GRM Exclusive Reveal: Exocet Spec-A

I'm hoping Kevin puts the apr kit pricing out soon. I'm still chasing donors. I need to just pull the trigger on one as I always decide to buy right after they sell...

So, I spent some time on Laguna Seca in our little Exo today. First, power to weight is not the same as power to drag On a high speed track, the gulf between our stock engined Exocet and my V8 car is a chasm. A quarter the power will do that.

It was huge fun. You can go super deep into corners on braking and it has massive grip on little 205 RA1s. Just like on the small track, on the big track it's ridiculously playful. On the first lap, I was able to push it HARD in the corners, no learning curve necessary. And even with the drag level, I was acquitting myself well in the fastest group. It just took a lot longer to get down the straights than in the beastly V8 car.

Fun times. Brandon spent most of the day in the car while I drove the V8, and I'm a little bit jealous.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Sounds like a blast. Totally jealous over here in the east coast. One thing I'm curious about on the aero front: Were you guys ever next to a stock-powered Miata on a long straight? If so, who pulled from whom? It's not an incredibly scientific scenario, but spinning open wheels leave a lot of wiggle room in the CFD calculations. Real-world experience is always useful.

Just got home after going to the Laguna Seca event today.

Keith, it was a pleasure to meet you and the Flyin' Miata crew.

I took an EYE POPPING ride with Roman Maguinez of BlackBox racing (based in SoCal) in his just-completed Exocet. He was there shaking it down. It has the new Jackson Racing (Rotrex) SC on an NB engine, stock brakes, suspension & sways, an open diff, and slicks. I was unprepared for how fast it was. Braking zones are impossibly short, and tickling the rev limiter in 5th cresting the front straight was genuinely scary.

As Warren has stated, the stock suspension felt surprisingly good when saddled with so little weight, and so much chassis rigidity. Roman is immediately going to upgrade the suspension, but I would have no problem tracking it as is.

It was an amazing event, and I will definitely drive my Exocet there next year.

I'd like to point out that I caught and passed Roman's car in ours...until we got to the straight, when he ran away. Fair enough, I'd been doing the same disappearing to others all weekend. But there's definitely a lot he could be doing with the suspension. We were on Vmaxx Classics.

As car as I could tell, our car was pretty even with a stockish Miata in fourth gear. If I was able to gain at all, it was due to corner exit speed.

Keith Tanner wrote: I'd like to point out that I caught and passed Roman's car in ours...until we got to the straight, when he ran away. Fair enough, I'd been doing the same disappearing to others all weekend. But there's definitely a lot he could be doing with the suspension. We were on Vmaxx Classics. As car as I could tell, our car was pretty even with a stockish Miata in fourth gear. If I was able to gain at all, it was due to corner exit speed.

Keith,

What wheel offset (and spacer?) are you guys running on your Exocet?

Kazera KZ-M 15x7 +30 with a 10mm spacer in the rear, which means an effective offset of +20. Tire is a 205/50-15 RA1. We added the spacers after the initial track day showed some rubbing on the tube.

We are still seeing some rubbing on the main chassis tube under extreme use, looks like we'll have to do something else.

15x8 0 offset

I keep seeing the bragging of oodles of room in the engine bay and transmission tunnel, how much room is there around the rear diff and the back of the exhaust/drive shaft tunnel?

Would it be possible to fit a rear mounted T56/TR6060 + getrag transaxle? (C5 and newer running gear)

It is probably not worth the extra work on the custom rear subframe and torque tube shortening, but you might be able to maintain the 50/50 with a V8.

I'd say that there are fewer oodles around the rear than in the original Miata. I'd be quite surprised if the transaxle fit.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Thanks Keith. I finally dropped the Exocet frame onto the roller skate on my build this past weekend. I have very little clearance between tires and frame in the rear with 15x7 +35, which was expected. I'm trying to figure out what size spacers I need or if I bite the bullet and buy new wheels.

Slosean wrote: In reply to Keith Tanner: Thanks Keith. I finally dropped the Exocet frame onto the roller skate on my build this past weekend. I have very little clearance between tires and frame in the rear with 15x7 +35, which was expected. I'm trying to figure out what size spacers I need or if I bite the bullet and buy new wheels.

This should help: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AmjmimAE_-KIdEhGbXN4cXZXOG5PZEVIUEdkZVFhZEE&single=true&gid=1&output=html

Based on what Warren said here: http://classicmotorsports.net/forum/grm/grm-exclusive-reveal-exocet-spec-a/57663/page40/ even at 0 offset in the rear Warren still recommends using a 4mm spacer. Warren, I assume this is still the case?

To clear the fenders, yes.

Has anyone considered or tried these Konig Dial Ins (15x8, +25 offset)?

If I go with these, will I need to get any spacers?

Whoa. Steampunk-ocet.

It actually kinda works. I feel like if I hit it with a drill bit, oily steam would come out.

http://www.prismaticpowders.com/colors/PRB-2826/coppersun-river/

Hammered copper?

Thats just sexxy. Love the windshield platform as well. I was really torn between that and sport. I still question my decision.

Love the copper, what color bodywork does he plan on doing? Black?

Thanks for the compliments on my color choice. I was going off a 1" x 4" color sample and sweating it.

Body is ordered in black for now. After I get it done I might shoot the gass panels in Merlot Mica Metallic from the 95 M-edition Miata. Depends on how nice the combo looks when finally assembled.

I might send my new wheels out to be powdered to match now.

I hope the light texture hides fingerprints.... I just know everyone is going to have to tuch it.

SteadFast wrote:

Slosean wrote: In reply to Keith Tanner: Thanks Keith. I finally dropped the Exocet frame onto the roller skate on my build this past weekend. I have very little clearance between tires and frame in the rear with 15x7 +35, which was expected. I'm trying to figure out what size spacers I need or if I bite the bullet and buy new wheels.

This should help: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AmjmimAE_-KIdEhGbXN4cXZXOG5PZEVIUEdkZVFhZEE&single=true&gid=1&output=html Based on what Warren said here: http://classicmotorsports.net/forum/grm/grm-exclusive-reveal-exocet-spec-a/57663/page40/ even at 0 offset in the rear Warren still recommends using a 4mm spacer. Warren, I assume this is still the case?

Thank you for the link to the wheel offset calculator, it's much appreciated. So fender clearance is driving the offset in the rear, which makes sense. What is driving the offset in the front? The front assembly looks to have a lot more room for fender stays.

I finally picked up a donor. 1995 1.8l 138k miles, torsen lsd. $1100. Hit in front so it needs a new radiator but that was going to be replaced anyways. I can't wait for my kit to ship.

In reply to Meierznutz: Keith destroyed a set of wheels which were powder coated. Emilio convinced him that powder coating seriously weakened the wheels. See http://www.flyinmiata.com/projects/targa/TargaBuild.php?UID=135

Yup. Look into the temperature range of the T6 heat treating process and the temperature range of powdercoating. Every powdercoat shop will say it's ok, but they mostly do street rods that are primarily intended to impress people at a cruise-in, not hammer over berms at 10/10ths.

For a street car it would be okay. For a light weight track wheel, I wasn't willing to take the chance. I used automotive paint instead. I've done about 10 of them now and it's cheaper than powder.

thestig wrote: I finally picked up a donor. 1995 1.8l 138k miles, torsen lsd. $1100. Hit in front so it needs a new radiator but that was going to be replaced anyways. I can't wait for my kit to ship.

Nice find! I paid $2,500 for mine, also in Portland. 1999 with torsen, 143K, driven over a curb at speed (we think) with bent front subframe. How did you find yours? Auction?

Thanks for the tip on powder coating wheels. The ones I grabbed are a little more brown than bronze...too dark for the copper. Color matching the powder will be a trick as it is not an RAL color but a Prismatic custom mix... I already asked them for the mix codes in paint, non-translating from powder to liquid.