Exocet Get!

"t0ast" (t0ast217) 08/15/2017 at 16:02 • Filed to: Exocet, Miata

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Wrapped up the purchase process and survived the Denver to KC drive last weekend. The trip was thankfully uneventful, with no rain, no mechanical issues, and gawking drivers managing to behave for the most part. I was practically counting on getting pulled over at some point for being a helmet-wearing driver in a noisy WTF-is-that-mobile with a taped-on transit permit leaving a state with legalized weed (add bonus points for being not-white when the fiance was driving), but none of the patrol cars could be bothered to leave the median as we passed them by.

The fiance and I planned on stopping every 150 miles or so for gas and to swap cars if needing some respite from driving the Exocet. The former wound up being more of a necessity than the later, as the aerodynamic nightmare of a body cuts fuel economy down to about 20 MPG out on the highway. Couple that with the Miata’s relatively small fuel tank being mounted at a slightly unfavorable angle for the fuel feed, and I don’t think I’d want to venture beyond 200 miles per tank.

Behind the wheel, it wasn’t as nerve-wracking or fatiguing as I expected. My NC had already primed me for open-top motoring in a tiny vehicle with very stiff suspension, so apart from some more intense wind buffeting and a lack of cruise control, it didn’t feel that much worse. The fiance was a bit less prepared. To sum up his first-drive impressions: “That was terrifying. Don’t get me wrong though, that is the most fun I’ve ever had driving... but I need a cigarette after that.”

As for what it’s like to drive, I’d have to say Flyin’ Miata summed it up pretty well in stating that it’s still a Miata, but with everything turned up to 11. It’s about what you’d expect: louder and more open, better handling, faster acceleration and stops, and every bit of driver feedback is more intense. At the same time, it’s still very easy to use and to feel out what the car is doing at any given moment. The Miata DNA is still alive and well in this kit.

The trip wrapped up Sunday evening just after sunset and I had the next day off from work, so I figured I’d give the state inspection and registration a shot. Thankfully, Missouri has a lot of “if originally equipped” in its state inspection language, so with the kit being “originally equipped” with only a cage and some basic bodywork, it breezed right on through. The DMV had a little trouble getting their computers to recognize the Exocet’s Colorado-issued VIN, but it eventually went through and I had plates in hand less than 24 hours after getting it home.

For autocross, I’ll still be using my NC this year and likely the next since the Exocet is nowhere near ready for D Modified (which is largely unrestricted for <= 2L displacement and ~1300 lbs minimum weight). I’ll still swap in the Exocet for our occasional test and tune and non-points days (one of which is happening later this month), but my main intent for it for now is to find some time to get out to RPM or Heartland Park and start learning how to make haste around a track.

Nick Has an Exocet > t0ast 08/15/2017 at 16:12

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Congrats! I’m starting the process of building my own. The aero is my biggest concern. It seems like a lot of air goes under the car.

Do you have any ideas on what people are doing for improving the aero?

PS: Cool “roof”.

Shane MacGowan's Teeth > Nick Has an Exocet 08/15/2017 at 16:14

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Isn’t that a good thing? More air underneath is the start of ground effects.

BeaterGT > Shane MacGowan's Teeth 08/15/2017 at 16:17

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Well, you don’t want to be generating lift! Not saying you’ll pull a Mark Webber but aero can be tricky.

Sovande > t0ast 08/15/2017 at 16:34

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Jesus. That looks like a ton of fun. Glad the trip was uneventful.

t0ast > Nick Has an Exocet 08/15/2017 at 17:46

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Thanks! I haven’t seen many promising things re: aero outside of fenders being of some small benefit (though I hear the mounts for the Exomotive set leave a lot to be desired). Most seem to be content with just the rear wing in terms of handling balance and throwing a turbo (or something more) at it to overcome the excessive drag. The underside is at least nice and flat outside of the transmission tunnel, though I suspect getting any manner of diffuser to work might be tricky.

The “roof” actually wound up being really nice to have on the trip and held on surprisingly well for being subjected to several hours of 75 MPH travel. I’d highly recommend making one if you’re going for a race chassis. It’s just some canvas and sewn-in velcro, so pretty easy to DIY if you’re interested. The only downside might be that it’ll wear on the paint/powdercoating a bit, but that’s not too much of a concern here as this chassis was painted with easy touch-ups in mind using Rustoleum.

Also good luck on your build.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Shane MacGowan's Teeth 08/15/2017 at 17:48

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Ground effects are based around having a controlled amount of air accelerating through a large volume under the vehicle. Too much air flow and they don’t do anything.

Nick Has an Exocet > t0ast 08/15/2017 at 17:54

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Gotcha. I really want to throw a model of that thing into some simulations and see if there is some low hanging fruit. The more I drive my 91, the more I enjoy the feel of the NA6 engine. It’s gutless but eager and pretty dead simple to work on.

vondon302 > t0ast 08/15/2017 at 17:59

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Sweet! Much want!

CaptDale - is secretly British > t0ast 08/15/2017 at 18:01

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Awesome! Sounds like lots of fun! I wanna have a go in it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > t0ast 08/16/2017 at 14:46

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Yes! I love everything about this.