spank those damn WRXs at the dragstrip!
I know quite a few people, including myself who are avid car and computer fanatics. It seems that our conversations drift between the two topics a lot, and we spend any amount of money we can into both areas, whichever peaks our interest, although I think we spend more time working on our cars or racing with them at different venues around the country than we do spend on our computer systems.
As for an online community, I've only seen brand/model-specific car sites. People are either too proud or too stubborn to seem to talk about all cars in general. It always turns out to be a pissing contest between import and domestic, 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder, show car and performance car, the list goes on.
...and if it wasn't for hardware, there wouldn't be computers! so much for this software bullshit!
472 8 - cylinder, second largest made by GM
;)
That was true at one time (if you don't count the aluminum Big Block Chevys used in Can-Am racing).
There's now:
the 502 BBC crate motor,
the 500 Caddy (the former #1),
and the 495 BBC used in trucks.
2000 lb. Sedan Deville? I got to see that! Or did you mean 5000 lb.
Is there a gearhead Slashdot hiding out there?
/. would allow for the addition of a "Gearhead" section fairly easily?
Well, technically it wouldn't be hiding, and I assume the software running
What about it, you single-digit-user-numbered admins, gearhead.slashdot.com? I mean, hell, what could it hurt? The fanatical Ford -vs- Chevy debate would allow for some interesting modding and in reality, isn't that much different from the Apple -vs- Windows silliness.
'cept maybe for the tooth count of the participants.
s'wut i sed.
Once I graduated from University, I had the time and money to go after what I've always lusted for, a fast car. The more I learned about cars and handling the less I liked the big muscle cars I looked at growing up, and yeah, I'm a hick too, complete with beer-drinkin', pickup drivin', tire-burnin', you name it.
/. hasn't seen anything yet.
I got into Solo I and II, hopefully Formula Ford soon. Import modification is all about using technology to keep engines making close to 200 hp -per liter- from blowing up under boost. Engines were a black box to me for awhile, so I got the manuals and studied them inside out. You can't afford to race unless you have more money than Gates, or you do a lot of your own repair work.
Over the years I've acquired quite a pile of tools, learned to weld, and my Xmas vacation project is to build up a D16 Honda engine to hold about 12-15psi of boost. Running my own injector controller board and timing retard circuitry. The look on a Corvette or Viper owner's face when he gets his ass waxed by a little Honda is priceless. There is a replacement for displacement - technology. You think there are holy wars with Vi and Emacs.. heh,
If you can program a PC, you can do just about any mechanical repair. One of my goals is to build a fully functioning engine control system based on the QNX operating system.
All the experience that I gained from learning how to build electronic controls and the like paid off bigtime after the collapse of the IT industry - I make my living doing embedded programming and hardware design now. Once of the courses I did in University was to build your own computer - wire wrap - right down to the latches. Most people used it to do something with lego, but I ran straight for my car and got a pretty nifty tachometer setup.
Knowing how to rebuild car engines and cars in general can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the years, easily, too.
..don't panic
I think you meant this to be posted here
Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
There is a lot of overlap, near as I can see. The demeanor of people who work on cars is very similar to the demeanor of people who do serious work with computers; patient, thorough, thoughtful, and often soft-spoken.
The demeanor of the idjits who rice up their Hondas, on the other hand, is very much like that of script kiddies. No interest in how the car actually functions; just slap on whatever fits from the impulse aisle at Pep Boys and call it good.
--saint
(Owner of a mostly-restored AMC Matador Coupe)
I'm a lousy mechanic, but that's okay, I'm a lousy programmer.
/6 (part of my process to owning a Dodge/Plymouth for every year between 1960 & 1970).
Currently it's a huge collection of ancient Ducati singles, a Norton 750 with a hole in the case, Yamaha SR500, and a beat-up 67 Barracuda notchback with a
And then there's some random computer stuff, too.
riding round the world on an old motorcycle
Picture's worth a thousand words.
Novel theory: Modern Man evolved from psychopath
My current autocross weapon is a '73 Porsche 914. Why? Because you can't buy a 1900 lb. mid-engined sportscar in the US anymore although there are many at double that weight. Lots of bang-for-the-buck if you want to build a competitive car. I pulled the deteriorating 30yr-old analog injection system and built digital injection/ignition around a programable ECU from a little company in South Africa. I program it with an old 486 laptop and a serial cable. Lots of junkyard parts - injectors from a Subaru turbo, throttlebody from a Chrysler, ignition bits from a Mitsubishi, fuel pump from a 5 series BMW. I have a turbo for it but haven't fabricated the exhaust. Can't decide if I should finish doing that or just finish rebuilding the 2.7l OHC flat-six (from a '76 911)thats in the garage on a stand. Nice thing about it is the programable ECU will work with either engine and they both drop right in. Much more time has been spent on suspension. 911 Carerra vented brakes on all four corners, springs, adjustable shocks, bigger swaybar, 16" 944 turbo wheels, and sticky Kuhmos.
If you have any interest in competitive driving at all I recommend you find your local sportscar club and try your hand at autocross/time-trials. It is a blast and you don't have to have a special car (although it's nice). They have race classes for all levels. You'll have a blast and it doesn't cost much. Drag races and oval racing are for people who can't drive. Road course racing is where it's all at. Try it. You'll like it. Anyway, my point is, lots of us gearheads are geeks. I'm not talking about those dumb-as-rocks "Fast and Furious" kiddies with their big wings and ground-effects plastic. I'm talking about the guys doing real car hacking stuff. Aftermarket or home-assembled ECU's (like the DIY-EFI project, or megasquirt project), engine swaps, sanctioned racing, etc.
Rice. It's what's for dinner. (evil grin)
-=-=-=-=- osjedi uses Debian GNU/Linux. -=-=-=-=-
Why, you'd go to TurboMinivan.com of course! "Screw motoring. Let's race!"
Trust me on this one, you just have to check out the page. It's almost scary what a junkyard van and a few bucks in mods can get you. The ultimate sleeper! To quote the site: "He who judges a book by its cover will soon be staring at taillights."
I drive nothing but Italian sports cars (and the occasional odd British one) and just as these cars are unusual, so is my taste in computers and operating systems.
My co-worker is a riceboy (www.riceboypage.com if you don't know) and I give him endless grief about it, but it's all just gentle teasing, even if my car runs circles around his.
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
Homer: "Hey, what are all these holes?" (points at bullet holes in car hood)
Car salesmen: "These are speed holes. They make the car go faster."
Homer (impressed): "Oh yeah, speed holes."
What is it this week with geeks trying to identify with other stereotypes?
First, How many Pushups can you do? - Slashdot "Jocks." Now we have geeks dieing to "multi-class" (to use a geek term we can identify) with gearheads? What's next cheerleaders?
The old roles have died in the 21st century thanks to the internet we all live multiple roles. I for one am glad. I myself am a geek/jock/outdoor enthusiast/marketing-PR employee if we need old stereotypes.
--"Sorry for the inconvience." Gods Last Words to his Creation
DNA, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
For the car. For the computer.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
yes, as a computer nerd / gear head i feel obligated to say "yes"
Sixteen years after I got my first computer and started learning about cars, I look at my computer and car now and laugh. I have a dual AthlonMP 1.2, 512MB RAM, with a heavily customized linux kernel in a regular beige box as my main machine. It's noisy as hell with those huge fans (these original chips get hot) and its a huge case because its all the mobo would fit in. People look at it and laugh, and then they watch what I can do and they quiet down really quick. The car? A 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450SL that I have restored, European model, only American conversion is the speedo and odometer. 30 years old and its got power windows, power locks, power trunk lock, power gas cap lock, electronic fuel injection, 4-wheel disc brakes, and lastly, a 320hp V8. I've seen new cars that don't have all that technology in them. "Haha, is your car even going to make it the 600 miles to school?" my cousin once chided. I told her we were going to find some open road. The Benz hit 60 in 6 seconds and made it over 140 before I let off the gas. Her Mercury Cougar posed no threat.
The geeks that many of us open source users are understand the technology we use and understand that we aren't perfect. Programs crash, kernels panic, we dig through debugger output and memory dumps, figure it out and fix it. The engine of the car isn't producing the power it should and the missing puff of exhaust from the tailpipe can be felt, we find the misfiring cylinder, figure out whats going on, and then fix it. Pretty similar don't you think? But I guess now I can't hide my geekdom behind my gearheadedness.
And i'm a snob at both...
I've got an Apple PowerBook 12" (fun in a small package) and a Volkswagen Golf VR6 [or the GTI VR6 as it is over there] (even more fun in a small package)
I try to find out all I can about either of them and while my modding done to the car has to date only involved replacing the chip in the ECU with an aftermarket one (GIAC) - all the modding I've done to the PowerBook has involved firstly maxing out it's specs and re-flashing the DVD-R/CD-RW BIOS to double the drive's speed and add DVD-RW capabilities.
Having modded my fair share of PCs I'm happy having a computer (or car) that doesn't need a lot done to it to make it work well =)
Cheers,
Kai
Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne
'99 Pontiac Firebird Formula (Yes w/the feared LS1). My new toy.
..
'93 S-10 Blazer. It's paid for so I can really start to screw w/ it. (Don't laugh I have seen pics on the net of theese doing wheelies.)
I like domestic muscle for a few reasons.
1. Bigger compartments make it easier to work on.
2. There is no replacement for displacement. Technology can be applied to both sizes big and small. Gains are just bigger on larger engines.
If you could get a honda w/ a 350 ls1
Just tell me you wouldn't 8')
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
I have had the same problem after I (successfully)replaced the engine in my Blazer, people have been having me do radiator flushes for Lates.
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
how about this : I drive a 1987/88 Subaru Turbo wagon it used to be an automatic. Not anymore its a standard with dual range 4WD and a lift kit! my PC's are ALL Frankensteins... 133 at 200Mhz to the 800 athlon i just got and am using here.... yeah I may not be a GHz user yet but hey, I admit to being a bit of a recycler too. So If your wanting to find thread follow thru then realize that even in the forums there is to offhanded comment that makes reference to her or the onion or who know what else at the moment..... its all good yo! heres the car for proof: http://usmb.net/gallery/albuo48/nite_done and a couple of the boards I associate with are http://www.usmb.net/ and http://www.ausubaru.com/
electryc monk(ie)
In the UK there is (or was) a huge modded Car scene but was mostly been off-line, probalby because it predates the Web. It featured Clubs a few good magazines, such as Classic Car and CCC (sadly it in is last month), with had decent technical articles and ran awesome track days.
However this has increasingly been replaced by a Street (Racing) Cruising (some of the links will not be work safe) scene based on more mainstream, non-geek pop culture (not work safe). It does feature a younger and more-internet savy demographic, but is increasingly based on existing performance and professionally modified cars rather than DIY mods.
Hacking computers and hacking cars is exactly the same with the exception of one thing.
Computer hackers are complete dorks and car hackers are cool.