What's been going on? From the Locost point of view, not that much. I learned a lot from my car, but it's been pushed aside for other
builds. Still, I did pull it out of the garage a couple of years ago for this little adventure. Right now, the Locost is waiting for me to fix a leaky
fuel line and get it out for some more exercise.
Other builds.
I took my rally-prepped MX-5 Miata, yanked out the sweet bored and stroked 2.0 and dropped in a 5.3l V8 making about 400 hp. Some suspension upgrades,
a bunch of new skid plates and we raced it in the Targa Newfoundland. Did pretty well, too.
After the Targa, the Miata turned into a mad scientist lab. A big wing, some aero work, then active aero, then suspension development, then a new 525
hp 6.3l V8 to replace the weenie 5.3 - and it's become a properly fast car.
There's also the MG. I picked up an MGB GT and a 1998 Camaro, then took all the interesting bits out of the Camaro and stuffed them in the MG.
5.7l V8, 6-speed trans, Miata-based front suspension, a custom three-link rear setup, new brakes, stiffer chassis, etc. I don't think
there's a moving part left with an MG part number. It weighs the same as stock, has the same front/rear weight balance and is mildly
terrifying.
Those are the big builds. I've also been involved in building and testing a (US-spec) Exocet with a 556 hp supercharged 6.3l V8, a turbocharged
US Exocet, a turbo Catfish, an endurance racing Miata with similar spec to my own, been a crew chief for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill (yes, we won our
class), built a car for SEMA and I'm sure a few other things.
The snow driving was ridiculous fun. Slow as molasses, but I didn't care.
Pics of the Miata. You asked The full story of the car is at http://www.targamiata.com if you've got the time and inclination.
How it looked when I brought it home. The whole thing was built on those jack stands in the original four-cylinder guise.
Even shot all the paint myself. I found out why nobody does Martini tribute jobs, it's a lot of work!
Early in development with some funny orange car parked beside it.
In full V8 howl during the second Targa Newfoundland. I was leading the Open Class after four days when a stock relay failed and dropped me
(ultimately) to third.
The race effort actually got turned into a really good documentary, "Truth in 24" style.
It's available on YouTube if you have the time. Here's
the car in anger on a stage.
After the second Targa, it became more of a track car. As noted earlier - aero, more aero, more tire, (another) custom suspension, active aero and a
power upgrade. I learned a lot about setup and suspension with the Locost, and this helped when developing the new FOX stuff. It's still street
legal.
At Laguna Seca without the active rear wing.
I mentioned building a twin to the car for a customer, to be dedicated to racing. This car won a championship last year, and it's set up for
endurance racing. I had fun with the light design - you can remove or install that in under 45 seconds, which is the duration of a tire stop.
Here's the black car on a very tight track during shakedown. My car is the camera platform.
The MG. This was built for my wife, who wanted something curvy with a rumble. I figured it made more sense than an air-cooled 911 plus it would be
cheaper to build. Then, shortly after, 911 prices went insane. Whoops, should have just bought the Porsche. Anyhow...
The MG didn't look like much when it arrived. It had a completely (COMPLETELY) rust-free body, which is great. But it had many, many other
problems. I only managed about 6 miles of driving before it succumbed to a massive electrical short and refused to run again. No problem, I
didn't plan to drive it that way anyhow.
Then I picked up a second car.
Things got a little out of hand.
The whole thing was built on the same jack stands as the Miata. The first time I drove it to work, I was able to get it on a lift and see the bottom
from more than 12" away.
Due to the new suspension, I needed to widen the body. The flares from a Mk1 Golf look just right after you do some metalwork. There's very
little Bondo here, this is all steel.
She scrubs up pretty well. The MG nerds will notice a mixing of bits both inside and out, I cherrypicked the parts I like from all the Bs.
Ooo, almost forgot. Not a build of this magnitude, but I did do a vintage porsche homage using a 1990 Miata that was fun.
Much shorter, because it's getting late. This is the XXXocet, an Exocet kit with a 556 hp supercharged V8. Because, you know, America. This was
built for a customer, and everyone involved knew it was insane.
It's not just a big motor, though. Right after completion, it came in first place in the Unlimited class in a skidpad competition at Road
Atlanta.
And yes, it's 100% road legal and registered in Massachusetts, which is not the most easy-going of the US states. The engine even meets current
emissions regulations across the US, including California. The owner uses it as a touring car!
Almost forgot. Here's some testing video for you. On a go-kart track that might look familiar if you were paying attention to the snow video.
That's me behind the wheel with one of the new owners riding shotgun. The turbo Exocet and the Catfish are visible in the background.
The full story of the car is at 
