Dethumbsup

I am brand spanking new to this forum. I'll just start by saying WASSAAAPP. Second I was interested in starting another project of my own. I wanted to get an FD and make it RHD. I was going to do this by buying a fd that was crashed in the front, then cut the front end off and putt a rhd clip from japan. I noticed that the interior center console was designated for whatever side the car is so if you have a lhd FD it bends to the left and the rhd it bends to the right. Does anyone know if it is different or it just looks that way and if they are different where can I get this center peice. (console where shifter and ebrake are. Also, is their any other differences from rhd to lhd that I would have to watch out for. I did this on my s14 and it worked out well. ANd By the way I have a body shop down in south florida so I will be doing this swap myself. I would apreciate your help. IF YOU KNOW ABOUT ANY FD'S CRASHED IN THE FRONT LET ME KNOW.

Kento

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Can a front clip even be legally registered under the VIN of the shell car? If the donor clip is a 92-95, it should work ok. Later FDs have different wiring and it's not a fun thing to splice into. Run a search if you're interested.

But all that said: what a waste of time! Might as well import a full RiceHD FD and get it registered illegally. That way a perfectly good LHD FD won't get cut up.

Dave

moconnor

iTrader: (14)

Why have RHD FDs suddenly become trendy? Was there a film or TV show that I missed?

I mean, I can understand wanting an RHD Skyline or a Spirit R or the like because they simply are not available as LHD cars but are there really people out there that are impressed that that you would drive an RHD car when an equivalent LHD version is available?

ihavetwins

iTrader: (5)

u can legally get a front clip but u wont need to chop the front of the car off what needs to be done is u need to cut a hole into the fire wall on the passenger side then u need to install all the right hand drive goodies basically its not a easy swap but thats what needs to be done in essence.

Dethumbsup

If the car is already registered and titled because its a US VERSION RX 7 and you do a swap the only people that will know its been done is you, your buddies, and a friendly cop that pulls you over. But the vehicle IS registered and titled as a US VERSION RX7. Now if you add some dark *** tinted windows not even the cops will bother you. (What I did on my RHD s14) You try and get a jdm rx7 and have it titled. If you do let me know. But Im sure ull charge me 20,000 minimum RIGHt!!. I can have one for half. AND if the car is crashed in the front doesnt it have to get fixed anyways?

Dethumbsup

I have a body shop. I did the swap on my S14 and it came out perfect. I also had it finished in a week or so. I got a car that was worth 3500 with a 3500 front clip with a few parts and a paint job and now its worth ....well I'm sure you guys know. I am sure if I can finish this rhd swap this car will be worth a hell of alot more then just any lhd rx7 on the street. Am I wrong? Just curious.

MAXX65

iTrader: (2)

First off........ welcome

Second........ these cars are not hondas. Don't get me wrong, I've loved all three of my stolen hondas. The thing is that all those people that want a RHD car also want a fast car and with emision laws in the states you can't import one without a deep wallet because the engine set-up is different, so they go with the next best thing, the front clip swap. Now with RX-7's they were created basically the same + a few horses, so they are able to be imported with less headace. In short, I love the idea of having a RHD 7, but think about the who the typical swappers are. no matter what you do, good luck and i hope it gose seamlessly.

BenjiRX-7

iTrader: (3)

Why would you do that? IMO, the only good reason to get a rhd car is for people who live in countries where it is legal to import jdm FDs to buy one for cheaper than the local price. Our roads are made for lhd cars.

crazyrx7

I see too many rhd cars here in Canada. People who buy those are the ones that can't scrape to nickels together. **** jdm fd's go for $8000 up here and 99.999% of them are ****.

R.K.

Dethumbsup

Maxx65 thanks alot for the welcome. I myself got my si stolen and know how the honda trend is. I have resources and was trying to utilize them to build something different and affordable. Some of these RX7 owners put their prices sky high which I beleive the car is worth every penny, but again I think I can use my resources to build a rx7 that I know is built well from top to bottom and getting every cent of my dollar to work towards my gain. I can easily spend 18,000 on an rx7 that will still need a peice of me put into it or i can start from scratch. Thanks again for the luck

Smitter

My thoughts exactly

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

It's been said before and has very few exceptions: "project" FDs are not bargains. But it sounds like whatever you choose to do you have the resources - budget carefully. There are some simple parts on this car that tend to break and cost a whole lot to replace - search the classifieds to help fill in the blanks on your budget. These add up fast and can kill a project.

However, if you're building a car you won't keep, during the build you could cut a lot of corners that an owner wouldn't. So as always (to you and anyone buying someone else's project car) buyer beware.

Dave

Dethumbsup

Like I said in the begining I am new to this Forum so my knowledge of these cars is very basic. i am looking for help to complete a fd not enemies. Every car I build is built as if it were meant for me. Some of you guys mentioned the rhd fd's from canada. I thought of this also, but what does it take to get those cars registered here. Even more of a mission. right or wrong? Just like my s14 I am doing the swap with a us registered car. When finished i did not get any hastles because the car was already registered to my name with insurance and all. Also I find it easier to install a full swap because all the parts are their already.What I like about the clips is that they can even be run and tested before even putting them on. Now if I have to take everything apart to swap it over that becomes time consuming and not worth it. I can buy the US fd but why? I have three buddies that have them and they're sick but why can't mine be sicker. Yes the streets are meant for LHD, but who cares you, my buddies, and my grandmother might drive on the left, but why can't I be different then that. If I can do it what the hell why NOT?

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

I think your idea is reasonable, and your intent is reasonable.

The same cannot be said for 90% of the brand new posters who arrive on this forum talking about how they want a RHD. Especially when they want to import a JDM car and are looking for how to register it legally (it can't be done since Federal crash testing was never done on JDM FDs). That's why the tone of this thread is not really enthusiastic - there is a lot of history on the subject.

I'm not a body restoration expert, but be sure moving the VIN tags from the original to the donor front clip is not fraudulent. And that moving the tags is legal in the first place. (Obviously, leaving the JDM VINs is not good because your insurance adjuster will look at the japanese vin and say "this isn't the car we're covering, goodbye!".) Discussions about illegal methods for importing will not be permitted here, regardless of whether anyone's been caught doing it.

Good luck with your project, and like I said before focus on a comprehensive budget. Fixing FDs eats tremendous amounts of cash and you could end up losing money.

If you want this project to go smoothly, you need a 92-95 front clip. The only difference between it and a US LHD car is the drive side. Nothing in the engine will offer a visual or performance advantage over a US car. As for the 96+ front clips, you'll need to contend with the changed wiring, and the performance differences are very small compared to what can be done by spending a little cash on aftermarket parts.

Dave

gio64

iTrader: (1)

In my opinion, what you're saying makes sense in a completely theoretical and superficial approach.
But if you look at it carefully, it doesn't make sense at all, or at best, it might make sense if....

What I mean to say is that from what I can see, fixing a banged up LHD or fixing it up using a JDM clip is not necessarily (and I might add not likely) an economically intelligent choice. So, if you're going to go into this to save money, it doesn't make sense, it might make sense, but not for sure. In addition, all the work you do yourself maybe free man hours to your wallet, but the way I see it, my time is more valuable than somebody else's. Which means you could be using all the time and extra effort doing something else, with this car or another, for that matter (or with your girlfriend/wife or other girlies out there).

This leaves us with the "different" factor.
As far as I am concerned, being different is what the word means, different, nothing else. Now, there is good different and bad different. So, the question really is whether RHD is good different or not.
Personally, I don't objectively see any possible way to look at a RHD as a "good difference". I mean, who gives 2 craps about where the steering wheel is in a car, if we're looking at it from a simply "cool factor" stand point? Would we say that our FDs would be cool if we would take them to Japan and drive them on the "wrong" (for us) side of the road, but when they're here, they are not as cool? Does this add to the visual appeal of the car? I think not. Does it make you look better because your best side is the right? Perhaps, if that's the case... (I don't know if this adds coolness to the car; if somebody else's best side is left, they wouldn't find your car cool...) Is the RHD 3 times over more inconvenient, uncomfortable, more dangerous to drive? Well, if the entire traffic system in North America is setup for LHD, I think it is pretty obvious to say it is so. The only advantage I can see with a RHD is that if you blow it on the highway and coast to the right side, when you get out of the car to see what the hell happened, you're not in the line of the flying traffic upcoming...

In this case, the way I see it, this would be a "wannabe little frankenstein", as it is not a RHD imported from Japan, which would at least have the "curiosity" value and the charm of coming from such a far away and very different country, it would be almost like a testimony of a different world. At the same time, it would cease to be an original US FD (not all that common car anymore and on its way to be a vintage).

I live in Canada and I have seen a RHD FD about three weeks ago, as over here they are becoming somewhat popular.
I think that "you get what you pay for" is one of the best statements ever written by human kind.
If you get a banged up FD, just fix it and enjoy, that's what I think. But then, it's your car, so... You do what you want, right?
Good luck with your project whatever way you are going to go with it.
Giovanni

7syawedis

iTrader: (1)

doing this conversion is stupid and a senseless waste of time. honestly i prefer it myself, ive driven a couple rhd vehicles and if i had to pick i do like it a lot more. but my cars are lhd and it works fine.


do you just want the jdm cool factor? its not the same thing

FD3S-K

iTrader: (6)

Waste of money.

Hitokiri_Gensai

iTrader: (2)

Hrm, depending on where you live in the US, the only real way to get a RHD anything is do the swap yourself.

Yeah it may be useless, it may be an "abomination" or whatever, but to some people its something that they want and are willing to put the work and time and money into acheiving.

As for welding the front end on or cutting up the USDM firewall, my suggestion based on a friends project 7, the best way to do it is to cut out the firewall under the pinch weld under the USDM VIN and weld in the JDM firewall off the clip.

as for the VIN number, you can cut the old plate off the USDM dash and rivet it onto the JDM dash. they are, after all just rivets, and easily replaced.

From there, bolting the subframe into place and such is the way to continue from there.

The hardest thing atleast that ive seen in my own project is the windshield wipers since they have to be swapped from one side to the other. So far ive been trying to figure out how to make it work. My thoughts are, cut out the windshield wiper mounts and weld in the JDM frame.

as for all who hate on the project, my only thoughts, screw off, its his car, its his project and what he wants to do is what he wants to do.

yeah they're might be less LHD "authentic" FD's and ****, but so far the only people i know who have done this sort of thing are rescuing an otherwise forgotten FD from a scrap heap, and brought it back to life. and eitherway, not everyone has a fortune to import one and register it here in the states, so we do what we can.

gio64

iTrader: (1)

...Why? (just curious)


That's sounds really intelligent and mature, not to mention called for.
I think myself and some others have just stated that it was his car. Why don't you screw off with your attitude?

Like I said, I am not so sure the swap saves money as opposed to fix a US FD in need of help. Maybe in some cases, sure, but it really depends on whether or not the clip is going to be exactly what you need to fix the damage and be convenient economically.

I am not sure I understand what this last part means. You do what you can to do what? If you convert a US car to RHD, you have a converted Frankenstein US car, not a JDM car.
A JDM car, if you see and place any value in it, has value and importance as such, not just or only because it happens to have the steering wheel and the pedals on the other side.

I don't know what the hurdles are in the US to drive and register a RHD car, but it looks like the JDM FDs can be had for as little as 8K (which is practically THE ONLY REASON why some people here in Canada are importing them). I am not sure it would cost a boatload of money to register it if this is possible. If it isn't, then I guess this conversion would be the only thing left for somebody to try. To me is like a right-handed guy uses his left hand to pretend his left handed, because this would be "cool". But in doing that, he suffers a great deal for obvious reasons...

It doesn't look like anybody was trying to insult anybody here, I believe that all the advice posted, for or against, was put out to give opinions in what everyone believes to be "the best interest". If you don't like it, that's fine, it's your car, like I have already said, and you have repeated. No need to **** off on people, especially considering that all this was not directed at you.

Hitokiri_Gensai

iTrader: (2)

sorry bout the screw off part but it gets tiring hearing day after day people putting down my car and people who are doing things like it.

and the idea isnt to HAVE a JDM car its to have something similar

my friend got his FD for 400 bucks and RHD converted it, payed 3500 for the front clip and everything came off of that for the car. I wrecked my FD back when i was young and stupid and i payed 9000 for it to be repaired, so as i see it, a RHD conversion would have saved me money.

as for the importing part, its near impossible to import a JDM car into the US without going black for the registration ie, registering it in Florida or Tennessee or North Carolina where they dont seem to care and then transfering the registration up north, which is still illegal if caught, the car will be impounded and most likely crushed.

FD3S2005

iTrader: (11)

im sorry but to me its a waste. i would love to have a rhd but i wont do that to a 7, ill just wait till i have $$$$$$$$$$$$ to import one..

FD3S-K

iTrader: (6)

fd's are cheap to import here in Canada, a "usdm" fd sells for 15-20g in mint stock form, and a jdm imported you can easily get one for 8-9 grand.

walken

iTrader: (6)

you need a front clip, entire rhd body wiring, hatch/gas tank lever with wires, and both door locks. after a lot of cutting and welding you get to figure out how to put it all together. it's really not that hard, but in the end it is so not worth it.

gio64

iTrader: (1)

I understand your feelings, and I see what you're saying. What I was trying to suggest is that -maybe- using the JDM front clip to fix a LHD car and leave it as such could be more or less as costly, but I am not that much into this type of activity and so I cannot say to what extent this is true.
Once again, if it's your cup of tea, as far as your car goes, and you're happy about it, you should enjoy it and not care about negative comments.
What I'm wondering is whether or not the problem with importing in the US (or in some of the states) is with emissions or with car's architecture. What I mean is, if you get stopped and you're on the right side of the street and the cop sees this is a US model car converted, is he going to be legally obliged to give your stuff back (with or without fine) and let you go, or is he still in a position to take your car?
Just curious, again...