anyone ever over engineer something?

or try to reinvent the wheel....i have a bad habit of doing this, it seems to take me longer to do the simplest of things...

 

Of course, we're hot rodders, aren't we? And usually, your buddy comes up and asks, "Well, why didn't you just....?", and you slap yourself in the forehead.......

 

You can't do the Mark 2 model until you do the Mark 1 prototype....

 

Your not alone, I do it all the time. Its just part of the process

 

every da-- time i go to do sumpthin' involving the toys / trucks .

 

I believe in "Keep it simple stupid",..... but I like to do things only one time, so I always "over-build" a little.

 

ha this is funny, cause just recently i was having a bitch of a time figuring out how to mount my alternator (got rid of the smog pump and couldn't get tension on the serp. belt)...sat and dwelled on it for some time trying to figure out how to machine a bracket and spacer blah blah blah...then one day my friend came into the garage (VERY NON CAR GUY) and said "well can you use the old bracket but make it work" i grabbed the old bracket and bolted it in and suddenly a light came on DING...a couple swipes of the cutoff wheel later and angle grinder and it was done...i always WAY over think things

 

Oh ya I was working with the doc for some new tits for my wife and i think i fucked up.. She falls over forward a lot now and seems kinda top heavy..
Dave

 

I love the HAMB.
Where else can you have a thread about over engineering stuff and one about running no suspension at all on the same page?

Just look at the way belt driven accessories, Alternators, pumps, etc. are Rube Goldberg'd onto most engines and you'll see either a case of over engineering or not enough planning/engineering in the first place.

 

i have always liked that saying, when something is Rube Goldberg'd or MacGyvered

 

There's a big difference betweeng over-engineering and over-building. Engineering is the art of doing more with less.

 

i served an apprenticeship on a railroad,where the workshop moto was " if in doubt ,go heavier!"

 

I think over engineering comes partly from simply trying to be different. I always tend to overengineer a chassis and suspension. I always want to do something on my car that no one has done before. I have yet to succeed at building a truly unique automobile, but it's fun to try!

 

Over anything!...This is a hot rod board,You would have less people answer if you asked"who HASNT tried to reinvent the wheel.YES IM GUILTY..................

 

Over here every Hot Rod is over engineered in comparison to a lot of the US cars. Its because we have VERY tough laws to pass when registering a car.

 

Yes . . . I can't help myself. But . . . I like to consider it "well engineered" instead of "over engineered". There are many cases when you start to think about horsepower, torque, safety, etc -- and the conclusion you come to is --> "Hell - better to make it stronger than not". I'm sure I've used too thick of steel in many places -- replaced many things (like bolts) that may not have needed to be replaced, etc..

I like to build my cars in a manner such that I "believe" they can handle a whole lot more than I'll put on them -- keeps me sleeping at night. Now -- when I was 18, didn't think quite the same way!

Also, I can't help the thought that so many people spend 95 cents, but scrimp on the last 5 cents . . . and that is what screws them.

 

Yes!

 

29 bowtie
that frame is looking good!!
Is that for your chev?
very nice work.

 

the extreme value of my ass demands the highest margin of safety!

 

everyday in almost everyway

 

Yessir, You most certianly WIN.

 

ha i think we all do....my most recent was running 8th inch 2x3 rect. tubing across the back of my floor to brace my door posts permanantly because my 4 door sedan is now a 2door hardtop ha over done yes....but i used what i had and if i get side swiped i know its a whole lot stronger......

 

been there done that.

-danny

 

There was a thread not long ago about staring. That's how I keep down on using too many cutting wheels but some things need to be done at least twice before they are right....

 

I can not count the times I have spent lots of time building something only to throw it in the scrap pile and start over again. I have even built "phase 2" models and gone back to a modified version of "phase 1", the point is we are enjoying ourselves.

 

i went "a little" heavy with the first build of a truck i did about 15 years ago... all the metal was free, so i went to town.

young and dumb + free metal + engineering undergrad...

2x4 1/4" wall frame tubes, 1/2" thick suspension mounts, everything gusseted to high heaven, crossmembers? shit there were a lot of them. 4 link bars were 1" diameter, 1/4" wall DOM (didn't know they made it, eh?). wish i had pics of the completed chassis... it was a heavy bitch. estimated 700lbs heavy.

when i learned more, i scrapped the chassis. built a new one that was much stiffer, much better lookin'... and 230lbs. no other changes other than the chassis, and the truck was faster. that's sad.

 

Only most everything I've ever done (car wise.) As C9 from Kingman said, can't build the MK2 till you finish the MK1. I'm on a mission to complete and patent a device to keep bugs out of your beverage, (after swallowing a critter) and right now I'm on the MK2 mod 1 and nowhere close to completion. I usually cure my overengineering problem AFTER I'm done with my project and just BEFORE starting on someone else's.

 

Yea about every thing I do on my toys I do overkill ,build a frame for a 6 make the frame up for a BB motor so as I don't have to do it over again

 

Yes, Bob Davenport and i did that,when he was still driving the funny car for us. The new paint,sure looks good on your dragster.I'm looking forward to seeing it make some of those quick passes again this year.