Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Where did you get your price from? I did an "Estimate" from the Mazda RX-7 website (including options on the car, not base price) and that is the amount quote by the website.

How much would you also to expect it to cost to convert the car from right to left hand driver side?

Even 20k for the car could end up being a lot of money after import costs and all the conversions needed for it to be street legal.

Crackers

Thanks Ronamdt, I have an Uncle in the Import/Export buisness and well He will be handling alot of it. He has been doing it for a long time, so he knows alot of people to make the proccess alot smother and faster. I know for a fact I could get 1 FD in here with out even having to worry about DOT, EPA, or customs along with a few engines. Unfortunetly I refuse to sell anything due to the fact he could get in trouble.

Mahjik, to convert the car from RHD to LHD would be extreamly HARD and Irritable. I could do it by finding a wrecked LHD US.Spec FD and spend countless hours doing the conversion which I regret to say I would charge alot due to the fact it's not EASY =]
I would have to say at least 15+ hours to install emacuetly which I would charge probably 2000 just in the conversion not to mention the price of the dash and what not.

Heres what needs to be done to convert it over.

1. Need to switch rack and pionion stearing from JDM to US to move stearing wheele location to LHD,
2. Drill hole in fire wall for Wireing harness, Stearing Collem"SP?", Brake, Clutch, and Gas pedels.
3. Mount clutch slave cylinder, Brake boster/master cylinder, brake, clutch, and gas pedals.
4. Rewire vehicle to allow dash, spedo, tach, and everything else to work.
5. Reroute spedo cable
6. Replace all Moulding
7. Install stearing colum, Stearing wheele
8. Alot of other MISC things
9. PRAY TO GOD YOU DID EVERYTHING WRIGHT AND CAR STARTS AND DRIVES =\
10. Pull hair out when you forget to tighten a bolt and everything rattles and then go back and find bolt.
11. Finish job with half head of hair and vow never to do it again =]

Crackers

Well after seing some pictures, of a RHD engine bay, it will be EVEN hardered due to the fact I have to reroute the ABS. =(

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Yes, these are more of the reasons why I don't think you see newer FD's imported, legal, and flying around the roads here in the US.

Crackers

I duno why people would want to convert it any ways.. Yes it's a tad bit harder to pass some one on a two lane RD/St/Highway..... But still I could live with it. I think if some one did realy wanted it converted over and asked me to do it I would not give them any price break on labor and meterial prices as I think it should be left right hand drive anyways.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

I don't think you can get the car to pass a state inspection with it as a Right Side Driver.

Sure you could just not have it inspected and use it for track only, but there are very few RX-7 owners that have their cars for track only use.

Crackers

Nah, RHD is perfectly legal in the united states. All of motorex's skylines are RHD and they don't offer a conversion at all and thier cars at 50state legal exsept for the 2 year or newer r34's that arn't legal to be sold to califonia residents.

AnthonyT78/88

Hey i know what you can do is import my friend and all these other muscle lovers. import them a j spec mustang if their is any maybe they can keep up with me

misdbman

If someone was to pay that much for a newer FD, how could we be sure the title is 'clean'? What is the Japanese process for making sure the car was not in a wreck, totalled, fire, etc?

Once you get the car up to the $50k price level, a new vette would be feasible. Save another $10k and you might find a Viper.

What about parts? Can we order the newer parts from our local Mazda dealer or do we need a Japanese direct connection.

Right hand drive would sure be a conversation piece.

Damn, I am going to have to learn to read Japanese. Then I can read the RX7 magazines and web sites...

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Hmm, I'm not saying you aren't correct, but why wouldn't there be more newer FD's in the states then? If it's that easy to get them into the US, and not required to have them switched over to LHD?

I'm just saying there has to be a catch somewhere....

Wuppy

its the easiest way.....

ronarndt

Crackers- Glad to hear you have a relative to help who has import-export experience. I'm sure he can tell you some horror stories about getting stuff thru the customs *****. I had a shipment of vaccine to go from the US to Argentina about five years ago. The US State Dept, the US Dept of Health and Human Services and the Argentine Ministry of Health had all sumitted what should have been all the necessary documents to ship by air freight. Some bozo at Kennedy found a place where the spelling of the addressee was different than on the air waybill and delayed the shipment for two days. Keep in mind this was a refrigerated shipment. After someone from the state dept called someone in customs and finally called his boss, we had to have the boxes opened and fresh dry ice added. This was a shipment supposedly facilitated by a branch of the US govt! Plus- it was going OUT of the US. I can't imagine what probably happens to ordinary citizens trying to ship stuff.

Dan Putnam

Uhmm, this post is not a joke, I want an R34 GTR. Black/black FULLY LOADED, 6-speed, under 1,000 km. email me
dputnam@cedarcomm.com
-Dan
oh, and anyone know how much a Lancer Evo VII is?

WHO

Well, I have no problem with importing cars in Canada

But you still have to fix the right-hand drive thing and such... we have laws too, you know

Crackers

Ok, I am going to push this ISSUE very very very HARD...

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CONVERT ANY VEHICLE OVER TO LEFTHAND DRIVE as RIGHT HAND DRIVE is legal.

Sorry to hear about your problems Ronarndt
Yeah I've heard the horror stories, The cool thing is Hes been doing it for many many many many of years, so he got some connections of his own. He got his Beatle over here with out any problems.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Geez Crackers... WHO lives in Canada and they might have that law up there... Settle down.

Crackers

I do wish you could put some sortof tone of Sarcasism on a texted based Forum =( I was being sarcasticly mean I just was trying to be stern also. I do believe canada has no RHD drive laws either. I could be wrong.

Tim McCreary

What about the OBDII laws?? I thought one of the main reasons new RX7's could not pass import inspections was due to the fact that the Japan RX7's will not pass this test. Older 1993-95 could, possibly up to 97 or 98 also.

Tim

Maelstrom

Crackers is correct. RHD is legal in the US. Check out motorex's website: http://www.skylinegtr.com/

neo_omega

how good will the 99~ J-spec engine fit? They are about the same, ain't they?

Crackers

I do belive the newer JDM engine will fit into the US Spec FD with out many problems. I could be wrong I would need to try it to tell you =]

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Some interesting reading in their FAQ:

Q. Why are your prices so high?

A. We have had to go though all of the mandatory requirements for the DOT and EPA . Including crash testing , air bag testing , and OBD II to meet the Code of Federal Regulation requirements. Since Nissan did not perform any of these requirements , we have independently completed the research and development. The pricing reflects our cost of reseach and development. In England , the price of a new R34 is 50,000 pounds. This is about equivalent to our price , at the current exchange rates.They did not have to crash test the GT-R in England.

Crackers

Well, because the bodystyle or name has never been imported through nissan USA it was never put on a list of cars on the government list of cars. Thus for them to prove it fits american safty standards they had to crashtest and get all of the documents proccessed.

Well since the FD was orrignaly on the american market it has allready been approved. Well since Mazda pulled the plug they stoped giving the certificate and not making everything conform to US standards. I.E. the Spedo/headlights and maybe the airbag. I am currently waiting for Mazda USA Import/Export devision to reply to my messages on what doesn't meet US Safty standards.

Untill I recive that email on what doesn't conform I can't give a price.
You never know It could just be as easy as a mear importing the car and sending the right authoritys the leagal responce from Mazda stating it conforms to US Specs just its not properly titled with it. Then It will be titled.

See it can be a very bad nightmare to import it or something as easy as just getting it over to the coast and having the letter provided to the Right people.

Trust me I have read alot upon this and if it is going to be as easy as i think it is, I will apply to become an RI and import and sell several RX-7's and maybe some Supras also.

Dragon

I think the 99+ models, at least all the ones I've seen have airbags in them.. I checked with an Importer before and they quoted me around $8,000 to import it... so I may buy me a stock 93 or 94 for around $6,000 and pay the other $8,000 to get it shipped back... $14,000 seems to be cheaper than the going price in the states for the same years and I want to have a right hand drive... Hell maybe it'll throw the cops off guard when they come up to the wrong side of the car to try and give you a ticket....

Crackers

Well was that the all said and done?? that could just mean the actual cost of the freight charges. As I have the hookup with the actual shipping. Ohh and what i mean by the airbag is that us has regulations on airbags. It could be cheaper in Japan to make it another way and still be effective just its not what Amerca has set as standard. I do belive that the US.Spec miata Airbag would be able to work if that is the case.

Ohh and a 1993-94-95 jdm spec rx7 could be imported into the united states with ease as I could do it very very very very cheaply Only two things would need to be done to the car. I could very possible quote you a price well below that of 8000 dollars. But then again I don't have to pay freight charges.