KP's Exocet #2

[Kevin Patrick]

The time has come to build another. I bought a black '95 base model with hardtop in December and have been enjoying it as a daily driver the last few months. I knew the engine was close to done and sure enough a couple weeks ago it gave up the ghost.

Goals for this build are to use this as our demo/press/test car so the first one can stay pristine for this year's shows. Exomotive has partnered with an engine specialist a few doors down from our shop who will be handling the engine rebuild and customer engine services. This engine rebuild will be mild with durability in mind.

Teardown commenced on Monday and the Miata was split yesterday. I was able to spend 5 hours a day for the last three days on it. This time included bagging, tagging and labeling everything for resale. It goes to show that even working alone, you can reasonably strip the MX5 donor over a weekend.

[Kevin Patrick]

There are two very inexpensive tools that I used this time around that made the teardown much easier. I had not seen them mentioned in other builds, but figured I would mention them for new builders as they may not have them in their current tool collections.

Trim removal tool - $8.99 for the set with coupon at Harbor Freight. Made quick work of all the plastic clips that hold down the wiring harness.


Hose Pick - $3.99 at Harbor Freight. This made removing hoses a breeze.

[sspogman]

Not seen those hose picks before, looks pretty useful though.

With regards the trim removal tool, I used something that looks very similar out of my toolbox - a tack lifter. Worked a treat at getting all of those little plastic clips out that were holding things down.

[sspogman]

Also meant to say - I wish we had Harbour Freight over here in the UK. You've posted a number of tools now that all seem to be cracking prices, much better than I seem to be able to find. The tack lifter I bought was about a fiver - that's almost the same as your pack of 6 trim removal tools!

[Kevin Patrick]

Progress report - sorry they are all cell phone photos.

Mike @ Highlite Motorsports did a great job rebuilding the engine:





I tried to get a few things drilled and test fit prior to powder coating like the pedals, master cylinders, steering column, rack and radiator, fuel tank, seat belts, and subframes/suspension.


Reuse floor offcuts to make free radiator mounts:

(Photo shows one, but I think at least two pieces should be used for added strength/redundancy)

Top radiator mounting bolts/washers:


Clutch M/C and pedal:

This fit perfectly compared to the first build and I did not have to reverse the reservoir.

Brake M/C and pedal assembly:

This also went together much easier than the first. I did not need to cut the spacers off and move them to the other side of the bulkhead to get the brake master cylinder reservoir to clear the hood.

Steering column:

Similar to the first build, I had to do some filing to open up the steering shaft hole for adequate clearance.

New style front fender mount:

(Three 20mm long M8 bolts with lock washers are perfect for install)

Tank mounted:


Fender test:


Yesterday it went off to the powder coater:


I've used Rustoleum Hammered to paint the steering column, pedal assemblies and parking brake. I tried the spray version this time and I must say that the final color is actually a darker black than the brush on which I like. I have also created a complete stainless steel braided braking system that is ready for install. I've got a few more things to do with the running gear to get it ready and by next week we should have the frame back and ready to drop it on.

[John B]

Superb pictures pal, these will help me out no end. Thanks.

[The Exocist]

I really am glad/lucky somebody with so much experience is 20 minutes from my house.

[ricochet15s]

Hi Kevin, have you made anymore progress on the build? Looking forward to seeing more.

[tbrown]

Me too! Will you ship me one of those Left hand drive frames?

[Kevin Patrick]

Sorry for the late response - I've been slacking on this thread and the car has been on the road for nearly a month!

We got busy with preparation for Carlisle and getting orders out the door through May, so the project sat in the shop after it returned from the powder coaters. This time I went with a simple matte black from our new powder coating partner and I really like how it turned out.

May 25th
Trimmed and installed the floor. Used some black outdoor sealant and the rivets included in the kit.


The stock fuel lines were in good shape, so I straightened them and used two overlapping P-clips to attach them to the the frame with the screws included in the kit.



Time to flip the car over. Next the master cylinders and pedals were installed.


Then rivnuts were installed for the parking brake mount.

[Kevin Patrick]

June 13

Powertrain is ready to go.


I went cheap on the exhaust system. Used the stock header, but removed all the heat shielding, ground down all the unneeded tabs and sprayed it with a high temp matte black paint. I also did the same on the stock exhaust.

This car also features our prototype full braided stainless steel brake and clutch line option for the Exocet. Replaces the entire system from the master cylinder to the calipers. We should have it available for sale to builders soon as it really simplifies assembly of the brake system.


The rear brake run is attached to the PPF with p-clips.


On she goes! I made a mistake as I was lowering the chassis onto the powertrain and banged into the rear coolant sensor, breaking off the electrical connection. Thankfully it was only a $16 mistake.

Steering bolted column and drop plate bolted up to the chassis.


The goal is to have her running and driving sans body panels by the June 16th Mazmart show in less than 3 days.

[Kevin Patrick]

June 15

Car is together and we've taken it out for a shakedown.









Stock '95 harness routing/mounting.


Fabricated some simple side view mirrors to be legal using some scrap floor offcuts and some $1.99/pair stick-on mirrors from NAPA.


90 degree bent piece of scrap floor offcut for the rear license plate/light mounts. (still rocking the Miata registration as we go through the proper registration process)


Retained standard seat belts and used floor offcuts to make a battery tie-down.


$165 new black vinyl covers rom eBay to replace the stock seat covers. Takes a few hours to do it right, but this is probably the cheapest option if you want to retain your stock seats and still look fairly decent while having some water resistance.


Some tired old rubber on the car right now, but with the extra lightness from lack of body panels, bulkheads, and fender mounts it is a blast to drive around as is. We are still running the stock springs with KYB GR-2 shocks - after disconnecting the rear anti roll bar it feels a little more stable with the current suspension/tires.

[Kevin Patrick]

June 16 - Mazmart / Atlanta Mazda Owners Club Family & Friends BBQ Celebration

We brought out both the Exocets to Mazmart so people could see what the "guts" of one looks like to one completed with all the body panels and fenders on. As you can imagine, these cars being different than the typical Mazda offering, we got quite a bit of traffic.

People always have a hard time believing just how much weight an Exocet saves off a Miata - so I told them to lift it and find out!





Here are some photos another flickr user took at the show. I was too busy to take many photos!







Exocet #1






We had a great time at the show and hope to do more with the Atlanta Mazda Owners Club in the coming months.

[tbrown]

looking good! Do you conceal the steering shaft to clean it up a l itle?

[scooby1929]

Looks great kevin. This thread has been invaluable
Thanks for the tip on the tool to remove the wiring harness clips i got one of those tools and it made life so much easier