Pressurized

Yeah, you do get what you pay for, and I usually pay the 'little extra' for the good stuff.

But then you have the people that say, it might not be as 'good' but still performs the same function. As in watches, $1000 - $110....it doesn't matter, they both tell the time.

Sure I paid $2500 for a Breitling, but that's because on some things, I'll go the extra step.

The only reason I've been thinking about getting a "knock-off" bumper is because:

A) the Japanese tuner kits are very hard to come by
B) the prices are outrageous, especially for a piece of fiberglass
C) shipping is even more outrageous
D) which is the biggest reason, 50% of bodykits I've seen on daily driver's are damaged, from animals in the road to parking lot mishaps....buy a chepie, if it breaks, buy another!

DK

iTrader: (5)

Now I know that a cold front is coming through early tomorrow morning to rob me of the wonderously magnificent 70s degree Chapel Hill November weather, but I did not know hell was freezing over. JoeD, you mention my name in a favorable light?! Essentially aligning yourself and opinion with me!? Wow ... maybe I'm still asleep from my siesta?

Touring FD3S

Feel free to send me some of your $250 chump change anytime. PM me for address I just thought it was funny finding these two lines by the same person in the same post

DK

iTrader: (5)

No kidding. I could sure use $250 + shipping. I'm still failing a couple of quizzes because I can't afford all of the books I need for classes.

JoeD

why DK, we never had any beef between us...did we??

nah...we're cool.

hawaii rx-7

let us know how it goes jason. personally, i welcome anything new, the knock off's with the veilside lip attached to the 99 spec bumper look more original than most others. I mean , how many other rx-'7 did you see with that bumper aside from the silver one? now how many mazda 15th anniversary bodykjts did you see? too many. I'd rather be original than like everyone else. After all isn't that why we buy body kits, to be different? as long as it looks tasteful, then why the hell not. if anyone buys one, let me know, I'm pretty interested in it. I guess I'm a ***** for wanting knock-offs, but aren't body kits just body kits? they are all made by people and out of fiberglass, and if ejmack1 can claim to it's quality, then I've got no gripes. But neither would I hold it against him if it turns out to be crap, like everyone says, you get what you paid for, and I'm willing to take that risk. I think I'll buy one for ***** and giggles. if it looks good, then I luck out, if not, I'll have been you're guinea pig. btw, jason, can you get the light kit? if so, let me know. i'm not getting the kit if i can't get lights, that would just look bad.

oh and dk. I don't want to hear it! still a little poor are we? join the army and make yourself useful, at least you'd be making money. **** i made 5$ off this post already, i bet my brother that you'd respond and what do you know Hey, quick question, are the only post you look at ones with the words, "bodykit" or "cheep" hehe that's about all you can afford isn't it? Thanks again dk. :p.

DK

iTrader: (5)

Is that so? Well obviously you've missed my recent posts about fuel systems that so many people looked at and couldn't answer until I did. You wouldn't have known that by bolting your seatbelt in and being an internet mechanic. Truth be told, I barely read any BBSs any more. A lot of posts I don't waste my time with if I know how to answer them because most anyone else can so I let them do the work. I get tired of repeating myself. When I have people emailing me left and right asking how rotary this and how rotary that it gets very toilsome for someone who barely cares about cars. I don't like seeing people buying fake bodykits, though. It's a disgrace to manufacturers and an FD deserves a bit more dignity and class than a flimsy floppy piece of copycat junk. It also deserves an owner with more dignity and class than you.

And it's "cheap", not "cheep" ... birds go "cheep", inexpensive things are "cheap." Technically I'm not broke, but graduating in a month, working on getting on my feet with a career, and dealing with the bullshit associated with theft of my car so that I have a car to drive to work has me strapped. A kid's gotta eat. I don't have mommy and daddy to buy me a car and pay for my **** ... I have a daddy who steals my money. Certainly you have better things to do than to worship me enough to study patterns of what I respond to and make bets with your brother? Have fun trying to tear into me because you can't do it. Go ahead and attack me because of my financial situation ... that shows just how class of an individual you are. The only reason I had possessions and credit to steal was because I earned them.

DK

iTrader: (5)

Nah, of course not!

(I actually never had any with you, which surprised me when you ... well, you know. )

hawaii rx-7

wohoo! another dollar!. 10-Q very much dk. Bravo, you actually caught it! We can always count on you to be a nit-pick, what's new? my brother isn't gonna bet anymore, awe shucks.

Yes I agree that you are smart, no doubt, but when you can't effectively communicate your ideas, it's a big problem. It's a fact that people don't like cocky a-holes, and you just strike me as one. Truth be told, people don't listen to things they don't like, even if it does have merit. Learn from Jim Labreck, he's a know it all, and you'd be hard-press not to finds his ideas a bit radical. However his character is top notch, you can't help but respect his words. Why? because he isn't a pretentious sob who knock's everyone down. He comes across as one of the coolest people I know. Must be the wiser w/age thing. Oh, and maybe if you were a little more social, you could ask a friend ahem... ahem... to borrow a book and study up on those test. good luck!

caio!

afterburner

There are several companies that make copy fiberglass kits, alot of them are in the US. The quality of the copy varies. There are some copies in the low end that are heavy, don't fit right, or that tend to warp with dramatic temperature changes. But there are some very good copies to be had out there as well for a little bit more. However, you do get what you pay for.

If you want the look now but can't afford the original kit then by all means get what you can. But be forewarned it'll take more time preping the kit up than the original, but it can be done, ie like
sanding, cutting, or molding. If I were in your shoes, save up the money (you'll thank me 2 years from now).

As far as the cracks about the knock off kits, just make sure you don't buy one from DK. There are purists here who kind of rub newbies the wrong way:p. Take it with a grain of salt.

The RX-7 is a great car under 20k used. Do what you want with it when it comes to style and what cash you have. Just be careful with engine mods.

goodluck

bajaman

Hmmmm... re-reading it DOES sound kind of haughty....where's that wiener?
:o
Uh, I THINK what I was trying to say (it WAS a Crown and Coke night, after all....) was that $250 compared to the THOUSANDS that are spent on other mods was very reasonable. And there is the chance that the unit would be of good construction.

bajaman

Sigh.....I guess I just don't get it. I like top of the line stuff as well as the next guy, but I truly would never pay $10K (or more!) for a watch.
For one thing, I am hell on watches. I never seem to remember to take the damned things off when I am working on my car or something.....
But to each his own I say. Except for one thing....the TAG I have does NOT have cheap "$5" internals. It is a true kinetic Swiss movement. My boss bought a replica Rolex and it is very nice also.
Replicas of fine watches are a big business, these are quality replicas, indistinguishable from the real thing to all but experts.
And yes, you DO get what you pay for, even in replicas!

Malachi151

About knockoffs....

Remember that abotu $500+ of the cost of a real Japanese body part is simply IMPORT DUTY/SHIPPING. Its not expensive becuase its better, its expensive because you have to have it shipped from Japan.

Why pay so much just in taxes, shipping?

I would rather buy an American made knockoff, like one from Pettit or something.

I talked to these guys and:

1) They are al fiberglass.
2) They claim that shipping is $110+ freight, but I have recently shipped to 93 frotn bumpers with lights and mounting rackets for $20 each 3 day FedEx ground.
3) They say they will actually accept return on body kits, but that shipping costs make it hard hardly worth it, but I know you can really ship for under $30.

I talked to one guy there named Steve that claimed to have FD experiance(but didn't actually sound too knowledgeable), but they said that they had not yet sold ANY FD front ends and could make NO clmains as to how well they fit.

I'm still looking for the new Knightsport front end, which is what I really want, but I ain't paying $2,000 for the real thing....

Tim McCreary

You know, it bothers me that people want to "look rich". If you are, you are, if you are not, you are not. If daddy is rich, that doesn't mean you are. If you want to buy a Rolex, by all means do this. But remember, Gold Foil Charmin and Discount Store brand Charmin still wipe your *** the same way, and a Rolex and Timex still tell time. If accuracy of my watch matters that much to spend thousands of dollars more, I would say I have no life. For those who want to buy FEED, by all means, do so. Spend the money and enjoy. For those who want Joe's Fiberglass Fenders to make a FEED look-alike, by all means, do so. Just stop the bickering about who uses what. NOBODY IS ANY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, AND YOU CAN ALL CRASH INTO A BRICK WALL JUST THE SAME, WHETHER RICH OR POOR.


Money is the means to pleasures, but true enjoyment does not necessarily cost you more. Driving an RX7 is priceless. Remember this and the rest seems less significant.

Tim
Philosopher unextrordinaire

BrianK

changed my mind... decided not to post this. wish that delete function still worked.

0piston

iTrader: (9)

Good post Tim! It does show how much older you are and that you don't care about your daddy's Rolex

3rdGenLuvr

Tim hit the nail right on the head! I cldnt of said it any better!

JoeD: how old r u? Just curious, thru ur posts I wld tend to think not a day over 25 but leaning towards 21. How did you earn ur wealth? How does someone of Rollie caliber even find homself driving an outdated FD? Surely if your good enough to know whats best for ur wrist the FD cant be satisfying that 'higher than mighty' tooshie(I hear rich ppl call it that ) of urs, or cld it? Just think while ur making sny remarks about the dude w/ the knockoff body kit/watch or anythng else, someone else may be laughing at ur FD. Rollie fella's usually frown on Japanese cars.

Again I really didnt mean any of the above to offend you. If it does, I aplogize.

One thing I cld never stand in life are ppl who have a thirst for buying products of 'Big' names purely for the looks of it or the whole 'status quo' thing. Talk about the look at me, look at me syndrome.

As for me?
Im the kinda guy that thinks and says buy whatever floats ur boat! The ONLY thing that SHOULD matter, is how a purchase makes its owner feel. And anyone who tries to take that away is purely an asswipe. Im not saying one shldnt be honest when asked how it looks but dont knock a guy down just cuz he went the cheaper way out.

Goin either route has its pro's & con's. Personally, I think ALOT of the body kits are hideous. And if I wanted to go with the urban look, I wld of bought a civic. Altho I DO like the looks of that '99 spec front end. :p

To each their own ppl!

Tim McCreary

Actually, I am OLD. I am currently 34 going on 16 when it comes to the rotary engine cars. They fascinate me. My dad never had a Rolex, he was lucky if he had a Timex. I was the 13th child in a family of 14, so I had to earn anything that I wanted. I now have a good job that pays good wages for my area and am satisifed with my RX7 just the way it is.

Probably the most selfish thing I have right now is my RX7. I have previously owned several first generation RX7's and there is NOTHING that compares to the Rotary Experience. Say what you want, I like it stock. Just the sheer genius of the simplicity of the design is worth it's weight in gold. No where else in the world will you find a 50 year old design used in such a phenominal manner.

You know, If the original RX7 design was an AMC Pacer with the Mazda Rotary Engine, I think that we would all still be here and still discussing what modifications look best. I am just glad they did not go that route with the design though.

Tim

potatobbq

there's really no point arguing this either way but just as a word of warning, you guys should really check the quality of a knock-off kit in person before buying it. i'm sure there are some decent quality knock-off kits but the quality control just isn't very good. sometimes they turn out a good batch, sometimes a not so good batch and there's no way you can really tell until you try to mount it on the car. once you try to mount the kit on the car, you can see if the pieces line up properly with the car body. more often than not, the money you saved on the kit will be spent on preping and installation...

the name brand isn't really the issue for me, it's simply the quality of the pieces. for example, if atihun's mazdaspeed replica hoods turn out good and fit well, i would have no problem buying one. of course it would be nice to have a real mazdaspeed hood but if the quality of the replica is comparable, there's also no sense in spending 2x the money...

Tommy

Dude....toilet paper is one thing you just dont skimp on. I might where the same damn jeans 3 days a week cause i only have one pair but you'll see nothing but the TOP DOLLAR TP in my bathroom

Thanks for all the replys i guess but all the argueing back and forth is just cluttering my thread

DK

iTrader: (5)

This is very beside the topic ... however ... the only reason that you think I'm a "cocky a-hole" is because I called you and your brother on your bullshit. I'm not exactly sure what your problem is with me, since it was mostly your brother that I had a problem with. I actually never had much of a problem with you, and I did mention before that you seem much more intelligent and mature than your much older brother. I now change that opinion to less immature, because neither of you should be described as mature.

And are you still attacking me saying that I don't have any friends? Well people that don't go to school don't realize that students study and students procrastinate. I can't possibly borrow books from friends when they need them, too, but I have managed to borrow a few. Enough with that, I've got them all as of today. You can't possibly know who I am socially, but there is one person on this board who can speak up for me in that regard besides me. My understanding is that you and your brother avoid meeting with people in Hawaii that you come across on a BBS (last I heard a few months ago), but you'll sure talk it up. And last I heard you didn't have **** on your car, but you'll talk it up like you've bought all of this stuff. Again, I was barely paying attention when I was told this, but I expected it. And really ... don't think I missed you whining about the cost of shipping on a Simpson seatbelt. Maybe if you were a little nicer I could've picked one up for you from one of the two Simpson stores on my way home.

Hate me all you want ... I'm beautiful and nice.

0piston

iTrader: (9)

Potatobbq is exactly right, I have the 99' j spec pettit front end and I wish I would of went with the real urethane one. the fittment wasn't perfect, and it is going to end up costing me more in the long run because of fitment/finish issues. But on the flip side there are well made fiberglass and carbon fiber pieces that I have seen on some hondas that have an impecable finish. Basically know the shop and try to see the quality first hand, unforunately in my case I couldn't.

I have to vouch for for the quality of Japanese tuner body kits, everything I have recieved or seen first hand are excellent. For example: on my hood you can even tell they fitted it before they sold it, you can see where all the imperfections were sanded down and touched up. Its true about the old adage under these circumstances respect you do get what you pay for.

Touring FD3S

Jason, or another mod, just mentioned him since he posted here, is there anyway to remove the BS in this thread and leave the stuff that really matters here? No matter what people think, to me that front end looks pretty nice and for the price I would consider. So this post does actually matter to a few people. Thanks.

I just hate reading 10 BS posts just to find one that actually matters, such as Malachi's.

PS. I do realize I added to the BS, and would not mind losing my post

Alpine

hey jar, how is your '3 rotor' n/a strength conversion going? figured out where to jack up your fd yet? oops, i mean your brother's fd

JoeD

i am officially embarrased to read this in an RX-7 Forum, and to top it off...the FD Forum!

will you feel proud driving a car with a knockoff body kit??