S13 JDM Conversion

[M635CSL]

Ok Ladies and Gents,Here is my brilliant Idea. It is still in the planning phase so I would like to hear from anyone and everyone about things I am over looking or just general comments. Thanks in advance.I am a U.S. Marine Stationed in Japan. :thinker I have the opportunity to drive either an R32 Skyline or a K's Silvia. I am leaning towards the Silvia because when I am getting ready to come back to the states I can Dismantle it (I am a competent mechanic) and take many parts with me to put onto an S13 240SX. I would like to do a COMPLETE conversion, SR20DET, LSD, Suspension, Silvia front end, even convert it to right hand drive. Has anyone done this before? Would I need any parts that I wouldn't be able to take off of the JDM Silvia? What am I overlooking?Thanks Again,Eric

P.S. The thought of being able to autocross a JDM, RHD, K's Silvia at home has been keeping me awake at night.

[Cloudedone]

Hey, sounds like a good deal to me, i heard though that if your in the service you can get the cars brought over for you... not sure but thats what i heard... IF you can, you could always bring over the r32 and get motorex to make it smog and safety legal!

[stretch240sx]

hey i think the guy is right. my dad is on his way to the gulf right now and he just bought a harley so something might be able to loop hole a way to get a silvia to the states and then just go to motorex and have them make it state legal. would be much easier if you get stationed at camp pendelton...

[M635CSL]

I had thought about importing an R32 but Motorex charges $16,000 to federalize an R32, and that's for a GT-S not a GT-R. I am not aware of any other companies that can federalize a Skyline (I was told that I am not legally certified to do it myself) I have heard the rumor about being able to ship back 1 car for free too but I haven't been able to substantiate that rumor. However I can ship a certain amount of weight with me when I go back to the states. So I was thinking that if I drained all the fluids and plugged all the holes then had everything cleaned, I could probably just put the parts in with my personal belongings. I know I could do the Engine/transmission/LSD/Suspension swap. My main question is about the Right Hand Drive conversion. Do the mounting points exist on the US Market S13 coupe? I can be creative but I'd like to keep the cutting and welding to a minimum. Which parts (Interior and otherwise) are common between the KA24 US Market S13 and the SR20DET JDM S13? I have seen Right Hand Drive cars in the states before but they are usually old cars. Would the DOT have a problem with a RHD version of a car that was available in the states as LHD? Another advantage of doing the conversion myself rather than importing the entire car is that I would still have a U.S. VIN which would make insurance companies happy.Thanks in Advance-Eric

[themadscientist]

you in Okinawa? I got a Skyline GTS-4 I will be selling soon. bounced it off the speed limiter this morning on the way to work before I reached for fifth on the stock turbo and boost. 5-speed sunroof two door; front mount intercooler, full exhuast, GT-R fuel pump, Nismo regulator, soon to have a speed cut defenser and 260kph speedo so I can use fifth.

[stretch240sx]

hey what the yen-dollar rate right now. cause if you buy it there and ship it over you could use what you save if the yen is low to fedralize it.

hey do you know where you are going to get station when you come back? if you get stationed in so cal you can come to soome o the meet ups we are going to get planed.

[M635CSL]

Sorry Mad Scientist, I'm at MCAS Iwakuni (about 45min south of Hiroshima). Otherwise I would be interested in your skyline. I am hoping to get stationed at either Camp Pendleton or MCAS Miramar Next. In which case I will definately be pursuing local Car clubs. If I do wind up doing this Silvia project, I'll definately look you up stretch.Oh and stretch, it's hard to save $16000 on a $5000 Car.-Eric

[M635CSL]

Stretch, Just Curious here. You say you're in Oceanside? And your dad is on the way to the Gulf? What Rank is your Dad? (No offense Here) and how old are you?

[stretch240sx]

yeah i know... the yen idea was more of a joke than a real idea.

yeah im in oside. my dad is a Lt. on one of the gators. and im 17. no offence taken.

[M635CSL]

Cool, I'm a 19 year old Lance Corporal. The only family I have in the Marine Corps is my Mother's Cousin who is a Colenel Stationed at Miramar (CO of MAG 16). I'm expecting to be here in Japan until dec 2004 and am really hoping to go to either pendleton or miramar next. -Eric