Exocets Done Three Different Ways

Keith Tanner said:

There's actually an Exocet that has a Catfish body. The thing is, the Exocet chassis is a bit compromised to get the Atomesque look. Those big sweeping upper tubes kinda get in the way of your elbow and a bent tube is a pre-failed tube. They also stick out between the wheels so you can't do a fully open look like the second car. If you were designing a chassis to go under a variety of bodies, you wouldn't end up with the Exocet.

There has been talk of rebody options and IIRC there's one that's got a real beach buggy vibe to it. Not to everyone's taste, but cool.

How did the catfish body on exocet happen? My understanding is Bauer won't sell a body seperately.

Who is talking of a rebody for the Exocet?

The beach buggy would be cool with a lift kit and mud tires.

Apparently Bauer will sell at least one. I did not interrogate the owner but I’ve had a good look at it.  It’s pretty funny to look inside the cockpit and see those big arcing side tubes.

There’s a guy on the FB group who’s doing a body, and there was one at PRI with extra panels. A few are screwing around with aero as well. 

D2W said:

Kreb said:

I'm kind of shocked that nobody has made a body kit for one, or at least some interesting add-ons beyond what Jack McCormack has done. Even something like this would retain the open-wheeled vibe, while opening up new possibilities:

I would like to see some more views of that top body. It looks interesting.

Purely an enthusiast rendering. Iirc Warren had concerns about the ability to produce it. As far as I know, that’s the only view that’s been generated. 

It would be easy enough to create something in that style via cardboard aided engineering. Might be fun to spend some time with some old boxes and packing tape.   And a set of 24” wheels. 

More on this: check Starr Creations LLC on Facebook. They’ve rendered a swoopy body. 

The Baja Bug style one is buried deep in the Exocet FB group so I cannot find it. 

Another rendering from Yasid Design which is just Photoshop phantasy, but may work as inspiration for someone talented.

Aero experimentation. Lipstick and pigs :)

Me again! Thanks to one of the builders on the Exocet FB group, here’s the Manx-ish Exo. I believe retail is in the plans. Given that the Exomotive “Offroadocet” is beside it, it’s probable that Kevin knows details or at least contact info.

Ha! That "Manx-ish Exo" body is awesome!

Don't knock one until you've driven one. Even with the stock 1.6 mine feels nuts 0-60. Now if only I could finish the last mile on it....

I REALLY like the buggy body .... something for me to save some shillings to eventually buy !!

And to be perfectly honest, the "lipstick on pigs" one is very appealing to me if they smoothed out the lines!

I was really hoping the manx body was going to be more of a 1 piece design, but it looks pretty cool anyway. I also really like the Yasid Design Render. It looks like something that could be incorporated into the existing bodywork.

Keith Tanner said: 

Another rendering from Yasid Design which is just Photoshop phantasy, but may work as inspiration for someone talented.

THIS. The want would go up to 11.

yupididit said:

Keith Tanner said:

Having run around Spec Miatas at Laguna Seca, I can tell you that an Exocet with a stock 1.8 holds station on the front straight but is faster in corners and under braking. I'm assuming those Specs would be running non-stock "Spec" engines.

Bolt on an FM II turbo and the world changes.

I was thinking the same. Plus you don't need gobs of power at that weight to be fast enough to stay ahead on straights on most tracks. 

In the late 1970’s. I Vintage raced a 427 Cobra. There is no way my little Six cylinder Jaguar could stay with him out of the corner but by the end of the straight at Brainerd I’d go by him on the high side.  

The main straight is over a mile long leading into a banked turn followed by another 1/4 mile before a 90 degree turn. He’d actually tuck in behind me in order to stay near me as I entered that tight turn where he’d eat me up coming out of it. 

So did any exocet body options ever materialize?  Would be super interested in a closed-wheel alternative to the standard bodywork.

Not that I've seen. As I mentioned long ago, a weekend with some duct tape and a bunch of cardboard would generate some very interesting options. 

Funny that this article got reposted, because one of the three cars featured is going up on BaT within the next week.

These still tempt me from time to time.  I bet it could be Paco'd and turned into a rallycross monster.

The Exomotive guys have an off-road one that is stupid fun. They took it on the skid pad challenge at the Mitty. 

Also, I did this a while back...

Keith Tanner said:

The Exomotive guys have an off-road one that is stupid fun. They took it on the skid pad challenge at the Mitty. 

Also, I did this a while back...

That does look brilliant.

Keith Tanner said:

The Exomotive guys have an off-road one that is stupid fun. They took it on the skid pad challenge at the Mitty. 

Also, I did this a while back...

"And his hair was perfect!"  

I see the GoPro, I'll bet the video was epic!

It was still in full track mode other than the tires and the 3" lift. I'm sure we have some video somewhere but between the mud and the lack of any suspension compliance it wasn't all that fast. It was absolutely ridiculously hilarious and we're still finding mud in the car.

Drive report.

https://www.thedrive.com/test-drives/2200/slinging-mud-in-the-lifted-turbo-miata-of-your-dreams

Hideous semi-Ariel Atom copy.  If you don't care about aesthetics, it's alright, I guess.  I just don't understand trying to use the Atom's curved side structures when the rest of the car is square-ish.  

Because at the time the original Exocet was designed in the UK, the Atom was the daddy. It was a way to get something that looked like an Atom using common mechanicals for cheap. Like a Ferrari body kit on a Fiero.

Then the Americans got hold of it and got all focused on function. Having driven both, I think it's a better car than the Atom and it's sure a hell of a lot stronger. But those leftover curved side tubes definitely bring some compomises.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Dead on. As a tool of hoon-ing hard to beat. Just picked mine back up from the garage.

Blaise said:

Rupert wrote:

  Why anyone would ever destroy either a Miata or a Exocet with yet another Chevy based cast-iron pushrod valved boat anchor is beyond me!!!

Surely you realize the miata motor is cast-iron, and the Chevy is all aluminum.

Surely.

Stop letting facts get in the way of a good rant! 
He does not like big CI, so that must mean no one else does... next thing you know y'all will be arguing about if jag's are the best thing since sliced bread!

Granted, my 71 ElCamino did not come with an AL engine (like gm started years ago) but it was in the top ten list of "most fun cars" I've had!

But since I enjoyed it more than the 260z I drove (I liked it plenty, as well) obviously there is something flawed in me

EDIT: Sorry 'bout that... didn't see it was an old post 

03Panther said:

Blaise said:

Rupert wrote:

  Why anyone would ever destroy either a Miata or a Exocet with yet another Chevy based cast-iron pushrod valved boat anchor is beyond me!!!

Surely you realize the miata motor is cast-iron, and the Chevy is all aluminum.

Surely.

Stop letting facts get in the way of a good rant! 
He does not like big CI, so that must mean no one else does... next thing you know y'all will be arguing about if jag's are the best thing since sliced bread!

Granted, my 71 ElCamino did not come with an AL engine (like gm started years ago) but it was in the top ten list of "most fun cars" I've had!

But since I enjoyed it more than the 260z I drove (I liked it plenty, as well) obviously there is something flawed in me

The ironic thing about the "V8 will cause you to have a massively nose heavy car" is we are only talking about 100lbs more.

I've researched motor swaps ad nauseam for the little Datsun. Most twin cam 4 cylinder engines are between 320-360lbs fully dressed.  It's possible to get a fully dressed 5.0 Ford down to 410lbs & an LS down to around 450-460lbs. 

If one was really weight obsessed they could put a motorcycle engine in it; that would get the car down to 1350lb to 1400lbs.  if you were truly weight obsessed you could put an 800cc snowmobile engine in it. They weigh 90lbs and put out around 160-170hp..............in a car that would in theory be 1260lbs that would make it go pretty well.