Post by cooltech on Feb 24, 2017 21:56:00 GMT
Opening a thread here to hopefully use this space to somewhat document the build thread of our Exocet (Race) Chassis #226. I spoke to Exomotive earlier today (Feb 24, 2017) and they said our chassis was just completed and in quality check and with any luck it will ship next week. Good news indeed!
We ordered the Exocet back in the late November timeframe and simultaneously found ourselves a 99 donor vehicle nearby and ten the following weekend we located a purchased a JDM (Japan Domestic Market) Honda K24A2 engine. In the subsequent weeks we ordered up the Ultimate conversion kit from David over at KMiata.
Our purpose/objective: We plan to use the Excocet exclusively for racing and have no aspirations to make it street legal. My son, Ryan, currently competes in NASA's SoCal spec-Miata series. We have only a single car and Ryan also likes to do the (3-4) 3-hour Endurance Races held concurrently with the NASA spec-Miata "sprint" races throughout the year. It is a lot to ask of a single car - and perhaps especially hard as Ryan (as everyone else) seeks to win the SoCal championship in 2017. Realistically, we hope to finish the Exocet by May, 2017 or so and it can be the "Endurance" car from that point forward. Ultimately, we'd like to have it run in the 25 hours of Thunderhill. So, what we want to also focus on is having the car be capable to run in NASA's ST2 class. At the risk of oversimplifying, the largest BoP rule is that you can't have less than 10:1 (lbs per RWHP). With fuel, driver, on-board fire protection, race chassis, some chassis augmentation for a fuel cell, etc.... we believe race-trim weight will be ~1750lbs. Ryan and I have build several 1.8L NA Miata motors for customers with 11:1 pistons, Megaquirt, header, flat-top intake, etc and have achieved 160-165 RWHP. Arguably the reliability of these motors is less than OEM and we are still short of our RWHP goal of 175 (10:1). Enter the K24A2. With the requisite-for-fitment intake, throttle body, header, and exhaust, these motors will typically top 210RWHP. In order to make it ST2 compliant, we will likely end up DE-TUNING it to the 175 level. This should further IMPROVE reliability. Important for a race car if not also the pocketbook!
The front and rear suspension of the 99 donor car was very clean and straight. We pressed out all of the bushings and had each suspension piece sand blasted and powdercoated. Once back, we assembled everything with all-new (aftermarket) bushings. We sourced a 6-speed transmission and confirmed the health of the LSD. With all of the parts delivered promptly from KMiata, we were able to get the "skateboard" all together - complete with new aluminum flywheel, pressure plate and clutch... all bolted to the back of the K24A2. A few changes needed to be done to the K24A2 - not the least of which is removal of its balancing shafts (for pan fitment) and upgrading of the oil pump.
Here's a few pics of how she sits today..... patiently awaiting the arrival of the chassis!
We ordered the Exocet back in the late November timeframe and simultaneously found ourselves a 99 donor vehicle nearby and ten the following weekend we located a purchased a JDM (Japan Domestic Market) Honda K24A2 engine. In the subsequent weeks we ordered up the Ultimate conversion kit from David over at KMiata.
Our purpose/objective: We plan to use the Excocet exclusively for racing and have no aspirations to make it street legal. My son, Ryan, currently competes in NASA's SoCal spec-Miata series. We have only a single car and Ryan also likes to do the (3-4) 3-hour Endurance Races held concurrently with the NASA spec-Miata "sprint" races throughout the year. It is a lot to ask of a single car - and perhaps especially hard as Ryan (as everyone else) seeks to win the SoCal championship in 2017. Realistically, we hope to finish the Exocet by May, 2017 or so and it can be the "Endurance" car from that point forward. Ultimately, we'd like to have it run in the 25 hours of Thunderhill. So, what we want to also focus on is having the car be capable to run in NASA's ST2 class. At the risk of oversimplifying, the largest BoP rule is that you can't have less than 10:1 (lbs per RWHP). With fuel, driver, on-board fire protection, race chassis, some chassis augmentation for a fuel cell, etc.... we believe race-trim weight will be ~1750lbs. Ryan and I have build several 1.8L NA Miata motors for customers with 11:1 pistons, Megaquirt, header, flat-top intake, etc and have achieved 160-165 RWHP. Arguably the reliability of these motors is less than OEM and we are still short of our RWHP goal of 175 (10:1). Enter the K24A2. With the requisite-for-fitment intake, throttle body, header, and exhaust, these motors will typically top 210RWHP. In order to make it ST2 compliant, we will likely end up DE-TUNING it to the 175 level. This should further IMPROVE reliability. Important for a race car if not also the pocketbook!
The front and rear suspension of the 99 donor car was very clean and straight. We pressed out all of the bushings and had each suspension piece sand blasted and powdercoated. Once back, we assembled everything with all-new (aftermarket) bushings. We sourced a 6-speed transmission and confirmed the health of the LSD. With all of the parts delivered promptly from KMiata, we were able to get the "skateboard" all together - complete with new aluminum flywheel, pressure plate and clutch... all bolted to the back of the K24A2. A few changes needed to be done to the K24A2 - not the least of which is removal of its balancing shafts (for pan fitment) and upgrading of the oil pump.
Here's a few pics of how she sits today..... patiently awaiting the arrival of the chassis!
