YACT: carbon fiber?

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Originally posted by: MysticLlama
Am I allowed to get a CF hood now, or am I gonna be made fun of too?

Do you race in regulated competition, or just cruise around on public roads?

If it's just for public roads, prepare to be mocked. It's complete tard-dom to race on public streets.

That means you're going to tell me that every sports car ever made is stupid. Even a Kia Rio is quick enough to get tickets, but it's nice to have a quick car every now and then. Some people like to buy a fast cars, and others like to make them. I give the most credit to the shadetree mechanic who learns stuff on his own, chooses or makes all his own stuff, and does all his own work.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: hungfarover
I like the guys with carbon fiber hoods that also have 300lbs of amps, enclosures, and speakers in the trunk.

good thinking

That's always been the funniest thing to me. Ricers think pimping out a ride to go fast should include making it look good in the process with stupid bass music and whatnot. They have no concept that F=ma, never mind anything else that matters, such as [mu]~p^-0.15, a=(1/2)mv^2, or P=Cd*(1/2)*[rho]*v^3*A

Edit: Some explanation might be necessary:

F=ma
If acceleration is your goal, reducing weight is just as important as increasing horsepower.

[mu]~p^0.15
The friction coefficient of rubber against pavement goes up proportionally with a reduced pressure between that rubber and pavement. This is largely why big tires on light cars give better handling, but keep in mind this equation too: M=I*[alpha], stating Newton's second law in rotational terms; a rotating mass with a larger radius of gyration will require more moment force (torque) to achieve a given rotational acceleration. Large-radius wheels are bad for acceleration.

P=Cd*(1/2)*[rho]*v^3*A
Ignoring wheel friction, changes in fluid flow regime, and changes in engine power band behavior, the power required to get a car going a certain speed is proportional to the third power of that speed. Tiny changes in speed can give you large changes in the force required to the power required for motion. Changes in frontal area and the coefficient of drag can also give you better efficiency, giving you not only better fuel efficiency but also a higher top speed and quicker acceleration at fairly high speeds.