Travis in Salt Lake City

[travisj]

Hi I'm Travis and live in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I'm starting an Exocet build, although I have a big head start.  I bought this beauty half complete from Blackbox Motorsports:

grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/open-classifieds/exomotive-exocet-sport-2001-miata-vvt-6-speed-lsd/101343/page1/

I was planning to build one from scratch and had a 95 donor half tore down, but this one was so much nicer and the cost to get my 95 up to that standard was nearly as much as buying it already done.  (If anyone wants a decent rust-free 95 donor I need to get it out of my garage!)

A little about me, I recently transferred from active duty USAF to Air National Guard (tired of moving).  I'm a mechanical engineer by degree but civil is my career.  I've had other project cars and done plenty of mechanical work, but I'm not a fabricator.  I've been following MEV since the Sonic 7 and been wanting to do an Exocet for years.  Now that I'm settled in one place I finally can.

My first project will be putting in seats and harnesses.  I've got Sparco Sprint seats w/sliders and G-Force 5 point harnesses coming this week.  Planning to use 1.5"x1" tube stock to mount seats (going wider to get a large washer under the nut).

It looks like the harnesses bolt in, does anyone know that bolt size and length to use?

After seats it will be battery and cooling system to get it driveable. Lights after that (planning to copy Flyin Miata's V8) and then wait on bodywork.

Having trouble getting it insured, denied a couple times.  Looks like I finally will have it insured as a Lotus Seven replica with Leland West.  Really hard finding a company that covers occasional drives to work and will do kit cars.

[ImprobableConstruct]

I bought the Corbeau harnesses and they came with the correct bolts to mount them to the car. I would be surprised if your harnesses didn't include the bolts.

I insured my Exocet with USAA no problem. I did have to have a VIN number first however. Try using the phrase "I want to insure it for an agreed upon value"

[travisj]

Oh what make and model did you tell them?  What yearly cost?


I tried USAA's collector car associate company and they denied me.  They didn't allow driving to work anyway.

[lhintze]

Hi Travis, I'm also a ME and was in the Air Guard for 9 yrs. USAA quoted me insurance and just need a VIN to get the policy started. I told em I wanted $25k in coverage and it was around $400/ 6 months.

[ImprobableConstruct]

My insurance with USAA is not restricted in any way. I guessed I would drive it about 2000 miles a year based on what I drive my truck and Harley. I have $23K coverage for $338/6 months.  For reference the Harley is $318/6 months.

[travisj]

I'll try out Leland West, they quoted me $300 a year for $16K agreed value.  I can drive 3000 miles a year only major restriction is that it's not a daily driver and I don't drive it to work more than twice a week.

Got my RAL color book today and picked out my body color, going with 5005 Signal Blue.  Waiting on exomotive to send me an invoice to get my deposit down on bodywork...

[travisj]

I ended up with Hagerty. $385 annual at $16k agreed value.

That's funny to run into another ME air guard guy here.

I've got seats and harnesses ready to go in this weekend if I get my steel tubing in. G force harnesses did not come with hardware, ordered 7/16 x 1" bolts.

I'm ordering rivets and other hardware (I didn't get any) and want to see if I'm missing anything (shipping costs add up):

3/16 rivets (body and radiator mounts)
3/32 rivets (body panel spring)
M5 rivnuts and screws (trans tunnel and battery hold down)
Self tapping screws for anything? (bulkheads are already mounted)


Are aluminum or steel rivnuts/rivets recommended? How thick are the trans tunnel tubes? Stainless rivnuts only go to 3mm,not enough for 1/8 wall.

[einy]

My kit came with large diameter head aluminum rivets, 3/16" diameter shank, for fastening aluminum sheet panels to the chassis. It also came with a bit smaller diameter steel head rivets, 3/16" diameter shank, for fastening brackets, etc. to the chassis.

I used (M5x0.8) rivnuts for the trans tunnel mounting to the chassis, and (M6x1.0) rivnuts for assorted bracket / etc. mountings to the chassis for items I may want to remove (fuel / brake line runs, etc.) and for the handbrake to the tunnel steel sheeting. Both had material thickness ratings of 0.5 to 3.3mm thickness

The 1" square tubes have wall thickness of 0.065" (1.65mm) per what Kevin told me what I asked him that question.

Seatbelt bolts that came with my Corbeau harness are grade 10.8 shoulder bolts, so the 'shackles' rotate freely even when the bolt if fully tightened down. I did have to buy nuts as they were not included with the belts. If memory served, they were 7/16-20's.

Hope this all helps !!

John

[travisj]

Thanks, that helped. Got my hardware ordered.

Got my tube stock drilled and painted today for the seats, hopefully have them mounted this weekend.

Still waiting on Exomotive to confirm I'm on the waiting list for body work, contacted them 4 times already....

[ImprobableConstruct]

Jun 26, 2015 22:27:06 GMT travisj said:

Thanks, that helped. Got my hardware ordered.

Got my tube stock drilled and painted today for the seats, hopefully have them mounted this weekend.

Still waiting on Exomotive to confirm I'm on the waiting list for body work, contacted them 4 times already....

Try giving them a call.  Taylor usually answers the phone and can answer most questions.  I think they are probably inundated with "wishful" emails and have a hard time sifting through them all.  I am pretty sure its just a couple of people and a welder or two making all this magic happen.  I too have been frustrated with their communication but they do deliver a pretty good product in the end. 

[travisj]

Been slow going, but finally drove it today!  Just down the road and back, but good to have it fully functioning.  Feels very strong, I had to be very careful with just spare tires on it.  They don't come close to what this needs.  I'll document what I've done in this post as both a guide for anyone else and for myself to look back to.

Here's the car how it sits now:



The seats are Sparco Sprint w/sliders with G-Force 5-point harnesses.  I used the same basic install as Improbable Construct:
I used 3/8" bolts w/washers instead of 1/2" to get better pull out resistance (had to trim sides of washers inside the tube).  Got a good deal on seats from here www.racing-seats-usa.com/

Here's my part list (hardware from Fastenal):
(4) 17" 1x1 steel tubes (local)
(8) 3/8"-24 x 1-3/4" Cap Screw (1" square tube to frame)
(8) 3/8"-24  Lock Nuts
(16) 3/8" x 0.803" OD SAE General Purpose Flat Washer
(6) 7/16"-20 x 1" Hex Cap Screw (harness attachments)
(6) 7/16"-20 Lock Nut
(10) 7/16" x 0.913" OD Flat Washer
(16) 5/16" x 0.678" OD Flat Washer (for slider bolts, didn't fit for all of them).


Improbable Construct was again my inspiration for the radiator install.  I mounted my upper mounts as high as they could go with to be able to get a bolt in, but that still put the radiator way low.  I think the aluminum bracket is mandatory.  Got the aluminum and longer M5x1.0 bolts at Home Depot.  Used self tappers to initially hold brackets then replace with 3/16" rivets.  I cut about 2 inches off the lower bracket.  My upper hose is right against the intake.



I found an easy way to mount a NB radiator fan on a NA radiator using eyebolts (just had to cut the extra off the thread):



I used a Dorman universal coolant overflow tank. Simple, cheap and can easily see fluid level.  Installed with 3 self tappers.  Used 5/16" ID coolant hose with 9/16" P-clips to hold it in place.



No picture for the battery, but used a Odyssey PC680 with its aluminum mount.  Mounted behind passenger seat.

[travisj]

Unfortunately this is how it will probably sit for quite a while. I'm getting deployed soon.

My list for the next tasks:

E-brake install
Install center console (this looks like a complete pain, not sure what to do about wiring that runs through this area)
Install rear bulkhead panels (hard brake line interferes on passenger side)
Unbundle and sort out wiring.  Wire up radiator fans.  Possibly get the Exomotive wiring tray.
Order and install lights (planning to copy FM's V8)
Figure out charcoal canister/vent for gas tank
Receive and install bodywork.
Order and install wheels, tires, exhaust (likely Traklite Holeshots and Ethuzacar exhaust)
Decide on keeping stock suspension or going with coilovers (that extra cost for the spacers doesn't make me excited)

[boileralum]

Nice work, and thanks for your service!

[tvaughn5]

Good to read through your build and we are oddly similar. My name is Travis, I have a Mechanical Engineering degree, and I'm a Civil Engineer in the TN Air National Guard.

[gl21133]

I missed when this was originally posted, but I'm up the road a bit in Boise, working (slowly) on 114. Did you ever sell your donor? We should meet at Miller when both are up and running!