I'm woundering if I should cut the JDM firewall out and simply screw it into the cars firewall or cut out the holes needed. Any ideas? I've never done this before and I'm thinking just use the JDM just as a template because from what I see the indents on both firewall are very similar.

 

It would be better to cut the holes into the US firewall and patch the ones left from the left hand side. Screwing in a firewall is janky.

 

It would be better to just buy your RHD car.

The firewalls are NOT the same, you can't just cut the holes. Well, you can, but thats simply so far beyond hack that there's no description for it. As would be screwing the firewall in place (not to mention dangerous)

The actual way to do it would be drill the spot welds in both, swap them, and re-weld at the factory points.

If you're considering screwing a firewall into your car, then this swap is probably out of you skill range.

 

lol, why are you doing this again? I WANT to, but, you do know that passing people is a BITCH in a RHD car, on LHD roads? Think of this, in LHD, you only need to drive out a little amount to see ahead of a slow car. RHD, you have to either go on the other side, or drive like, half the car out onto the opposite lane...

Not saying you shouldnt do it if you REALY want thorugh, it is your car, so if you feel like it, think it over, then just go and "DO IT!" lol. Post pics when you're done plz.

 

ya I meant to say tack weld

 

Passing people. Thats interesting i never thought about how to go about doing that in a RHD. Maybe I should put a camera on my side mirrow. or add one showing whats in front of my car. lol

 

Haha... well, in an RX-7, you're going to be doing that a whole lot, so yeah, make shure you feel comfortable and all. (again do it if you want, just trying to help so ppl don't go "oh ****" wish i would have thought of that sooner, when it's too late)

 

I have already drilled out the steering rack mount and am going to tack weld it onto the USDM.

What other purpose can a firewall have other then seperating the engine bay from the inside and insulating the inside. Is it used to support the cars frame/body?

 

I've owned and driven several RHD RX-7's and they are awesome! Passing isn't to difficult once your used to driving the car.
I really would recommend buying a RHD car to begin with, your going to run into ALOT of wiring problems doing a convertion.

 

I have a clip. The only wiring that concerns me are the wires running to the back which won't to too hard to rewire

 

DUDE, on some cars, yes, the firewall's "not the same" on the FC, its a mirror image withought the holes on the pass side. After all, these cars were actauly built for the US market, rather than ppl in Japan. That's why we have the N/A's and so many model ranges, while in Japan, even the Vert is T2, and auto FC's are rare. (well, yes, they DID have the nicer models later, but those were made only after the car was dubbed as sucessful.)

 

OH YES its part of the structure lol

If you are ACTUALLY doing this, you're going to need to brace the car throughly before you go sawzall'ing the firewall out. That is, if you want to shut the doors afterwards.

I'd recommend getting chummy with an experienced body man who has lots of structures experience. The firewall swap in itself will be involved enough to either make an RHD car, or two pieces of scrap.

 

OMG... let me repeat that... do NOT cut the firewall out!!!! Cut the holes, whay you noticed is right, you only need the holes there, the firewall does not need to be cut out and rewelded in any way except for the holes for the steering rack, pedals, master cyl, etc

 

do what my buddy did in his integra, cut both firewalls out using the first one as a template for the second, then place the jdm fire wall in the usdm car and weld the seams, you dont have to weld every inch but on the spots you dont weld use some kind of sealnt, and weld on the inside of the car that way the dash and interior parts will cover up the welds and seams, swap over steering racks and everything else needed, oh and passing people isnt the hard part.. you just go for it lol, but the part thats a pain in the *** is when you get pulled over, and be sure that when your driving your passenger is reading the newpaper or holding a steering wheel out of the window, scares the **** out of people and it never gets old. oh yea, your fuel and hatch popers are going to still be on the other side

 

Why are you doing this?

 

Ya I'm leaving my hatch latch alone. Thanks Rotary guy This is going to be alot of fun.

 

another example of people that should not being doing this conversion or ever touch the auto body industry ever.

 

I've gotta say - I didn't spend a lot of time looking at it, because it's not worth a couple of thousand dollars to me to have to crawl across the console everytime I come to a tollbooth - but it did look to me like most of the holes were the same, side to side, other than the big steering column hole and a few others.

I'd definitely cut the holes in the existing firewall rather than weld in the new firewall, and weld patches into the old holes you don't use.

 

Sweet, at least you've included a picture of what you'll be driving for the two years it takes to complete this and figure out where all the parts go, and have it not kill you.

 

Well, cutting the holes in the firewall today was a piece cake. The firewalls were very similar. Now its just a matter of putting everything back together. I'm guess 5 more days and it'll be running. I'll post pics as soon as I get my camera back.

 

I will be a bookie on this one who here takes bets on this guys state of 5 days? I am going to bet not because he is forget allot of stuff "ask me how i know" so I give 3 to 1 odds right now who's in?

 

Well how did i do guys? im expecting to have everything back together in the next two days (not 2 years).

Here this is whats been done so far.

 

Looks good! Cool to know the RHD steering rack still uses the stock location for the PS lines. And I guess the wiper motor goes on the passenger side now? Fishing those arms out of their is going to be a major pain! Keep updating!