Full screen on its way. After driving a teeny tiny 1.6 turbo Catfish, you'll come away with a new-found appreciation for the iron-block four-banger that is the Miata mill.

But yes, if done right the Catfish V8 will be more expensive, and absolutely manic.

Off to Laguna Seca
 

So last year we had an untested car, engine, exhaust and whatnot, and it bit us in the ass. We've since had a few test days and the car is running much better.

Of course when the turbo went on, a phase shift in performance happened and a phase shift in stress on the little 22 year old stock engine happened too. We'll see if the oil leaks were fixed today, or if they show up at the dry lake.

To help vent valve cover pressures, I followed another mt.net thread to open up some valve cover ports, add mesh to convert oil vapor back to liquid, and routed the PCV and intake vent port to a vented oil catch can. We'll see if it works.

The rear view mirror--which has only been a computer rendering for a long time--became real last week. The body was made, a custom mirror was cut, and the two were joined together via a ball joint adjuster. Hopefully we'll have an entire weekend to see if it works. Or not.

Last, the full-width screen was propped on the car in order to check the sight lines; it's a small screen, and yet when seated my 6 foot frame is looking directly out of the middle of the frame. Perfect!

If you're coming to Laguna Seca, please stop by the garage and introduce yourselves. I've bringing lots of free t-shirts and will be giving them out as long as they last.

How did I miss this post, and how did I miss the Catfish there today?

Oh right, D group class time.

I'll drop by tomorrow.

Hey thanks for the shirt at MRLS. After seeing the car in person I want to build one, that I can DD. looking at the body work I'm guessing there is no way this thing will ever have doors? If you can make it with functioning doors and windows I will defiantly be building one. I know I'm not your intended customer but this is a car I would want to drive every day. Beautiful job.

:bowrofl:

^That's what I heard.

So Joe defects to the Bronx, where it's cold and his main mode of transportation is a friggin' bicycle and NOW he wants all the creature comforts of a DD. :vash:

A proper (and REALLY good looking) windshield, CHECK
Wipers, CHECK
Bikini Top, a'la G-String top, CHECK
Heated Seats, CHECK
A/C, well, if you want to install the stock unit, goforit
STREET-ABLE, CHECK!!!

That's really the big one...this is a track car that you can drive to the coffee shop.

This car ain't no daily driver unless you live in California or the Sun Belt, and we won't be porkin' it up so it's some 1,800lb behemoth. :) The whole idea is to TAKE AWAY those things that get between you and the driving experience. Motorcyclists understand this. Convertible drivers understand the concept. Miata drivers are supposed to be able to make that logical connection between the simple Miata and the focused Catfish.

Edit--Jacob, I just noticed that this post looks like a slam at you...it not! Sorry. I'm glad you stopped by the garage, and I'm sorry that I was unfortunately stuck in the engine bay while you were there.

Check your facts, man. I ain't the one askin' for doors. That'd be the bro in Arkansas.

Thank gawd. In this topsy turvy world, it's good to see that some things don't change. Please don't give up craft beer for wine either. :)

God, I love that picture oftheCatfish in the corkscrew! Mazda should have asked you to designthe ND, Cord..!

Screw the creature comforts, I just want a damn top so I don't get soaked when it rains. Not really into wearing a wetsuit to go to work, or leaving the car in the garage most of the time.

If you get one with a windshield, just dont slow down and you'll be fine.

The windshield is a game-changer....and it looks SOOO good. The net result is that the bikini top will be held up between the windshield frame and the roll hoops. It will keep sun and rain off, but should keep the experience intact.

Yes, a hard top is in the works too, but one step at a time.

Did I mention the race bodywork? :)

How could the bodywork get any more racey?

Also, will the windshield be quick(ish) release? The promise of a bikini top would be nice for the Alabamer summer, but I'd (purely hypothetically) like to be able to pull it off and get bugs in my teeth.

Quick-ish, yes. A couple minutes, 7 screws.

check out the suspension
 

It's always fun to check out the pictures from a long weekend, and it's especially fun to see the Catfish Corkscrew pictures. The turn is not only cambered but fish-bowled. It's like bottoming out at an amusement park roller coaster. :)

David is driving the car this time with his wife Shelley in the passenger seat. She's a two-time SCCA auto-x champ, and apparently rubbed in that fact to him on the long drive home from Kansas. David, who is a healthy 6'4" guy, could manage no better than 2nd driving a 76hp Triumph Spitfire. I'm thinking someone his size should get a weight allowance.

Anyway, check out the compression of the suspension in the corkscrew. Those are 9Kg / 6Kg springs in a 1,600lb car.

anatomy of a roll bar cover
 

The engine-less Catfish was pushed over to CRB Aluminfab this morning for a long-awaited roll hoop covers. It's crazy to see what these guys can do. You might see covers, but in order to see my car I'm walking by a $200k truggie that's 100% custom. Work was delayed by a week because Curt had two "movie" cars in his shop. He was tasked with building two (of six) of the new "Family Truckster" for the next National Lampoon's Family Vacation series.

The Truckster is based on a Toyota, with Curt and crew doing LOTS of changes in order to make it into a movie car. You heard it here first: Christina Applegate and Ed Helms (the dentist in "the Hangover" series) are the stars.

Anyway, the goal today was to make a repeatable roll hoop cover out of aluminum. It will become something that customers can order in aluminum, carbon or paintable fiberglass. CRB started with a basic cardboard template that got whittled down and then transferred to aluminum sheet. What can be described in a couple sentences takes all day to perfect, and we're close. Looks awesome in person. :)

Mmmmmm...

Wiring harness goodness
 

Windshield...check.
roll hoop covers...check.
Simplified wiring...CHECK!

The most difficult part of a build just might be the wiring. Okay, if you ignore the rat's nest, tape it all up and only hook up what's needed then it's not a problem. If you want it done right, THIS is the outcome.

Mark & David at Bent Motorsports went through the entire wiring harness, connection by connection, and set this clean little waterproof system up. It took a while and some not-inexpensive parts, but the result is worth it. In a nutshell, this is another cog in the steady progression of the Catfish. Can you imagine having to disconnect one plug only prior to removing your engine? :bowrofl:

Looks clean! I will do that someday when I have the courage to and I can figure out where to track down all the quality connectors people who build these harnesses use.