Okay, you people who have or in the process of creating what is VERY high on my to do list.

Say a few words (brief is good) about your TII retrofited Verts. Pics are always good to see. Try and mention at least one challenge to watch out for in doing the retro-fit, and how you took care of the problem.

For instance, I've read that you have to replace the entire main wiring harness in a Series 4 Vert retrofit, but not so for Series 5. True?

How about TII Tranny Mount issues?

Also anyone that has a JSpec right hand drive TII Vert (major jealousy pains being felt now :p), would be good to hear the trails you went through to get your baby accepted into the US of A.

Me, I'm looking to be a contrarian and do a TII Auto Vert.

 

hey hozzaman!

i found one for sale here tonight! $14999 Australian. s4 red, ill go get a pic.. car yard just down the road! first time ive seen one actually, almost didnt recognise it!

 

My '88 vert is still in the process of being converted.

I have started with a Jspec that I rebuilt a couple of months back. The jspec was actually in good condition when I popped it open, but I wanted to know it was perfect. Its surpirsing on these motors, sometimes you pop one and it looks like it has 150K miles on it, and sometimes it looks like this one did. I could have even reused all the apex seals, but didn't.

Replaced all the seals, and its been sitting in the garage much to my wife's dismay since re-assembly.

I found some Ronal R9 rims that I am refinishing as well. These are the same type as I put on my old '87 sport and one of the better looking 5 spoke rims. One has minor cracks in it so I am considering replacing it, but the the single replacement is gonna cost $350

So the next thing is to find the tranny and drive shaft, as I already swapped the rear end. eventually I would like to change out the rear gearing to 4.3, but that may be he last project done on this.

I just put a new rear top on as well. Even though I have done Miata tops before the RX-7 top took about twice book time for me to do (about 16 hours total). I replaced a bunch of missing clips, pins, push locks and other minor plastic as well.

For the time being I am using the factory carpet. I removed it working on the interior, and was intending on replacing it as the old top and drivers seals leaked very bad and there was about an 1inch of water every where. I ended up just replacing the padding underneith and using Oxy clean, then turtle wax deep carpet cleaner, then steam cleaning and the carpet looks almost new.

I haven't started on the harness yet, but my plan is it use the plugs off the cut Jspec harness, and just add the appropriate wires to the ECU as needed. I will be adding a pillar mount Boost gauge, and my display for the A/F meter is actually going to be placed where the cruise control switch blank is.

Then engine compartment is getting painted either black or battleship gray before the Motor goes in.

I was planning on repainting the whole car next month, (its very faded Sunrise Red) but I have put that on hold until either I sell another couple of stories or get back to work (I am on paid leave of absence right now, but if the company doesn't get funding by late next month we are all out of jobs).

 

I know there are more of you out there. Commmmeee on, share the wealth.

 

My project car is a '90. For the S5 only the engine hardness and ECU will have to be changed ( plus engine, drivetrain etc.). I bought everything that I needed from a junk car. It would have been a whole lot easier to have bought the whole car, had to go back for a lot of little things. The only problem I had was the transmission, my car was an auto. If you have standard it's just plug and play.

 

I'll rub it in just because you said you were jealous!
I have a 1988 Turbo Cabriolet (as they're called in Japan), purchased 10 months ago for NZ$9250 (~US$4000) from an RX-7 lovin' chick who's boyfriend imported it from Japan for her 2 years before, stock except for an HKS air filter and a Fujitsubo (huge in Japan) exhaust. I've pulled all the emissions gear and made some minor mods. It's British Racing Green (from the factory), a colour I've never seen on any FC.
I can't go nuts on it coz it's my daily driver, but it's still quick enough to scare people who don't recognise what it is but figure it's a Jap convertible so it must be slow! Verts are extremely rare here, so even other FC owners to double takes when they see it! It's definitely the best of both worlds.

 

I have been working on my turbo convertible for almost a year now. I got from a guy who had wrecked his 87 TII and put the engine and transmission in an 89 convertible. The engine was literaly droped in with nothing connected. The motor mounts were not even lined up correctly. I had to replace the vert harness with the turbo harness and ecu. Now I am in the process of wiring in the windows and top controls. I would suggest you not cross over series like I had to. The plugs for many of the accessories and controls are different between series 4 and 5. Also plan on replacing the entire drive line all the way back including the axels unless you fabricate an adaptor.

 

Maybe one of you who is handy w/ fiberglass could make a hardtop for the vert. I think that would be pretty cool for sometimes. But yeah pimpy. Would make for a hell of a daily driver (maybe even more comfy w/ a jap turbo auto tranny, let the left foot take a break from the city driving and busy traffic. Let you enjoy the air during the warm seasons (and smog) and maybe have the hardtop for winter.

 

these lil f#@ers better work!

 

The stock ragtop would be a good basis for a hardtop shape. Almost same, just smoother, and well, hard and painted ;-)

 

I have an 88 vert and just bought an 89 Turbo II. It should be arriving either tonight or tomorrow. I went with buying the whole car, because there were a lot of things I wanted to switch over and I felt it would better to have it right there. Going to get started on it Tuesday.

As far as crossing series, well...I'm just a sucker for punishment.

:

Dan

 

More are welcome, but to you that have taken on this challenge.

To Foxx, my Aussie new best friend, for posting the Pics.

To NZConvertible , a VERY jealous



I need to reduce the number of projects before I can move forward on mine, but this a really wanna to in 2002.

Cheers

 

Node Said:
Maybe one of you who is handy w/ fiberglass could make a hardtop for the vert.
The stock ragtop would be a good basis for a hardtop shape. Almost same, just smoother, and well, hard and painted ;-)

Node: I agree. I have been looking at my extra Vert. (rough condition) and thinking about using it to build a hardtop. It should follow the lines of the ragtop. It would be nice to have a F/G pro help on the project.
Thay are building airplanes with hi-tech foam, foam pellets, glass and carbon. They cut and shape the foam with hot wires.
I Think it is feasable.
You could use the existing targa top for the front and glass the rear onto it.
If we got one done, I'm sure someone could make a mold and do them in Carbon Fiber.
Anyone in (or near) Vegas interested, and have the know how?

 

I'm paying attention to THIS one!!

In a previous life, I had a Fiat 124 Spyder with one of these and it totally made the car. Especially if you live in a cold climate.

 

GASP!

Node?!?!

I would of expected more outta you

I am so ashamed.

Drive a 5 speed RX-7 and you will understand

 

"As a kid you never acted out the sounds of an automatic transmission"

-lincoln advertisement for the LS (yes lincoln)


Words to live by