engine or panel swap???
 

Hi! I was wondering if you guys had any tips/advice and what you would do in my situation.
We have two RX7 verts, an 88 and 89, that we are going to combine into one. The 88 runs (purrs like a kittenJ) but the drivers door, front, and rear panels got messed up in a run in with a tree from the previous owner. We bought it for the engine. The 89 body it great, minus the trunk but the 88 trunk is fine (easy swap), and currently has a engine in need of a lot of TLC.

My question is given these two cars would you swap the front panel, the door, and have the rear cut and welded from the 89 and put onto the running 88 or would you drop the engine/transmission/ and everything else from the 88 and put it into the 89?

We’ve had the 89 parked for about four years and it was in need of some serious mechanical help before we parked it. We bought the 88 recently in order to “mend” them together somehow.

I would like to know what you guys think is a better plan of action.
Thanks in advance!
Michelle

im in the middile of the same shit

i wrecked my 90 gxl (totaled) and had a 88 gxl for parts in my back yard. what i did was transfer all the good parts from the 90 to the 88 and use the better 88 parts whare needed. but the cars are so incredibly different it is amazing

what you could do is do a motor swap from 89 to 88 and change the wireing harness (all of them) to make the 89 actuly a 88. but the prob is with the automatic seat belts so you will have to use some of the interior from the 88 to make the 88 seat belts work(asuming its the same color) headliner,both upper and lower side panles,and the A piller panle.

or change the door ,fender,and cut out the panle and replace it if it isint in to bad a shape, i would do this if the frame isnt bent or twisted

-kyle

Someone has a lot of work ahead of them.......regardless.

all the body pieces we would take from the 89 are in good shape. I think we could do the door and the front panel it would just be the back we would have to take it somewhere for. We will have to take the power window motor from the wrecked door of the 88 and transfer it to the 89. There is no rush at all to get this done...other than wanting to get it painted to ward off rust. Heck I can buy a newfront panel for about 100.00 so that is an option I'm thinking of as well. Other than that (if we go this route) there are a few minor things we would take from the 89 but the car would be mostly all the 88.

I was unaware of the seatbelt...I'll have to check that out.

Unfortunately the car interiors are different colors…the 89 is white body/blue interiors and the 88 is red/black. My husband and I are debating which color to paint the finished product…I want white and he wants red. We shall see.

lol you ain't kidding!

i think i'd swap the engine/ecu/harness/tranny.... idk whether those body parts would fit...

I was under the impression the two cars had the same body. Is there alot of difference between the 88 and 89?

looks like the same body to me, what is wrong with the 89's engine? if its not internal engine problems then i would just fix the 89, maybe use some 88 engine parts as apposed to the entire engine. gl

so cpmpromise and go pink ! :rlaugh:
isnt that what marrige is all about is compromising? :bigthumb:



j/k but i think white would look the best

panel swapping is so much easier

Honestly we are not sure...it has been sitting for almost four years w/out being started and before that it backfired, bogged down in 1st or second gear (rpm's went up but car didn't until it would "catch") not to mention the headlight motor and window motors are trash. And the window has been stuck down on the passenger side for five years allowing rain to pour in. We did cover it but it was outside, and the combo of sun and hurricanes (I'm in Fl) have eaten through several tarpes and covers throught the years.

Either way it seems like alot of work but love the car, so one way or another it will get done.
Basically the 89 does not run and the 88 runs great but the left side looks like crap.

Sure have got myslef into a pickle:) lol
Michelle

hot pink would be so cool! j/k
being the wife I'll just hold out until I get my way lol

Panel swap

Welding body panels is easier than turning some nuts and bolts? Swap the running gear and ecu, leave the body.

isnt that what all wives do? isnt that what they are tought to do is always get their way ? i thought that was apart of the vows :bigthumb:

i would swap the motor, cause in the long run it should be cheaper than needing a paint job to get everything to match! also, the frame could be damaged from the collision, make sure u have someone who knows what there looking at check that out for u, cause if the frame is fucked the car will never drive the same again!! idc what u do, it will always be off!!