Converting FWD to AWD or RWD, help

regularryan · Post by **regularryan** » January 17th, 2007, 4:35 pm

is it possibly to convert a 1995 mazda mx3 GS to RWD or AWD? please and thanks, cause if its not im not even going to bother putting any money into mine, cause FWD is the poo

Post by **Custommx3** » January 17th, 2007, 4:54 pm

v6 awd. No.

Spinkx79 · Post by **Spinkx79** » January 17th, 2007, 4:56 pm

Anything is possible with enough mulah.

Do you have any mechanical/fabrication experience?

Or would u plan on paying people?

atlantamx3 · Post by **atlantamx3** » January 17th, 2007, 5:01 pm

For your purposes?

No

monty73741 · Post by **monty73741** » January 17th, 2007, 6:50 pm

atlantamx3 wrote:For your purposes?

No

this is probally one of these real wheel drive, is the only way to race. so i'll convert it.

you can convert it, might as well also put in a v8 or rotory while you are @ it

there is someone who made his car into AWD but its alot of money

Nd4SpdSe · Post by **Nd4SpdSe** » January 17th, 2007, 7:00 pm

Josh said it wasn't too bad, but considering he has a 4cyl, and all the parts are for th 4cyl, than that's understandable. As well, the AWD 323/Protege do share the same chassis as the Mx-3, so that helps as well.

There is a AWD KLZE tranny, but it's super-dooper rare, and automatic. As well, I dont remember from what car is from, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's based of the 626 platform, which has nothing in common with the Mx-3.

regularryan wrote:cause if its not im not even going to bother putting any money into mine, cause FWD is the poo

Than why did you get a FWD Mx-3? If the suspension is still stock, than yes. Remember, although it a sporty car, it's not a sports car. Good suspension will help tremendously with the car's handling.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » January 17th, 2007, 7:44 pm

The only thing mazda made with AWD & a V6 was a MPV minivan.. Dunno if the tranny would bolt up or not.. but if you want a shot.. thats what to look for.. otherwise everything will be custom fabbed.. and likely it would be custom fabbed anyway. Best of luck

Tunes67

Nd4SpdSe · Post by **Nd4SpdSe** » January 17th, 2007, 8:30 pm

But it didn't use a k-series...

I swear to god there is one, It was on ebay not too long ago. I don't remember the car, Japan only, I think it was the Capella Wagon if I remember right. But automatic only for what I remember

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » January 17th, 2007, 9:33 pm

Nd4SpdSe wrote: There is a AWD KLZE tranny, but it's super-dooper rare, and automatic. As well, I dont remember from what car is from, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's based of the 626 platform, which has nothing in common with the Mx-3.

Than why did you get a FWD Mx-3? If the suspension is still stock, than yes. Remember, although it a sporty car, it's not a sports car. Good suspension will help tremendously with the car's handling.

Actually the AWD ATX is not as rare as you think. If you hang out a JDM import shops many of you with straight neck -ZE may be intreasted to know that your engine may have been imported with a AWD tranny from a Cappella. There is no demand for the AWD ATX tranny so most if no all go to the metal recyclers for pennies a pound. A mechanically close relative of the Cappella is the Tribute/ Escape. The -ZE with the AWD ATX will drop into any of the BG 323 based cars including the MX-3 but you would have to mix and match engine mounts on the tranny side.

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » January 17th, 2007, 9:38 pm

Tunes67 wrote:The only thing mazda made with AWD & a V6 was a MPV minivan.. Dunno if the tranny would bolt up or not.. but if you want a shot.. thats what to look for.. otherwise everything will be custom fabbed.. and likely it would be custom fabbed anyway. Best of luck

Tunes67

You forgot the Tribute/ Escape which is based on the 626/ Capella chassis. There were also 626 AWD sold in other parts of world

Juans_93_MX3 · Post by **Juans_93_MX3** » January 18th, 2007, 12:59 am

Its possible, you could probably do it for cheap but you are going to have to do ALOT of custom work and ALOT of research in order to find the right transmissions and everything else.
Lets not forget, whatever AWD tranny you find, you will need to find a way to mate it to the engine. Sometype of adapter

regularryan · Post by **regularryan** » January 18th, 2007, 2:44 pm

Thanks for the help guys, i bought my mx3 right when i got my lisence cause it was cheep, but im goona end up keeping it as my winter car, and selling my 92 laser turbo, for a down payment on a 2001/2000 s2000, and do the rest on monthlys. Just how much would it cost to convert my mx3 to rotary and make it rwd, id probably be willing to pay like 10gs

2fazed · Post by **2fazed** » January 18th, 2007, 10:47 pm

regularryan wrote:Thanks for the help guys, i bought my mx3 right when i got my lisence cause it was cheep, but im goona end up keeping it as my winter car, and selling my 92 laser turbo, for a down payment on a 2001/2000 s2000, and do the rest on monthlys. Just how much would it cost to convert my mx3 to rotary and make it rwd, id probably be willing to pay like 10gs

You tell us. To do it, would basically be rebuilding the car from scratch. You'll need more than $10k, I'm guessing. Only a few members have done the awd/rwd conversion. I don't think anyone has done the rotary conversion, or would want to.

Juans_93_MX3 · Post by **Juans_93_MX3** » January 18th, 2007, 11:38 pm

Actually, someone did a rotary swap and they wasted I think about a little more then 10k. They also put new paint and body parts aswell as a turbo

How much?
You'll have to find out

I wonder if you can get away without re-doing the chassis.
If the 323 have the same chassis, shouldnt that be possible?

projectmx · Post by **projectmx** » January 19th, 2007, 12:17 pm

i'd have to recheck my figures but my AWD and bp swap has costed about $5,000 - $7,000 total and i'm almost done

I recall a nearly complete Rotary / RWD swapped mx-3 on ebay recently i think he said he spent close to $10,000 but he had all kinds of body work done interior and exterior plus tons of amazing goodies on the rotary engine as well

FWD isn't poo by the way on the AutoX course my FWD mx-3 in my first year of racing did amazing with very few upgrades... if it hadn't been rear ended twice and had the trans damaged with a semi tire it would have turned into a rather competative race car on the local autox tracks. a lot depends on what you can do with the car money wise and how good of a driver you are even Grassroots Motorsports wrote up a several page article on the MX-3 and how great of a car it is.