Austarion

Just wondering if this could be done?

Could you take one widebody starion, take a mound off the rear guards and then makeup some fibreglass ones then attach to narrowbody, mound sand and paint? (i know it's not that easy) but is that possible?? I mean if someone was keen to donate their widey and enough people were keen it might be worth while....

Then all you wuld need to do would be to source some front guards (or go drag styles and leave the fronts narrow LOL )

You'd have to be realllllly nice for somebody to give you their widey.

You could import widebody front guards.

Possible? Yes
Logical? Not really.

Assume that you have a narrow & the widebody f/glass body kit is available. By the time you add up
-4x guards
-Sill panels
-3 pce rear spoiler
-front airdam
-bodywork & prep
-New paint

You still have a car that lacks
-Newer interior
-Widebody suspension
-LSD (in some cases)
-Decent wheels

In Aus you can reasonably expect to pay in the region of $12K for an 88 ex-Japan. What are the above mods going to cost? You still end up with a bitsa at the end with questionable resale value.

Given the choice between an original jap spec widey and a kitted JA for similar $$ - I know which I would choose.

I already got an 87 (JD) narrow body 5 stud starion and all that. Just want the widebody look with out having to hack out the rear guards on a widebody starion and weld and what not on to mine. Thought might be able to fibreglass it and then get some widebody front guards and bolt them up.

Was wondering, taking a mould off the widebody rear end, would it damage it in anyway??

Not that I've done it, but you would need to pull off mouldings and possibly the windows to get over the top. There is a mold releasing stuff you paint/spray on to help get the mould off, but if you miss a bit, the glass will stick to the car.

Fibreglassing has got to be a lot cheaper then the cutting, welding and what not you have to do to convert the rear end of a narrow body to wide body

just between u and me it'll look pretty dodge if u just bond glass over the top of the metal rear guards, there arent the compound curves to hide that kind of a job in like there is in say an S13 or whatever. as stated above u would need to go up into the quarter glass area..

just buy a widey man..

Let us not forget LXS. :)
http://www.msbitchi.com/

I can't believe it took this many posts to mention LXS

Yeah I knew you could do it that way, thats why i thought the fibreglass way would be way cheaper and easier to do.....

just buy a widey man..

Here's the only widebody for sale in NZ: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 6.htm?p=25

You have to remember NZ is not like Aus, we can bring the widebodies into NZ, just can't get them legal on the roads......

Next year you can get an 88 on the road legally!

Wouldn't be to sure bout that...... I emailed the LTSA and from the jumbled responce it seems like a big myth....
Plus you have to import it once it's 20 years old rather then have it in the country wait till it's 20 years old then register it.
But there has been talk that all the rules are going to be changing soon

Its lhd cars you can't import before 20 years. You can import a rhd Starion then wait and comply it ( as long as you have the correct paperwork)
And you can land a widebody and get it on the road way cheaper than $12k, if you can find one. I found one before I got mine for about $5k landed (auto 2.6)
The rules are changing in April 08 I think, but you will always be able to import old cars (classic)
I've got live plates and chassis number if You want do it dodgy like the R32 GTR way.

That's interesting. I was considering sending my 88 back next year. From my enquiries it had to be sent back AFTER it was 20 years old but that wasn't very clear. There are flow charts on the LTSA site I think about importing vehicles. Is the rule change in April a definite? That means I have to get my shit together.

That rule won't affect you if you wait until next year but the 7 year rolling law is coming. If you own the car (90 days I think) you can bring it back to NZ if it complys with frontal impact laws or is 20 years or older.
Check with LTSA though, a few Poms have moved here and their late model cars are sitting around waiting for paperwork or worse non compliable cos the Aussies never sold them so didn't crash test them.