So Warren, you guys take a few pics of a complete one, then when you get the web site up and running, allow people to play with the available color options.
So Warren, you guys take a few pics of a complete one, then when you get the web site up and running, allow people to play with the available color options.
z31maniac wrote: So Warren, you guys take a few pics of a complete one, then when you get the web site up and running, allow people to play with the available color options.
Way ahead of you. 
My brother is a 3ds Max artist and is creating surface models from the 3D scanned data I made a while back. I can toss those surface models into CAD and then Keyshot to make near-photorealistic renders. Once we get the models, it's simple to render all the major color choices. With a little bit of photoshop scripting and web programming, a configurator with multiple angles and locations is just a little more legwork.
So....uh.....being that I'm a professional Technical Writer with many years of experience, I think it would be prudent for you to send me a kit with your documentation, so that I can proof your instructions.
Ya know, just to make sure nothing is too confusing.
z31maniac wrote: So....uh.....being that I'm a professional Technical Writer with many years of experience, I think it would be prudent for you to send me a kit with your documentation, so that I can proof your instructions. Ya know, just to make sure nothing is too confusing.
Hah, our documentation improvement efforts are going towards a freely-available modular set of instructional videos. Much more useful. There isn't really much to document, thankfully. The only part that isn't plug and play is the brake line and fuel line plumbing.
Also, the new site rollout includes a nice semi-wiki interface for customers to document their builds and ask questions to us as well as the US Exocet community.
I know, I'm just being a smart ass.
I figured as long as I can get the privacy fence built for the wife in the next 12 months, I can order one of these in about 18.
Ugh, not sure what is up with the double posting.
Well, I am a professional video game designer with over a decade experience so you should send me one and I can verify that it is fun :P
So where do you guys find mechanically (mostly) sound NB Miatas for $900?
I've been playing the #s in my head. My car will have ~150k on it come Exocet time. Its a 99, sport pkg (torsen, bilsteins, etc). Solid, mechanically good, but a few issues: soft top needs replacing, rear main seal is leaking, clearcoat is starting to go. Cleaned up a bit and back on the stock wheels without the hardtop I'm thinking its a $3500-4k car in South Florida.
So do I Exocet it, bro, or sell and look for a donor?
MattGent wrote: So where do you guys find mechanically (mostly) sound NB Miatas for $900? I've been playing the #s in my head. My car will have ~150k on it come Exocet time. Its a 99, sport pkg (torsen, bilsteins, etc). Solid, mechanically good, but a few issues: soft top needs replacing, rear main seal is leaking, clearcoat is starting to go. Cleaned up a bit and back on the stock wheels without the hardtop I'm thinking its a $3500-4k car in South Florida. So do I Exocet it, bro, or sell and look for a donor?
Sounds like a great donor to me. At least you know its history. We're doing all the possible maintenance procedures on ours, including diff lash. XP-3's donor was from Tennessee and also has about 150 on the clock. They're out there, the trick is setting craigslist alerts and acting quickly with cash.
...and living in Atlanta, home of the Magic Craigslist
Picked up the donor this weekend. Stage 1 complete
^Nice!
wow Darwin, almost a shame to cut up that Meeotter since its got those swanky custom vinyl graphics on the bumper
The first real production run is set to start manufacturing this week. Coming in the run are a couple new toys (wing mounts).
Forgive the rough-model 3D-scanned bodywork. It is accurate for packaging purposes, and that's all I need right now.
The rear wing mount is based off the standard NASCAR CoT wings. Front mount can be shifted wider or narrower to meet just about any aftermarket wing. The holes on the back of the front wing mounts are for wire rope, just in case you're planning more than 200 lbs of downforce up front. The front mount is unconventional, but it should do a good job of saving the front end of the frame when contact inevitably happens. The lowest point of the front mount is 1" above the Miata's front subframe, so you'll have to be pretty creative or have an incredible amount of brake dive to scrape.
Improvement on this run of cars: the floor is raised 1/2" in the rear to give a little aerodynamic rake on the floor when the ride heights are set at balanced levels. We'll see how much it helps.
You forgot to mount your sway bar
I've got access to two COT wings - I was thinking of doing something very similar the next time I had the Locost out of the garage. I anticipate much front grip. Any reason you didn't put the rear wing higher to get out of the turbulence from the bar?
Love the intercooler piping cutout on the front mount.
Holy crap is looks way better with the wings,
That may be the first time I have ever uttered those words.
Wire rope? Not sure what you mean.
In reply to tuna55:
wire rope is cable
Keith Tanner wrote: You forgot to mount your sway bar
The welded-on mount tabs on the downtubes can be positioned up quite a bit, so the height is customizable. Pictured is the happiest medium I could find between aesthetics, balance with/without the front wing, CoG, and clean air. It's actually under the tube by a good margin, so the real turbulence sources are the downtubes and a little bit of a very tall driver's head. Keep in mind the driver in the pictures is 6'3" and is on sliders. According to the quick and dirty CFD (SolidWorks CFD is somewhat better than guessing, but not by much), I would have to raise the wing 6" from here to get to equivalent airflow. It just looks comical at that point. Moving it back adds weight, greatly increases the loads on the mounts and downtubes, and again, it looks silly any further back. As much as I would love to run a modern day McLaren M8B, no one would buy it. The way it mounts to the downtubes allows it to be mounted up another 6"" I added some slots in the mounts to account for the transverse shift in that movement. The downtube mounts are simple welded-on plates with tapped holes; I plan to weld on an extra set up high on XP-3 so we can play around with height. I can't wait to tape some strings on the bottom and shoot it with a GoPro to find a good AoA.
Thanks.
I'll know more about this in a while - but where does the radiator air exit? Just out the sides of the open engine bay? I anticipate much airflow into the nose with the front wing, it looks as if it's just shoveling air in there.
Sexy, and great choice on supporting the CoT wings. Warren could you do a mockup with the race versions full cage for me?
Keith Tanner wrote: Thanks. I'll know more about this in a while - but where does the radiator air exit? Just out the sides of the open engine bay? I anticipate much airflow into the nose with the front wing, it looks as if it's just shoveling air in there.
Yup, sides of the engine bay. The wing is indeed placed to scoop in tons of air. The opening is slightly smaller than the Miata's, but not by much. The nose forms a decent seal on the radiator, the back is open to the engine bay. Due to the fact that the intake is about a foot in front of the exit, hot air recirculation shouldn't be an issue. I think it should eliminate a lot of underhood engine temp issues found in Miatas. Looking forward to the Hydra intake temp data, haven't even had an OB2 Exocet yet that I can read with a Torque scanner.
It is worth noting that the front wing mount is not for a standard COT wing mount, it is a more universal design that follows the contour of most wings. You would drill holes into it to match your mount type. A full COT wing on the front is probably overkill due to the large chord depth. That said, that's what we're running at the UTCC.
I don't think cooling is going to be an issue. A big problem with the Miata is the high underhood pressures, which most people don't address. But you won't have to worry about it.
Jaynen wrote: Sexy, and great choice on supporting the CoT wings. Warren could you do a mockup with the race versions full cage for me?
http://i.imgur.com/eKtELGr.jpg
Warren v wrote:Jaynen wrote: Sexy, and great choice on supporting the CoT wings. Warren could you do a mockup with the race versions full cage for me?
I like it better with the cage. Now how about a windshield:-)
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