Moving some posts from the autocross-focused thread to here.

If you need a ride to the BBQ on Saturday, let us know and we can figure something out!

Pheasant Run, about 5:30 or so. See ya there :thumbup:

Hey guys, I am Jon Polen and am a freshman here at JMU. I'm from Howard County Maryland. I have been into cars from around the age of 3 when I got my first toy car in a happy meal. From then on I collected matchbox cars until I was a young teen and now probably have a couple hundred stashed away in my closet. Although I am a car nut, I do not have a car worthy of modding. Right now I daily a 2000 Honda Accord 4 banger given to me by my dad. Hopefully by the end of school I will have enough for my first project. So for now I'm just here to play around with everyone else's cars . I look forward to meeting all of you and coming out to the events.

Okay, I have not had good luck finding nice trailers in exactly what I want for cheap. Their either full deck, or too long or too short, or questionable bearings and tires, or questionable wiring, or they simply want too much for their stupid trailers. I *oculd* hold off and wait again for a good deal, something in the 1300-1500 range used. Or I could simply go Friday and pick up a 2010 15' open deck, already va inspected, everything good to go and new for $1949. Its local (gainesville) and would be painless.

I wanted to get some opinions from those who already had/have trailers. Tires and brakes, and bearings are relatively cheap for trailers, so in terms of cost, it may be worth it to go used 1300-1500...maybe, but the hassle as well?? Plus with a new trailer I would need to possibly get d-rings welded on and a trailer box made for it, but shit I wouldnt have to worry about the tires/brakes/hubs/rusting for 3-5 years.

Hey MM, I'm Dylan Beveridge and I'm a sophomore at JMU. Due to my last name a lot of people call me "drink" or "beverage" which I have no problems with; you can call me whatever. I've been into cars my whole life but i haven't done very much hands on kinda stuff or any autox or anything, so i'm definitely looking forward to this year with MM.

I drive a silver '03 wrx that my dad bought new off the lot. It was his toy/project car until he got bored with it a few years later and bought a Porsche Boxster S. When I got my license i started driving it and its been effectively mine since. Mods are pretty standard fare; turboxs stage 3 stuff (full exhaust, utec piggyback, more boost and bigger intercoooler,) cold air intake, and SPT and cusco suspension bits. I'm really, really lucky to have a car like this fall into my hands for free; i know a lot of MMers actually work to pay for their cars. I dont have any photos of it on this computer to contribute unfortunately and i'm not tech savvy enough to know how to post a photo on a forum anyways.

I also ride motorcycles! i got my M designation and a little kawi ninja 250 about a year and a half ago. I didn't bring it with me to school though.

Everything is sold except the wheels and exhaust

1.) <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecipientReportedData/Pages/RecipientProjectSummary508.aspx?AwardIDSUR=12567&AwardType=Grants">http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecipientReportedData/Pages/RecipientProjectSummary508.aspx?AwardIDSUR=12567&AwardType=Grants</a><!-- m -->

Dick washing. $800k. 5.25 jobs.

Hey guys, if anybody is interested in alt fuel stuff, there is a cool event coming up on Odyssey Day, October 15, at Memorial Hall. Here is a brief description of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium and also a brief schedule of enents:

"The mission of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) is to educate the nation about alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. Through National AFV Day Odyssey millions of individuals have become aware of the difference alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles can make in our nation's energy security and quest for cleaner air."

2pm

Briefing session
Guest opening speaker
(Secretary Commerce, Secretary Agriculture, State Department of Energy, or Mayor Degner, or President Rose, or other. TIME FLEXIBLE.)
General presentation on alt. fuels (JMU)
VirginiaÔÇÖs Alt. Fuel Landscape (sponsor or VCC)
Student/Sponsor Presentations
Table-top displays/student posters visible for all
3pm
Break out to vehicle displays
JMU Biodiesel Demo
AFV vehicles with JMU representatives at each vehicle
Other vehicles with industry representative

3:45
Ride and Drive/Vehicle Demos

4:30
Bus to JMU Alternative Fuel Vehicle Lab

4:45
Tour of AFV Lab

The day has arrived, and I got my copy in the mail already (too bad I'm still at work). I won't be having a launch party this time, but I'd like to have a get-together maybe the Saturday after next when I get back from vacation. As always, screenname: El Kabonggg. I think I'm going to play some campaign today, then dabble in some of the different multiplayer modes. Maybe tomorrow we can get a crew together to do some multiplayer and firefight (custom maybe?).

Anyway, for those who didn't play the beta compulsively like I did, here are some tips and tricks with the new stuff I learned while playing the beta.

New(ish) Weapons

Magnum Pistol
The Magnum is vastly improved in Reach and is now a reasonable strong weapon that you should get good with. It takes the same amount of shots to kill someone with the pistol as it does with the DMR (4 shots to drop the shields + one for the headshot). It fires faster than the DMR but becomes more inaccurate more quickly as your shooting rate increases.

Use it at close or medium range to get headshots or take out guys with jetpacks. A lot of the time switching to the handgun helped me win really tight battles at close range.

DMR/Needle Rifle
The DMR is the replacement for the Battle Rifle from Halo 3 and it's been slightly toned down. The firing rate is a bit slower so at close-ish range the Assault Rifle and pistol will win most of the time.

The major difference from the BR with the DMR is reticule bloom. The faster you shoot the bigger the reticule gets. Bloom was there in Halo 3 but you had no visual indication of it. Reticule bloom doesn't mean you should slow your shooting down to once every 3 seconds or anything, but if you're trying to pick someone off at range slowing down just a little bit will give you the advantage. Think methodical.

The Needle Rifle is like the DMR but once someone's shields are down three more shots will make explode like the needler. You can also get headshots with the needle rifle.

Plasma Launcher

This is easily my favorite new weapon. It basically launches plasma greandes. It locks on so you can hit moving targets at a distance but it has to charge. The longer you charge the weapon the more grenades get launched at one time, up to 4.

One trick I learned is that you don't really want to launch more than one or two grenades at someone to kill them. If you're charging the launcher for too long before you fire you might launch more grenades more than you need to. So if I find myself charging for too long I'd switch to my other weapon to cancel the launch.

The major downside to the Plasma Launcher is that it is pretty ineffective at close range. If you have to engage someone at close range you're better off using a more conventional weapon most of the time.

Grenade Launcher
The grenade launcher is a finesse weapon unlike CoD's noob tube. It's not particularly good at getting kills with splatter damage. To kill someone in one shot with it you have to pretty much bullseye them with it, and I've only really been able to do that at close range.

The real use for the grenade launcher is the EMP effect it has. You can take down shields, down jetpack guys, and immobilize vehicles with it. When you fire it and hold down the trigger you can control when it detonates so you can time it to take out air vehicles or jetpacks. You can also use it to set a trap but I didn't really get much use out of that strategy.

On balance the grenade launcher is probably best when paired with a headshot weapon.

Focus Rifle

The Focus Rifle is basically a laser beam that you hold down to cook people. Not nearly as effective as the sniper rifle, but it's pretty strong against jetpack guys and people out in the open. If you can't put it on someone for about a second and a half you're not going to kill them so sometimes it's better to hold your fire until your target is in a position where he can't get to cover quickly.

It can be decently effective at close range but obviously you're not going to beat a shotgun/sword/hammer with it.

Armor Abilities - How to Use

Jetpack
The basic rule with the jetpack is the higher you fly, the more time people have to shoot at you on the way down. When I'm using it I try to fly to a specific destination using the least exposed route. Flying around in the open is asking to get capped.

The jetpack is great for getting to a good perch with your rifle or getting to a power weapon before anyone else can. Not good for trying to attack tanks, unless they don't see you coming.

Also, you will die if you don't feather your landing from a high altitude or if you're already hurt.

Sprint
Use it to get to power weapons early in the match. Works really well with close range power weapons like the hammer, just run up and smash em. The only problem is that there is a delay after you stop sprinting so if you sprint into battle and the other guy sees you at the same time, he is going to be able to get a few shots off before you can return fire.

Sprint is the absolute best armor ability for Headhunter.

Armor Lock

Best when used with a teammate. You engage someone and if you can't kill them, armor lock and let your buddy finish the job. Other ways to use it:

*block grenades
*stall for time while your shields regen
*protect yourself if someone starts shooting at you from an angle you can't see

It's very useful in games of oddball. What I would do is get the ball and hide in a corner. If more than one guy was coming up on me I'd drop the ball and armor lock and let the other guys fight it out. Maybe one guy would be left by the time my armor lock was done and I'd just kill him and get the ball again.

Evade

Evade is nothing more than a really quick roll that Elites can do that will break the target lock of the plasma launcher and makes you difficult to hit. Not much to using it, except that it is faster than walking so I use it to get around faster. I like using it to pop out of cover and shoot, then roll back behind cover to let my shield's recharge. Also really fun to roll behind people and assasinate them

Active Camo

It functions pretty much the same as Active Camo in Halo 3 except it scrambles the radar of opponents when you activate it, so it's hard to truly sneak up on someone. However, you can use the radar scrambling to hide your teammate's position and surprise someone.

So, I recently acquired a 1995 BMW 325i sedan with the intent to clean it up, drive a couple weeks and sell. I've always loved the E36, so this is my chance to enjoy one for a bit and then move on quickly.

Clean it up, you say?
Yeah, this thing is filthy. Hasn't run in months, battery dead as a doorknob, and god knows when it was last cleaned. Has had a light accident in the driver corner (superficial damage mostly) and who knows whats wrong with it mechanically...

On with the show!!





There was so much debris in the trunk channel that water was actually seeping into the already nasty trunk...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://winchester.craigslist.org/cto/1903989310.html">http://winchester.craigslist.org/cto/1903989310.html</a><!-- m -->

So excited, The lip looks eh in that pic from the back but looks good from the side, ill have to see it in person. He has the stock white nose panel and i think i might put the normal one back on it, gonna find out when I see it in person. Im getting it for 3k.