That's no problem at all!
When the cop looks at the engine bay, if he says something, you just look at him like he's the last idiot on the planet, and say: "What? Don't you know of the last joint venture between Renault and Mazda? What planet are you from?
Seriously though, I didn't know Dutch laws were so boring...
And you think you can pull it off with the Duratec engine?
Benefits of the Duratec:
- Off the shelf piston upgrades(still cheaper than KL pistons)
- Stock bottom end that handles boost better than a KL(Up to 10 PSI on stick internals[verified], claims of up to 14 from less verifiable sources)
- OBDII from the get-go(tuning potential, not to mention the diagnostic benefits)
- Transmissions handle more than ~300 WHP before they turn into creamed corn or sawdust internally
- Large pool of potentially low mileages junkyard engines... Way more modern, more on the road...
- As it is newer, the parts are also readily available for considerably less than those for the KL.(gaskets, bearings, etc.)
The Duratec 3.0l came in the mazda 6 and tribute, so you can get mazda valve covers instead of ford ones to cover your tracks if there were legal issues. Unless you get a cop that really knows cars, they wouldnt suspect anything. I dug these pics up of the mounts.
Driver's side trans mount:
Passenger side front engine mount:
93 323 Bp'd, Front and rear strut braces, Mx-3 seats, JDM headlights and grill SOLD
93 Mx-3 GS Curved-Neck KLZE, 5 speed Conversion, Fidanza Flywheel, Cross Drilled Rotors
Looking at those mounts there is a lot more fab work involved in this swap than I thought there would be. Could be done, but looks like it is so tall that they mounted it lower in the chassis. It would be a task, but still doable if you can get it low enough for the hood to close and high enough for the pan to not scrape. Plus swapping to OBDII is not that easy. Most who have attempted have given up.
The MPV 3.0 would involve quite a bit and is a good motor, but there are better options like the ZE and or the FEDOHC.
It is tempting... I have too many projects on my table right now. Perhaps if it falls into my lap.. I am using a lot of oil and I know I am going to need a rebuild in the next 12-18 months. So I have been thinking about eliminating the ZE and going for something different.
