Motorsport engineering or mechanical engineering? - Saxperience

Vinny_VSX · 7th April 2008, 20:11

In a few weeks I have my interviews for these two courses but the thing is, I really cannot decide which course to go for. Both of them really interest me, mainly because I get to work on cars (my passion

).

I am swayed towards the mechanical engineering course, as I can still go into the motorsport side of engineering and also branch off into other things like eventually having my own diagnostic garrage for example.

With the motorsport engineering the course will allow me to go work in a rally pit lane and study into everything well involved in motorsport which would just be absalutely fantastic. All of my mates keep saying go into the motorsport side which I would do but I feel that I won't be able to branch off into other things later on in life by doing this course.

Have any of you guys or even ladies

done either of the courses? I am sure Adslayer will be a great source of information here

Cheers chaps

JC-Furio · 7th April 2008, 20:19

Pretty hard choice, but what would you rather do?

Own your own diagnositc garage

OR

Work in a rally pit lane etc.

imo, the motorsport course sounds more exciting and would probably be more enthusiastic about it which will motivate you to learn/work to the max.

Raz · 7th April 2008, 20:19

im with your mates on this one....working in a rally pitlane will be very exciting and will look good on your C.V lol

do what you feel is right mate....maybe enquire about it with the course? see what they say?

girlracer1597 · 7th April 2008, 20:26

i have done an avce in motorsport engineering and im going to honest and say that its not easy the motorsport industry is hard work working in a rally pit lane does sound fun but the reality is you will either have a broom in your hand or a kettle. (for the first few months at least) expect never to have any kind of social life during the winter months (build season) you will expected to work at least 16 hours+ over your normal working hours per week. But if you have the determination to work through all of this it will be worth it in the long run.

jamiemol · 7th April 2008, 20:28

same as your mates i was thinking about something like this how do you get into something like this and is their an age restriction on the course?

mattg · 7th April 2008, 20:30

They are 2 great opportunities, I would defo go with the motorsport course, alot can be learnt from both but imagine the feeling and the memories, you wont forget it.

Both do sound great but its your choice, which will benifit you most

Vinny_VSX · 7th April 2008, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCook

Pretty hard choice, but what would you rather do?

Own your own diagnositc garage

OR

Work in a rally pit lane etc.

imo, the motorsport course sounds more exciting and would probably be more enthusiastic about it which will motivate you to learn/work to the max.

I will have to wait until I meet the course lecturers so I can get a whole prospective on the courses and what they involve subject wise. To be honest I would rather do the mechanical engineering course to get more knowledge on how a car actually works and the electical side of it. Which I think I would be quite good at, as I am a bit of a computer nerd when I want to be lol.

I just can't say no to working on rally cars and just being around anything to do with motorsport gets my heart racing

. I just absalutely love it. But later on in life, I think I will just be restricted to motorsport and wouldn't be able to have my own garrage.

Hmmm... Bit confused

Mieran · 7th April 2008, 20:31

I'd say go for Motorsport engineering because its more into cars than just how stuff works.

I'm currently doing Mechatronics (Mechanical and Electronic) engineering and the mechanical part doesnt have much info about cars, its mainly CAD, CNC and principles.

AlexR · 7th April 2008, 20:31

Motorsport engineering is just mechanical engineering with a few extra modules in motorsport tbh, more or less the same thing.

Vinny_VSX · 7th April 2008, 20:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by girlracer1597

i have done an avce in motorsport engineering and im going to honest and say that its not easy the motorsport industry is hard work working in a rally pit lane does sound fun but the reality is you will either have a broom in your hand or a kettle. (for the first few months at least) expect never to have any kind of social life during the winter months (build season) you will expected to work at least 16 hours+ over your normal working hours per week. But if you have the determination to work through all of this it will be worth it in the long run.

I do have the drive and am a hard worker. Especially if I am working on something I am so passionate about. Lol, I don't mind so much about the social life as I want to crack on with getting a decent job which I will be excited to go to work and I know that going down the motorsport side I will be 100% commited and throughly enjoy it

Vinny_VSX · 7th April 2008, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiemol

same as your mates i was thinking about something like this how do you get into something like this and is their an age restriction on the course?

No age restriction and I just went to my local county college and got a prospective mate. Found it and fell in love tbh

Vinny_VSX · 7th April 2008, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexR

Motorsport engineering is just mechanical engineering with a few extra modules in motorsport tbh, more or less the same thing.

Your right there Alex.

Ahh I have a question for you. You have been involved with a fair bit of motorsport (well so I have read on forums), have you come across anyone who is involved in it as a profession? If so, is it a good place to be working in?

AlexR · 7th April 2008, 20:44

One of my old mates who i don't see any more

anyway he did 3 years motorsport engineering and now travels the world working for a race team on F3 cars. He's the only person who did his course that got a job in motorsport though and he's one dedicated hardworking motherfucker, he drives: mini cooper vtec, mini cooper sport(2001) and a merc 190E AMG...
Don't really know of anyone else who works in it. Marc(Boni) on ssc is towards the end of his course of motorsport engineering and is working for honda racing(bikes) and loves it.

When i was gonna do the degree hertfordshire was the best place to do it pretty much.

JC-Furio · 7th April 2008, 20:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny_VSX

No age restriction and I just went to my local county college and got a prospective mate. Found it and fell in love tbh

Is it a college course, or uni course?

Also if you were to do the motorsport course, in your spare time i'm sure there's things you can do to educate you about general mechanics etc. which would also give you the option of maybe opening your own garage further down the line...

Who knows mate, even if you make the 'wrong' decision and regret not doing the other one... doesn't stop there. I'm sure there's ways to get into both these areas of engineering after college/uni.

johnny_vts · 7th April 2008, 20:46

Mechanical Engineering - broader depth and more potential opportunities should you wish to change career later on!

Vinny_VSX · 7th April 2008, 20:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexR

One of my old mates who i don't see any more

anyway he did 3 years motorsport engineering and now travels the world working for a race team on F3 cars. He's the only person who did his course that got a job in motorsport though and he's one dedicated hardworking motherfucker, he drives: mini cooper vtec, mini cooper sport(2001) and a merc 190E AMG...
Don't really know of anyone else who works in it. Marc(Boni) on ssc is towards the end of his course of motorsport engineering and is working for honda racing(bikes) and loves it.

When i was gonna do the degree hertfordshire was the best place to do it pretty much.

WOW that sounds absalutely fantastic. That is what I would love to do as a job, work on race spec cars *drouls*. I will speak to boni at some point and see how he is getting on

.

Cheers al

girlracer1597 · 7th April 2008, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny_VSX

Your right there Alex.

Ahh I have a question for you. You have been involved with a fair bit of motorsport (well so I have read on forums), have you come across anyone who is involved in it as a profession? If so, is it a good place to be working in?

i was in it as a profession

Tobs · 7th April 2008, 21:38

mate theres one anwser Motorsport

come join the massives with me

frankie · 7th April 2008, 21:40

vinny.

im going to talk to my person at trowbo and see if i can do motorsport engineering at lackham tomrow

Barry123 · 7th April 2008, 21:52

I'd have to say having spuzzed out a mechanical based engineering degree just recently to go for the Mechanical Engineering side of things.... Think of it as a long term investment as employers generally want a rounded individual with a broad range of abilities... Although Motorsport engineering is very similar to mechanical engineer it could be seen by employers as being too specific - even though the course probably wont be, employers are fickle mofo's.

I doubt on a Batchelors Motorsport Engineering alone you'd have the skillz needed to get into Motorsport at a meaningful level - put it like this McLaren wont touch anyone with a Batchelors unless its backed up by yyyyyyyyyyyyears in the F1 industry. Even with a masters they're unlikely to choose me - I'll need a PhD to get in (and its the same for a lot of top flight motorsport teams).

Secondly, you'll never know want to might want to do in 3-4-5 years, my course has completely changed my ideas of what I want to do so don't limit yourself too much.

Good luck dude