that just cleared everything up for me. it is as if i have been shown the light and the greener grass or something man.

 

You're probably thinking of the thermowax. All FC's have a thermowax, and on US models the thermovalve is mounted on the thermowax. The thermovalve is what controls the closing of the #2 secondary throttles when the engine's cold. Japanese FC's don't have this.

US and Japanese FC's are 95% identical. Pretty much anything you get over there for FC's will work as long as it's not RHD specific.

No.

They're just 'vert taillights with a fog light added, i.e. still basically the same.

Nope, there were never any non-turbo FC's sold in Japan.

That would be the whole right hand drive thing...

 

I'm gonna have to take a look at both my TBs...I have a jspec and a usdm one lying around that I can compare....

 

Seems like that came from either the Brian Long or Yamaguchi (sp??) book, I remember that and "to reduce the selling price in 90/91, the convertible was offered with the NA engine."

Someone should do a "fact list" on these cars, Bernie was talking about production differences on the suspension in 89,90, & 91.. and I recently read about FC3S rotor casting/grinding differences without specifying which engine/model/series that was related to. Not to mention the "random placement/changes" of electrical, vacuum, & cooling system components, the "random un-tracked parts bin" differences on the GTU-S, or assembly issues with GXL/GTU components being installed in the SE & Verts, without the accompanying system controls. Also there seems to be "J-SPEC", "Euro-Spec", "American Spec", and "world" spec" differences (OEM distributed fuel injection).

 

well there are j-spec, usa spec, euro spec, and all those others, you think a japanese market car is legal here? they have to have different cars for different countries, thats just reality.

and actually if you look in the parts fische, you'd see that its very clear what comes with what. the myth that the gtus is a turbo with an na motor, is just that a myth, its actually fairer to say its an na with turbo wheels and no sunroof.

if you want something hard look at ford, they have 3 distinct 2003 tribute/escape models (2003, 2003.5, 2003.75) that ARE NOT CATALOGGED AT ALL. yes, in 2005 ford made a number of vehicles, and they dont know whats on these cars anymore than you do.

i was actually thinking about scoring some jdm parts books, and making a list like of changes, usa, vs japan etc, you'd be suprised at how simple it is

 

All the other classic cars have this documented, it would be nice if this someone in the know (works for Mazda) would helpout on this.

Essentially matching VIN #, model year, car model, build sheets, and assembly plant with build specs, assembly changes/quirks, casting/grinding/building changes, etc...

The GTU-S is near impossible to Match as it was a parts bin car. There have been documented cases of the SE & Convertible having parts not on the build sheet (extra washer tanks), so that also makes it challenging. I also run accross accessories that are not documented as Mazda Finishline accessories (hatch handles from the facotry), non-option wheels, etc..

 

The Yamaguchi book was published in 1985, so it's not in there. I've never seen any evidence of any NA rotaries being sold in Japan between the end of of the S3 and the introduction of the RX-8, but that's not to say it definitely didn't happen...

 

These are the Jspec taillights:



Of course the S5 Jspecs are exactly the same as the US models.

 

According to Mazda Japan's official website (http://www.mazda.co.jp/history/rx7/Java/index.html) The Convertible in 90-92 (convertible production went until 10/92) All the Japanese convertibles after 8/88 had 205 PS (Japanese rating on HP roughly the same as US SAE ratings), so there could not have been any non turbo convertibles in Japan.

It is possible that maybe europe only got non turbo convertibles in 90-91... but honesty I don't know, and should not be quoted as fact.

However weight and cost was the reason we in the USA didn't get any. Perhaps that is what you are thinking or read.

 

this person is on the right track
id like to add
in japan its a Savanna RX-7
you do not have to depress the clutch to start it, just have selector in nutral
seat s vary more in japan and most or all have a back seat
no vin vumber on dash
shorter vin number
less bumper support inside the car
less road dampining meterial
steel spare ( random ?)
steel hood ( random)
more horse power
the warning light s i think are slightly different
cargo light is not on rear hatch support its under a
cargo cover giude (or is all that a S4 S5 difference )
the floor mats were different too i belive
there are lots of differences
but all subtle



realy its like some one said " mazda just put parts on cars as they wanted to that day " you cant track it . mazda dosent know . and i belive they are shocked that you want to know any thing about 15 to 20 year old cars . espically gray market cars

ive tried to track cars mazda made
in order to buy the cars i belive will retain some value
some ......
mazda has a nice spec on 3rd gens they have a list of how many cars were shipped here year model trans and color definitions claiming 13 800 some odd cars
but ive tracked cars for sale and created a data base of a couple hundred FD carsand their vin #s and its justrandom. random, i belive at mazda they just have fun building fun cars . putting together cars out of whatever the buyers and supplyers came up with that week . in japan its a team effort more like mitsubishi and sanyo and toshiba and so on have parts in all jap cars . where here i build my own dam spark plug hell with using what the dude next door uses .



ive asked mazda for a FC spec for cars made in a certian modle color or transmission and they say oh we shipped so many thousand cars in a year
not how many turbos or verts even

so its not to easy to perdict if a fc is worth any thing or is in original condition
ir if it is a GTU or if it had a auto or manual from the factory . and we love to change them


but i do like my JDM RHD S5 FC very interisting

 

i belive all rx-7s and rx-8s ware made at the same plant in hiroshima
the vin does include some info like

year
body style 2 door and vert
plant

at least

older vins i know indicated transmission and trim levels



any help here on newer vin # s

 

The Series V stuff is in the 3rd gen Yamaguchi book I believe, as was the GSL-SE was in the 2nd gen book.

 

Also, but not certain, could it be that the gas mileage of the heavier convertible with a turbo would have made them subject to a gas guzzler tax?

 

Just thought I would throw this pic of my old JDM FC in for fun:

 

That is not right. They had the same horsepower rating, it was just a slightly different scale. Non-US cars use PS, which is marginally higher than HP. For example, Turbos were rated at 202 HP or 205 PS, depending on the country, but its actually the same amount of power.
Also, the steel hoods are random here as well. There may have been s specific hood that was supposed to come with a model, but they sometimes throw in a different one for no reason.
Edit: I doubt the fuel milage was a reason, as the extra weight didnt effect milage enough to merit a seperate fuel economy rating. Also, for s5's the turbo was only rated at 1 less MPG that the non-turbo - 17/25 for the NA and 16/24 for the Turbo. S4s had the same milage in the city.

 

thats weird, ive got some s5 vert tails on my s4, they werent any shorter

 

vert tail lights are radically shorter, and require a vert or euro license plate panel.

If you look at the JDM S4 tail lights I posted above, you will see that they are the normal coupe size. Vert tail lights do not have that extra black plastic towards the plate. That extra black plastic is on the license plate panel (or non existant on Euro models).

 

No, we didn't. Well at least there is no such thing as a non-turbo convertible in the UK. All non-turbo's were coupes. S5 cars are incredibly rare in the UK in any spec. If you do see one, it's prob an import.

My old S4 1988 rx-7 with stock tail lights (UK car). TBH i have no idea if the rx-7 was ever sold to europe. I expect it was. If that's the case i have no idea about the tail lights they had.

http://www.rchambers.dsl.pipex.com/IMAG0016.JPG

 

show me a build sheet. we know they were all built in the hiroshima plant, the parts fische lists assembly changes (the low to high impedance injector switch is the most famous...). assembly changes would take some research, i know the fb ones, but not the fc.

gtus is easy to match, gimmie a gtus vin and we can tell you what its supposed to have.

also if accesories arent documented, maybe they are aftermarket?

not saying this is easy, or a small project, but its not like a ferrari where they only put playboys in the doors on mondays, and wine bottles on friday....

 

They do come with the flare, but I'm not sure about the warning sign. The flare is in a red tube and is mounted under the glovebox to the side of the foot well. My car still has it.

The manual even has instructions on the proper use of the flare. Complete with a typical Japanese (Manga) style character!

My FC is a Japanese model.

Oh, and cooldude the hatch light is on the drivers side hatch support of the S4 JDM model. Not sure about S5. S4 model doesn't come with the hatch cover and doesn't have provision for the installation of one.

 

this light

is this JDM or just S5 everywhere
i have a J spec S5
and a Aspec S4
so i get a miss on some things like that
and as far as horse power i belive you as far as published numbers
but go drive one then decide
changed my mind

oh and mine came with a flare as well orange tube says mazda on it


but this light is that just s5 everywhere or what

 

yea that is definatly on my Aspec S5.

 

S5 models moved the light off the lift and onto the side like your picture.

Not sure why they did it, more cost cutting I guess

 

i belive the rear end gear is lower
i am running 800 rpm more at 70 in 5th gear in a factory JDM car (FC)GTR


be cool

 

The diff is the same but the 5th gear ratio is slightly shorter (0.806:1).