Some Ideas for Later Down the Road?

[Camaroyenko]

I've been wondering what I want to do when I grow. I'm currently 13.


I'm real big into cars (Especially classic muscle). I've been thinking about it'd be cool to have a drag racing engine shop. What do you guys think?

 

[Vitzio]

If you like to work with engines, you could look into mechanical engineering. There's plently of automotive schools too where you could get more into that stuff later on after high school.

 

[Crumpet]

I'm in exactly the same place as you.

 

[niky]

Setting up and running a successful performance garage in this economic climate won't be easy.

Take up automotive engineering. Learn all you can about modern systems and try to get some hands on apprenticeship at shops that do ECU-tuning and programming. Hell... learn all you can about electric systems (motors, charge-controllers, batteries) while you're at it. That's where the future (possibly... if there is a future for cars) is, and that's what you have to learn. You can always study and fiddle with carburetors and cam grinds in your spare time, but if you want to work on automobiles professionally, you've got to expand your horizons.

 

[AOS-]

I'm going to finish up Industrial Design and then do go into Illustration afterwards...

 

[Camaroyenko]

Thanks everyone, I guess in a few years it'll all be those stupid electric cars -_-


Maybe I should just stick to being an engineer or some sort?

 

[CMvan46]

God if I went with what I wanted when I was 13 I'd be in school for mechanics too. Keep your mind open because it'll change about a 100 times in the next few years. You'll start hearing about jobs you never even knew about.

 

[Exorcet]

Apply to a college that has a FSAE team, and spend hours upon hours becoming an automotive expert. It was more helpful than most classes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmp1LiCY5dM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM2FUCZ7AEU&feature=fvst

 

[niky]

Whether or not cars will be electric in the future, you need to know as much as you can about them, because a fair percentage will have some electric motivation (hybrids).

One area that doesn't receive enough attention... chassis and suspension engineering. If you've got a good sense of movement and a feel for the way a car moves, that's a good area to study, because whatever motivates a car, and whatever discipline it competes in, it's going to need suspension development. There are some good jobs available there. And best of all, you'll get to drive for a living.

Too late for me, but this is what I would have studied if I'd been into cars before I enrolled in college.

 

[Exorcet]

Whether or not cars will be electric in the future, you need to know as much as you can about them, because a fair percentage will have some electric motivation (hybrids).

There is a FSAE Electric competition.

One area that doesn't receive enough attention... chassis and suspension engineering.

FSAE will certainly give you an opportunity to learn all about this, especially if you find an experienced team to join.

The competition focuses on just about everything, performance, cost, engineering quality, efficiency - it's really a must for anyone interested in cars.

 

[Aldo]

I've just started uni and still not 100% sure what I want to do after it...

 

[Roush_fan_99]

One area that doesn't receive enough attention... chassis and suspension engineering. If you've got a good sense of movement and a feel for the way a car moves, that's a good area to study, because whatever motivates a car, and whatever discipline it competes in, it's going to need suspension development. There are some good jobs available there. And best of all, you'll get to drive for a living.

This is also very true, all the horsepower in the world wouldn't do you any good if you couldn't put the power to the ground or if the car wasn't square and pulled to a side because something like the rearend housing wasn't square

but you also have to look into a job that you get benefits you want whether it be as simple as having weekends off or as big as retirement plans

 

[HELLAFLUSH240SX]

When I was 13 I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver....but then I realized nobody likes Americans.

 

[niky]

Move to the UK and change your last name to Hirvoraikovaleinenen. Gives you the best chances of getting a drive.

-

I wish we had a local FSAE series. Been wondering if it would be possible to entice some local universities to do something similar using a Locost chassis set-up...

 

[Camaroyenko]

Thanks guys. 👍

 

[Pupik]

Take up automotive engineering. Learn all you can about modern systems and [...] You can always study and fiddle with carburetors and cam grinds in your spare time, but if you want to work on automobiles professionally, you've got to expand your horizons.

Thanks everyone, I guess in a few years it'll all be those stupid electric cars -_-

The point is not to be too specific, as there's many other interesting avenues that open up to electrics/electronics, from aviation to zoology, whereas the internal combustion engine doesn't support much more than automobiles, trucks, generators, small-engine equipment, light aircraft, and trains (which are changing over, too). You'll have to know more and more about the electronics of a car, as just about anything made in the past 20 years is increasingly electronic in nature, and only rising in usage.

In the end, do what you like; that's where you'll be happiest in life. I'm not the biggest electric car fanatic at all, but you've got to realize where the future is, if you want a competitive advantage. My advice is: A lot of life is about exploiting and using every competitive advantage you can legally find, but the best way to have a harmonious one is not to step on too many toes when doing so.

Other helpful advice, sort of along the automotive spectrum.

When I was 13 I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver....but then I realized nobody likes Americans.

The real reason is that Americans don't like F1 racing, but you could if you had a lot of money and a lot of talent in the right palce and the right time, although more money helps in the short-term. Many drivers just got lucky, and pursued their dream in the direction they wanted to take. If anything, being an American would probably be an advantage; most racing drivers in Europe likely dream of either F1 or WRC; in America, there's many different summits to climb in the world of motorsport. Formula One is not the most famous mountain to scale from this viewpoint, which can distance oneself from the rest easily, if you have what it takes (see above).

Anyhow, been there (er, not really), dreamed that, so you really can't blame others for your lack of F1 participation. Although once a year, I still have that dream that Minardi or Arrows needs a driver, and calls me up on a Wednesday afternoon; life needs a little fantasy sometimes.