Topic: My 240sx Search and Build up (Read 1494 times)

grim_d · « **Reply #105 on:** November 13, 2007, 01:26:00 PM »

yeah i wouldnt touch one unless it has the sr20det, acctually the ones i see for sale it appears to be sort of 50/50 between auto and manual, again, i wouldnt touch auto,

Ideally i would want a pulsar GTI-R, again with the sr20det, but being that it's a road going rally car, maintainance is pricey.

I'm just so glad to be of age now where i can get a proper car

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #106 on:** November 14, 2007, 10:24:00 AM »

yeah unfortunately in the USA only they made less than 30K s14 chassis and less than 5K S14a chassis. of those only about 1 out of 10 were a 5 speed and 100% of them came with the KA24DE motor... no turbo SRs have ever hit USA shores in a production car to my knowledge

I would have loved to get my hands on an S14a 5-speed with an SR but the only ones for sale here in that configuration are those that were modified that way and they typically run $14K-$20K from what I see on ebay and craigs list.

IMO they're worth that price which is why it's worth it to me to buy a low mileage auto for about $5K, put about $5K into swapping the engine and tranny than another $2K-$3K into swapping the body.

no one wants to buy my high mileage auto for $3.5K though

As for the Pulsar... screw that RWD FTW

I've never owned a FWD car, and if I can help it... I never will. I'd rather drive an auto RWD/AWD/4WD than a FWD stick.

grim_d · « **Reply #107 on:** November 14, 2007, 11:53:00 AM »

QUOTE(twistedsymphony @ Nov 14 2007, 06:00 PM)

As for the Pulsar... screw that RWD FTW

pulsar gti-r, constant 4wd with rear LSD, road going rally car

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #108 on:** November 14, 2007, 03:14:00 PM »

Fair enough...

It's not made in the states and it's not a Skyline so that means I know NOTHING

grim_d · « **Reply #109 on:** November 17, 2007, 11:28:00 AM »

how are you getting on with the 240 anyway? whats been done so far?

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #110 on:** November 17, 2007, 10:07:00 PM »

I've mostly just been fixing stuff...

I had to remove and send out the gauge cluster because of a flaky odo/trip meter Then there were some wires in the trunk going to the lights on the trunk lid that needed mending, and the rear tires needed to be replaced...

I've got a brand new exhaust system for it that I haven't yet installed. I've also got a set of Nissan 300zx front calipers stainless braided lines and Brembo rotors that will be installed at some point. They're used obviously so I'm going to rebuild the calipers and have them powder coated in red.

Aside from that there's a cracked piece of plastic on the lower half of the drivers side mirror mount that I'm going to swap out for the good one on the car I'm selling. One of the rear speakers buzzes a little and I'm not sure if it's a bad connection/loose surrouding material/bad speaker, it's not that noticable so it will probably stay that way until it starts to piss me off. Oh and the left washer nozzle doesn't shoot straight so I'll likely replace that as well.

so there's lots of little things, not bad at all for a 12 year old car.

If you're interested to know what to look for in terms of what breaks most often on the s14s here is a break down of what was usually broken on the cars I test drove:

-blown shocks.... every last one of them had blown shocks except the two I bought, the red one wasn't blown because they had just been replaced, and the black one's shocks are good but definitely showing their age.

-horrible window motors, absolutely every s14 I drove the drives/passengers side window mechanisms moved and sounded like it was about to fall apart. electric mirrors were often not far behind

-listen to the motor (this goes for the SR20 as well as the KA) and once it's warmed up you might hear a faint rattle.... that's the timing chain guide broken loose and moving about inside the engine... swell huh..

-exhaust leaks... every last one of them had exhaust leaks

that's most of it....

grim_d · « **Reply #111 on:** November 18, 2007, 02:58:00 PM »

cool well thanks for the advice. My dads a grease monkey so i should be ok for staying clear of mechanical issues.

as far as the blown shocks and exhaust, the comulsary yearly MOT here means it wont be too much of a problem, regardless, coilovers and S/S system would solve it

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #112 on:** November 19, 2007, 12:45:00 PM »

we have required annual inspections as well, it doesn't stop someone from finding a lazy inspector, paying off the inspector, or letting their car sit to rot on their lawn for a few years without inspection.

...or worse... all three

CKwik240 · « **Reply #113 on:** November 21, 2007, 03:08:00 PM »

I haven't checked this thread in a while. I'm glad to hear you finally got yourself a 240. 2 of them no less.

Why not just turbo the KA? I was pulling 230 WHP with a very mild set-up when I had one. Not judging, just curious about your reasoning...

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #114 on:** February 03, 2020, 02:54:00 PM »

you can get decent power out of a KA but IMO to do it right you'll need to do some engine rebuilding else you risk blowing the piston rings. I've just never been comfortable putting turbos on engines that weren't designed for turbos.

As for the SR20
-even with the tubo/intercooler it's significantly lighter in weight (100+lbs) than a factory KA
-it's unique... I know 4 people with s14 KA-T setups and NONE with an SR s14
-it's cheaper when you consider I'd have to do a 5 speed swap if I kept the KA and an SR motor comes with one.

Two things drew me to the 240
1. was the power/weight potential combined with a very low and nimble sports-car chassis
2. was the fact that I could (relatively) easily swap a different motor in there and get a very unique vehicle.

...and I kind of lose #2 going with a KA setup.

This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Yesterday, 10:55 PM

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #115 on:** November 26, 2007, 11:39:00 AM »

I forget the actual weights but when I was looking into it IIRC the SR fully loaded w/5 speed vs the KA fully loaded w/5 speed was about a 110lb difference which gets even greater once you add a turbo+IC to the KA...

the RB engines are retarded heavy (700+lbs)

As for the price the SR swap isn't all that much different than a KA build... There's a shop not too far away that specializes in 240s and I was quoted $4200 for a complete notch-top SR swap + 5 speed swap installed and ready to go. The guy also goes up to Canada and hand picks/brings back the motor himself a trip which I'm told I'm welcome to accompany him on if I so desire.

KA turbo kits go for around $3K and I've priced the 5 speed swap at about $1100... and then I'd still have to do all the work myself...

if I was starting with a 5 speed it might be a little different but considering the costs the SR is actually cheaper for me.

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #116 on:** November 28, 2007, 05:09:00 PM »

QUOTE(CKwik240 @ Nov 26 2007, 07:08 PM)

Sounds like a pretty good deal on the SR. But if you plan to upgrade power, you're going to want to use a larger turbo and intercooler. Just be prepared for some additional costs. Aside from the costs, the SR is a great motor. Not to mention, low mileage ones are actually not hard to find. Low mileage KA's are of course, becoming very rare.

yeah considering the rarity of the low mileage KAs I'm actually debating just putting mine on a rack after I pull it. it's only got 60K miles on it after all... I've already had 3 different people make offers to buy it when I put in the SR

I realize the added costs of a bigger turbo and an SR I'm only looking to get 300-350bhp out of the thing... I also like doing a little bit at a time enjoying the slightly more advanced performance each step of the way.

a nimble/light weight car with good mid range power is my main goal I'll likely do an FMIC and boost controller when I swap the front end for the JDM K's Kouki front end.

Then for stage 3 I'll go with a new fuel system and something like a Disco Potato for a turbo as that seems to mesh the best with my power goals.

all through out this I'll be doing the occasional suspension upgrade some nice springs and adjustable shocks, then maybe some strut tower braces and new bushings throughout followed by sways and endlinks and then torsion bars and other linkages... wheels at whatever point I get tired of looking at the stockers.

all of this stretched out over a 5 year period

grim_d · « **Reply #117 on:** March 21, 2008, 09:52:00 AM »

any updates man?

o The Drizzle o · « **Reply #118 on:** April 22, 2008, 10:08:00 PM »

anything new to report on the s14 man?

twistedsymphony · « **Reply #119 on:** April 23, 2008, 08:13:00 PM »

some updates...

after I got the black 240 I registered it and got it inspected, it needed 2 new tires, and a bunch of wires in the trunk lid were broken and needed to be fixed to get the tails and reverse lights fully working and a couple of other things. One of the front wheel bearings is apparently on it's way out so I'll likely replace that soon.

I had a hard time selling the red 240 last fall so I just stored it for the winter planning on selling it this spring (funny enough I re-listed it on craigslist this morning)

Since both cars sat in storage for the winter I ended up saving enough cash to do the engine swap in the black one without selling the red one.

I got in contact with the local shop that does these swaps and he started looking for a motor, after a few months I couldn't find an SR20 that was in good enough condition that I would consider putting in my car.

SO ... I started looking at alternatives, and after much deliberation I settled on a Chevy LS1... yes a V8. Apparently they fit quite well and for only an extra 50Lbs over stock added to the front end they offer nearly 400HP in factory trim + a light tune... and they're a dime a dozen in the junk yards.

it will cost me a little more than an SR swap but I think it will work out much better, oh and I'm going to do the swap myself

Due in part to the cost savings, in part to the amazing support I've received from the 5 or so other people who have done this swap, and in part to the fact that the shop that was original going to do the SR swap is closing down do to marital problems with the shop owner and his wife

I've already started collecting parts for the swap and once I'm far enough along I'll start motor hunting

I still need some tools too, namely an engine hoist.

I bought a kick ass 3" cat back exhaust for the car last year but haven't put it on yet due to issues with the mounting studs on the factor cat... so right now I'm looking for an after market 3" cat for it so I can just cut the old one out and bolt it all up. (no one makes any direct replacements but Catco sells a generic that can be modified to fit, some people sell premodded ones for $150 but that's about 3 times more than th unmodified version so... the hunt continues

)

i'm also getting ready to replace the factory speakers with some Apline stuff since the factory stuff is hurting

I also got set back in my engine swap cash a bit since winter home heating oil f-ing murdered me. coldest/longest winter in NH's recorded history coupled with the highest oil prices of all time does not make for a happy bank account.

I'll likely post updates on this stuff on solid-orange.com

Author Topic: My 240sx Search and Build up (Read 1494 times)