The minimalist chassis of the Miata Exo Car (aka ‘ghettocet’) makes it the perfect platform to test ideas. Complex designs become relatively easy, like mounting the radiator in the rear. And very early in the build process, I decided on such a rear mount design. As I near the end of the...
The ‘ghettocet’ Miata affords plenty of opportunity to take things back to ‘old school.’ With that in mind, let’s explore hockey puck motor mounts on this project. It’s something I built years ago for the CA18DET swapped 240sx. And something very fitting to...
Remember that two-week window I had to complete the Miata ghettocet before the holidays? Well, those weeks came and went with very little progress. Why, you ask? Because I had to rebuild the engine. Which meant waiting on parts. But after a short delay, I am back on track, and the drivetrain and...
The internet has a way of making direct answers challenging to find and unnecessarily complicated. Unsurprisingly, removing the power steering from a Mazda Miata is no exception. The back-and-forth on the pros and cons is confusing and somewhat comical. That is why I am here to say resolutely that...
The race season is officially over, and it’s time to finish this. I have significant plans for the 2025 season and about a two-week window during which I can devote considerable time to the exo car build. That said, there are a lot of miscellaneous items to address before the final assembly...
I spent way more time on the fabrication of this project than I intended, forcing myself to have a bit of a reckoning. You see, I tend not to be satisfied with my work and continually strive for improvement. That’s a roundabout way to say I can sometimes be a perfectionist. And that is why I...
The exo car build has become a very detailed project, and the fact that I am using it as a huge test bed only adds to the complexity. As a result, this initial fabrication phase, including the roll cage, lasted longer than anticipated. But here we are, tying up the loose ends to bring this phase to...
The NA Miata came to me with extensive front-end damage, so much so that the frame rails forward of the front struts were cut. Although I am getting closer to painting and reassembling, I must first construct a front end. I will create a tubular front bumper that ties into the front frame rails and...
Although the main roll cage is complete, a few items must be fabricated before I paint the chassis. One such item is the dashboard and switch panel. I intend to run several mechanical experiments and tests with this chassis, so I need a clean and easy way to mount several gauges. To do this, I...
Building the roll cage for the ‘ghettocet’ is easily the most time-consuming part of this build. But here we are … finally … with a custom cage built and installed by yours truly. There are a few odds and ends to add, like window net mounts and a Lexan windshield. But for...
Let’s call this intermission on the Ghettocet Miata. A time to get up, stretch our legs, and see how far we have come. Frankly, I let my imagination run wild during the roll cage build, which has taken significantly longer than anticipated.
It is finally here: the fabrication portion of the exo car build. Getting to this point has been quite the process: digging up all of my old equipment and piecing together a functional fabrication space. But with all of the prep work behind me, it is time to build the roll cage. The first step is...
