RHD swap... Complete
10-13-09, 04:59 PM
#103
one thing i found out today that really pissed me off was after attempting to put the hood on for the first time since it was removed months ago. that i never swapped out the hood latch. and since it usually pulls in the opposite direction to release the hood. if, i close my hood... its not going to open again.
leaves me with two options.
1. try and find the JDM hood latch. damn near impossible. and if i do, everytime i have needed som miscelanious RHD part, its WAY over priced.
2. hood pins...ugh, not my style.
leaves me with two options.
1. try and find the JDM hood latch. damn near impossible. and if i do, everytime i have needed som miscelanious RHD part, its WAY over priced.
2. hood pins...ugh, not my style.
10-13-09, 05:05 PM
#104
well rested,buffet o food
well, at the time i started this i was working overnight from 11pm to 7am and going to school from 7:20am to 3pm. and i managed to get the actual RHD part comlpete in about 2 weeks. took another month or so to get everything else in and working like wheels, suspension, brakes, lights, all wiring, ect. ect. ect... the list goes on and on. and then about another month doing little things like adding the water/meth kit. porting the wastegate and intake manifold. messing with little things here and there...
if you have a front clip sitting there and your car ready to go. you could have it running and driving in under 2 weeks. but you have to be dedicated. i worked on my car 7 days a week to get it done... literally.
if you have a front clip sitting there and your car ready to go. you could have it running and driving in under 2 weeks. but you have to be dedicated. i worked on my car 7 days a week to get it done... literally.
It really shows.
**** looks great.
john ny
10-13-09, 05:05 PM
#105
although these style arnt that bad...
http://www.3sx.com/store/catalog/hoo...8-0981-500.jpg
http://gt-rr.com/images/product_imag...37b5_W1200.jpg
http://www.3sx.com/store/catalog/hoo...8-0981-500.jpg
http://gt-rr.com/images/product_imag...37b5_W1200.jpg
10-14-09, 04:23 AM
#106
i noticed i never added pics of when i put my exhaust on....
the set up is, a 2.5" downpipe that came with the swap. and a 3 inch strait back with no resonator or cat. and im using a 3 inch Hushpower muffler. I did a lot of research before i chose this muffler. I would reccomend to to EVERYONE!!! look it up on Jegs...
I had a 2.5 inch exhaust with a resonator and asome 2.5 inch muffler on and old TII i had. i then switche to a 3inch downpipe and same exact 3 inch exhaust and muffler with no cat or resonator. even with all the extra flow the car got quieter and much deeper sounding. i dont think these mufflers can be beat for street use... and they look dope!
the set up is, a 2.5" downpipe that came with the swap. and a 3 inch strait back with no resonator or cat. and im using a 3 inch Hushpower muffler. I did a lot of research before i chose this muffler. I would reccomend to to EVERYONE!!! look it up on Jegs...
I had a 2.5 inch exhaust with a resonator and asome 2.5 inch muffler on and old TII i had. i then switche to a 3inch downpipe and same exact 3 inch exhaust and muffler with no cat or resonator. even with all the extra flow the car got quieter and much deeper sounding. i dont think these mufflers can be beat for street use... and they look dope!
12-07-09, 05:40 PM
#108
i have done a lot more to it recently. finally wired in the JDM fogs. re wired the fuwl pump and a few other things to get better direct power without splitting voltage to 2-3 things. a lot more engine bay clean up replacing almost all the rubber hoses with steel braided line. and various misc. stuff here and there...
heres a few shots with the hood on. car just needs a few more things (RE mirrors, pull fenders slightly, sunroof) and i can start getting it ready for paint.
(im no photographer and the lighting sucks. also i never edit pics, so these are as is unedited)
heres a few shots with the hood on. car just needs a few more things (RE mirrors, pull fenders slightly, sunroof) and i can start getting it ready for paint.
(im no photographer and the lighting sucks. also i never edit pics, so these are as is unedited)
01-16-10, 02:04 PM
#112
I been meaning to update with new pics. engine bay is MUCH cleaner with a few nice touches. I'll be putting it on the dyno soon to see what it does. It feels stronger than any stockish TII i have ever had/been in...
01-17-10, 03:22 AM
#116
right now im unsure about the sunroof situation...
my choices:
1. stock sunroof and assebly
* easiest way and will be able to open and close. but only manually. but will also add back all the unwanted weight. plus i lose head room with the thick track system.
2. get just the panel and weld it in.
* not so hard to do. will not gain much weight at all, especially if i gut some of the metal in it. but obviously i lose the option of ever having an open roof.
3. get fiberglass/CF/kevlar panel and make it easy to bolt in/out without the track system. kinda like T-tops.
* definitly the light weight way to go. still have the option of removing it easily if i wanna catch some sun. but cost is MUCH more.
im still very much endecided. im leaning towards welding in the panel. cheap, easy, and i know it wil NEVER leak... unlike every other sun roof i have ever had.
my choices:
1. stock sunroof and assebly
* easiest way and will be able to open and close. but only manually. but will also add back all the unwanted weight. plus i lose head room with the thick track system.
2. get just the panel and weld it in.
* not so hard to do. will not gain much weight at all, especially if i gut some of the metal in it. but obviously i lose the option of ever having an open roof.
3. get fiberglass/CF/kevlar panel and make it easy to bolt in/out without the track system. kinda like T-tops.
* definitly the light weight way to go. still have the option of removing it easily if i wanna catch some sun. but cost is MUCH more.
im still very much endecided. im leaning towards welding in the panel. cheap, easy, and i know it wil NEVER leak... unlike every other sun roof i have ever had.
Awesome job.
01-19-10, 10:42 PM
#121
right now im unsure about the sunroof situation...
my choices:
1. stock sunroof and assebly
* easiest way and will be able to open and close. but only manually. but will also add back all the unwanted weight. plus i lose head room with the thick track system.
2. get just the panel and weld it in.
* not so hard to do. will not gain much weight at all, especially if i gut some of the metal in it. but obviously i lose the option of ever having an open roof.
3. get fiberglass/CF/kevlar panel and make it easy to bolt in/out without the track system. kinda like T-tops.
* definitly the light weight way to go. still have the option of removing it easily if i wanna catch some sun. but cost is MUCH more.
im still very much endecided. im leaning towards welding in the panel. cheap, easy, and i know it wil NEVER leak... unlike every other sun roof i have ever had.
my choices:
1. stock sunroof and assebly
* easiest way and will be able to open and close. but only manually. but will also add back all the unwanted weight. plus i lose head room with the thick track system.
2. get just the panel and weld it in.
* not so hard to do. will not gain much weight at all, especially if i gut some of the metal in it. but obviously i lose the option of ever having an open roof.
3. get fiberglass/CF/kevlar panel and make it easy to bolt in/out without the track system. kinda like T-tops.
* definitly the light weight way to go. still have the option of removing it easily if i wanna catch some sun. but cost is MUCH more.
im still very much endecided. im leaning towards welding in the panel. cheap, easy, and i know it wil NEVER leak... unlike every other sun roof i have ever had.
To weld it properly wouldn't you have to remove the seals around the roof, and then there would be like a .5-1" gap between the panel and the edge of roof. Would it be sound/safe/easy to weld in some filler, or would you need to make a larger replacement panel on an english wheel or something?
I'm fond of option 3; couldn't that be done with the stock panel (albeit heavier than CF but still lighter than the whole stock assembly. The question I have about that is how do you make sure it doesn't leak? My panel is closed, but I still have leaks because the tracks for the assembly are rusted through. This makes it seem like the panel seals by themselves are not sufficient to keep out water, and if that's the case, "bolting in" a panel (CF or otherwise) won't do too much.
01-19-10, 11:09 PM
#122
the gap isnt that big to weld in. and if you have some skills, its not all that hard, just takes time. theres other tricks and methods to filling gaps where structual integrity isnt a worry.
option number 3 kinda creates a problem. but an easy one to fix, maybe. The sunroof panel and rubber around never really stopped water from coming in. Mazda knew this. If you look at your assembly, theres places for water to chanel through and run down hoses behind the a-pillars.
but im pretty sure if i replaced the stock seal with something thicker, this problem could be fixed. i'll be checking home depot for ideas...
option number 3 kinda creates a problem. but an easy one to fix, maybe. The sunroof panel and rubber around never really stopped water from coming in. Mazda knew this. If you look at your assembly, theres places for water to chanel through and run down hoses behind the a-pillars.
but im pretty sure if i replaced the stock seal with something thicker, this problem could be fixed. i'll be checking home depot for ideas...
