What's everyone's background?

[Bullyveldt]

Canadian Military. Military Police.

Hobbies would be building things, from my computers, I'm at 7 now, after getting rid of 3, and cars, Old Mustang 2, My 96 Impala with 520hp, my Burban which will be SVO at some point, and the Swift.

3 kids keep me busy as well as a naggy wife

[Intrigued]

520 Horsepower?!?!?! Crate motor, aftermarket, or DIY? Quarter mile, or street?

...yeah, I know: not eco-minded at all. Just reminds me of the good old days, when gas was in the 30 to 70 cent range.

I'll have to find my pics of the 64 Impala we sectioned to drag race, and scan them in to post. That's another way to lose weight. The drop-down section of the trunk would have held several batteries, for that matter...

[Bullyveldt]

Yup Crate Motor, and DIY install. It's a street strip setup, 3000 stall but still needs rear gears. On the street a lower stall would be nice so I may get a lower one at some point sinc eI haven't had it to the track yet. It should theoretically do 11.8 with the hp to weight ratio of 4200 lbs. Real life I'd like to see 12's but may need slicks to do that. The 275 street Kuhmos just melt when I hammer it.

Definatly different then driving the swift lol

[red91sit]

There sure is a lot of interesting pasts we have had. I am attending NDSU for mechanical engineering, and I work at our Center for NanoScale technologies and Engineering (CNSE) where i help manufacture nano things, and design some as well. It's a pretty sweet job.

I've had 8 cars, and 4 motorcycles so far, and I've had my license for 4 years. Some people buy shoes, i buy vehicles.

I like going fast, but I also like good gas mileage, which is why I am most interested in aerodynamics.

[aussie_modder]

Mining Engineer- Thermal Coal.

I used to work in Iron Ore- however didnt see the irony in extracting iron only to buy it back from overseas in the form of steel (and a bunch of other crap that we don't need to survive). However, it could be fair to say that the steel in my old car was sourced from the very mines which i later worked at.

Imagine the ecomodding potential for a fleet of haul trucks which burn 400L/hour (~100 Gal/hr) at full load!!!!

[RH77]

Originally Posted by aussie_modder

Imagine the ecomodding potential for a fleet of haul trucks which burn 400L/hour (~100 Gal/hr) at full load!!!!

Yeah, I don't see engine-off coasting while driving a house.

Are some of those similar to diesel-electric locos with traction motors, etc? If not, that could possibly help.

[aussie_modder]

Some are electic drive with the diesel as a generator. Regen braking simply pumps the power through a giant resistor grid. So unless you can employ a trolley assist system (similar to a tram- electricity from the grid, power fed back into the grid under regen braking), the benefits from mechanical drive are greater.

One some of my slow days whilst truck driving i noticed the following whilst playing with the instrumentation:

• air-con on uses 5L/ hour of diesel when idling
• Idling uses ~35 litres per hour
• Braking uses 4L/ hour
• Machines that can work 24/7 365 days a year in 50+ deg C heat and haul massive loads are awesome machines
• using 95% engine load as opposed to 100% load saved ~50L/100 when travelling up hill (for only a 0.5 km/hr drop in speed)

It all could add up. especially if you have a fleet of over 50 trucks. however most people go straight for the silver bullet options (biodiesel, diesel/LPG) and then wonder why it takes so much effort to work (and often falls over in the process)

[aussie_modder]

One other thing i forgot to mention......... EOC would be like asking to die. Engine braking has no greater meaning than when travelling downhill, fully loaded on a wet road in one of these things. Behold the braking power of compressing air through a mighty diesel engine.

[Jetta90GL]

I'm a Security Electronics Field Technician. I mainly work in jails and prisons doing start up and testing of newly installed systems. Most of the time I am away from home a week at a time, flying twice a week. Lately though I'm gone for 12 days at a time, which is reallyyy cutting into my ecomodding time. I'm close to 180,000 airline miles in the two years I've been with the company. I get to see a lot of different states and places, and a lot of things I don't want to see. I've been in the electronic security business for 10 years all together as an installer/technician. Eight of those years I also did locksmithing along with electronic security.
At home I do all my own car and truck maintenance, work on my on going house remodeling project here and there, and ecomod my vehicles.

[CDNTacoma]

Currently unemployed Geologist, unemployed in my field that is. Awaiting the arrival of a new toy, and improving on it ( 09 4cyl 4x4 tacoma). I originally found ecomodder's after planning out a modifiable bed cap for it ( similar to Bondo's, but not as nice)