GRM Exclusive Reveal: Exocet Spec-A

So... How about that 2014 body work? It can't take that long to polish. :)

In reply to thestig:

I saw it on the green car yesterday...

Holdbrooks wrote: In reply to thestig: I saw it on the green car yesterday...

Rude!

Alright, secret is out. I get to blab.

There is in fact an unpolished "test-pull" set laid up two weeks ago. It looks good at 15', but there are a couple details that are being fixed this week in the molds before I can call them done. I'll be honest, the wooden/metal hybrid bucks did not like the sudden weather swing from low-humidity 40s to high humidity 80s. Thankfully the bucks are well behind us and mothballed, and the composites area is now climate controlled. The big stuff is done, the molds are reinforced, and the nose already has its regulated air system installed into the mold to make pulls easy. The tightest draft angles remain around 20°, and the fiberglass rollers are loving the single curvature shapes. Things are looking good for production; it's just a matter of sweating the small details before we slap on the semi-perm mold release and start cranking out parts.

The below pictures are low res because we don't want them spread across the internet as what the Exocet looks like (a radiatorless, exhaustless, 1200 lb monster truck on stock NA coilovers). XP-3 currently is a "roller", not a complete car. This set is also not quite positioned correctly, as the mounts are still being manufactured. XP-4 on the other hand is actually set up, naked, and sitting in a trailer, destined for a full day of testing and shakedown tomorrow at Atlanta Motorsports Park. The first real pictures of the Exocet will be of XP-4, all black, low, and menacing.

By the way, that in-progress mural is on the front of our building. The artist? None other than Mr. Totem, as in the owner of Vengeance:

Looks damn good, can't wait to see XP-4.

OK - THIS was WORTH the wait. Add the lights, rear wing and fenders along with a low and mean race looking windshield and THAT is one BAD ASS ride! I am also diggin' those wheels. WELL DONE!

They's gettin' all sorts of good data with two cars at AMP today.

Quick question on the hood portion. The area where the windshield would go, is this a straight line or is there some radius to it (from driver-side to passenger-side)?

Good work! The nose is significantly more handsome than the old, and it's reassuring to have that brick-sh__house worth of structure around you at the track. It does look like it'll push a godawful amount of air however. Someday it'll be nice to see the package with a slippery skin on it.

SteadFast wrote: Quick question on the hood portion. The area where the windshield would go, is this a straight line or is there some radius to it (from driver-side to passenger-side)?

The 1.75" OD round "dash" tube is exposed on the top from the peak back. This US bodywork does not cover the back of the tube like the UK bodywork. A straight windshield would nestle in there nicely.

kreb wrote: Good work! The nose is significantly more handsome than the old, and it's reassuring to have that brick-sh__house worth of structure around you at the track. It does look like it'll push a godawful amount of air however. Someday it'll be nice to see the package with a slippery skin on it.

I suspect the opening is smaller than you think. The car is much smaller than it looks in pictues. I can span the vertical gap with my hand (thumb to pinky). The lack of hood scoop in the front and the clean break in the rear should make a significant improvement in airflow management and drag.

Wow the artwork on your building is kind of stealing the show.

GameboyRMH wrote: Wow the artwork on your building is kind of stealing the show.

Alternately, you could say that the visual nose of the artwork does a good job of camouflaging the Exocet bodywork.

Warren v wrote: They's gettin' all sorts of good data with two cars at AMP today.

Wow I would love to see a side profile of the race/cage car.

Close enough?

That intercooler makes me laugh. I can't un-see "front mount." That intercooler is very proud of its packaging. Sorry Keith.

Edit: times at AMP were in the low 1:30s. Boost was at 6~7psi in anticipation for ST2 classing. Both drivers are confident that they could get into the 20s, but limited time due to rain and a couple small issues held them back.

Took me a long time to realize what FMIC meant once the Subaru crowd discovered that intercoolers didn't belong on top of a hot engine. We were there first

The car looks so cool with no bodywork. Love that total lack of rear overhang.

I like it without the body work as well. Though I appreciate the amount of work that went into creating the new panels.

Great job with the total car Warren. I like it!

saw the guys testing out at AMP yesterday. Kinda made me wish I was driving that instead of the Scuderia I got to take around. Looked alot less terrifying. Incredibly friendly group you have as well.

Warren v wrote: Close enough? Yes it is close enough

So I'm trying to figure out an area to place headlights (dominator headlights). I'm thinking of using the area shown with an orange arrow as a mounting area.
I assume this bracket was used for the old bodywork?

Made it back to AZ and in the garage.

Still got room for one more too! [URL=http://s407.photobucket.com/user/adambaum321/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-9.jpg.html][/URL]

Holdbrooks wrote: Made it back to AZ and in the garage. Still got room for one more too! [URL=http://s407.photobucket.com/user/adambaum321/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-9.jpg.html][/URL]

What's the ceiling height of your garage and what lift do you have?

Safe to say you'll be doing an orange Exo?

Yep, it will be orange lol. And that is a Bendpac hd-9 and a 10ft ceiling.

I still have ~4in above the roof of the Subaru (wing is cranked to 11 after an autocross) an 6in above the frame, so it should still work out once I get some wheels on it.

Another FYI is that the current to 2008 ish tacomas are the perfect size to pick up your frame with just a couple of pallets.

[URL=http://s407.photobucket.com/user/adambaum321/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-8.jpg.html][/URL]

The new body work looks awesome!! Hope you guys come up with a windshield solution soon so I can register the Exocet as a kit car in PA.

Lets see some more pics of XP4 at AMP! Also what's the other car? Is that XP1 with a turbo kit installed?

So I've been spending a lot of time thinking about making my own windshield. Here in CA they have really cracked down on only using 'safety glazing material'. There is a company up in Vancouver (http://www.sandersreproglass.com/) that does custom glass that a few other exo cars have used. Based on what Warren said above, the 'dash tube' would be a good place to mount a windshield. I've come up with this terrible photoshop picture that demonstrates what I'm trying to accomplish.

The blue part being the windshield. The red and yellow parts being the u channel brackets (two brackets total) that will sandwich the glass from end to end. This then will be bolted to the 'dash tube'. I would likely give this a slight rake. If need be a brace section could go in the middle. Seems like a cost effective way to get a windshield.