1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

How can I find this for my 7?

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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 07:30 PM
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How can I find this for my 7?



I want this kit for my '85 GSL-SE seven, who do I approach for this if this isn't available right off?

Or, does anyone know of it for the sevens?
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 07:35 PM
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Personally, I wouldn't do that. For me it would ruin the car. But if you want to do it, approach a local speed shop that does body kits, either making or mounting.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 07:43 PM
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I like the nose of it though. And the side skirts, I don't really want. It's just the nose I love.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:01 PM
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It would probally be easier if your car was a 240...
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:02 PM
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It would be crazy expensive, the designing of it, mounting, installing, and painting. labor alone would kill you. are there any aftermarket specialty shops around you? there are quite a few here in charlotte.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:04 PM
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So take it to charlotte?
And we have a a few here, but I don't know about the quality of the worksmanship.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:07 PM
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hahaha, IS that a 240?



it is!!


*cough* ricer! *cough*

anyways.....

do what you wish- just do a good job at whatever it is!


and welcome to the forum! 1st gens rock!
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Garrisonbowers
So take it to charlotte?
And we have a a few here, but I don't know about the quality of the worksmanship.
Nah, you can take it anywhere there is a bodyshop for the fitment and paint. as for designing one, I believe you have to talk to the kit developer, and see what they can do.

you could go the hard/fun way of designing your own. buy a front air dam for your year car and make some fibreglass resin molds to put on, and work from there.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:11 PM
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there was a fello on here with the front like that but not exactly
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:15 PM
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make it. i am making a body kit for my car soon. i will wright up a review on how to make one. this is the front end i am going to make. here is a pic of the front end and i know it is off a honda civic. http://www.bodykits.com/9295-honda-c...r-p-30368.html
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeezus
you could go the hard/fun way of designing your own. buy a front air dam for your year car and make some fibreglass resin molds to put on, and work from there.

Oh man, if I tried that it would be about as sexy as an autistic turtle with lynphoma.
I just want a simple plug and play thing. But I see that's not going to be the case. So your idea is to contact the manufactuers and see what they can do? Alrighty. Done. Now what?
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:30 PM
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Let's start with a reality check 1st, wet dreams and nocturnal emissions aside. Do you have at least 10k for someone to do the body work and another 5k for paint? This does not include the donor body to start with. After that, unless you want to be all show and no go, i.e., the typical wannabe, you will need another 10k for a TII swap that puts out at least 400 hp to back up the radical body work.

So far, you are now out over 25k invested and have yet to turn the key to see if it will even start. You are also looking at a 12-24 month build process and all of the associated headaches that go with a custom, one off build.

If you have that kind of money laying around, my best suggestion would be for you to enroll yourself in a good tech school that teaches all of the trades/skills needed to build such a project. Then you can build the car and if done right, it would be the best advertising money could buy to build up a thriving business.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:47 PM
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Okay, while I appreciate the honesty I don't have 25k to work with. Mechanically, I'm trained. For body work... eh, no I'm not. I'm currently working on the build for the engine (newly aquired car and I'm still trying to figure some of the more in depth things out), but I'm confident that I can build it, and damn well.
As for the body, I think your estimates are grossly off, I can't see it being a fifteen thousand dollar job to have someone modify a body design that is already in wide distribution and use to fit an older car. A drill and some Bondo would work just as well...

Last edited by Garrisonbowers; Jan 28, 2007 at 09:03 PM.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by trochoid
Let's start with a reality check 1st, wet dreams and nocturnal emissions aside. Do you have at least 10k for someone to do the body work and another 5k for paint? This does not include the donor body to start with. After that, unless you want to be all show and no go, i.e., the typical wannabe, you will need another 10k for a TII swap that puts out at least 400 hp to back up the radical body work.

So far, you are now out over 25k invested and have yet to turn the key to see if it will even start. You are also looking at a 12-24 month build process and all of the associated headaches that go with a custom, one off build.

If you have that kind of money laying around, my best suggestion would be for you to enroll yourself in a good tech school that teaches all of the trades/skills needed to build such a project. Then you can build the car and if done right, it would be the best advertising money could buy to build up a thriving business.
gotta love Mr. T's reality checks.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 09:30 PM
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I think its a hot looking body kit too. I have no idea who built that one, but I agree its probably not a one time build there and a kit should be much cheaper I think too. This would be a great project car with an older RX7, but it will be probably more expensive than you figured. Good luck finding the body kit and let us know what you find out?
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 09:37 PM
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yeah, that's a 240 fo sho:

http://www.erebunicorp.com/ge/niss240.htm



it would be difficult to make that fit a 1st gen- integration of the headlights and fenders would be a nightmare!
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 09:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Garrisonbowers
Okay, while I appreciate the honesty I don't have 25k to work with. Mechanically, I'm trained. For body work... eh, no I'm not. I'm currently working on the build for the engine (newly aquired car and I'm still trying to figure some of the more in depth things out), but I'm confident that I can build it, and damn well.
As for the body, I think your estimates are grossly off, I can't see it being a fifteen thousand dollar job to have someone modify a body design that is already in wide distribution and use to fit an older car. A drill and some Bondo would work just as well...
A drill and some bondo? I believe my Esteemed Collegue Trochoid is correct. It is very expensive to pay someone to do it right. There are many factors to consider when doing body kits and especially fitting one that was not built for the vehicle in the 1st place. Trochoid has done that and been there and knows what the pitfalls and expenses are in achieving this.

IMHO, I don't thing that particular body kit even if it could be made to work would do anything to compliment the already well designed 1st gen. A widebody kit would give it a hell of a lot more agressive and impressive look. But then again that is going to set you back a ton of change also.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 09:46 PM
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But the headlights are almost IDENTICAL! Not to mention the 7's frame is almost nothing in the front anyway. I'm looking into it now, and I'll post back here when someone from there responds.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 09:52 PM
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i think if you want a car that look slike a ford probe ... you should buy a ford probe. lol ,. i saw a 3rd gen that had a body kit similar sitting next to a probe and i could barely tell the difference . and that looks so close that is is emberassing to look at ,
but hey . if that is what you like . no problem
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 10:15 PM
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Ugh, it's not a probe. I can see the physical differances, and I think that it looks fantastic.
However, I've been reading here for a while, and if the two guys who know the most are telling me otherwise, I have to agree on this one. I'm not interested in a widebody kit for it. Just something a little different and something that would allow the intercooler to show. Oh well. Thanks anyway guys.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 10:19 PM
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http://www.mariahmotorsports.com/

They have a lot of kits to make it look a little different and show the intercooler.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 10:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Garrisonbowers
Ugh, it's not a probe. I can see the physical differances, and I think that it looks fantastic.
However, I've been reading here for a while, and if the two guys who know the most are telling me otherwise, I have to agree on this one. I'm not interested in a widebody kit for it. Just something a little different and something that would allow the intercooler to show. Oh well. Thanks anyway guys.
No one is trying to take away your dream here. What we are pointing out is the price tag that goes along with that dream.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 10:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Garrisonbowers
Okay, while I appreciate the honesty I don't have 25k to work with. Mechanically, I'm trained. For body work... eh, no I'm not. I'm currently working on the build for the engine (newly aquired car and I'm still trying to figure some of the more in depth things out), but I'm confident that I can build it, and damn well.
As for the body, I think your estimates are grossly off, I can't see it being a fifteen thousand dollar job to have someone modify a body design that is already in wide distribution and use to fit an older car. A drill and some Bondo would work just as well...
I suspect that you don't have a firm grasp on the true costs of custom work. Even kits that are designed to fit a particular body are not a simple bolt on and paint process. The kit I installed on my 1st gen required extensive work for fit, finish and getting the panels smooth enough to paint.

Attempting to fit a kit that was designed for an entirely different body is fraught with a myriad of additional problems to work around. If had farmed out the body kit and install, it could have easily run me 10k. It literally takes months worth of work to achieve a proper fit and finish if one wants a top notch job, and I tend to be **** when it comes to having work done right.

From your comment about screws and bondo solving fitment issues, that tells me that you do not know what it really takes to accomplish a proper job and that is ithe standard 'ricer hack job' done by inexperienced owners simply to get the job done as easily and cheaply as possible. Quality costs money, custom work costs even more.

If you doubt what I say, take the pic you posted around to body shops that are known for thier quality and custom work and ask for a rough general estimate. Please post back what they quote you.
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Old Jan 28, 2007 | 11:47 PM
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Didn't read all of the post, but I give you this... came from another post here a while back.

The white car was a member but he sold it.

BTW when I saw the pic of what you wanted the expression changed from wonderment at what neat thing could it be to absolute horror. Good luck with you car.
Attached Thumbnails How can I find this for my 7?-fb-sa-354-.jpg   How can I find this for my 7?-fb-sa-355-.jpg   How can I find this for my 7?-fb-sa-713-.jpg  
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Old Jan 29, 2007 | 03:21 AM
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Well, there have been posts in the past from other adventerous individuals who have done stuff like this on the cheap. Usually they find a Honda front end they like at the junkyard, and work to fit that to the front of their 7. Sometimes they end up with only a couple hundred bucks tied up in it. Sometimes they don't even look half bad.

Trochoid, on the other hand, is what we would consider to be at the opposite end of the scale. His work is obviously as close to "perfect" as anyone could reasonably hope to come, because that is what his standards are. If you haven't read his thread on the build yet, you might enjoy taking a look at it.

If you don't mind "less than perfect" work, then maybe you can get something done on the cheap side, but that's your call.
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