Texas A&M's New Shop

It's a good time of the year for new accommodations, apparently. Now if I can just get our cars to the level of PACC Racing, we'll be all set.

This little "side" project has been taking up more of my life than I care to admit for the past 9 months or so. After several board meetings, project safety analyses, reports, and about 35,000 emails and a lot of patience, I'm proud to say this little undergrad has gotten A&M SAE its very own building.

It's not much to look at, but it's all ours.

It's an old gas station that has changed hands a few times. It's got plenty of space on the outside, and even has a guest house:

We've got a small office inside, complete with desks, cabinets, and a computer loaded with SolidWorks and MATLAB (the former we fully intend on using profusely for our '12 car... stay tuned).

The shop floor isn't gigantic (or even perfectly level) but it's worlds better than what we previously had (nothing). Here's the Miata in its new home.

We've even got a little area off to the side to play with engines.

Far and away the most unique part of this building is the "second floor." The previous tenents added a steel floor about 8' above the ground. Although there's not room to stand upright, it is nice to have all that storage space easily accessible.

HOLY CRAAP

did they buy you this just to play with cheap cars?

thats hilarious.

No, that's the best part. It wasn't even being used. It was already owned, but abandoned for the past 3 years or so. It took 9 months to get them to give us an empty building that they already owned.

That is so awesome! Mike '93

VERY cool. Way to work the system. It may be the most valuable lesson you learn in college.

Looks nice. Is that out at the extension by the skid pad? That would be cool to use for testing.

Hess '92

Now you need to figure out a way to get a 20' high dirt berm built around the property so you can hoon without people seeing or hearing you.

Dr. Hess wrote: Looks nice. Is that out at the extension by the skid pad? That would be cool to use for testing. Hess '92

It's out at the annex, yeah, but it's back by the warehouses.

And yes, it was interesting to get some experience fighting this giant system.

Wow.

Having accomplished this, have you considered working on world peace or ending hunger? Either would seem easier. (Yes I hate bureaucracy)

Now you must fight the urge to just throw stuff into all that newfound space. Cleanliness, organization, and documented inventory control responsibility must be maintained!

Scrub and seal / epoxy the floor before moving in.

"A place for everything, and every thing in it's place." Get some yellow and black safety tape and lay out storage areas on the floor for everything that is stored on the floor.

Document the condition as received and as you improve it. Use this documentation to lobby the university for funding.

Oh, and don't forget to beautify the exterior as well. School colors and logos FTW. Don't make it a target for vandals and thieves, though. Make sure valuables are invisible.

pinchvalve wrote: Having accomplished this, have you considered working on world peace or ending hunger? Either would seem easier. (Yes I hate bureaucracy)

Yeah, my next big feat is going to be showing up to the Challenge with a running, non-exploded race car.

AngryCorvair wrote: Now you must fight the urge to just throw stuff into all that newfound space. Cleanliness, organization, and documented inventory control responsibility must be maintained! Scrub and seal / epoxy the floor *before* moving in. "A place for everything, and every thing in it's place." Get some yellow and black safety tape and lay out storage areas on the floor for *everything* that is stored on the floor. Document the condition as received and as you improve it. Use this documentation to lobby the university for funding. Oh, and don't forget to beautify the exterior as well. School colors and logos FTW. Don't make it a target for vandals and thieves, though. Make sure valuables are invisible.

Unfortunately any long-term building modifications (like sealing floors, etc) must go through several more layers of bureaucracy, and that's simply not worth the hassle. I'm happy to focus my efforts on making a weird race car for once.

And yes, I've already remarked how this storage space could be dangerous. We tend to be mechanical pack rats, so I've already appointed someone in charge of cataloging and selling our accumulated, unneeded parts. Delegation ftw.

In reply to unevolved:

Delegation may be the best thing know to man.

This is speaking as the team lead of a Formula team.

Agreed. It's a wonderful feeling having people you know will get done what you ask them to, and more.

Great job! Had I cared at all about cars while I was there, this would have gotten me in trouble. Remember to go to class, too

-Winston '98

Yeah. It is very possible, if not easy, to go to TAMU and be completely busy all day, every day and never go to a class. It's-a-trap.

FRIGGIN' SWEEEEET! Way to persevere with the school.

BTW, thees:

Oh, and don't forget to beautify the exterior as well. School colors and logos FTW. Don't make it a target for vandals and thieves, though. Make sure valuables are invisible.

....es muy importante. You'd be amazed at how cheap an alarm system is. If possible, leave NOTHING outside. Looters are looters. If they can't steal it, they'll destroy it.

Winston wrote: Great job! Had I cared at all about cars while I was there, this would have gotten me in trouble. Remember to go to class, too -Winston '98

Dr. Hess wrote: Yeah. It is very possible, if not easy, to go to TAMU and be completely busy all day, every day and never go to a class. It's-a-trap.

Yep. I have a problem with attendance, not gonna lie. I spend too much time playing with these things. Now, if I can just graduate, I'm hoping my experience with these programs will get my foot in the door somewhere fun.

poopshovel wrote: FRIGGIN' SWEEEEET! Way to persevere with the school. BTW, thees:

Oh, and don't forget to beautify the exterior as well. School colors and logos FTW. Don't make it a target for vandals and thieves, though. Make sure valuables are invisible.

....es muy importante. You'd be amazed at how cheap an alarm system is. If possible, leave NOTHING outside. Looters are looters. If they can't steal it, they'll destroy it.

Thankfully this building is in a controlled, secure area. Only way in is through a gate, and that gate either needs ID Card access, or a code that changes weekly. There's very low incidences of vandalism and/or theft out there, which is nice. I can leave the Civic outside without worrying about it.

Yeah, if that football team wins two more games this year, you may not have all that tough a time getting what you want. Gig 'Em and Whoop!

Awesome, totally awesome!

That's a hell of an achievement! Looks like you've got stacks of usable space there.

Do you have access to it at all hours? For personal use, too? (or just University-sanctioned projects?)

We do have 24-hour access which is nice. But it's only for school-related projects.