1.6 or 1.8 Exocet

[davetherave]

Hi all what is a 1.6 Exocet like to drive compared to the 1.8 is there much difference I no the 0.60 will be different but will it still be a good drive in one. Also I have read that you can supercharge 1.6 and get good results is this true thanks Dave

[Sparks]

I think the only concern is that the early 1.6 engine has a short nose crank that can fail (particularly if your after supercharging!)

Removing all that weight will be a huge improvement anyway, that being said I hunted for a 1.8 and particularly a 1999/2000 with the extra 10bhp so if I had a choice I'd clearly buy a 1.8!

[h20boynz]

Mar 16, 2016 21:49:41 GMT davetherave said:

Hi all what is a 1.6 Exocet like to drive compared to the 1.8 is there much difference I no the 0.60 will be different but will it still be a good drive in one. Also I have read that you can supercharge 1.6 and get good results is this true thanks Dave

I've only driven a turbo 1.6 exocet, and my donor car which was a 1.8, so as far as a naturally aspirated 1.6 in an exocet is concerned I dont have much of a clue, however there are numerous forums around with every conceivable piece of information about these engines you can imagine. Just google "miata forum" or "MX5 forum" and prepare to kiss an evening goodbye skimming through the masses of great info on these engines.

The later model 99+ 1.8 are slightly higher HP and have good potential for modification, particularly forced induction. I have read numerous times that people consider the 1.6 to be a more free revving engine than the 1.8 but I doubt this is actually all that noticeable.

Obviously having a few extra HP from the 1.8 is worth while if you are not going to supercharge or turbo, the question is whether you are willing to pay the premium to get your hands on a 1.8 donor? I know where I am from I could of had a 1.6 5spd for half of what I paid for my 1.8 6spd donor. I chose the latter because I wanted the 6spd gearbox and LSD diff (both apparently a lot stronger than the 5spd and open diffs from the earlier 1.6 powered cars) in addition to the larger displacement/HP. I believe the brakes are bigger on the later 1.8 cars also.

As far as forced induction is concerned, again there is a ton of info out there about supercharger/turbo installs. These engines become another beast entirely with these mods and will handle a heap of HP without needing to rebuild the engine with forged/uprated internals. Most people seem to go with turbo rather than supoercharging it would seem. This may be only because of the amount of info out there about turbos on these engines, or it may be because of the comprehensive (almost)plug-and-play turbo kits that are already available.

From my limited exocet driving experience you will enjoy either motor in the exocet, they are great fun to drive regardless. You will need to weigh up your donor budget vs whats available where you are vs your end goal, and make a decision which way to go from there.

[pleurotus]

Take a look here Mighty5s forum The post  comparing engines is by Skuzzle that tune the MX5 for a living.

[davetherave]

Thanks all for the help Im in talks with some one about buying an Exocet that they own but it has the 1.6 in it he says it isn't that bad to drive. I won't be doing any track days in it, it will be just to drive local roads and country lanes. My choice would have been a 1.8 but as this car is already built it will save me time. I soups i can always change the engining at a later date if not happy.

[Toed64]

I've owned and run several MX5s, MK1s and Mk2s and my Exocet was built on an early Jap import 1.6.

Ultimately, there is not so much difference between the 1.6 and 1.8 motors. The 1.8 is more powerful, but in my experience the 1.8s all felt less willing to be revved whereas my 1.6 models just screamed. Later (1996 on) 1.6 MK1 donors should be avoided as they had much lower power output.

The Exocet is much livelier than an unmodified MX5. You need to turbo or supercharge an MX5 to get close to the power to weight ratio of even fairly standard works in an Exocet frame. A limited slip diff is, in my opinion, an essential component in an MX or an Exocet.

I bought a MK2 1.8S to do an upgrade on the drive train of my Exocet. You stated that you might go this way to upgrade a 1.6 Exocet. This is not as straightforward as I thought and I didn't want to strip my loom and rebuild it, so I tweaked my 1.6 a little instead and I ran the MK2 daily driver. All I did to the 1.6 was match the ports to a big bore set of headers, high flow big bore CAT and a straight-though exhaust. In that state, it was faster in a straight line than a standard mk1 Elise, which is not a particularly fast car, but it was fun.

Unless you propose to turbo or supercharge, the Exocet will not be ballistic. Dynamically it is far superior to most other kit cars I have driven. The geometry and balance are spot on, making it superbly controllable and adjustable on the limit. For me, it's ultimately limited power was not an issue, my Exocet was an absolute joy to drive on the limit.

I would conclude by saying that track days are great fun and I learned so much from my first track days in a stripped out mk1 MX5 1.6. On days at Bedford, which is a very fast track, it was the slowest car on the circuit (on the straights), but I learned how to hussle the MX5 to catch up a bit in the corners. It was very rewarding to be thrashing a £150 banger without a care in the world and learning balance and control on the limit. On one Bedford track day, I went with a group of friends. We took two Mazdas - the stripped 1.6 and the road-going 1.8S. The 1.6 lapped MUCH faster than the 1.8 and this could only be because of reduced weight and race brake pads. When it was not raining, the Exocet turned in faster, accelerated faster, stopped sooner and was all-round more rewarding - but much more battering!

In my opinion, all driving enthusiasts should do track days and get some tuition when there. It's the most cost effective way to go faster.

[davetherave]

Thanks Toed64