Snappish Snake: Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake
1965 Shelby Cobra 427: V8 engine with seven litres (427 cubic inch) displacement and with at that time savage 425 bhp and far more than 600 Nm of torque. From 1967, the supercharger variant, called ''Super Snake'', had even more to offer: Above 800 bhp has been reported. The only still existing modell with type code CSX 3015 was auctioned for several times - latest for more than 5 Mio. US Dollar.
Born in 2002, the pictured CSX 4000 series beautiful beast was built mainly with genuine Cobra parts. Not as precious, but new since fall 2021: Equipped with bright LED replica rear lamps from Aamgard Engineering.
Many thanks for the photo to the cars owner.
Watch Out Where to Purchase Parts - Beware of Creepy Cheapy Rip-Offs
Always take care, where to purchase your supplies - even if considering some would-be cheap solutions from the big electronic bay...
Probably only few do recognize the fatal error immediately. No, not the TipFlash module, that is completely fine. Get closer to the Superseal connector. The top one is a cheap rip-off, our customer bought somewhere at Ebay. The bottom photo shows a genuine connector from our stocks. Over the years, many of them have been purchased at our long-standing distributor.
See it? Zoom in... More... Closer... Compare... Found? Well, the TipFlash fortunately survived - not every else electronics module would do. Latest when connecting with that fake part to a vehicle battery, most electronics simply would have crawled on all fours. Or with that bargain connector, should a say, five...
Need a further tip? Comments are very welcomed!
N.B.: We are willing to learn. Meanwhile, we deliver the variant 'Superseal' of our high beam flasher module only completed with TE/Tyco connectors from own stocks...
Ditched to the Desert: Wiring Looms for the Rally Dakar
Hot, hotter, Rally Dakar - this could be the requirements specification for electric harnesses at the desert classic. While European rallies seldom get beyond thirty centigrade outside temperature, at endurance rallies temperatures of forty degrees Celsius among the shades are normal - wherever in the desert one will find some smooth shadow...
Aamgard Engineering design and build motorsport wiring looms from classic Escort up to Formula 1. Our standard looms are made with materials specified for temperatures up to 85/105°C - sufficient for the very most applications. Mainly automotive wires to DIN 72551 / ISO 6722 are applied, as well as MIL spec heat shrinks, crimping parts, sealing compounds and adhesives with that particular temperature specifications.
For high-end applications as in Rally Dakar cars we build electric harnesses with operation temperatures up to 120°C. We use Teflon / PTFE based wires of aviation specification 5Y/5YR with permissible temperatures of 200/260°C and heat shrinks, adhesives etc. of long-term resistance of minimum 150°C. Unfortunately, sometimes compromises must be made at connectors: Even in truebred rally prototypes the use of standard automotive plugs could become inevitable. These parts are mainly limited to 120°C. If solely Deutsch or Souriau Autosport connectors are utilised, with our cabling system operation temperatures beyond 150°C are possible.
Electronic Meets 3D Printing: Aerodynamics and Intake Air Flow Measurement
Intake air manifold for track test of a hillclimber: The manufacturing time of a carbon fibre part would have taken twelve weeks. Costs for modeling, moulding and building of the final part approx. 1300 €. But to meet engine build deadlines, our customer wanted to test aerodynamics and intake flow on track latest in October.
So, apart from delivering the right instrumentation and sensors we helped out with that intake duct. Even if mechanic construction is not our core competence, some month ago we already built something similar for own needs. With getting the CAD models from our customer, converting everything to our data base and printing the prototype was only question of few days.
Mechanical stiffness and temperature stability are sufficient for a one-off track test. The weight is negligible higher as calculated for the later to buid carbon fibre part. Dimension accuracy is very good, so the printed part can be used after the test run as moulding model for the final element with only few postprocessing. Final costs: Incl. professional build of the later carbon component ca. 1200 €. So, not only quite faster lead time, but also slightly lower price as with traditional proceeding. No we are very curious how the ''high-tech'' aero part made by Aamgard Engineering will prove in practising duty.
Programmable Power Distribution Modules - Motec PDMs
PDMs (Power Distribution Modules), also called PCU (Power Control Unit) or CCU (Current Control Unit), are used as a modern replacement of relays and conventional fuses. They allow individual power allocation and protection thresholds for each single electrical load. They provide configurable if-then dependencies, e.g. in racecars the fuel pump control depending by engine rpm, or controlling coolant flow by electric pumps depending by temperature sensors reading.
The Motec PDMs can be operated by switches, with a CAN keypad or it can be controlled via CAN bus by other ECUs. The Motec CAN keypad has colour-LEDs to show the status of each output channel. Additional, all diagnostic status information can be send by CAN bus to external data loggers or shown on dashboard displays. All power outputs are short-circuit proof and protected for over temperature conditions.
We would be pleased to help you with choosing the proper PDM and to support you at configuration and application. More info, alternative products and the Motec manual for download could be found here:
- control units and PDMs / PCUs
- Motec software for Download
- connectors and switches
- wiring looms and individual cabling
Any questions? Simply give us a call or send an e-mail.
Japanese Super GT with Aamgard Rain Lamps
Everything started in fall 2019 at the joint race of German DTM and Japanese Super GT in Hockenheim: Rainy on Saturday, all DTM teams equipped with Aamgard rainlights. The extra-bright LED lamps catched eyes of the Japanese guests. Next race together in Fuji, the first cars of GTA / Super GT drove with our rear lights. Since 2020 they became standard equipment for many teams.
Also in 2021, Japanese top-teams put on Super GT Champinship rainlights from Aamgard Engineering. We are pleased about that trust we got.
Graphic Panelmeter for Test Beds
Mounted into control panels, for test bed setups or in automation and process measurement: The graphic panelmeter from Lascar Electronics is very versatile. Layouts, colours, measurement ranges etc. are programmable by PC via USB interface. The maximum analog input range is 0..40V, the typical accuracy within 0.05%. Universal functions like bargraph display or oscilloscope, or controlling of warning lamps or relays with exceeding of programmable input thresholds do make this gauge a very comfortable replacement of standard analog or digital displays.
Interesting? We would be pleased to advise you for the right hardware and to prepare configurations suiting your applications. And of course: We setup the welcome screen to your desired corporated design.
Breakout Boxes for Deutsch ASL Connectors
The most common connectors in motorsport for sensors and small modules: Deutsch ASL. At garage work or test bed applications or for quick trouble-shooting at the race track, a breakout box. comes very handy. It is connected between the to be tested devices. While undisrupted running of the system, at the lab jacks analog signal wires can be monitored or CAN bus data analysed by oscilloscope. Or simply, the correct supply voltage can be checked with a multimeter.
Our universal ASL test box has an uncoded five pole input connector, either for pin or socket contacts. and six encoded ASL module connectors with corresponding female or male contacts. The signal wires are lead through five single 2.6mm lab jacks.
Aamgard Engineering build test adopters, patch and breakout boxes to customer specification. Are you in need for individual test equipment? We would be pleased about your enquiry.
16 Years Ago: Porsche RS Spyder
Our first customer project and cornerstone of today's business Aamgard Engineering: Exact sixteen years ago we got our first commercial engineering mandate for developing motorsport rear lights for the Porsche RS Spyder - at that time personally by handshake with the head of the Porsche motorsport engineering department.
Porsche raced the LMP Spyder for three years with team Penske in the American Le Mans Series. Debut was at the ALMS race in Laguna Seca in fall 2005. With eight season victories instantly a became champion in 2006. In 2008, the final year of that project, the Dutch team Merksteijn has won the LMP2 class at the 24-hours of Le Mans.
Aamgard Engineering did several lighting parts for the RS Spyder, e.g. the LED race positioning display (left) and the combined taillights (right). Your first time you'll never forget...
Book Review: Making Sense of Squiggly Lines
The book 'Making Sense of Squiggly Lines' from Christopher Brown gives beginners a quick and practical access to data recording and analysis in motorsports. Albeit it uses many references to Motec data logger and analysis software, it is also a good introduction for users of other data acquirement systems.
ISBN 978-0-9832593 Internet page of the author: www.cb-racing.com
X-Raid Wins Rally Dakar for the Sixth Time
2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2020 - 2021: The Trebur based team X-Raid wins the legendary Rally Dakar for its sixth time. After last years victory by Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz, this year Stephane Peterhansel and co-pilot Edouard Boulanger have been successful with their Buggy - Sainz / Cruz completed the teams success as third over all. Our contribution has been seen by other drivers only from the back: Dust and brake lights from Aamgard Engineering. Thanks a lot for that phantastic photos and the huge trust since more than ten years.
New Year - Old Looms: Wiring Loom Reproduction
New year - old electric harnesses: Based on our detailed manufacturing documentation we are able to build exact the same wiring loom as the genuine part even years after first production. Here: A head light cable set for a Honda S2000, racing in the RCN-Cup at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Nearly ten years on fulfilling exemplary duty, a last seasons accident required a new part. All the best for the next ten years.