Similar but so different.....

[Jake]

I think you\'re spot on there Miguel.  I know where I want my RX-7 to go and I want to get there with the best quality original parts.  I think sometimes this leads to a judgement that your label and brand name obsessed and not concerned with performance.  I tend to look at it slightly different in that I want proven parts from some of the best manufacturers in the world.  Not something cheap that won\'t perform or will fall to pieces quickly.  When I bought my exhaust I got a FEED down-pipe, Knight Sports cat and a Fujitsubo exhaust which ended up costing quite a bit, certainly a lot more than I could have gotten a full exhaust for.  But when it came to fitting it everything aligned perfectly and I mean perfectly with a back box that fits snug to the rear bumper.  I could even get the brace back on over the 80mm piping for the cat without any bother and lots of clearance.  I understand that people aren\'t all rich and I\'m definitely not myself but I think I\'d rather wait longer and get less parts of the right quality than buy cheap knock-offs so I can modify as quickly as possible.  Funnily enough the only part that I\'ve bought for my car that was made in the UK was a replacement aluminium AST that\'s only been on the car about a year.  Whenever I drive now coolant leaks out of the top and I have to keep topping it up, needless to say it\'s going soon and I\'ll be putting a Knight Sports one on there.

[D1 WTF]

these are fair points, but like some people have said, not everyone can afford to do a lot of it with original parts (obviously as they are very expensive).  which is fine that doesnt matter to me, but like has been said they then cant complain that fitment is bad etc.  (when bumpers come up for sale the first think that is said, is what is fitment like, i have asked this question even reasontly) i guess i am talking about body kits really

One of the main problems for me is where do i get these original parts.  i cant easily find anywhere that sells what i am after.  where stocks genuine C-west(bumpers/side sirts), veilside(rear spats etc), Re-A (headlights),

[Newera]

We don\'t stock C West, RE-Amemiya, Pan Speed, etc/ but supply such goods at 15% over retail cost in Japan + Carriage to your door in UK. Surface delivery is fairly reasonable from Japan to UK.

Example: Two FRP bumpers and skirts are around £230.00 for delivery cost from Japan to UK.

Please don\'t ask us to supply quotes if you\'re only wondering on price though!

We prefer people only contact us when they\'re ready to make a purchase, not window shopping

Thanks

Miguel.

[Lock]

Sorry this is off topic, but were you in Sheffield last night Shafster, in that MR2? (on 31/10/06) Saw an MR2 just like the one you\'ve just picked up, passing by the trainstation. If it was, it looks hella wide at the back, was impressed.

[D1 WTF]

Please don\'t ask us to supply quotes if you\'re only wondering on price though!

We prefer people only contact us when they\'re ready to make a purchase, not window shopping

Thanks

Miguel.

thats cool but what sort of money do i need to be saving, if you wont quote me a price for lets say front bumper and side skirts (cwest)
cheers sam

[Red and Single]

I saw that you were bidding on this on ebay.  How much did you end up getting it for?

tich !!!

....

pikey !!!  

:rollin

[Red and Single]

Leave us "Pikey Ebay users" alone Ross, not everyone can afford "dragon" prices :rollin

Miguel I know you "only add 15%" but when you add shipping and customs tax and VAT things from japan are a fair bit more pricey over here than they are over there !!

You can\'t blame folk for wanting stuff at sensible prices...

[elford_tim]

While I\'m not as rich as I\'d like to be I\'m afraid I\'d have to side with Miguel here. Quality costs and you pay for it sooner or later - if you get a cheap knock-off kit I guess you\'d end up spending a considerable part of the price difference on filler and bodyshop time just to make it fit. Plus stuff that gets sold to you as, say, \'genuine Veilside\' but isn\'t doesn\'t do the original manufacturers any good, either.

Personally, I prefer high-quality, fit-once-and-fuggedaboutit type parts as opposed to the ones that make me wonder if I need to buy a bigger hammer to fit them. And if that means that I\'ll have to save a bit longer I\'d rather do that...

[AtomicRex]

My RX-7\'s cost me over £30,000 to build in Japan (Over 5 years)

Learnt my lesson though - Our race RX-7 being built in the UK has a real one. It doesn\'t need bonnet pins to stop it curling upwards at speed, or protect against the bonnet hook snapping off at speed with potentially disasterous consequences.

A car doesnt need to cost over 30k to be done properly, there are many people over here selling bits and pieces that are shoddy, and over charge!

As for your car not needing bonnet pins to stop curling....thats great but it will do before it can go out on a race track!

The parts dont need to be genuine parts....there are others that can replicate after market parts.....Just check before you pay any cash.

[Newera]

thats cool but what sort of money do i need to be saving, if you wont quote me a price for lets say front bumper and side skirts (cwest)
cheers sam

Do a simple Google search, find the retail prices in Japan, add 15% and estimate carriage costs based on the example I gave, to get a rough idea of total to your door. No other costs to add. Should be fairly simple to do.



Miguel

[Newera]

A car doesnt need to cost over 30k to be done properly, there are many people over here selling bits and pieces that are shoddy, and over charge!

As for your car not needing bonnet pins to stop curling....thats great but it will do before it can go out on a race track!

:wiggle There\'s "done properly", then there\'s really done properly... I\'ll post up a thread sometime with full pics of my rex, but it\'s got a lot done to it... It\'s not a focussed track car only, it\'s a car that\'s beautiful to look at, but is also very capable, not just in go, but handling and braking too.  
If you do a search, you\'ll probably find some pics on this forum somewhere..

It\'s not all about function for me, form and quality has to play a part too in making the best car I can. Personally, I don\'t like seeing my bonnet wobble at high speeds, which it does. It\'s fine for the racetrack, but that\'s not my point.

I used this as an example of copy against original, properly developed stuff.

Scoot developed their bonnet to flow air through the engine bay on their top speed RX-7, which did something very close to 200 mph in NZ. Their bonnets aren\'t flimsy like the cheapo copies and are made to very high standards.

Quality costs money.

Miguel.

[Newera]

A car doesnt need to cost over 30k to be done properly, there are many people over here selling bits and pieces that are shoddy, and over charge!

As for your car not needing bonnet pins to stop curling....thats great but it will do before it can go out on a race track!

Looking again, perhaps I kinda got the wrong end of the stick.:flamed :flamed :xconfused

Of course, you don\'t have to spend £30,000 to build a great RX-7! I\'ve gone to a silly extreme!

Fact is a good RX-7\'s a great car to begin with, so choosing the right parts to improve it for your preferred use is the key to making it better. You don\'t need half the stuff I\'ve changed on mine...

It\'s just important to be aware that choosing the wrong, poor quality parts with price as the main deciding factor, is not the path to success to making a good car. At best you\'ll end up with a compromised car, in many ways - at worst, you\'ll cause yourself more grief and cost to put it right when something fails, than doing it right in the first place.

Okay, think I\'ve said enough now. I\'ll get my coat :WaveBye :flamed

Miguel

[Jovic82]

i bought an original burnout kit about a year back and the quality and fitment was amazing i thought, the guy at the bodyshop said it was the best fitting kit he had ever done. But i kinda hoped for the £2k+ it cost me it would as it was original. Even came with pretty stickers on all the panels with serial  numbers!

regarding rx7 pikeys, i must admit, im with ross on this one. Im seeing more and more "kids" with them and it really ****es me off when they ask you something that every rx7 owner should know before they even step into one! eg. These engines are 3 litre twin turbo\'s arent they?,and how often do you change the oil? (when theres probably none in it!)

no wonder there are so many crappy cheap ones out there. I know that when i come to sell mine, ill sell it hopefully for what its worth. I religously look after my car at the end of the day and spend hours researching how to maintain and look after it best even if i dont have a huge budget.

Just kind of comes naturally with these things, they need to be loved i think!

Cheers
Nick

[gmogle]

Ooh good thread this.

I agree with both parties here, I myself have bought \'branded\' parts for my Rex mainly because I\'m a snob and when you turn up to meets etc people respect parts if they say Volk, Blitz, HKS etc etc. Anyone remember those Valk wheels, they had Roys on them also lol

However a lot of the stuff I have bought for my car has been branded secondhand bits and have had some real bargains that have done the job just as well as buying new. Yes I am sure they wont last as long as new stuff but if it lasts 20 years rather than 40 then its good enough for me. Its a shame there isnt more of a market for secondhand parts from Japan. I have approached a few people for secondhand bits but been told that they dont sell them.
Wonder if this is because there isnt a guarantee on the bits or they dont want to have to go and source good quality secondhand stuff ?

A guy I know who runs a bodyshop says that you can practically halve the fitting and spraying cost if you buy an original kit as there is virtually no work needed to get it to look and sit on the car properly. For the extra 500 etc it surely is worth it when spending 2k on bodyshop stuff.

I wouldnt say all copies are bad, just look at some of the bits Gary (Rotaryart) has made, these are as good or dare I say better than original.
 
Miguels company is very very competitive for price,I ordered something over here and had to wait 4 weeks only to be told it would be another 2 possibly more so mailed Miguel and he got it shipped and posted and it arrived 3 days later at a cheaper price than I was paying !!!!

Ideally we would all love to buy the car for 1k and then have 10k, 20k etc etc to spend on bits but my opinion is buy new from respected parties or wait till the said bit turns up secondhand and buy it !!!!!!!

FMIC for £100 please......lol

Gareth

[D1 WTF]

Just kind of comes naturally with these things, they need to be loved i think!

Cheers
Nick

i am a youngish owner i guess, but am not one of these pikeys as you put it.  just ask pip what my engine, single tubby bill came to in the last month (scary money - and i am a student (very poor one now i might add).  however only the best for my rex.

agree with this coment though, i am looking out at my car on the drive and it has frost on it .  i just wish i could park it in my lounge.  a rex is not like any normal car, they do need to be cared for and loved.  which obviously a large majority of them are as there is are lots of nice friendly/passionate owners on here.  :Thumbs-up