GRM Exclusive Reveal: Exocet Spec-A

Jim, it depends on how the fine folks at UPS feel today.

Alright, I've used all my clamps, assembled everything that doesn't need them, and the hood is waiting for dolphin glaze to cure. Here's a fun little expose on my workflow:

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Goop

First, you goop (Liquid Nails) the steel skeletons in the places where they touch a surface.

Then you put down the surface, aligned with the tabs, and press it into the goop. Congrats, you have a goop pattern.

Add more goop to the wood surface, stir it in for more surface area and holding strength.

Once you have done that, clamp it all together and wait until it hardens.

Congrats, you have created a consistently smooth single-curvature surface that aligns perfectly with its friends, and almost all of the work of smoothing the surface is eliminated. See all the little rectangular alignment tabs? Those and the radii between each surface get filler compound after all the goop is cleaned off. Lasers ftw.

(These pictures were taken yesterday. The trunk only has three faces remaining until it's built and ready for surfacing!)

are there renders of what the body panels will look like that I missed somewhere?

The renders don't have the edges radiused like the final parts will:

And Jim, I just forklifted your car into the UPS truck.

Nice work. Unlike some starlets I know, your nosejob gives the front end a sleeker, purposeful look. I'm not as big a fan of the rear, but I wholeheartedly embrace a viable trunk. That's sorely lacking in most Locosts, and it sucks not to have secure storage.

Sorry to dash your hopes, but that cover is basically shrink-wrapped around the Miata fuel cell. The car is much smaller than it looks in renders. Check out that standard 8.5" x 11" piece of paper:

so that angle makes it's butt look big?

Cue sir mix a-lot

Somebody Photoshop a hideous chrome luggage rack on top of the rear. I think I've seen them for C3 vettes and early mustangs, in addition to various British roadsters.

Warren v wrote: And Jim, I just forklifted your car into the UPS truck.

Very cool, we broke the tub off the frame last night. (forgot to pull the steering shaft though) This weekend we move from "rip an old Miata apart" to "We're building a car!". Looking forward to it.

Have you looked at shipping using Pilot Air Freight? I found their rates to be half of what UPS quoted me on crates.. but that was a long time ago.

The rear view of the Exocet is not the best. There's a lot of ugly stuff back there that needs to be covered up, and that's what the rear bodywork does. I'm waiting until I see it in person. I think it is not well served by a wide angle lens.

Warren, are you guys coming to the Carlisle show again this year? It's next month.

We've got a big booth reserved and something special planned. I won't say anything more on that until it's closer to Carlisle.

Will you share details on the windshield option? Is there an ETA? Is it a structural component?

My kit is supposed to be ready after the 14th. I'm  5'4" and think I would feel more secure with a structural hoop above the steering  wheel since being short pulls me out of the safety zone of the hoop.  My plans are to add a tow hitch and a front hoop very low that can incorporate a shorty wind screen.  I would like to know what is coming down the pipeline before going it alone. 

No eta on a factory-produced windshield. Ramping up production to meet demand takes precedence over adding more scope to the project. I'd like to say we'll have a glass windshield option by the end of summer, but I don't want to make promises.

Are you sure you won't be under the roll hoop? Relative to the floor, the broomstick angle is 13.7°. The pedals are located 56.5" in front of the roll hoop, and relative to the top of the floor tubes, the roll hoop is 41.6" tall. Sit yourself in a seat, and measure how far back you sit from the pedals. This should be measured on the floor, and the length should go to where your forehead would be on the ground. Take that measurement, and the highest your head could be would to fit inside the broomstick line would be 41.55-sin(13.67 deg)*(56.5-X), where X is that measurement of how far back your head is from your desired pedal position. For me, that pedal measurement is 46", so I would have to get my helmet under 39.0" high, including a seat. Even if your legs are 8" shorter than mine (I'm 6'2"), you'll still have 37.2" to work with.

Here's a link for the formula in Wolfram Alpha, simply replace it with your "X": http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=41.55-sin%2813.67+deg%29*%2856.5-X%29

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=617376338334277

This video makes me want a little more above the dash. I'm sure it will pass tech, I just want a bit more assurance in case something goes south. Especially if I go cartwheeling.

That customer's seat is installed very high. My butt is about 7-8" off the floor of the car in them.

Warren v wrote: And Jim, I just forklifted your car into the UPS truck.

Ouch, did it leave a mark?

I'm modifying the drivers side tunnel on the chassis in order to move the seat more inboard and my shoulder away from the drivers side of the cage (at this time it sticks out some that is making us uncomfortable). It is something similar most Miata guys do for racing as its hard to fit a taller driver with long legs. By doing this it should also align the seat better with the steering wheel. I'll have photos sometime later this week or next. This was discovered when we started fitting the seat (16" wide Kirkey 71 series full containment seat). This way I don't have to run any right side or window net (will be wearing arm restraints). We've got plenty of room in the tunnel so that the exhaust is not in the way in order to do this. Plus the driveshaft is permanent and does not move so it's not much of a concern. We'll fabricate the exhaust to hang just below it to clear the room.

For the tighter curves, I'm steaming the wood. Check out our high-dollar steam oven. First you throw the wood into a clean trash bin, making sure to set up the wood so all the surfaces are exposed:

Steam is provided by our steam cleaner, whose nozzle fits in one of the holes in the bottom of the can. The other holes are taped. The steam cleaner's trigger is lightly pulled by a clamp.

After a couple hours, you've got flexible wood that will dry to whatever curve you want.

Cool steamer solution

Any more pictures of the body work process?

Chugga chugga.

Choo choo:

The high-build on the hood is hardening. Wet sanded, it should look quite good.

It's looking great. I would love to see some photos of my chassis next. Word is its close.

You're on deck, actually.

Oh I like the view over that hood - WELL DONE!!