SomeGuy's Big Boy Thread. No useless spammers live here.

[asyed]

I never said to do this technique on every single frocking corner.



Ice happens and sometimes you can even be going 10 kph in a corner and start under steering. Going harder on the brake pedal isn't going to stop you in most cases and its actually better to let off the brake a little and use the hand brake only for assistance. That way your front wheels are still moving but you are still slowing down

[geobur]

I never said to do this technique on every single frocking corner.


http://www.quickmeme.com/img/a3/a37df8122fdcade917bedfffb6fa41d8e46cfc1e831a9f8afd d249cb12f74e42.jpg


are you sure?

[SomeGuy]

I never said to do this technique on every single frocking corner.

Ice happens and sometimes you can even be going 10 kph in a corner and start under steering. Going harder on the brake pedal isn't going to stop you in most cases and its actually better to let off the brake a little and use the hand brake only for assistance. That way your front wheels are still moving but you are still slowing down

Nope. You're 20 years old and drive an auto MZ3, your opinion of vehicle dynamics is irrelevant.

[6strings]

Nope. You're 20 years old and drive an auto MZ3, your opinion of vehicle dynamics is irrelevant.

sounds personal.

[jaimie08mazda3]

sounds personal.

But true.

[pwdunmore]

Nope. You're 20 years old and drive an auto MZ3, your opinion of vehicle dynamics is irrelevant.

Bruh... do you even drift?!?!? lol

He basically turns his rear wheels into a pivot point, when he pulls the e-brake (locking/slowing the rear wheels) while the energy of the front wheels will wants to pull the car in the direction they are pointing.

I'm not saying this to you SomeGuy, just to the others lol... you know who you are.


Completely OT: How is the South bend clutch? I have my forged engine getting bored/assembled this week and need to decide on a clutch to get the rotating assembly balanced.

[m_bisson]

Bruh... do you even drift?!?!? lol

He basically turns his rear wheels into a pivot point, when he pulls the e-brake (locking/slowing the rear wheels) while the energy of the front wheels will wants to pull the car in the direction they are pointing.

I'm not saying this to you SomeGuy, just to the others lol... you know who you are.


Completely OT: How is the South bend clutch? I have my forged engine getting bored/assembled this week and need to decide on a clutch to get the rotating assembly balanced.

That's not how inertia works.

[pwdunmore]

That's not how inertia works.

Care to explain for reasoning for the understeer becoming oversteer when the rear wheels slow/lock up?

I know I am right so I want you to explain to me why I am lol... because mechanical/structural engineering. I will happily step aside if I am wrong.

[SomeGuy]

Bruh... do you even drift?!?!? lol

He basically turns his rear wheels into a pivot point, when he pulls the e-brake (locking/slowing the rear wheels) while the energy of the front wheels will wants to pull the car in the direction they are pointing.

I'm not saying this to you SomeGuy, just to the others lol... you know who you are.


Completely OT: How is the South bend clutch? I have my forged engine getting bored/assembled this week and need to decide on a clutch to get the rotating assembly balanced.

It won't get installed until the new year. Physically it looks nice though lol


That's not how inertia works.

m_bisson is correct. Effectively all he is doing is reducing the amount of friction (by changing it from static to kinetic) when dabbing the ebrake...the reduction in friction coupled with the inertia of the vehicle causes the direction of the vehicle to change. Since the car is turning, the longitudinal force that was previously being countered by the friction between the tires/road is no longer countered and the vehicle rotates. However the rotation will occur about an axis that is closer to the center of mass of the vehicle.


(Note: my physics might be a bit rusty)

[pwdunmore]

It won't get installed until the new year. Physically it looks nice though lol



m_bisson is correct. Effectively all he is doing is reducing the amount of friction (by changing it from static to kinetic) when dabbing the ebrake...the reduction in friction coupled with the inertia of the vehicle causes the direction of the vehicle to change. Since the car is turning, the longitudinal force that was previously being countered by the friction between the tires/road is no longer countered and the vehicle rotates. However the rotation will occur about an axis that is closer to the center of mass of the vehicle.


(Note: my physics might be a bit rusty)

I was under the impression that all four points would be "floating" (not fixed) while understeering around the corner. The increased friction at the rear of the car would cause it to grab/pivot on the rear and the spinning wheels would pull the car around.
Either way... this should not be tried on public roads.

I'll check back in when you install it, if you want help I will join. That is if you plan on tackling this yourself. I know clutch jobs are fun without a picker or transmission jack.

[m_bisson]

Care to explain for reasoning for the understeer becoming oversteer when the rear wheels slow/lock up?

I know I am right so I want you to explain to me why I am lol... because mechanical/structural engineering. I will happily step aside if I am wrong.

First, the rear wheels are not the pivot point.

Second, asyed doesn't know what understeer is. He is talking about ice. He said that even at 10km/h you can get "understeer" and that "braking doesn't help".
In this instance, the front wheels have no traction. Yanking the ebrake isn't going to whip the back end to out like it does on dry pavement. You are essentially loosing traction at all four wheels, if you do that, and the car is free to spin left OR right, while still continuing in the direction it was when it lost traction.

[pwdunmore]

First, the rear wheels are not the pivot point.

Second, asyed doesn't know what understeer is. He is talking about ice. He said that even at 10km/h you can get "understeer" and that "braking doesn't help".
In this instance, the front wheels have no traction. Yanking the ebrake isn't going to whip the back end to out like it does on dry pavement. You are essentially loosing traction at all four wheels, if you do that, and the car is free to spin left OR right, while still continuing in the direction it was when it lost traction.

So if I do this around a corner: Start half throttle, go into corner, turn wheel, pull e-brake while applying gas... my front wheels will not pull the car around the rear inside tire?

The rear wheels are not the pivot "point", as the center of the car would be that... they do allow the car to pivot when applying the e-brake because the inertia, as you said, carries the wheels in the same direction they were initially going.

[SomeGuy]

I was under the impression that all four points would be "floating" (not fixed) while understeering around the corner. The increased friction at the rear of the car would cause it to grab/pivot on the rear and the spinning wheels would pull the car around.
Either way... this should not be tried on public roads.

I'll check back in when you install it, if you want help I will join. That is if you plan on tackling this yourself. I know clutch jobs are fun without a picker or transmission jack.

Floating? There's always some friction at all 4 corners (unless the wheel is in the air and you're upside down lol) and you use this friction as a place to provide force to change direction or accelerate/decelerate. If at any time the friction is insufficient to overcome the inertia of the vehicle, then you will get the phenomena's known as understeer, oversteer, or skidding.

Pulling the ebrake is attempting to decelerate via the rear wheels, using up some of their friction...if that friction isn't enough to overcome inertia, then inertia will win and the vehicle will head in whatever direction that is. Going around a corner this ends up meaning the rear of the vehicles heads to what was "straight" before making the turn. If at the same time you are understeering (ie front tires have already used up all of their friction) then the whole vehicle will slide in the direction of inertia. Of course you'll never have a perfect balance front/rear, and so by pulling the ebrake you might actually have less friction available in the rear than the front and it will head in direction of inertia faster than the front causing the vehicle to rotate (more specifically the front end is applying more force against inertia, hence the rear end coming around).

Or something like that :)

Clutch - I'm tackling myself yes.

[m_bisson]

Not the inertia of the wheel, the inertia of the vehicle. A spinning front wheel won't have inertia.

Think of it like this: the top of the wheel is rotating forward and down, but once it hits 6 o'clock, the mass of the wheel is moving backwards and up.

Any inertia is rotational around the drive axle and would ONLY affect the drive shaft, not the rest of the car.

[m_bisson]

So if I do this around a corner: Start half throttle, go into corner, turn wheel, pull e-brake while applying gas... my front wheels will not pull the car around the rear inside tire?

The rear wheels are not the pivot "point", as the center of the car would be that... they do allow the car to pivot when applying the e-brake because the inertia, as you said, carries the wheels in the same direction they were initially going.

Opposite. The car will pivot around the outside front tire.

[asyed]

But true.
But still very personal

[SomeGuy]

But still very personal

Nah, anyone who really knows me will attest to the fact that I'm a very nice/helpful/friendly person...I just don't tolerate stupidity well. I don't personally have anything against you.

[6strings]

This is turning out to be the bill nye of all threads.
Judge Judy too.

[asyed]

Nah, anyone who really knows me will attest to the fact that I'm a very nice/helpful/friendly person...I just don't tolerate stupidity well. I don't personally have anything against you.

That statment you made back there was very specific. I mean Im sure theres lots of other 20 year olds out there who understand vehicle dynamics.... and Im sure some of them even drive automatic mazda3's... I would say that point is pretty irrelevant.


Now if you had actually studied the subject on a post secondary level and are going off what you learned that the general public ( including me) may have not known then your point would be valid ( Im not making any assumption right now though because I dont know you well enough to know what you have studied)

[SomeGuy]

That statment you made back there was very specific. I mean Im sure theres lots of other 20 year olds out there who understand vehicle dynamics.... and Im sure some of them even drive automatic mazda3's... I would say that point is pretty irrelevant.


Now if you had actually studied the subject on a post secondary level and are going off what you learned that the general public ( including me) may have not known then your point would be valid ( Im not making any assumption right now though because I dont know you well enough to know what you have studied)

I'm sure there are plenty who know vehicle dynamics at 20 years old, you're just not one of them. Your recommendation of using the ebrake on poor road conditions to help get around a corner shows your naivety to the topic and you should not be recommending such a thing to others.

I am not formally educated on vehicle dynamics, I do have some education in physics at a post secondary level though. Regardless of that, I have a dozen years of experience behind the wheel including some in worse conditions than you've experienced and have read a lot about the topic. I'm no expert either, but I am confident that an expert would agree with me. If for whatever reason you can find a credible source suggesting what you've brought forth is accurate, then by all means share it with us. Until then, stfu and stop trying to impress a bunch of guys on the internet with your ebraking skills.

[6strings]

Nah, anyone who really knows me will attest to the fact that I'm a very nice/helpful/friendly person...I just don't tolerate stupidity well. I don't personally have anything against you.


Until then, stfu and stop trying to impress a bunch of guys on the internet with your ebraking skills.

Doesn't sound very nice

[asyed]

I'm sure there are plenty who know vehicle dynamics at 20 years old, you're just not one of them. Your recommendation of using the ebrake on poor road conditions to help get around a corner shows your naivety to the topic and you should not be recommending such a thing to others.

I am not formally educated on vehicle dynamics, I do have some education in physics at a post secondary level though. Regardless of that, I have a dozen years of experience behind the wheel including some in worse conditions than you've experienced and have read a lot about the topic. I'm no expert either, but I am confident that an expert would agree with me. If for whatever reason you can find a credible source suggesting what you've brought forth is accurate, then by all means share it with us. Until then, stfu and stop trying to impress a bunch of guys on the internet with your ebraking skills.


Fair enough. Maybe I am wrong. But I will say the ebrake technique has saved me a few times where I did hit a patch of snow and my tires didnt grip well ( not so good winter tires will do that to you).



Also im not trying to impress no one here.

[SomeGuy]

Doesn't sound very nice

Well you nor asyed know me very well lol what it sounds like and what it means on a personal level are two very different things.

[asyed]

Doesn't sound very nice

nah.... thats just Someguy being Someguy

[6strings]

Ah the old "those who really know me"
Well those who really know me attest to the fact that I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney.

[SomeGuy]

Ah the old "those who really know me"
Well those who really know me attest to the fact that I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney.

LoL that's awesome...

...I think point is, I might come across as an ass because I'm opinionated and write things very strongly but I don't harbour any ill feelings towards anyone here.


Asyed gets it, just me being me lol

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Scandinavian flick (http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-scandinavian-flick-feature)... in the snow, sometimes induced by pulling the e-brake to break traction in the rear and get the rear end to swing out. do it right, and the entire car is pointing in the direction you want to go... in a FWD car, the front wheels will then pull the car through, provided they have grip.

this is also one of the fastest ways to drive a FWD car around a track, let the rear swing out so that the front wheels are pointed straight sooner, then get on the gas to pull the car through. When you get on the gas, the weight will transfer to the rear allowing the rear tires to get their grip back.

practising it in the snow, where speeds are slower and the consequences less severe, is one of the better ways to practise this.... while asyed's delivery and framing of the situation may be wrong, his concept is not.

[SomeGuy]

Scandinavian flick (http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-scandinavian-flick-feature)... in the snow, sometimes induced by pulling the e-brake to break traction in the rear and get the rear end to swing out. do it right, and the entire car is pointing in the direction you want to go... in a FWD car, the front wheels will then pull the car through, provided they have grip.

this is also one of the fastest ways to drive a FWD car around a track, let the rear swing out so that the front wheels are pointed straight sooner, then get on the gas to pull the car through. When you get on the gas, the weight will transfer to the rear allowing the rear tires to get their grip back.

practising it in the snow, where speeds are slower and the consequences less severe, is one of the better ways to practise this.... while asyed's delivery and framing of the situation may be wrong, his concept is not.

This is all true and had crossed my mind (various rally/drifting techniques) but at the point you are already understeering you have not intentionally created the situation and hence he isn't executing them in a controlled and deliberate manner. The flick requires a deliberate line into (and out of) the corner.

Regardless of it's effectiveness, they shouldn't be performed on the street. Not to say we don't all fool around from time to time but it's not a technique that should be used in traffic or bad weather to correct for poor judgement and controlled steering.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

I re-read what asyed said... When understeering, back off the brake pedal... That is correct as it will transfer weight off the front tires and alleviate what was causing the understeer.

Pulling the e brake up at that point may not be the brightest idea... In an extreme situation, it allows the rear to scrub speed. At which point, the fronts should have slowed below the point where understeer started... Thus, in a FWD car, allowing the fronts to power through and counter any induced oversteer.

Better practised in a closed lot or at a car control school/winter school so you know what to do if ever the situation is encountered on the street.

[Kiewan]

Anyone in the north York area: the lots at eglinton and Leslie in the park are very good later at night after a fresh snowfall. Lots of room to test stopping distance and try out your various turns

The best lot is your first immediate left when entering the park from leslie, pass underneath eglinton, by the train bridge. It is the longest lot and there are seldom any cars late at night in the snow.

[loki]

MajesticBlueNTO these guys don't know about the Scandi

[Jackal]

It could easily be renamed the Asyed manoever. People claim to have invented something by renaming it. So annoying actually.

[loki]

It could easily be renamed the Asyed manoever. People claim to have invented something by renaming it. So annoying actually.

Examples?

[SomeGuy]

I re-read what asyed said... When understeering, back off the brake pedal... That is correct as it will transfer weight off the front tires and alleviate what was causing the understeer.

Pulling the e brake up at that point may not be the brightest idea... In an extreme situation, it allows the rear to scrub speed. At which point, the fronts should have slowed below the point where understeer started... Thus, in a FWD car, allowing the fronts to power through and counter any induced oversteer.

Better practised in a closed lot or at a car control school/winter school so you know what to do if ever the situation is encountered on the street.

Backing off the brakes will shift weight off the front tires though and decrease available grip (although less of that grip will be being used for braking). In my experience though, understeer is easily avoidable and rarely the issue encountered with winter driving.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Backing off the brakes will shift weight off the front tires though and decrease available grip (although less of that grip will be being used for braking). In my experience though, understeer is easily avoidable and rarely the issue encountered with winter driving.

if you're understeering, you've exceeded the grip limits of the front tires.

if you're understeering from braking too hard, you've transferred too much weight to the front and exceeded the grip limits of the front tires. If you back off the brakes, you transfer weight to the rear (i.e. off the front tires) and slowly bring the force on the front tires back within their grip limit. At that point, the front tires are no longer sliding and have regained grip with the road/tire-surface interface. Once grip is regained, you've overcome the understeer situation.

[SomeGuy]

if you're understeering, you've exceeded the grip limits of the front tires.

if you're understeering from braking too hard, you've transferred too much weight to the front and exceeded the grip limits of the front tires. If you back off the brakes, you transfer weight to the rear (i.e. off the front tires) and slowly bring the force on the front tires back within their grip limit. At that point, the front tires are no longer sliding and have regained grip with the road/tire-surface interface. Once grip is regained, you've overcome the understeer situation.

Transferred too much weight to the front? Remember ... Fr = μN, ie the force of friction is equal to the coefficient of friction times the normal force which on a horizontal surface is mass times the force of gravity (ie weight). So transferring weight to the front INCREASES the force of friction (ie grip). That is not to be confused by the force of braking which is attempting to overcome the inertia of the mass of the vehicle.

Granted, decreasing the force of braking may result in enough available grip for the wheels to turn the vehicle and overcome inertia...but slowing the mass down also decreases the inertia which will again help you turn.

Or as I've been saying all along, drive for the conditions and don't go into a corner too fast in the first place.

[m_bisson]

Well you nor asyed know me very well lol what it sounds like and what it means on a personal level are two very different things.

This is how I feel on these forums ;)

[Reddie1337]

I love my neighbourhood because they never plow it, and I can drift all the way through it :) It's great!


Also, for your clutch job, if you need a clutch alignment tool I have one in my box that you are free to use.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Transferred too much weight to the front? Remember ... Fr = μN, ie the force of friction is equal to the coefficient of friction times the normal force which on a horizontal surface is mass times the force of gravity (ie weight). So transferring weight to the front INCREASES the force of friction (ie grip). That is not to be confused by the force of braking which is attempting to overcome the inertia of the mass of the vehicle.

Granted, decreasing the force of braking may result in enough available grip for the wheels to turn the vehicle and overcome inertia...but slowing the mass down also decreases the inertia which will again help you turn.

Or as I've been saying all along, drive for the conditions and don't go into a corner too fast in the first place.
You missed the point of my post in your overzealousness to post equations and theory for which you have little practical understanding.

Since you are so astute at Googling those equations and theory, you can also search for slip angle and traction circle to see why too much weight transfer to the front causes understeer (clue: understeer begins while the front wheels are turned).

[doughboyr6]

You missed the point of my post in your overzealousness to post equations and theory for which you have little practical understanding.

Since you are so astute at Googling those equations and theory, you can also search for slip angle and traction circle to see why too much weight transfer to the front causes understeer (clue: understeer begins while the front wheels are turned).

this was a funny response. i don't visit this forum enough any more to get into a heated conversation. But in my motorcycle riding days, i came across a wise comment and it's been my guiding principle since. It was directed for bikes, but i think rings true for cars too.

A modern day motorcycle can accelerate ferociously, brake incredibly hard and lean crazy angles. It just doesn't do them all well at the same time as it is asking too much of the tires to handle all those forces at once.

I think its the same thing for a car/tires obviously to a different degree. At the end, understand the limits of the tires/grip and stay within it. Ask too much too soon, too fast, and it will break traction.

[pwdunmore]

Floating? There's always some friction at all 4 corners (unless the wheel is in the air and you're upside down lol) and you use this friction as a place to provide force to change direction or accelerate/decelerate. If at any time the friction is insufficient to overcome the inertia of the vehicle, then you will get the phenomena's known as understeer, oversteer, or skidding.

Pulling the ebrake is attempting to decelerate via the rear wheels, using up some of their friction...if that friction isn't enough to overcome inertia, then inertia will win and the vehicle will head in whatever direction that is. Going around a corner this ends up meaning the rear of the vehicles heads to what was "straight" before making the turn. If at the same time you are understeering (ie front tires have already used up all of their friction) then the whole vehicle will slide in the direction of inertia. Of course you'll never have a perfect balance front/rear, and so by pulling the ebrake you might actually have less friction available in the rear than the front and it will head in direction of inertia faster than the front causing the vehicle to rotate (more specifically the front end is applying more force against inertia, hence the rear end coming around).

Or something like that :)

Clutch - I'm tackling myself yes.

The points are "floating" load caring points, if they were fixed they would have to be physically connected to the ground by more than just mechanical friction.

Your understanding of physics is good but I don't agree with it over forum replies for some reason lol... nothing personal, explanations in person work better so I will leave it at that. I am not going to go on with this any more simply because its pointless, I rather help you with your clutch than banter about this BS lmao...

Let me know when you are tackling the clutch!

[Kiewan]

Just a small topic compared to winter FWD drifting....

How has the CHRISTMAS tree now become widely referred to as the holiday tree?

Using that same logic: I am not going to start calling the Menorah a holiday candelabra.

Why was the tree singled out for nondenominational labeling while mostly every other religious / cultural symbol for their respective holiday has not undergone the same treatment?

Political correctness double standard...

[fruitloops]

Same reason it's "Xmas" or "happy holidays"

[The Wolf]

The early symbol for Christianity was the Chi Rho:

http://www.londonbaystationery.com/Images/chi_rho_SM.gif

The X (chi) is the first letter of the greek word for Christ (which itself is greek for "saviour"), while the P (Rho) is the second. Lots of tight-assed Christians complain about "Xmas" being sacrilegious, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

[dentinger]

SomeGuy that drainer i ordered from northern tool showed up on my doorsteps last night. way sooner than expected, because i called the other day, and they said i'd get a tracking number once it entered canada.

either way, shipping was 10 days.

[SomeGuy]

I love my neighbourhood because they never plow it, and I can drift all the way through it :) It's great!


Also, for your clutch job, if you need a clutch alignment tool I have one in my box that you are free to use.

Clutch came with one...good there. Do you have a pilot bearing puller? Or do you just use the grease trick?


You missed the point of my post in your overzealousness to post equations and theory for which you have little practical understanding.

Since you are so astute at Googling those equations and theory, you can also search for slip angle and traction circle to see why too much weight transfer to the front causes understeer (clue: understeer begins while the front wheels are turned).

Post, all the equations! There's a lot going on from a physics stand point with vehicle dynamics but the fact that he should drive for the conditions is pretty simple.


The points are "floating" load caring points, if they were fixed they would have to be physically connected to the ground by more than just mechanical friction.

Your understanding of physics is good but I don't agree with it over forum replies for some reason lol... nothing personal, explanations in person work better so I will leave it at that. I am not going to go on with this any more simply because its pointless, I rather help you with your clutch than banter about this BS lmao...

Let me know when you are tackling the clutch!

LoL there's more to it...and it's complicated.

Will do, seems everyone wants a piece of the action lol

[Flagrum_3]

The early symbol for Christianity was the Chi Rho:

http://www.londonbaystationery.com/Images/chi_rho_SM.gif

The X (chi) is the first letter of the greek word for Christ (which itself is greek for "saviour"), while the P (Rho) is the second. Lots of tight-assed Christians complain about "Xmas" being sacrilegious, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

There were many early symbols; The Fish, the Anchor, the Chi-Rho and several others...Chi-Ro yes being ONE of the earliest but not the first. Which symbol was the first is still disputed, but either the Anchor or the Fish. Secondly, I've never actually heard any "tight-assed" Christians claim that the term "Xmas" was sacrilegious...Are we making an unfounded generalisation here maybe, Not very politically correct is it?

_3

[The Wolf]

I'm a Mennonite by baptism and I hear it all the time so I feel like I can make those kind of statements.

[dentinger]

SomeGuy

northern tool sales representatives have no idea what they're talking about. checked the shipping label on the drainer, came from burlington ontario. actually just around the corner from my moms house.

however, it got damaged from shipping (or elsewhere), so it has to go back and they'll send me a new one. sigh.

[Reddie1337]

If my sub box (4 years old) has started to let the sub mounting screws go, I can I fix it, or do I have to just replace the box?

[The Wolf]

easily fixable. You'll need things:

-drill
-drill bit the same size or slightly larger than the threads of the screw
-wooden dowel the same size as your drill bit OR precut wooden plugs of the desired size
-wood glue
-sharp knife/fine saw

remove the speaker. Drill out each hole. Cut the dowel into plugs that are slightly longer than the box walls are thick. Cover the plugs in a light layer of wood glue and push them into the drilled out holes make sure you use enough glue to seal the hole. Wait 15 minutes. Use sharp knife/fine saw to trim the plug flush with the box. Rotate speaker slightly, mark new holes, and reinstall mounting screws.

[SomeGuy]

^^ Pretty much. Use a thick glue if you do that method.

Other method is to replace screws with t-nuts or hurricane nuts and bolts.

[m_bisson]

What now? Someone discuss something so I can play devil's advocate and cause an uproar heard 'round the net.

[SomeGuy]

What now? Someone discuss something so I can play devil's advocate and cause an uproar heard 'round the net.

Nope.


What did everyone get for Christmas?

[Default User]

It is a weird transition from getting everything you can ask for - to giving someone everything they dreamed for.

I guess, in the same sense - it is what I asked for. My kids can't stop bragging about their gifts this year and the smiles on their faces makes it all worth it.

[SomeGuy]

It is a weird transition from getting everything you can ask for - to giving someone everything they dreamed for.

I guess, in the same sense - it is what I asked for. My kids can't stop bragging about their gifts this year and the smiles on their faces makes it all worth it.

Great feeling eh? I like being able to return the favour to my parents after all these years. I was more excited about what I got for my mom than for anything I got myself (a serger type sewing machine).

[Kiewan]

What did everyone get for Christmas?
Socks, dress shirts, gift cards, set of neutral density filters for my Pentax. Bunch of smaller things

I don't really expect or want anything given to me on Christmas or my birthday. What I got was 3 family dinners on different nights which was really nice as its harder and harder to organize this stuff lately. Family gatherings are a lot nicer than gifts.

That being said: I gave a lot of presents this year.

[SomeGuy]

With the dollar getting so poor, what are everyone's thoughts on buying car parts from the states? From this time last year we're easily 10-15% more expensive which can really add up.

[m_bisson]

So then don't do it?

Don't ruin your own thread with "ask loki" questions.

[SomeGuy]

So then don't do it?

Don't ruin your own thread with "ask loki" questions.

Shut up? It's a discussion topic.

[6strings]

If you want to buy stuff from the US, then buy stuff from the US.
That goes for Taiwan, Mexico, India or Uganda.

Wheres that Loki fella and his thread?

[m_bisson]

loki we need your help!

[geobur]

With the dollar getting so poor, what are everyone's thoughts on buying car parts from the states? From this time last year we're easily 10-15% more expensive which can really add up.

ya plus tax. If I didn't have to worry about shipping I would buy everything in the states. I am however considering having things shipped to friends who live in the States and picking them up on my annual trip to Pennsylvania. I went driving around last year looking for a specific item but none of the shops I went to had them in stock. But they would have been much cheaper than here.

[loki]

Don't clutter my thread up

[midnightfxgt]

With the dollar getting so poor, what are everyone's thoughts on buying car parts from the states? From this time last year we're easily 10-15% more expensive which can really add up.

I'm buying a ton of parts right now for the latest build project.

Some of the stuff I want is cheaper locally (like my shifter, gas pedal etc). Some stuff is cheaper in the US. I really like sites like Summit that show you the final cost when shipping to Canada. No BS when it hits the door. If its an eBay purchase with UPS, it better be a decent savings to offset the potential hassle/cost.

[Aitch]

With the dollar getting so poor, what are everyone's thoughts on buying car parts from the states? From this time last year we're easily 10-15% more expensive which can really add up.

That's just it, you really have to consider the currency conversion now, in addition to shipping and potential customs fees. Especially when you're also not getting the true exchange (currently what, 83c/$1USD?) but further screwed by PayPal or your credit card. Now it probably only makes sense if the part from the US is 30% cheaper or more.

[$lickology]

I have to get in on this topic because I have/ and do buy a lot of stuff from the U.S.

Obviously I prefer that our CA $ to be closer to par with the U.S. that said its the duty fees that get applied are the real piss off. On my last big purchase, CS cat back the duty fee was $170 also I paid about the same amount on my wheels.

Still finding the stuff one wants in Canada is better, luckily for me on my sound upgrade project, I was able to get all but one component from right here in Canada with free shipping.