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need help with conversion to jap/au spec
Posted: October 2nd, 2005, 6:41 am
by nlsolja123
i have found a Mazda mx-3 near my home and it has a blown head. The seller of the car only wants 350 American dollars. Sence the car doesnt run i plan on putting a KFZE engine in it because of the decent hp/tq over stock and the price of it.
BUT i want to make this a complete project car and i want to do a complete RHD conversion.This can be achieved by just purchasing a Half cut of the front end right? Also what is the best engine fot the jspec or aussie spec mx3?
Also is there any one that has done this swap b4 LHD-RHD conversion please pt me with any info
Posted: October 2nd, 2005, 11:22 am
by jschrauwen
I couldn't even fathom the cost and expenses of doing a right hand drive conversion. It would be an awesome thing to have here in NA. but from what i've seen with a local person who has done this with an old Civic the costs were insane. Try the attached site and i believe that in the long run you'll end up, first with a complete J-Spec car = higher hp and second your RHD car. A RHD, J-Spec, 93GS-SE with the KFZE engine should do very well. Even if you ended up with a RHD 92GS you could do a ZE swap and utilize the straight neck IM also. Lots of options available. But I don't think I'd even want to attempt the front clip swap unless I had the resources of a shop for a period of time and all of the tools and mechanical know-how. An ambitious project nontheless.
Anyone seen a RHD MX3 on our shores. Grants, what would the popularity be for a LHD MX3 in AU be?
http://www.batfa.com/shipping_your_car_from_japan.htm
Posted: October 2nd, 2005, 3:24 pm
by DavidOS
better yet WHY do you want to convert it to RHD?
Posted: October 3rd, 2005, 3:52 am
by nlsolja123
i want rhd for NOPI NATIONALS IN ATLANTA
Posted: October 3rd, 2005, 5:53 am
by Grants
Grants, what would the popularity be for a LHD MX3 in AU be?
Illegal. You can get permits in the Northern Territory only and thats a throw back to post war when a lot of American servicemen retired there after serving in the area during the war. (There was quite a lot of allied bases here during the war. In fact the yanks sealed the road from Alice Springs to Darwin - about 1,600 km (1,000 miles). They did that in record time - one lane wide - and I wouldn't be suprised if its still the record today for the fastest road building.) There's also some around Alice Springs owned by people at the space base (Pine Gap).
Everywhere else - a big no no.
Posted: October 3rd, 2005, 9:34 pm
by Aston Wards
Hmmm, not sure how legal a RHD conversion would be, i know it would never pass over here, but if you must, then yes, all you'd need is a front clip..... and some serious know-how! Are you planning a conversion or a cut 'n shut?
J-spec cars came with a 150hp K8ZE, don't bother with the KFZE, you'd be better off spending the extra on the KLZE, as was mentioned before, you can run the straight neck manifold on a RHD car.
Posted: February 16th, 2006, 4:06 am
by andthisguy
crash tests are required to meet nhtsa standards.. also, some emissions, and of course, customs.. have fun waiting!! .....all states have some cars already tested... (mail cars, whatever they use in your state) we have some subaru outback mail cars....
why rhd?! united states is set up to for lhd... you'll starve to death, and go down broke... (you won't be able to access atms, or drive through's)
Posted: February 16th, 2006, 11:29 pm
by Nd4SpdSe
I believe the K8ZE was only 135-140hp
Posted: May 25th, 2006, 7:38 pm
by 14wisdom
i would like to change the apearrance and the motor..but not to right hand drive...where could i start on that..and does..the stuff just bolt on to our mx3..