Song of the Day
My friend just requested that I post this song, and HOLY &%$# am I glad he did. The is a Thrice song that must've missed my radar because it's on an older EP. This is absolutely awesome, from when they had heavier influences. This is getting my weekend started off proper. As I sit here making journal entries at my day job. I kindof feel like moshing and throwing my chair across the office!
First up, is the VEMS Wideband/EGT gauge. These gauges typically come standard with red lights for the AFR and green lights for the EGT. With how anal Pat is, he needed to special order a double-red gauge from the manufacturer. While it may seem trivial, we truly believe that little details like these will help keep this vehicle as hot off the track, as it is going to be on the track. We hope that you all come to appreciate small details like these, as you can find them throughout the entire build.
Next, are some machined aluminum front camber plates from MSI. These will allow us to have precise control over the camber/caster alignment settings of the STI. As you can see, the quality of these parts is impressive, which is expected from MSI.
Here is a picture of the first test fitting of one of our new Planted Technologies seat bases. The fit was perfect, and many thanks to Planted for sponsoring this build! We look forward to mounting some seats on them shortly!
Some slight tweaks were made to the trunk setup again. Here are a couple pictures of the final product.
In preparation for mounting the new Setrab Oil Cooler into the STI, we needed to mock up the bracket and mounting points. For this process, the first steps are to decide on the best place to mount, then prepare a template for the bracket. We use cardboard for a few reasons; it's cheap, easy to cut/bend, and provides accurate size and shape for final drawings.
Here are some pictures from the prototyping process we are using to create the bracket for our new oil cooler.
Yesterday was pretty hectic and I completely forgot to post the SOTD... So today you get two, from a pretty unique band called La Dispute out of Grand Rapids, MI.
I saw them play with Thrice and O'Brother in Kentucky (just across the river from Cincinnati) last year. It was a great show, and I was impressed with the unique sound and depth of lyrics of La Dispute. It was my first time ever hearing them,but they definitely had A LOT of fans in the crowd.
Song of the Day
This song popped up on my Pandora, and I thought I'd post it. This is one of my favorite Saosin songs, and this version is really cool. This was back when Saosin had Anthony Green as their lead singer, before he left to be in Circa Survive full time.
As we near completion of the STI, we have begun putting some thought into the vinyl scheme for the car. With about a dozen generous sponsors, as well as a brand to market, it took some careful planning and multiple iterations before we reached a point that we were happy with.
Through our decision process, we pulsed our network of loyal followers on IWSTI and the Illini Automotive Club, to gain some input on logo placement, colors, etc. At BME, we try our best to be inclusive with what we do. We feel that it is great to get the community involved, which is something that we will continue to do as time goes on.
We started with a green combo... While it looked great and received many positive reactions, we felt that it had already been done and would require a lot of work in order to get the entire car to flow. Many of the fuel parts on the STI are red, and we just could not have that without painting them to match... So, green was crossed off of the list.
Then, we tried red. It tied in with the color scheme of the BME brand, and would match our already-red fuel goodies. Buuuut, we felt that the red was difficult to read and a bit dark against the DGM paint. So red was crossed off of the list.
After this, Pat and I sat and discussed for a while on what we could try... We knew that keeping red in the mix would reduce additional work of having to paint any parts. We also needed to add stickers for NASA and # requirements, so space was becoming more and more scare. After a discussion, we decided that we wanted something clean, memorable, and unique to the BME branding. Here is the end result...
All renderings were completed using Forza 4 on Xbox 360. As juvenile as it sounds, we felt that it was the best tool available to make quick and accurate renderings. We're extremely happy with how everything is coming together and look forward to the next steps in completing this build.
In our ongoing plan for BME to be entirely self-sufficient, we have also began working with Adobe Illustrator. By increasing our knowledge of this software, we will be able to create our own vector images. Which will allow us to design and print our own vinyl.
Well, this weekend was a tough one for me, and even tougher for the family of one of my best lifelong friends... My buddy's dad passed away last Thursday at the age of 59, after a 2-year battle with stage 4 lung cancer. He was a great father and friend, and he will be greatly missed. It is going to be tough, but his family is very strong and they will push through it.
It's Fridayyyy!!!!! Whether you're at work, laying in bed, or sitting in front of the TV with a beer in your hand, you can always appreciate some high energy music to kick off the weekend!
Hello Everyone. It feels great to finally be getting back into the swing of things! As some of you may be aware, I recently was able to move back to Illinois with my day job. So now I am back with all of my family after 2 years of traveling. Pat has been handling most of the BME stuff for the past month as I have been getting accustomed to a new job, along with trying to get settled with my move.
That being said, we have some very exciting things going on right now with the STI and our product development and R&D. So keep an eye out!
In the meantime, sit back and listen to this track.
Well, Day 1 of the WTAC is complete and the standings have not changed much. NEMO is still on top with a record setting 1:25:7.
Cyber Evo has now made an appearance at the track after sorting out there problems, they have yet to turn a lap though so maybe tomorrow we will get an idea of where they stand.
Here are the complete standings after Day 1:
Pro Class Top 5
1:25.7400 - Nemo Racing (AUS)
1:27.3100 - Tilton Interiors (AUS)
1:28.5240 - Scorch Racing (JAP)
1:29.2470 - MCA Suspension (AUS)
1:30.5210 - RE Amemiya (JAP)
Open Top 5
1:30.7260 – Dominator Evo – J. Willard
1:34.2260 – Chasers Motorworks – A. Hamdan
1:34.3470 – V-Sport – R. Bates
1:35.2590 – Andrew Sutton - A. Sutton / W.Sutton
1:35.4760 – Topstage Composites – A. Newton
Clubsprint Top 5
1:38.8600 – Scorpion AWD – N. Scott
1:40.7510 – IS Motor Racing / Royal Purple Oils – D. Farquhar
1:41.2450 – Whiteline Performance – M. Tomaszewski
1:41.5460 – Road Track Rally – D. Morice
1:42.0830 – Harrop – B. Schoots
Here is a great recap video of Day 1:
I will do my best to update this throughout the weekend when I can, however tomorrow I am off to Mid OH Sports Car Course to support the customer that is testing our catch can. All reports from today's sessions are that the catch can is working great! I will also be there supporting the Turn in Concepts team and a few other local guys. It will be difficult to sit on the sidelines but hopefully, soon enough our STI will be back up and running.
I will be sure to post some pictures of the weekend and I will also have some updates on the STI coming soon. If I can not post, I hope everyone has a great weekend!
I wanted get an update out about one of the products that BME will be producing. Although it is taking a long time to get things moving, we are still working hard to get our own products out to the market. Our priority has currently shifted to meeting a mid-September deadline on the STI, so that has become the focus for the time being. Additionally, we refuse to release anything that has not been tested thoroughly. The good news with this though, is that completion of the STI means a LOT of the BME prototypes can be tested since the reason for designing these parts in the first place was because there was not currently an acceptable solution for us on the market. The new product R&D cycle for something that we are designing will not be inherently fast unlike how it is for some companies who just like to throw something out to market as soon as possible without regard to quality or functionality. It is also not a cheap process so we only ask that you bear with us as we get rolling and keep in mind that anything we deem ready for release will be worth the wait time and it will show in the quality and function of the product. I would also like to point out that with every product we release, we want to have full or nearly-full disclosure of the design process and methodology behind why we design the product the way that it is. That is something you will notice with this post. So without any more rambling, here is the product update.
First up is the “street” version of our catch can. This can is an atmospheric venting can, the reason for this design is that it makes it physically impossible to ingest blow by oil into the intake tract of the car. The crank case and heads are pressurized above atmospheric pressure, by venting to atmosphere, the pressure differential allows the gasses to flow out of the vent ports where they are filtered by the can and released. On a lower power car, specifically one with a stock engine, it is not necessary to put the can under vacuum to help extract vapors. The can features an internal baffle and mesh system that provides thousands of surfaces for the blow by oil to touch and condense on before the air is finally filtered and released. Additionally this is a catch can breather tank, meaning that it does not recirculate the condensed fluids back to the engine. The reason for this is that most of the fluid in the catch can is not oil, it is condensed water vapor. Unless you have serious problems or have over filled your engine to the point where liquid oil is spilling out of the heads, then the amount of actual suspended oil in the air coming out of the breathers is minimal. You don’t want a bunch of condensed water and sludge flowing back into the engine and for that reason we left the tank with a manual drain that, typically for most people, will not need to be drained more frequently than your oil changes. Finally, the tank features large ports to allow for maximum flow of the vapors. Most tanks on the market for the WRX and STI from the “reputable” manufacturers have small half inch ports. The problem with this is that the breather on the crank case is 3/4” and the two head breathers are each 1/2”. Combining two 1/2” lines into another 1/2” line and reducing a 3/4” line to a 1/2” restricts flow, our tank features large 5/8” and 3/4” inlets to allow as much blow by gasses to flow into the tank as possible.
We will be recommending the “street” catch can for people whose cars are more of a daily driver, stock engine and lower power car. They may see some track days but are certainly not any kind of an extreme build.
Our prototype can was installed on a customer’s car on Wednesday. This customer will be testing the can for an extended period of time for us and will provide some data on how well the can functions. His kit is by no means production quality but the can itself is the exact one that will be in the kits. As part of his testing he is running in an HPDE this weekend at Mid OH so this can will be getting a thorough test. The picture below is kind of rough, it was taken with a cell phone but this was test fitting the can on our STI. I will post more updates and pictures when he returns from his track day this weekend.
We do have a “track” version that will use a vacuum and will be much more complex, this is the version that we will be testing on the STI. Also, on a track car where over filling is a common practice then you would want a recirculation can and that will come into play on our “track” can as well. Once we get the prototype for that done, I will be updating people on that version which will be much different than anything on the market right now.
Thanks for checking in, hopefully people like seeing what goes into the R&D process. Check back next week when I get the data on this can from the track weekend.
No suprise, NEMO is in the lead still with a 1:25:7. They have a nice lead over Tilton with a 1:27:3. People should note though that Cyber Evo has yet to take a lap due to some Issues with the car. I do not see anywhere that the exact problems is pointed out, but hopefully they can get on track soon. According the their most recient FB post they are confident that they will be able to make a run if the car troubles can be worked out.
I am sure that anyone into Motorsports or at least Time Attack has heard of or seen the Nemo Evo 7. Here is a video they put together that shows some more detail of the car. Currently they have been running test laps racing starts Friday (Australia time).
With the World Time Attack Challenge this weekend I thought I would post some videos to get people hyped up for the event. I know I am excited to see how the weekend plays out. Hopefully someday I can see this in person.
This one is a recap from last year of all the Hankook Sponsored cars (a bit of an advertisement as well lol):
Alright it's time for the next Racing in Slow Motion video for those who didn't watch ahead. I think this is one of the best ones, it has some amazing shots and not only is it longer, but it is pretty well produced. Hopefully everyone enjoyed these videos, this is the last one that is currently posted. if they make any more I will definitely come back to them.
Hopefully people enjoyed the full album stuff last week. Today, it's back to the regular single song. I am in the mood for some Dubstep again today so I found one that I have enjoyed recently.
Check back later for another Racing in Slow Motion video and possibly some updates to the STI later tonight.
Name-calling, complaints about the song choice, internet wars, and spontaneous freestyle battles are highly encouraged.
We are happy to announce that Planted Technology will be added to the list of sponsors. For those who dont know of Planted the produce a variety of quality seat bases and side mounts. The seat bases are very rigid high quality 3/16" steel. The side mounts are made using 1/8" steel. Compared to most other seat bases out there these things are beefy and that is exactly what you want holding your ass in the car.
I ran across a series of videos today that I thought would be of interest to people who are interested in BME and what we do and love.
A lot of people do not truly understand the abuse that racing puts on the car/motorcycle/driver etc. This video series shows this abuse very well in a speed that makes it easy to see.
Maybe I am a bit of a nerd but this kind of stuff is very interesting to me, to say the least. Take a look at these videos so that you can understand what we mean when we say our products have been track tested and abused.
This is how we are confident when we say that when you buy a BME product you know you are getting the best product that has been designed to withstand anything you can throw at it!
