I want to join!
Our club consists of people who want to get hands on experience at every step of automotive design. We start by modeling every part on the car. The pedals, the engine, the brakes, any part we buy we have modeled on the computer. We follow the rule book and design a chassis using SolidWorks 2008. Only once the entire design is finished is any work started.
We start with 1/8" and 1/4" 4130 chromoly plate and 1" and 1.25" 4130 chromoly tube. We bend and notch the tube, and machine and bend the plate until our parts match exactly what we modeled in the computer. When we've got the pieces we weld them together. When we're finished we have a car that matches the model perfectly.
Next we have to add all the finishing touches. Once we have a rolling chassis we have to determine the optimum angle for the steering wheel, tie up the loose ends, build guards and covers, route the brake and electric lines, and clean and lube everything.
By the time everything is built and the car is assembled, six months have passed. We finally get the joy of driving our car. Will it be better than any other CSULB car? (If it is, then we'll take first place. Previously we've gotten second place at the competitions.) While we're testing if something breaks we need to fix it. Why did it break? Was it poor design, poor manufacture, or poor assembly? We have to find what caused the problem, and fix it. Once we've fixed it we go out and drive the car some more. Ideally we'll get to the point that it can run over telephone poles, jump six feet in the air, and drag 500 pounds through the mud. Only once our car can do all that are we ready for competition.
As you can tell by now, there is a lot of work that goes into this car. We treat this club like an internship. We put a lot of work into it, we don't get paid, and we don't get any school credit. It looks great on a resume, but only if we do good at the competitions. The only way we do good is if we've engineered, built, and assembled the car to our specifications.
This is the point where we begin to selectively exclude members. When people show up we find jobs for them to do that don't directly influence the car. Maybe you'll sweep, maybe you'll put tools away, or maybe you'll disassemble something. Do you miss big parts of the floor, throw all the tools away, or lose half the pieces you took apart? We'll know the quality of your work, and that's about the best job you can help us with. If you do a good job, we might show you how to do something a little more relevant to the car. Can you drill a hole accurately? Do you ask questions before you screw up the piece you're working on? Great, you'll be on the team as soon as we can find something to make fun of you for.
When all else fails, it is the camaraderie that keeps us here. The four-year goal of a good job, the one-year goal of a good race, and even the short-term goal of finishing a specific part are good to keep in mind, but it is ultimately the friends that keep each other here. Not only do we work on the car, but we study, have fun, and attend official SAE events together. Why don't you come join us?
We prefer that you stop by and visit the shop (click for a map). It is a lot easier to look around yourself and see what you're getting yourself into. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then sitting in a car is worth millions. If you've tried a couple of times to stop by but nobody is here let us know when you've been by. Send an email to Join@csulbRacing.com and we'll try to work out a time that is convenient for both of us to meet.