I heard of a company that brings newer original-style vw bettles from Mexico by transplanting everything from the new one to an older chassis. This way the car can be registered as 1975 bettle or whatever chassis they used.

Would it be possible to buy a 93-95 stripped down chassis, import a 2002 spirit r as a parts car and transplant everything? This way the car could be registered with the older chassis code and will not need the obd2 standard.

Crazy idea or good idea?

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$ idea

 

Or you could save $20-30,000 and just install the Spirit R modifications to your original FD.....

No offense, buy your idea seems pretty dumb to me.

 

what are the spirit r mods?

 

move to Japan!!

What is this like the 10 millionth thread on this.

 

Ship your car to Japan for restoration. Buy a newer JDM
car, swap serial numbers to the newer car and conver it to left hand drive. Bring it back to the US post "RESTORATION".

Only cost $$.

 

Buy a totaled FD for a couple gran. Import a JDM rx7 as a race car. Just transfer the VIN numbers from the totaled FD to the JDM one...and go to the DMV to register your new RX-7...

 

yeah, thatll work at inspection time or if the insurance company gets involved and they notice a US VIN on an imported car.

 

Dude...there is no way the insurance company can find out. You are insuring the totaled car...remember.

The only thing that you will have is a salvadge title but that is it!

 

re: switching VINs, there are more than two VIN locations, and most of them are stamped into metal, not just tags that can be switched. Have you ever taken a car to an insurance company? Mine (State Farm) checks at least two or three locations of VINs. If you could somehow find an insurance company that either didn't look or didn't care, this would probably work.

Switching parts would work for an insurance company, it would be similar to installing aftermarket parts on your car, but keep your receipts and be prepared for a fight if you want to make a $30K claim on a car that books for $16k. The japanese parts might not all be legal for US highways however, for instance if you have to pass a visual smog inspection or get pulled over by a really mean cop who wants to check your engine code. If the engine code doesn't check out as being US-legal, you car gets impounded (they've done this at streetraces, and impounded JDM SR20's and B16's).

-scott-

 

I agree that the idea is not economical, but I contend that it is not a dumb idea. When time passes and FD's need restoring it might be worth checking into.

 

so what are the spirit r mods?

 

the spirt R has a lot differn't nifty things in it, depending on the options it could come with, such as Recaro Kevlar backed seats, bigger and better brakes, bigger and better wheels, much better Turbos, a 16 bit ECU, a black box that was used to replace the rats nest, better paint, the 99 spec front end and wing of course. Differn't steering wheels and badges, it also came with a useless boost gauge. Differn't cooling fans, umm what else am i missing, 4.33 ring and pinion, and i think the transmission was improved somehow ( could be wrong). The suspension was beefed up too i belive. So on and so on....

 

with the turbo's are you talking about the 99 efini's or was there a specific set for the R's?

 

pretty sure they were all the same

 

gotcha....I am debating of what to do when the time comes...whether to get the efini's or do a twin upgrade.

 

Is it me or does it depend what State you live in? Cause I rarely have a problem registering a car in Florida. No emmisions, no bs. Just show a title and Bill of Sale (not even necesary) and thats it , you got a title.

 

getting the car to the US is not the problem, getting it road legal legally is of course you can always just drive the car on the road a hope to god that you dont get pulled over. i know of a few people which are driving non-reged cars/no title cars... hell 1/3 of the people in hawaii are driving around with no insurance (500 dollar fine) or driver licenese (75 dollar fine) or safty check (45 dollar fine) or reged cars.

 

I just dont see why its so difficult. Show your proof of purchase your japanese title show everything. What makes it "illegal" for the road?

 

If you guys go ahead with this idea, you will have lots of time to chat on this forum. That is assuming they let you have a computer in your cell.


When your 3rd gen car is worn out, or you just get tired of spending money on it, buy a Corvette.

 

The car has to pass United States federal requirements, as well as state requirements. At the stock level, it does not pass many federal requirements.

 

Sprit R is totally different from our 7 that we have here. It just looks similar. Rhode has mensioned above there are aloT* more things which were changed from what i've read from these japanese magazines. FD came out in Japan on Oct, 1991 and the sprit R came out on APR of 2002. Basicly for 11yrs they have been improving rx7 from head to toe besides the body frame (Mazda did not improve the body due they were able to pass the colision test in japan with original body frame) Within 11yrs there are type 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and Sprit-R.....alot has changed since the rx7 we have (type 1) has came out.

 

There is also alot that wasn't changed. But because some things remained unchanged, they do not meet requirements for their years.

 

I'm strictly speaking of parts which changes capability of performance/handling of the car. Obcorse, they still use the same ac fan controller switches, cig. lighter, trunk carpets, etc....though, they have down greated the interior at some point/type such as rpm guage with out siler crome rim, steel spare tire, non adjustable towarbar, etc.

 

They're typically referred to as series, not type, and the U.S. production 3rd gen. is series 6. The Spirit R is simply a limited production model, but it's still considered a series 8 RX-7.

Series 1 - 1979-1980 - 1st generation
Series 2 - 1981-1983
Series 3 - 1984-1985
Series 4 - 1986-1988 - 2nd generation
Series 5 - 1989-1991
Series 6 - 1992-1995 - 3rd generation
Series 7 - 1996-1998
Series 8 - 1999-2002