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Oh no! I come to procrastinate on HN and find my own site at #2. After many years, it's still not ready to share!! I've got so much more I want to do with it.

Oh no! I come to procrastinate on HN and find my own site at #2. After many years, it's still not ready to share!! I've got so much more I want to do with it. Even though I'm sure it looks abandoned, I have been working hard on getting back into this. The last couple of months I've been developing a 3D viewer for mechanical components that lets you disassemble/rebuild/step through processes. I wish I could share it but I'm not there yet. Babylon JS is amazing though. EDIT: I'll throw down some random notes because I've never really talked about this: - I've learned a LOT over the three years since I made these videos - about cars, life, boats, love, fabrication, quaternions and myself. - I made these videos in a backstreet garage in Budapest. A personal situation arose and I left Hungary and tried to get going again back in the UK. - I built a new garage/studio in the UK and kitted it all out in preparation. - Then lockdown struck and I had to get involved in a real-world business that I co-owned. The people who did my video production couldn't travel, and when they could, the UK had become so difficult that they had no desire to stay. So I had to find a new team which wasn't easy. - I also had to rebuild my own life and that took a lot of time and effort. I didn't have the energy to go back into videos - it's something that I did at a certain time of my life, and I knew that I needed to be stronger to revisit it or I would risk my own happiness. - I feel a combination of emotions - I am immensely proud of what we achieved with this, and I'm embarrassed by my failure to finish it. That said, I don't think I've ever been more excited by this project. Edit 2: Go and watch Tim Hunkin's Secret Life of... series @ https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1 https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1 You'll be glad you did!

tclancy 3y ago
This is exactly what I've been looking for. Purchased! One request if you get time/ it's easy: can you add a Chromecast option to the mobile app? At least on iOS I don't see an option.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  Yes - I’ll move he videos across to Mux’s native player soon and that will provide what you need!
devnullbrain 3y ago
Using an NB Miata is interesting: they're common donor cars for modern Locosts. That crowd might appreciate this as the ultimate workshop manual.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  Yes! I have a Westfield based on the same vehicle and it's the most fun vehicle I've ever owned - even if it's held together with Velcro and silicon.
- samwillis 3y ago
  For those unaware a "Locost" is a Lotus 7 self build replica from the incredible 1996 book "Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250" https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0854299769/ref=dbs_a_def_awm_bibl_vppi_i1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0854299769/ref=dbs_a_def... The original donor car was (I think) a Mk3 Ford Escort, obviously they are a collectors car now. There have been a number of revisions now, it's published by Haynes the publisher of many car repair manuals. There is also a whole network of small business selling parts, you can buy ready made chassis and body panels for them. I was gifted the book in the late 90s as a teenager, always planed to one day build one. And the fact the house I bought a few years ago has a garage with an inspection pit is only making it more tempting.
  - AlexMuir 3y ago
    I too had that very book as a teenager. It's a small world - when I was at uni I was hired to build a website for someone. Their friend then asked me to build them a site and I recognised their name from the caption of a photo of a couple of schoolboys on the back page of that very book. Turns out they built the car at school and went on to build an automotive company.
    - samwillis 3y ago
      Amazing, the author was a DT (design technology) teacher at a school just down the road from where I grew up. They would build these in a club at school. Photo of the school workshop, with a production line of cars: https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/oundle-public-school-in-northants-now-have-a-production-line-of-homemade-cars-under-the-direction-oif-master-ron-champion-he-is-pictured-with-two-girls-pupils-charlotte-wiseman-15-taller-and-emilie-elliot-17-shorter-blonde-wearing-their-wel-2056687a https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/oundl...
jonhysilvers 3y ago
I bought the course a couple years ago, really happy to know that there's more content on the way. PS: I could never had imagined that the acceleration pedal controls air intake and not gas.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  Lots of this stuff surprises me too. If you haven't already - check out Tim Hunkin's Secret Life of... series. https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1 https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1
- jonasdegendt 3y ago
  Hah, I remember disassembling a motorcycle for the first time and in the process figuring out that the throttle cable just opens a valve that I had just taken the airbox off of, I was mind blown! To anyone that's looking to get into wrenching on your own stuff, I can definitely recommend getting started on a motorcycle if you have space, money or time constraints. It's a lot more accessible initially.
  - fl7305 3y ago
    Good tip. If you really want to work on a car but have a choice in which one, do some research. Cars vary a lot on how easy they are to work on.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
      Bringing it back to the author, I've heard that the MX-5 is about the easiest car to work on that's still readily available. And Saturns. Saturns are like Lego.
      - wombatpm 3y ago
        Saturn cars are incredible. I had a 92 SL2. Drove it for 14 years and 350k miles. Sold it to a guy who delivered newspapers and saw it still running two years later. That plastic body that didn't rust was incredible. Sucks that GM just killed that car line.
BlueGh0st 3y ago
As usual, Miata is the answer. But in a world where the Miata doesn't exist, which car do you think you would have chosen for this project?
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  I was lucky that I chose the Miata - it was an affordable car which I wouldn't need to cut the roof off to film inside. I knew nothing about them when I picked it but it really was the perfect choice. It's a car distilled down to its essence and that's why it's popular for kit cars and conversions. The components are tough, readily available and dirt cheap. I honestly think I might still choose a Miata because you need to understand everything on this car to go much further. If were were to take the engine out of the equation then I'm afraid I don't know - my recent engineering experience has been with boats and diesels, rather than electric.
- AnthonBerg 3y ago
  If useful, here’s an answer: The Suzuki DR-Z400S/SM motorcycle. As one example. It’s not a car! I know! The thing is that motorcycles are such good learning platforms. They’re small, man-portable (in a pinch), there’s almost everything in there that’s in a car – but much less of it and more accessible. Single-cylinder motorcycles are also good for learning because there’s only one cylinder and one set of valves and one cylinder or fuel injector etc. :) One of everything and everything is smaller and more easily accessible than in a car. In short they’re very hackable machines. The DR-Z400 is reliable, ubiquitous and cheap. Parts are available. Lots of DIY information out there and easy to find. I knew NOTHING about cars. Got the motorcycle bug. A DR-Z400S was the most bike for the money here. Bought it. And that’s how I got into this by accident. Now I know how to swap out a carburator for a bigger one and tune it, tune suspension behavior by simulating the hydraulic valving inside the suspension, maintain brakes, replace tires and pick them for what road feel I want, fix flats on the side of the road, fix a stator if I need to, reduce vehicle weight etc. etc. All by chance. Has nothing to do with me being smart or industrious and everything to do with lucking into ownership of a bike that kind of teaches you how to work on it and has a great online community. I also really really really want a Miata!!!
kkirsche 3y ago
I hope you are doing well these days after what sounds like a challenging journey to get to this point. Thanks for making and sharing this great content.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  I'm great thanks! It's been an adventure and that's what life is about, eh?
savgore 3y ago
I bought this course a year or two back and I don't feel short changed whatsoever, I really enjoyed it and thought that something will have caused the projec to drop off as the passion and knowledge is there in all your content. Thanks for the work you've done on it so far - and super excited to find out that the passion is still burning to make it even better.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  I'm so happy to hear that. The initial 20-hour estimate was just guesswork really. I made 14 hours so far and we haven't even got through the engine, never mind the transmission, steering, suspension, fuel, ECU, brakes, and so on. Probably be more like 50 hours in the end!
  - pcthrowaway 3y ago
    To be honest, $25 lifetime seems like a steal for this. Maybe it's the value of the current content, but consider raising prices for new subscribers after some more content is finished, maybe to $40 or something. Or you could also try location-based pricing if you want to keep it affordable/accessible to people outside of first-world countries
    - AlexMuir 3y ago
      Thanks! When I get more progress then I'll probably increase the price but in all honesty it makes enough money to cover the production cost and that's good enough for me. Regional pricing is a good idea!
      - Robelius 3y ago
        Hey Alex, I bought the app a few years ago when I first found the website. Just opened it up for the first time in a while, and saw I can buy the course through the app. But wanted to let you know (in the low chance you aren't aware) that purchasing the course through the app is only $20 instead of $25.
csours 3y ago
Love Tim Hunkin, truly a hidden gem.
calvinmorrison 3y ago
Do you have any recommends for oscilloscopes in a tablet formet with like 4 or 5 channels that I can use ?
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  I've got a picoscope and it's not something I use very often at the moment. I've not looked at tablet stuff I'm afraid. It's one of those areas that's probably moving very quickly in terms of tech. The Picoscope is probably superceded at this point too. Sorry not to be more helpful!
fl7305 3y ago
I bought the course a few years back, and am really happy with the price/value in its current state.
dangerboysteve 3y ago
Just learned about the course from this post and signed up for it. Looks like great value from an entertainment perspective.
arnsholt 3y ago
The course description and the car is modern, but would this also be helpful for understanding a classic car? I’ve inherited a classic Jag which is great, but being reliant on others for understanding and repairs is sometimes a bit limiting.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  It’s absolutely useful for that! You’ll be on a carburettor instead of injection but that’s about the only difference! The Miata really isn’t much evolved from the 60s sports cars it’s based on.
- hef19898 3y ago
  Take good care of the Jag, it deserves it! And those classic Jags are just awesome!
chanakya 3y ago
Just wanted to add to the many voices who felt they got way more than the $25 they paid for the content on the site. Wonderful videos, and your passion for cars got me to working on my own car, where I've made several changes since. Wish you all the best as you add to it!
mattlondon 3y ago
Major props for Tim Hunkin. He is self-publishing on YouTube these days but in the past was broadcasting similar things on UK national TV: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Machines https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Machines Both the old and recent stuff is great.
runlaszlorun 3y ago
Looks great. Just my two cents… if it’s $25 for lifetime access you might want to make that more obvious (I was on mobile). It’s not that I don’t think it’s worth it- actually the opposite. Hitting the landing page I actually assumed it’d far more, or have a series of upsells, etc. I started to navigate away when I noticed the smaller print. Anyway, looks like great stuff. And thumbs up for Budapest.
quicksnap 3y ago
As a software engineer fascinated by cars/engine work, I instantly purchased this for $25, even if the content is incomplete. I'm sure there are many more people like me. Please keep making more videos and information. We'll happily pay more to support the effort.
- quicksnap 3y ago
  Heck, I'd pay $25/month if there were early access to videos and many an hour live q&a session!

tclancy 3y ago

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Purchased! One request if you get time/ it's easy: can you add a Chromecast option to the mobile app? At least on iOS I don't see an option.

AlexMuir 3y ago
Yes - I’ll move he videos across to Mux’s native player soon and that will provide what you need!

devnullbrain 3y ago

Using an NB Miata is interesting: they're common donor cars for modern Locosts. That crowd might appreciate this as the ultimate workshop manual.

AlexMuir 3y ago
Yes! I have a Westfield based on the same vehicle and it's the most fun vehicle I've ever owned - even if it's held together with Velcro and silicon.
samwillis 3y ago
For those unaware a "Locost" is a Lotus 7 self build replica from the incredible 1996 book "Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250" https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0854299769/ref=dbs_a_def_awm_bibl_vppi_i1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0854299769/ref=dbs_a_def... The original donor car was (I think) a Mk3 Ford Escort, obviously they are a collectors car now. There have been a number of revisions now, it's published by Haynes the publisher of many car repair manuals. There is also a whole network of small business selling parts, you can buy ready made chassis and body panels for them. I was gifted the book in the late 90s as a teenager, always planed to one day build one. And the fact the house I bought a few years ago has a garage with an inspection pit is only making it more tempting.
- AlexMuir 3y ago
  I too had that very book as a teenager. It's a small world - when I was at uni I was hired to build a website for someone. Their friend then asked me to build them a site and I recognised their name from the caption of a photo of a couple of schoolboys on the back page of that very book. Turns out they built the car at school and went on to build an automotive company.
  - samwillis 3y ago
    Amazing, the author was a DT (design technology) teacher at a school just down the road from where I grew up. They would build these in a club at school. Photo of the school workshop, with a production line of cars: https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/oundle-public-school-in-northants-now-have-a-production-line-of-homemade-cars-under-the-direction-oif-master-ron-champion-he-is-pictured-with-two-girls-pupils-charlotte-wiseman-15-taller-and-emilie-elliot-17-shorter-blonde-wearing-their-wel-2056687a https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/oundl...

jonhysilvers 3y ago

I bought the course a couple years ago, really happy to know that there's more content on the way. PS: I could never had imagined that the acceleration pedal controls air intake and not gas.

AlexMuir 3y ago
Lots of this stuff surprises me too. If you haven't already - check out Tim Hunkin's Secret Life of... series. https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1 https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1
jonasdegendt 3y ago
Hah, I remember disassembling a motorcycle for the first time and in the process figuring out that the throttle cable just opens a valve that I had just taken the airbox off of, I was mind blown! To anyone that's looking to get into wrenching on your own stuff, I can definitely recommend getting started on a motorcycle if you have space, money or time constraints. It's a lot more accessible initially.
- fl7305 3y ago
  Good tip. If you really want to work on a car but have a choice in which one, do some research. Cars vary a lot on how easy they are to work on.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
    Bringing it back to the author, I've heard that the MX-5 is about the easiest car to work on that's still readily available. And Saturns. Saturns are like Lego.
    - wombatpm 3y ago
      Saturn cars are incredible. I had a 92 SL2. Drove it for 14 years and 350k miles. Sold it to a guy who delivered newspapers and saw it still running two years later. That plastic body that didn't rust was incredible. Sucks that GM just killed that car line.

BlueGh0st 3y ago

As usual, Miata is the answer. But in a world where the Miata doesn't exist, which car do you think you would have chosen for this project?

AlexMuir 3y ago
I was lucky that I chose the Miata - it was an affordable car which I wouldn't need to cut the roof off to film inside. I knew nothing about them when I picked it but it really was the perfect choice. It's a car distilled down to its essence and that's why it's popular for kit cars and conversions. The components are tough, readily available and dirt cheap. I honestly think I might still choose a Miata because you need to understand everything on this car to go much further. If were were to take the engine out of the equation then I'm afraid I don't know - my recent engineering experience has been with boats and diesels, rather than electric.
AnthonBerg 3y ago
If useful, here’s an answer: The Suzuki DR-Z400S/SM motorcycle. As one example. It’s not a car! I know! The thing is that motorcycles are such good learning platforms. They’re small, man-portable (in a pinch), there’s almost everything in there that’s in a car – but much less of it and more accessible. Single-cylinder motorcycles are also good for learning because there’s only one cylinder and one set of valves and one cylinder or fuel injector etc. :) One of everything and everything is smaller and more easily accessible than in a car. In short they’re very hackable machines. The DR-Z400 is reliable, ubiquitous and cheap. Parts are available. Lots of DIY information out there and easy to find. I knew NOTHING about cars. Got the motorcycle bug. A DR-Z400S was the most bike for the money here. Bought it. And that’s how I got into this by accident. Now I know how to swap out a carburator for a bigger one and tune it, tune suspension behavior by simulating the hydraulic valving inside the suspension, maintain brakes, replace tires and pick them for what road feel I want, fix flats on the side of the road, fix a stator if I need to, reduce vehicle weight etc. etc. All by chance. Has nothing to do with me being smart or industrious and everything to do with lucking into ownership of a bike that kind of teaches you how to work on it and has a great online community. I also really really really want a Miata!!!

kkirsche 3y ago

I hope you are doing well these days after what sounds like a challenging journey to get to this point. Thanks for making and sharing this great content.

AlexMuir 3y ago
I'm great thanks! It's been an adventure and that's what life is about, eh?

savgore 3y ago

I bought this course a year or two back and I don't feel short changed whatsoever, I really enjoyed it and thought that something will have caused the projec to drop off as the passion and knowledge is there in all your content. Thanks for the work you've done on it so far - and super excited to find out that the passion is still burning to make it even better.

AlexMuir 3y ago
I'm so happy to hear that. The initial 20-hour estimate was just guesswork really. I made 14 hours so far and we haven't even got through the engine, never mind the transmission, steering, suspension, fuel, ECU, brakes, and so on. Probably be more like 50 hours in the end!
- pcthrowaway 3y ago
  To be honest, $25 lifetime seems like a steal for this. Maybe it's the value of the current content, but consider raising prices for new subscribers after some more content is finished, maybe to $40 or something. Or you could also try location-based pricing if you want to keep it affordable/accessible to people outside of first-world countries
  - AlexMuir 3y ago
    Thanks! When I get more progress then I'll probably increase the price but in all honesty it makes enough money to cover the production cost and that's good enough for me. Regional pricing is a good idea!
    - Robelius 3y ago
      Hey Alex, I bought the app a few years ago when I first found the website. Just opened it up for the first time in a while, and saw I can buy the course through the app. But wanted to let you know (in the low chance you aren't aware) that purchasing the course through the app is only $20 instead of $25.

csours 3y ago

Love Tim Hunkin, truly a hidden gem.

calvinmorrison 3y ago

Do you have any recommends for oscilloscopes in a tablet formet with like 4 or 5 channels that I can use ?

AlexMuir 3y ago
I've got a picoscope and it's not something I use very often at the moment. I've not looked at tablet stuff I'm afraid. It's one of those areas that's probably moving very quickly in terms of tech. The Picoscope is probably superceded at this point too. Sorry not to be more helpful!

fl7305 3y ago

I bought the course a few years back, and am really happy with the price/value in its current state.

dangerboysteve 3y ago

Just learned about the course from this post and signed up for it. Looks like great value from an entertainment perspective.

arnsholt 3y ago

The course description and the car is modern, but would this also be helpful for understanding a classic car? I’ve inherited a classic Jag which is great, but being reliant on others for understanding and repairs is sometimes a bit limiting.

AlexMuir 3y ago
It’s absolutely useful for that! You’ll be on a carburettor instead of injection but that’s about the only difference! The Miata really isn’t much evolved from the 60s sports cars it’s based on.
hef19898 3y ago
Take good care of the Jag, it deserves it! And those classic Jags are just awesome!

chanakya 3y ago

Just wanted to add to the many voices who felt they got way more than the $25 they paid for the content on the site. Wonderful videos, and your passion for cars got me to working on my own car, where I've made several changes since. Wish you all the best as you add to it!

mattlondon 3y ago

Major props for Tim Hunkin. He is self-publishing on YouTube these days but in the past was broadcasting similar things on UK national TV: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Machines https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Machines Both the old and recent stuff is great.

runlaszlorun 3y ago

Looks great. Just my two cents… if it’s $25 for lifetime access you might want to make that more obvious (I was on mobile). It’s not that I don’t think it’s worth it- actually the opposite. Hitting the landing page I actually assumed it’d far more, or have a series of upsells, etc. I started to navigate away when I noticed the smaller print. Anyway, looks like great stuff. And thumbs up for Budapest.

quicksnap 3y ago

As a software engineer fascinated by cars/engine work, I instantly purchased this for $25, even if the content is incomplete. I'm sure there are many more people like me. Please keep making more videos and information. We'll happily pay more to support the effort.

quicksnap 3y ago
Heck, I'd pay $25/month if there were early access to videos and many an hour live q&a session!