News Discussion - Buggy Books of History

[swiftsam]

We just released our first in a series of buggy books from record-breaking years. Check it out in the News section:
http://cmubuggy.org/News/?p=221

Were you there in 1981? Any first hand accounts? Comments about much cooler buggy books used to be?

[janicesg]

I'm really impressed how I got a feel for what buggy was like in 1981 by reading the buggy book. I wonder if the current books will still have that effect 20-30 years from now

[DangerMike]

What I found interesting about it was the big text blocks on each organization's page instead of a roster. Most buggy book pages I've seen have a roster, a picture of the buggy, and maybe a choice phrase. Nothing like the chest-thumping bravado on the CIA page or the meek, hopeless confession from Theta Xi. The only page in there that might fit in a modern-era book is the ZBT page, which shows a picture, the roster, and a quote from Rush.

That book makes me want to go watch the race, but it is a not a time-capsule for future buggy historians like most books are now. I think I like the feel of this book more. The assurance from the Safety Chair that all drivers will be adequately protected from radiation and pasta just makes it awesome.

[Carl Nott]

The only page in there that might fit in a modern-era book is the ZBT page, which shows a picture, the roster, and a quote from Rush.

That's because they have a picture of a Spirit buggy on their page. It's, like, foreshadowing of awesome. Or something.

[JYuhas]

50 mph?!

wow-whoosh!

[aitong]

The picture of the sweepstakes committee is the kind of awesome you can't buy.

[DangerMike]

Did anybody else notice that the safety chairman, aside from being the only male in the picture, also is the only one with glasses and the only one without a hat. Or shoes. Or pants!

[SigNuSi]

50 mph? Not possible, I think the fastest clocked was Zoo's Colugo in '86 or '87 going 43 mph after a spin!

[the cook]

Colugo 38 mph by police radar 1984 - just before spinning, or rather, slamming into the bales with great force. The driver was, shall we say, a little heavier than ideal. The next fastest reading was 33 mph that year.

I now routinely get 35 mph on most top men's team rolls and 33mph on women's. SDC saw 36 last year.

[lemuroid]

just before spinning, or rather, slamming into the bales with great force.

Slam is the perfect description. One of more of the wheels needs to slide to count as a spin. She turned just enough to aim directly for the hay. The buggy went exactly where she pointed it. From the follow car, I had a great view of the horror.

The development path for Colugo in 84 was one of constant change. Colugo started life as a 2 wheeled design with outriggers. We scrapped that idea before it ever saw the course. On the weekend after spring break, colugo rolled for the first time. She was configured as a 3 wheeled trike with huge ground clearance, a cardboard body(still would have passed today's safety rules), and disk brakes (donated by scorpion). The huge ride height was due to the front fork still being in a '2 wheeler friendly' configuration. The next weekend colugo rolled with a more typical ground clearance and a symmetrical rear axle (still with disk brakes). The following weekend (truck weekend) we added a smooth front cone, drag brake, and moved to the asymmetric rear configuration that it saw on race day. Only on race day, did it have a full body with all the aero goodness it deserved. I cannot blame Jane, the driver, as the increase in speed from truck weekend to race day was huge (despite rolling well on truck weekend). I blame the mechanics (self included) for a late development cycle and not projecting the speed that would come from changing from a boxy cardboard shell to a smooth body.

Although Colugo returned in 85 to win, she was really never the same buggy after that wreck. In 84, I timed Colugo, running as our B team, ahead of our A team at the crosswalk by over a second. The A team was not shabby that year, running in the 2:09 range with an aging Lemur. The combination of a mighty Al Pollard shove on 2, a shapely driver, the zoo's best wheels ever, and a tight young colugo, made for some tasty speed. Speed that never made it past the chute.