So i decided to get started on it... With the help of a skilled and certifed friend, we are taking on the job...

I got the RHD kit from ehime a little while back, and have been planning on doing the swap. Well i finally got a good car to start with. Its got some issues but nothing terrible.

I got a 87 SE i am turning into the rhd and have a s5 exterior and interior for it
I have a five lug conversion for it and plan on doing a S5 NA engine swap.

Here are a few pics of what was done today and the other day.. The other day was taking it down and today was getting the old fire wall out.. Still have some tack welds to take out, but it should be out and the new one being prepped tomarrow!

 

more pics tomarrow!

 

o boy

 

Sounds like fun.. Where do you get the right hand drive dash at? japan?

I could not drive a right hand drive car,, it took me 24 years to master shifting with my right hand..

 

yeah it was from japan. I have been driving since i was eight, its my way of meditating

I cant wait. Lots done today, will post pics in a few!

 

Nice, I've always wanted a RHD, but I'm so use to the standard LHD's here that It would be odd to drive from the other side of the car, but I can shift and steer from passanger side, fairly easy, so I should just get one one day.

 

well the firewall is out. It was not easy doing reverse engineering on it. But all was taken out as it was put in so the other wall can be placed right in and tacked back on! We got started on the rhd firewall but called it a night an hour into it. I am hoping to have it in and being welded on by my friend by saturday night.... I am hoping to have this all togeather by the end of the month

 

so heres how its sitting right now and the second pic is my goad

 

good work, Looks like tons of fun. I wish I had a good place for a project like that.

My only question is why a NA swap, into a NA. T2 would be just as much work. If your down for a little more work put a RE into it. or renesis swap? I'm just saying. 200+ HP is alot of fun in a little car.

 

becuase i dont want it Turbo'd. lol I have a fd motor going into the FB and the wife has a T2, i am not looking for much power in the rhd as opposed to realiablity (haha i know, a reliable rotary engine )...... So i am just doing a NA engine... And i like what i see in fd3s engineerings shop.. Would be nice to have a S5 engine in it right away, thats the only thing i am missing... Hmmmmmmm fd motor in the pounder or S5 motor in the RHD.... Crap i hate decisions...lol

 

well the firewall is about ready to go in...

 

i started driving my mothers stick shift car at 10.. She was impressed. haaa

 

Are you going to keep the JDM VIN plate or swap it so the numbers match, and less hastle with DMV.

Nice work BTW, very clean!

 

not just the VIN plate but the window VIN and the firewalls stamped VIN. Oregons vehicle code covering VIN is 819.400 . Penitalies are 819.410, 819.420

 

it will be an all american made car, it will all be as it originally was with modified holes. Not changing cars, not making a new one, just modifing holes, the complicated way.

 

Read the VIN section it is very specific about vin numbers or lack of them. these numbers are assigned to a chasis.

goto DMV and explain what you are trying to do and see if they can help with the process to change the number on the regestration

do this early will save major headaches later

you may need bill of sales for firewall, car, have police verify serial numbers etc. this is all in the VIN section of the code.

 

the vin numbers are not being modified, nor changed... Theres no need to do anything to change the car, its the same car that it was before, with modified holes...think of the firewall as a piece of metal with holes, screw that it was a car, its now a template... The tamplate is being put on and the vins that were on the car, are not being modified... So its the same car....

 

Ok is the black JDM firewall staying in the car? If it is, the STAMPED VIN from red firewall above the tunnel next to wiper motor will need to be changed or DMV notified of the firewall VIN number change. The window and screwed on plate are easily swapped.
DMV gets real funny about vins not matching.

 

i know this... Thats why the old vin will be put back on it as it was taken off, the old part of the lhd firewall will be put back, and the rest of the rhd firewall will be in place... Thus only a few holes will have changed, not the vins or any of the cars information..

Damn, its like you guys are trying to get me in trouble for swaping vins or somthing... I know better than that

 

I think what Joe is saying is he is considering this simply a part change / upgrade.. the "chassis" is still a US-spec car with US-spec safety standards and a US-spec engine / drivetrain with US-spec emisions... this being the case, the NEW firewall should have the OLD V.I.N. tags installed on it (thus having a complete matching set of VIN tags).... where is the illegality in this? The car is still a US-spec 1987 SE......
Yes, the stamped VIN won't be as easy as the VIN tags to swap, but, its still swap-able or could simply be glazed over with some filler....

 

nice work. done the right way

 

prepare yourself for a lot of long hours to get that thing finished...

Ask me how i know

 

I see that you got it togeather though! NICE!!!! I cant wait. I wonder how many RHD FC's there are in Oregon and Washington? Anyone here have one on the road?

 

joe im pretty sure you will have the only rhd fc around. hell for that case actually prolly the only rhd for a long ways. think about it, how often do you see a rhd car that is NOT a mail car? not that often.i think personally on the road i've seen one rhd. a 240 i think. these bad boys are rare. and the people that do it are of another kind. its some dedication to do something as such.

 

Now you just need this:
http://medford.craigslist.org/ctd/1849799894.html

Racing beat exhaust, springs, kyb struts. $250