The Star Wars Car

I just don't get it. by djh101010 · 2004-01-18 02:45 · Score: 5, Insightful

Maybe this sort of thing appeals to the same people who make their PC tower look like some tricked-out alien egg or something, but I can't understand the appeal.

Is it the challenge, or the attention to detail, or what draws people to these?

Re:I just don't get it. by Trigun · 2004-01-18 02:52 · Score: 5, Funny

Cool paint adds 10 horsepower.
Rear spoilers add 30 hp.
Type R sticker == stick-on NOS

Hope this helps...
Re:I just don't get it. by Moskie · 2004-01-18 03:03 · Score: 3, Funny

The chicks.

...oh.
Re:I just don't get it. by kinema · 2004-01-18 03:07 · Score: 5, Funny

What I don't understand about the rear spoiler is that the damn car is front wheel drive. Spoilers on the rear are there to produce more down-force to increase traction on rear wheel drive cars, they do absolutly nothing for front wheel drives. Well.... other then making the owner look like a totall moron (assuming he even needs any help with that).
Re:I just don't get it. by danamania · 2004-01-18 03:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

I honestly don't know. It's bizarre. It's the same mentality as a fellow I know here who puts every reflector, sticker, and gadget outside and inside his car. antennae, bumpers, air fresheners, popup tissue holders... you name it, the car has it. Maybe some people NEED to be surrounded by clutter.

In any case, I've mirrored the pics in a smaller size:

http://www.danamania.com/starwarscar/
Re:I just don't get it. by Trigun · 2004-01-18 03:14 · Score: 5, Funny

A rear spoiler does nothing for a regular car. At high speeds, a car, which is shaped like a plane wing (more or less) develops an upward force which can cause instability, particularly on wide banking turns. The spoiler will have the same effect whether the car is front or rear wheel drive, which in most cases is no effect, and in some cases where the car is going real fast in a straight line, a negative effect (particularly on front wheel drive cars) due to increased drag.

The rear spoiler is, in effect, a third nipple. Kind of neat to have, ugly to look at, functionally useless, and if it sticks out more than a little, should be removed by a qualified person as soon as possible.
Re:I just don't get it. by gwbuhl · 2004-01-18 03:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

It's art, which means not everyone is supposed to get it. Everyone needs an outlet for creativitiy, clearly this guy has found his. I feel that design is in a resurgence, which means that more and more people have access to art in everyday life. For example, the ipod. Art shouldn't be relagated to museums, and when it's not, life is more interesting.
Re:I just don't get it. by Ollierose · 2004-01-18 03:32 · Score: 2, Informative

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that rear spoilers do have a genuine effect on countering this lifting force, although it may have been biased as it was probably in a car mag.

From memory (unreliable) the wing (or picnic table, possibly) on the back of 80s-early 90s Ford Cosworths turned a ~400Nm torque upwards (measured about the rear wheels) into a ~500Nm torque downward. Granted, these models were rear and later 4 wheel drive, but this is about the aerodynamics of the vehicle. It had lots of Scientists names around it too, so it must be true :)
Re:I just don't get it. by thegrommit · 2004-01-18 03:40 · Score: 5, Informative

If you read the whole thread, the owner (obi_shawn) shows up on page six and talks about what he does for a living:

I make action figures, hotwheels toys, props, models, and costumes for a living. So, much like a plumber that advertises on his panel van, my car shows what I do. And you'd better believe no one forgets it- I get a lot of business from being "that dude with the car".

He also uses the car to raise money for charity.
Re:I just don't get it. by Trigun · 2004-01-18 03:53 · Score: 3, Interesting

It all depends on the car shape and relative speed. Obviously the only additional force the spoiler would add to any stationary car would be the downward force from the weight of the spoiler. As the car increases velocity, the car, sans spoiler, will develop an upward force, due to the high/low pressure differences.

The major factor is at what speed will the car begin to noticeably lift from the ground. Most cars, even the rice powered ones will never reach speeds high enough to lose traction due to the upward force. Maybe at a fast highway speed with a great headwinds, but generally not in normal daily use. The spoiler increases the coefficient of drag, and the cars top speed, acceleration, etc. Again for most cars, this is negligible, and with the composite materials that the spoilers are made out of, the weight is negligble.

Most professional race cars have adjustable spoilers, tuned to conditions for each particular race. Some are even computer controlled to maximize the effectiveness of the spoiler on turns and straightaways. But those are professional race cars, and they go just a bit faster than my dodge, and most other everyday cars. I'd have to be flooring it downhill for a long weekend before I ever needed a spoiler.
Re:I just don't get it. by Shiifty · 2004-01-18 03:54 · Score: 2, Insightful

A spoiler 'spoils' the air flow over a car, reducing lift and pushing the car down. This a good regardless of FWD or RWD, and allows you to maintain traction while going around a corner as fast as possible.
A spoiler is ideal for racers but useless for Working Joe during city/highway driving.
Re:I just don't get it. by strudles · 2004-01-18 04:24 · Score: 2, Informative

er, spoilers dont create lift.

they create negative lift, how much depending on the design.

they also improve airflow around the car.

So you get more grip for high speed cornering, and generally a slightly lower top speed, although it depends on how much downforce the spoiler creates.

Some spoilers might actually increase top speed, simply because they are designed to produce very little downforce, and improve the aerodynamics of the car because of the air flow is better.

But even these spoilers will create some negative lift.

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- strudles
Re:I just don't get it. by Trigun · 2004-01-18 04:28 · Score: 3, Interesting

While it is true many consumer production cars have spoilers merely for looks, spoilers can be VERY functional. You obviously have no background on this, and I am not going to get into the physics, but why do you see every rally car, and nearly every le mans car, with spoilers that have taken a fair bit of engineering to design? Think formula 1 cars have them just to look cool?

Now hold on a minute here. I do indeed have a background in this, background enough to know that to this date nobody, not one soul, has ever entered a stock Honda CRX in a formula 1 race.

Their production car based on the rally car, the Impreza WRX STi, also bears a spoiler similar to this. It creates significant downforce as low as 60mph, and its functionality has been confirmed by STi as well as prodrive.

You call 60MPH low? And my car has no spoiler, and I've never needed flight clearance to pass somebody on the expressway. Have you ever seen a car hovering six feet off the ground because of gale winds? I know that I've never seen it.

If I'm driving in a rally or F1 race, then yes, I need a spoiler. If I'm driving a rally race on the way to work, than I think I need a brain more than a spoiler.

BTW, RWD, FWD, or AWD, its entirely irrelevant.
This must be in regards to this: a negative effect (particularly on front wheel drive cars) due to increased drag. The increased drag creates a downward force, strongest in the rear, on the opposite end of the drive tires. This acts as a type of see-saw, and in a straight line, removes some of the downward force from the drive tires. Say your car shifts from second to third at or about 60MPH. This removal of force can cause a temporary loss of traction as the car shifts, resulting in "secomd gear squack", as the tires roast going into gear. This is generally not a problem, again as most people don't race the quarter mile on their way to work.

Spoilers are very useful in rally driving, as one is taking turns as fast as possible.
Spoilers are very useful in F1 racing, as the cars are going as fast as possible and have a habit of flying off the road if they don't have one (and they generally have one at the front of the car as well).
Spoilers are very useful for your everyday driver because it gives you a handle to push by when you run out of gas. That's it. No additional benefit on your 15 minute drive to work.
Re:I just don't get it. by EvilAlien · 2004-01-18 05:58 · Score: 5, Funny

Here is a hint: car mod-monkeys don't understand physics.
Here are a few other things they don't understand:
The Honda Civic is not a fast car, even with ground effects
Girls think that the big wing on your trunk is compensation for a small penis (please see your email for assistance)
Whereas flashy colors assists the mating ritual for peacocks, it detracts from the efforts of humans
No, Mugen is not interested in sponsoring your tricked out Neon
We all know that the NOS meter on your dash is fake
You are no longer part of an underground movement (please see your local Blockbuster or EB for evidence)

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perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'
Re:I just don't get it. by NoInfo · 2004-01-18 06:09 · Score: 2, Funny

Obviously the only additional force the spoiler would add to any stationary car would be the downward force from the weight of the spoiler.

You must not have seen the spoilers we have around here, or else you'd have mentioned the tidal effects caused by the sheer mass.

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bug.gd: error search engine. Humanity working together to solve all errors.
Re:I just don't get it. by LC+Gundo · 2004-01-18 06:52 · Score: 3, Informative

A wing creates negative lift.
A spoiler (like the upswept rear of the "Whale Tail Porsche) "spoils the lift created by the vehicle's body.
The body of a car shaped generally like the cross section of a wing, creates lift because of the Bernoulli Principle.
In order for the Bernoulli princlple to operate, airflow over the body (or wing) must be laminar.
A spoiler "spoils" the laminar airflow by creating turbulence.
A spoiler can also increase top speed if it is designed to create pressure (actually "spoil" the vacuum) at the rear of the vehicle by causing to turbulence fill what otherwise would be a void at the immediate rear of the vehicle's body. Instead of a smooth laminar flow of air that meets some distance past the end of the bodywork, leaving a void (vaccum) at the immediate rear of the body work, a spoiler can create create a high pressure area there, resulting in forward force and higher top speed.
So, a spoiler is generally an intrusion into the airflow across the smooth upper surface of a automobile body; often a pronounced upturn of the rear edge of the trunk lid/rear engine cover.
A wing is an inverse airfoil that is usually mounted above the vehicle's body and is not intended to spoil the lift-creating properties of the vehicle's bodywork.

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I'm time traveling, right now
Re:I just don't get it. by lostchicken · 2004-01-18 07:41 · Score: 2, Insightful

High performance cars (I don't mean a Civic Type-R, I mean, BMW M3, Corvette, WRX STi, Audi RS6, Porsche 911 Turbo) are not designed for low speed driving. And yes, I mean 60mi/h is low speed. These cars are for speeds that most people will never run them at. They are tested as race cars, and built as such. They have features, like the STi's spoiler, that are useless to almost everyone, but vital for where they are designed to be used, on the track (or, in the WRX's case, off the track), at speeds well over 100mi/h.

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-twb
Re:I just don't get it. by RedWizzard · 2004-01-18 10:07 · Score: 2, Funny

Spoilers work well at speeds in excess of 100 MPH. Spoilers do not produce downforce at a start, so it doesn't matter what wheels are moving your car.
Hopefully if you car is doing in excess of 100mph all of your wheels are moving. If not, you definitely need more downforce.

Wow... by The+Tyro · 2004-01-18 02:46 · Score: 5, Interesting

That's some nice detail work... note the actual hoses that go into the laser cannon on the side of the door... complete down to the "scorch marks" on the paint next to the muzzle.

Despite the fact that this car screams "cheesy," the attentino to detail is remarkable.

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Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.

Re:Wow... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-18 02:52 · Score: 2, Funny

You underestimate the power of a thousand nerds clicking in unison. In the short time your reply took, you were beaten by 8 other people.
Re:Wow... by EvilCabbage · 2004-01-18 04:00 · Score: 2, Interesting

"Despite the fact that this car screams "cheesy," the attentino to detail is remarkable."

Read further. This guy is a toy and model maker by trade, so he should know how to detail something like that ;)

He was also the builder of a scale AT-ST walker model sold on eBay recently, but the link escapes me right now.
Re:Wow... by Blondie-Wan · 2004-01-18 09:28 · Score: 2, Informative

He was also the builder of a scale AT-ST walker model sold on eBay recently, but the link escapes me right now.

This one?

She's called Pammy by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-18 02:46 · Score: 5, Funny

because you own a lightsaver?

Yes, that swim-suited beauty lives in my top draw and leaps into action whenever she hears the cries of a light bulb in difficulty.

slashdot don't bother by circletimessquare · 2004-01-18 02:46 · Score: 5, Funny

"Sighting: X-Wing... no wait, Civic Del Sol (56k don't bother)"

pictures are already frozen in carbonite

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intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it

Re:slashdot don't bother by AngryDill · 2004-01-18 05:12 · Score: 2, Funny

Who is more foolish...

...the fool with the Star Wars car, or the fool who Slashdots him?

- Jedi proverb

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I'm Erwin Schrodinger and I approve of this message, and I do not approve of this message!

Sounds familiar by Gudlyf · 2004-01-18 02:47 · Score: 5, Interesting

Reminds me of this past Slasdot story.

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Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.

Mmmm, star wars by Realistic_Dragon · 2004-01-18 02:48 · Score: 5, Funny

I see it has no back seat. Obviously the guy was smart enough to realise that he wouldn't be needing one.

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Beep beep.

Re:Mmmm, star wars by Macgruder · 2004-01-18 03:09 · Score: 5, Informative

The gentleman's name is Shawn Crosby. His wife, Colleen, is very hot looking. They make costumes as hobbies, winning several awards at conventions. Not to mention they are both huge Star Wars fans. Her website is here. It's already down under the load, but bookmark it for future reference.

They (and I) are also members of LASFS (Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society). And I bet more than a few of them read Slashdot

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I'm not crazy,I'm actively irresponsible.
Re:Mmmm, star wars by Megaslow · 2004-01-18 04:26 · Score: 2, Funny

Uhhh.. you *have* been hanging out on Slashdot too long if you think she is "very hot looking"...
Here's some reference material:
Hot
Not
Hot
Not

Here's a page you could print out and carry around as a handy pocket reference.
Re:Mmmm, star wars by nEoN+nOoDlE · 2004-01-18 06:14 · Score: 4, Insightful

Posting pictures of this guy's wife in comparison to some super models is uncalled for. At least the man has a wife. It doesn't really matter what she looks like. She shares her husband's obsession of building friggin' Star Wars costumes and toys. I wish I had a woman who I could share my interests with, and mine aren't even that obscure. I'm sure Shawn wouldn't trade his wife for anyone in your "hot" category.

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Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.

Sad but True by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-18 02:48 · Score: 5, Funny

My favorite quote from the thread: "This guy has yet to see what a vagina looks like."

Re:Sad but True by jandrese · 2004-01-18 03:01 · Score: 5, Insightful

I don't know. Women like these creative types. They're far more interesting than the guys who just sit around Slashdot mocking the artist.

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I read the internet for the articles.
Re:Sad but True by Macgruder · 2004-01-18 03:15 · Score: 5, Informative

True. This guy's wife, Colleen, is very attractive. And together, Shawn and Colleen Crosby are one of the best costuming duo's in SF/Fantasy fandom.

(oddness alert, the parent post quoted Larry Niven, who is also close friends to the Crosby's. Members of LASFS and all that. See earlier post of mine for details and links)

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I'm not crazy,I'm actively irresponsible.

Hey baby, wanna take ride in my X-wing? by Liquidrage · 2004-01-18 02:48 · Score: 5, Funny

He needs to slap a big Type-R sticker on it. Then it would really be a chick magnet.

Re:Hey baby, wanna take ride in my X-wing? by Flavius+Stilicho · 2004-01-18 03:02 · Score: 5, Funny

Images of the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons spring to mind.... "No! Girls may NOT ride in my X-Wing unless dressed as Princess Lea. Go away!"
Re:Hey baby, wanna take ride in my X-wing? by Christopher+Whitt · 2004-01-18 07:00 · Score: 2, Informative

Here you go. (yes the pic is his wife, from a post in another thread).

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Mozilla

Reminds Of The Pepsi Racer by ten000hzlegend · 2004-01-18 02:49 · Score: 3, Informative

I love the detail around the bonnet fringes especially to the bolts and "non-sheen" quality of the overall colour

This reminds me of the Pepsi Episode I racer debut around 5 years ago

http://www.sugarfreeracing.com/images/coke/52799 .2 .jpg

Obviously this is a fan mod to his very own car, kudos

Deeply Arrested Adolescence by Angry+Toad · 2004-01-18 02:50 · Score: 5, Insightful

I mean, just wow. I cannot imagine the headspace of someone who could drive around in that thing and not feel embarassed.

Re:Deeply Arrested Adolescence by Reziac · 2004-01-18 07:03 · Score: 2, Insightful

Someone who has never lost that "childlike sense of wonder" at all the fun things there are to do in the world.

Just because you grow up doesn't mean you need to grow old!

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~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?

Re:Uh, What ? LightsaVer? by in7ane · 2004-01-18 02:54 · Score: 2, Informative

True, true, even the original site is gone already courtesy of fark:

Whole server actually

Other links though (as mentioned there):

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=& amp;threadid=484634
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink =794534
http://www.spyderchat.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=12 4115
http://www.cultofthejedi.com/funforum/showthread.p hp?t=271
http://www.honda-acura.net/forums/showthread.php?s =&threadid=119457
http://www.automotivetech.org/forum/showthread.php ?s=&threadid=39480
http://wraggy.com/barryboys/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/vie wtopic.php?t=2649
http://www.scoobynet.co.uk/bbs/thread.asp?threadid =292039

Homepage of the owner (including picture mirrors) by bazik · 2004-01-18 02:59 · Score: 2, Interesting

http://www.shawnandcolleen.com/

Looks like he'll have a huge bandwith bill...

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One by one the penguins steal my sanity...

MIRROR - Images slashdotted already. by SiGiN · 2004-01-18 03:00 · Score: 5, Informative

Managed to save few images.. While can.
Mirror

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Dephine URL

Re:MIRROR - Images slashdotted already. by jwilhelm · 2004-01-18 03:59 · Score: 4, Informative

Working Mirror.

Move along by holzp · 2004-01-18 03:04 · Score: 5, Funny

Ladies, move along, these are not the geeks you are looking for...

It's no M.F. by BaconLT · 2004-01-18 03:04 · Score: 5, Funny

Cool? Yes.

But, can it make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?

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Who mediates your information?

Re:It's no M.F. by user32.ExitWindowsEx · 2004-01-18 03:18 · Score: 3, Informative

Well, the Falcon's more powerful hyperdrive allowed it to skirt much closer to the black holes and other gravitational anomalies on the Kessel Run, allowing the ship to make the same net trip in a much shorter distance.

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"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb." -- Dark Helmet
Re:It's no M.F. by LMCBoy · 2004-01-18 04:48 · Score: 4, Informative

a parsec is a unit of distance, specifically the distance at which our sun would appear to be 1 arcsecond

Uh, no. A parsec is the distance of a star at which its parallax angle (as seen from the Earth) is one arcsecond.

parallax arcsecond.

Glad I could help ;)

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Liberal (adj.): Free from bigotry; open to progress; tolerant of others.
Re:It's no M.F. by DynaSoar · 2004-01-18 13:31 · Score: 2, Interesting

LMCBoy (185365) sez: "Uh, no. A parsec is the distance of a star at which its parallax angle (as seen from the Earth) is one arcsecond."

Yes, yes, 3.26 light years. This "mistake" is a geeks' favorite. Unfortunately there's applicable science available to explain not only the "mistake", but the correctness of its presentation in the film.

NASA's advanced propulsion research has already started looking at trans-relativistic mechanisms for space travel (http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast02fe b98_1.htm.) One concept being explored is the stretching of space-like dimensions, so that a craft can traverse a space without violating light speed. A very early paper on the subject was written by Frank Tipler in 1974 in Phys Rev D. It was titled "Rotating Cylinders and Global Causality Violation". (Larry Niven wrote a story based on this, with the same name; it's in his collection "Convergent Series".) Here's a link to a message (someone else's) which quotes a personal reply from Tipler, giving the reference to this and other papers (http://keithlynch.net/cryonet/9/21.html).

If space dimensions can be compressed, then a vehicle can traverse that space as though it were a shorter distance. The efficacy of the engines (and if they're "bending" space, then "warp" is apropos) would then be considered in terms of how much shorter they could make a given distance become. Hence, the Millenium Falcon's warp engines could have been powerful enough to shrink the Kessel Run to less than 12 parsecs, when it is "normally" much farther. Here's a Wikipedia entry that provides another explanation (http://www.4reference.net/encyclopedias/wikipedia /Hyperspace.html).

The evidence from the movie that this was in fact the nature of the M.F.'s engines? When they went to warp speed, the stars' images got stretched out into lines, as though the space in front of them was stretching. Had they accelerated to a significant fraction of light speed, the images of the stars from all around them, front and back, would have been compressed into a halo of stars with blue shift towards the center and red shift at the outside. Here's a site that shows better than I can tell (http://www.fourmilab.ch/cship/cship.html).

Other evidence that they did not approach lightspeed is the fact that they "disappeared" into warped/hyper-space in a finite time. Had they accelerated to c, it would have appeared to take forever from the viewpoint of an outside observer.

Feel free to disagree. After all, this is at the nexus of science, pre-science and science fiction. But I think I can support my assertions at least as well as those who simply appeal to standard relativistic physics. And, after all, I am a scientist. I consider it part of the job to come up with answers that are so good that, right or not, they might as well be.

Maybe I ought to just send this to George Lucas so he can work it into one of the last 4 episodes and get you guys off his back.

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"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B

Not surprisingly, there are more: by cblguy · 2004-01-18 03:06 · Score: 4, Funny

Check out Road Squadron (check out the Vehicles).

Umm, yeah. ;)

I recall seeing a landspeeder on Ebay once... And a Moose once bit my sister...

A word from Yoda by AtariAmarok · 2004-01-18 03:07 · Score: 3, Funny

Babe magnet, NOT this car is!

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Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.

Car mods nothing new by Felinoid · 2004-01-18 03:07 · Score: 3, Insightful

However I've not seen anything quite this detailed. It is easier to modify a computer case than it is to mod a car.
The car has to remain road worthy and you can't violate any local laws in your design. Some places will issue a fix it ticket for extra lights on your car.
(Get a light kit at your local auto shop)

The only illegal case mod I can think of is stuffing explosives in the computer and that only becouse having the explosives to start with is probably a violation of some laws. Well that and it's really stupid.

Most of the body mods I've heard of are for the old VW Bugs. Two populare ones my mom was intrested in was the key in the back that made the bug look like a big wind up toy and one that is a replica body of a much more expensive car.
(Why fork over for a gas hog when you can look the part and still have decent fule consumption?)

Most mods have to do with loud stereos.
But I have sensitive ears and I'd much rather remove the speakers from the car entirely and use the space for computers.

People will mod everything. Computer, Car, Home, Self. Yeah... I understand quite a few plastic surgens aren't to happy with the more exotic alterations.
I draw the line at my body.
Thow I'm not exactly creative the mods I want usually involve installing Linux. Install computers on board the car and run Linux (Mobile computing) install computers in the house to run the house. My computer IS my TV so no more "install computer in TV" gigs but that one ended long before I got intrested in Linux. Back then I just wanted to install computers in everything.

Except my body...
No install Linux in me body thanks.

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I don't actually exist.

old news... but here's a mirror to the images.... by silicon1 · 2004-01-18 03:14 · Score: 2, Informative

http://silicon.wack.us/sdmirror/starwarscar/

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Natural-Selection Be

Top 10 Star Wars Car Names by AtariAmarok · 2004-01-18 03:19 · Score: 5, Funny

10. Millenium Ford Falcon
9. Chewberetta
8. Car Car Binks
7. Chrysler Coruscant
6. An SUV called the "Natalie Sportman"
5. Tucker Photon Torpedo (oops, forgot, this is not Star Trek. Sorry)
4. Obi-Wan Cherokee
3. Darth Dodge Maulrauder
2. Tattoiyota
1. Cadillac EwoQ

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Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.

I know the owner of this car by dspisak · 2004-01-18 03:25 · Score: 5, Informative

Shawn is a pretty cool guy, very creative and artistic.

Contrary to commonly held views the guy has a lovely wife. I just love how people go straight for the typical stereotypes.

Anyways, I'm about to do something against the better part of my judgement and post a link to my photo gallery where I have just a few photos of his Star Wars H-Wing car:

http://www.nonmundane.org/gallery/Bizzare/R2day
http://www.nonmundane.org/gallery/Bizzare/R2light n ight
http://www.nonmundane.org/gallery/Bizzare/So lCockp it
http://www.nonmundane.org/gallery/Bizzare/SolC ockp it2
http://www.nonmundane.org/gallery/Bizzare/Sol GunLa test

If I remember correctly it is either going to show up in FHM or Wired magazine among other places.

And guys, please try to not kill my server if you can handle it. I only do this as it seems like most the mirrors or image hosts are hosed right now and I think people should at least have some idea of what the car looks like.

Much faster mirror. by SiGiN · 2004-01-18 03:38 · Score: 2, Informative

Sorry guys and gals.. I screwed up. Here is faster mirror: Forum.XChat.Ru

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Dephine URL

Do the lasers work? by pherris · 2004-01-18 03:38 · Score: 3, Funny

You could replace them with modded M16A2s (or whatever the kids are using today - I guess I'm dating myself) with tracers on a belt feed. Although I wouldn't be visiting any airports or US Govt installations with them anytime soon. Modded or not some dim witted LOE will probably impound it and give the owner a complete BCS. Guns mount on cars is a cop magnet (better than Dunkin' Donuts).

Oh crap, I can hear the TSA changing my rating to "yellow" as I speak for this joke ...

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"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST

White Supremicist symbol by SnappingTurtle · 2004-01-18 03:48 · Score: 2, Funny

OK, so those in the know will recognize a Star Wars symbol, but to the rest of the world I suspect the white, black, and red symbol looks like some kind of White Supremicist sign. I wonder if this guy gets a lot of dirty looks and thinks they're just from Star Trek fans.

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I've found that my posts don't format quite right w/o a sig.

Dont you people have anything better to do? by Carpal+Tunnel · 2004-01-18 03:50 · Score: 5, Insightful

I must say, i am surprised by the amount of bashing going on about this. Some is to be expected, but this is absurd. Yes, the guy has an obsession with star wars, and honestly i could not handle being seen driving around in that thing, but why is this any worse than people spending tons of time modding their case? Or spending oodles of time creating a linux drink mixer, or modding their x-box? These are all hobbies that people enjoy doing and at the very least they should respected for the remarkable piece of artwork they have created and the skill that it required. How much creativity do you guys exhibit on a regular basis anyway? Probably not as much as these people. This kind of stuff is what stimulates the mind to create the amazing technological advances we wouldnt be able to live without as geeks.
Oh yes, the site is down but from what i hear his wife isnt half bad looking. I personaly know quite a few damn good looking geek chicks. So maybe you guys are looking in the wrong places.

what about the shade? by billimad · 2004-01-18 03:53 · Score: 2, Funny

heh, looks a little on the dark side for my tastes.

Don't cover the airbag! Safety first. by twitter · 2004-01-18 03:56 · Score: 4, Informative

I recomend nothing at all on the stearing wheel airbag. Anyone who's seen the films of airbag tests gone wrong knows that airbags are ticky and mods must be tested.

If you must, use something light. Paper decals secured with water based glue might not hurt you, but even then you are pushing your luck. Solvent based glue or paint is almost certian to screw up airbag deployment and heavy objects will be embeded in your face.

Yeah, yeah, I sound like a ninny. Old cars did not have aribags at all. They used to kill and injure people more often too. What's that one piece of the mod worth to you? I'd feel really stupid if I or one of my friends was ever hurt more than they had to be in an accident just for looks and fantasy.

As for the rest of it, it's wonderful. All I can ask more of it is that it's all secure and won't fall off in front of someone who will then freak out and kill someone.

That said, I drive a 1970 VW camper van. No airbags, manual stearing, no power assisted breaks, and me six inches behind the front bumper. You can hear large bugs impact on the front pannel. It scares the hell out of me and I'm very careful with it. I'm not, however, going to defeat any of it's safety systems, like seat belts, and I've put in later manufactured seats with head rests. One day, people with think cars without navicomps are downright reckless. I'll feel much safer as they will not be able to pull out in front of me anymore.

--

Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

Princess Bride by Rura+Penthe · 2004-01-18 03:56 · Score: 4, Funny

You keep using that word "cool". I do not think it means what you think it means.

Apologies to Rob Reiner for the paraphrasing.

Yet another MIRROR by jazzbotley · 2004-01-18 04:01 · Score: 5, Informative

Slashdot this, he says:

http://cs.baylor.edu/~wilsonj/xwing.html

Famous last words ...

Links that Work by redune45 · 2004-01-18 04:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

Found this page, full of more star wars car mods - Including the one this article was originally posted on
http://www.roadsquadron.com/cars.html

Also try this forum http://wraggy.com/barryboys/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/vie wtopic.php?t=2649 The pictures on it actually work too.

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redune.com: The World 3.2 Megapixels at a time

Looks more like an X-Wing to me ... by BillsPetMonkey · 2004-01-18 04:13 · Score: 2, Funny

A very small red X-wing. In a box. I see lots of these on the Internet though - they are very popular on overstreched websites.

--
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax

Re:Any piccies remaining ? Re:Sounds familiar by SenatorTreason · 2004-01-18 04:16 · Score: 2, Informative

Here's the only one I could find. Not much detail, but you get the idea.

85 MPH by Harbinjer · 2004-01-18 04:23 · Score: 2, Interesting

That's the speed that you could definitely feel the lift on my old Mercury Grand Marquis('82 I think). The car was really heavy, but it started to feel much lighter and bounced around more at that speed.
I think the oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme took about 95 before you could definitely feel it.

Now that doesn't mean you need a spoiler, and one might not help much at that speed, but I'm saying you could tell the car was developing some lift.

Re:85 MPH by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-18 05:26 · Score: 2, Funny

punch hald a dozen holes in the trunk lid of a cutlass; break the latch and fasten it with bungee cords: instant speed sensitive spoiler. the faster you go, the higher the trunk lid raises, == speed sensitive spoiler.

Experimentally proven. The Lombard, IL police probably still wont bother attemtping to stop brown rustbucket cutlass supremes in their area.

Delorean! by Harbinjer · 2004-01-18 04:27 · Score: 3, Funny

Use a Delorean!

Then it will be a time machine too!

Another picture of the H-Wing by prismbreak · 2004-01-18 04:51 · Score: 2, Interesting

Another Picture

Well, I'm not that impressed. by YllabianBitPipe · 2004-01-18 05:04 · Score: 2, Insightful

Maybe I'm just jaded, but I thought he was actually changing the paneling of the car. It's basically the same car body with a bunch of star wars esque stuff stuck on it. Plus, the side panels are still white. I can't think of any star wars ship that was white with a dar red hood, can you? I think he could (and should) go a lot further with this and actually create new panels for the car at an autobody shop. Because, if I saw this thing drive by, I certainly wouldn't think "Star Wars" I'd just think "strange."

yeah . . . by Leroy_Brown242 · 2004-01-18 05:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

. . . it's not like he was going to get laid anyways.

My girlfriend loves me and all, but if I converted my car into a star wars vehical, I'd be single.

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Pretty Pictures!

R2D2 on the wrong ship by dark-br · 2004-01-18 05:15 · Score: 2, Interesting

Some of the comments on the forum suggests that it's modelled after a A-Wing

Though the color scheme and armament it lacks the two tails of the A-wing though, and A-wings don't use R-2 units.

As a racing engineer.... by DG · 2004-01-18 05:27 · Score: 5, Insightful

I am, in fact, a racing engineer. I make cars go fast for a living.

Let's break this out into two sections: spoilers, and wings.

A wing is supposed to be an active downforce device. The idea is to provide increased grip by providing a downward-facing aero lift (the wing, from an aircraft perspective, is upside-down)

99% of the wings fitted in the aftermarket are appearence items only (especially those ridiculous aluminum-siding extruded horrors) in that they provide zero downforce.

But a properly-engineered wing can provide lots of useable downforce at suprisingly low speeds - and for cars that rely on underbody aero (like LeMans LMP cars) the negative pressure area under the wing can interact with the underbody aero and make the underbody stuff work even better.

For production-based cars, most wings don't do much, if anything. The exception is when production parts must be homolgemated for use in competition, like with WRC cars and similar series.

Spoilers, on the other hand, have a different purpose. A car, seen in profile, makes a pretty good wing, and many body shapes produce signifigant vertical lift. The effects tend not be be noticable at lower speeds, but at speeds exceeding 70 MPH and higher, depending on the car, that lift can become signifigant.

A spoiler seeks to disrupt the airflow around the rear of the car, killing the lift provided by the body shape - exactly the same way a spoiler does on an aircraft wing (especially as fitted to many gliders and certain passenger aircraft)

These tend to be VERY effective in improving high-speed stability. Sometimes you get lucky and the spoiler actually creates downforce (this is engineered in on purpose in a NASCAR Cup car, for example) but most of the time, killing lift suffices.

The little ducktails on the 2G GM F-bodies actually made 60 or so lbs of downforce at 100 MPH. Done correctly, they ARE functional.

More recently, the Audi TT grew a spoiler to combat lift and the associated instability at autobahn speeds - look it up.

DG

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Want to learn about race cars? Read my Book

Re:As a racing engineer.... by blair1q · 2004-01-18 07:02 · Score: 4, Interesting

I have a Lexus GS-400, and a long, straight, flat, low-traffic place to drive it reeely fassst, so, naturally, within a couple of weeks of buying it (new) I went to see where its top end is.

GS-400s have a curvy, stout body, with token ground-effect moulding up front. The specs I'd seen said it should get into the 160s, but with all that sheet-metal I had questions.

At 145, the front end of the body started to float a bit. The wheels didn't come loose, but if I'd tried for 150, they might have. The car was nutating in three dimensions; basically flapping at a low frequency. This was severely reducing my chances of maintaining control, so I got off the throttle and let it coast back to legal speed (it took about a mile to get to 145 from 0, and a mile to idle back down to 65).

The rear end, with its little wing/spoiler/go-fast option, was just fine.

It wasn't even breathing hard at 145. The Tach said I had another 20-30% in the mill.

I did, however, melt about 2,000 miles off the tires (140 treadwear rating; soft, grippy rubber like rock-climbing shoes; specced for 12K miles before replacement under normal driving conditions, but you need that traction in this thing or you're spinning at every green light; I can't imagine what kind of glue the VW Phaeton's tires will have to exude to stick down) and left it as a dusty black film on the rear fenders.

I think with a tighter suspension (they'd softened it to make the car a little less hotrod and a little more luxury sedan) and a shallower nose, or a nose-wing, I could have clocked into the 160s, maybe 170s.

And Burt Rutan thinks he has a rocket.
Re:As a racing engineer.... by iamhassi · 2004-01-18 11:17 · Score: 3, Funny

"I have a Lexus GS-400...It wasn't even breathing hard at 145...I could have clocked into the 160s, maybe 170s."
"My old pontiac Fiero GT could easily out-do that... brought my top end to 165.7... (with) stock 6 cyl engine."
Oh yeah? Well I have a stock 95 Neon R/T, and it easily does 190 mph in my high school's parking lot no less!
You kids and your bullshit make-believe stories from weak cars, when will you ever learn.
burn Karma burn

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my karma will be here long after I'm gone

On the set of "Star Wars Episode 3" by Brad1138 · 2004-01-18 06:00 · Score: 4, Funny

George Lucas, "All right, were the hell is R2D2s head!?"

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If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people

No back seat by jtheory · 2004-01-18 06:07 · Score: 4, Funny

I see it has no back seat. Obviously the guy was smart enough to realise that he wouldn't be needing one.

Apparently he's married (see other posts), but I'd also like to point out that there's more than one answer to "why no back seat?" besides "no woman will have me".

For example, "I don't live with my parents, so we can use an actual BED" comes to mind.

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There are only 10 types of people: those who understand decimal, those who don't, and, uh, 8 other types I forget.

Re:No back seat by Ironica · 2004-01-18 07:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

For example, "I don't live with my parents, so we can use an actual BED" comes to mind.

Or the couch. Or the living room floor. Or the washing machine....

Married life doesn't *have* to be boring.

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Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?

Airbags... by ElGuapoGolf · 2004-01-18 06:32 · Score: 4, Funny

Is it just me, or does anyone else see a problem with putting potentially hard objects over the airbags (check the passenger side out, maybe the driver side too, forget) which will be flung towards your face at high speed in the event of a crash.

Kinda reminds me of my old car which had a big sticker on the visor which warned that you "should not place any objects between yourself and the airbag". Duh. I wonder how many people had their plans for putting a big sharp spike on their steering wheel airbag covered foiled due to that sticker.

Don't stereotype shawn by einsteinxx · 2004-01-18 07:38 · Score: 2

For all the people saying how this guy wouldn't recognize a vagina.....I used to live in the same apartment with this guy and my garage was next to his. There would always be a black mustang (mine) and a weird Del Sol in the driveways. I saw it go from the normal green color, to flat black, to the almost complete "whatever" it is. Just in his defense, this guy has a HOT wife. It sounds unfair, but yes, he has a "cool" (if you're a star wars fan, I'm not) car and a hot wife.
You probably can't tell from the pictures, but let me tell you he spent a LOT of time and detail out in that driveway fixing that car up. I'm talking about INDIVIDUAL rivets and detailed computer previews of what he was planning. THAT'S attention to detail!! Every once and while, I will see it around the South Bay and West LA. It definitely gets your attention, to say the least!

Riiiiight.... by The+Tyro · 2004-01-18 09:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

Did you even look at the rest of the pictures in that gallery? Some people simply don't photograph well at times... there are other pictures of her on that site where she is quite attractive.

Besides, who cares? This man is apparently married to a woman who shares a rather arcane interest; that of making star wars costumes.

Have you any idea how rare a find a woman like that is? To find a woman who is into something that obscure, single, willing to marry (not to mention willing to marry you), and isn't a reclusive nutcase?

Listen, dating for looks alone is fine... did it myself for a few years. However, the percentage of those "hot" women who either had problems, emotional scars, or outright personality disorders was quite high... perhaps from being hunted like an 18-point buck from puberty onward. It took me until almost my 30's to find the perfect woman, and I married her as fast as I could (I tried to elope after two weeks, but she wanted a wedding... oh well.)

Everyone should be as lucky as that man. I think he chose wisely... mod him +5 insightful.

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Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.

Record Slashdotting... by mattkime · 2004-01-18 09:59 · Score: 2, Informative

How many sites can be taken out with one article?

The Article Link

Mirror attempts:

http://www.danamania.com/starwarscar/

http://dephine.zapto.org/Slashdot/

http://www.jeffwilhelm.com/files/images/swcar/

http://cs.baylor.edu/~wilsonj/xwing.html

Would anyone else like to try? Of course, its probably too late, as all mirrors have been slashdotted...

--
Know what I like about atheists? I've yet to meet one that believes God is on their side.

As a female, I gotta say by Elanor · 2004-01-18 22:52 · Score: 2, Insightful

1. I can't BELIEVE how much space you've dedicated to a discussion of how hot the artist's wife is
2. I don't even like star wars but I can see the craftsmanship that went into making the car
3. That car is cool, & an easy reason to approach the modder and engage them in conversation

If the mountain can't approach the chicks, let the chicks approach the mountain.

Unfortunately, the modder-bashers will probs find it easy to "strike" up a conversation too. But with the downforce of the spoilers etc, I'm sure the artist could easily outrun them...

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