240 w/sr20det vs 1997 vette

[BadMojo]

Coincidentally, I've been shopping around 'Vettes with my dad (for him). If you know where to get a clean C5 for $16,000...let me know!

We've been seeing C4's in good condition going for at least $6-8K. You're talking about cars that are ~ 20 years old and they are *not* show car quality as far as restoration goes. Hell, the early C4 Vettes aren't even that desirable in the collectors market and they're still expensive.

Anyway, as much as I love the 240SX...get the C5 if it can be had for $16K and isn't complete crap.

[hamsturbation]

vette all the way. you can mod the corvette, and you will still have a streetable car.mod the piss out of a 240sx, and you may be faster, and handle better, but your gonna give up alot to do that in terms of comfort and driveablity

[pushnlacs]

ok first asking price on 97 c5 with around 50k and in perfect condition is around 18g's if you have 16 cash you wont have to many problems. to the other guy, yea i wouldnt mind tourqe but not from the 155hp ka that imo isnt worth trying to build into something its was never ment to be. so that answers why i wouldnt build the ka,plain and simple i dont want to build up a weak engine. i never said i couldnt become a better driver but dude said it like he knew i couldnt drive. yea i know the sr isnt legall. then you go and ask other than it came in the chassi why do i want a sr, mabey because it came in the chassi and is a high performance engine already turboed without the need of building up.

then the other guy said theres no need to put all the 16k into the car, what the hell am i ganna do with it?? if its ganna go into the car why would i not use it now?? and about roll the 240 with suspension some brakes and exhaust, well, hell no. you can roll around in a 150 hp car if you want but the hell with that and thats hy the sr is the only option if the ka was the only engine ever put in the s chassi i would never think about buying it. most wouldnt. whos ganna be like you know what i really wanna beast of a car so im ganna buy this 155hp platform as a starting point??

as to being ready for 360whp yea i could handle it but it would be at that power level for a while anyway. and i dont know how many times i got to explain how i dont look at the sr as a hybrid IT CAME IN THE CHASSI FROM THE FACTORY wether or not the us car had a ka it dosnt matter a sr was in that same car. also about do i think all turbo cars a turboed from the factory. no i dont but thats again why i dont want a ka i wouldnt start with any platform thats not turboed from the factory cause to me thats just trying to make a car into something it was never ment to be( theres a large line seperating eco 4 bangers and performance 4's) and how are you ganna ask if i know that theres diffrent turbos for diffrent power levels?? for real, damn. im not trying to be a d!ck its just that people always start talking **** and talking out there *** trying to act like they know all. i admit i dont know everything but when you all just start running your mouths it makes you look like fools esspesially when you could just help people out instead of trying to be the "cool" guy on a forum.

[willswimforfood]

so that answers why i wouldnt build the ka,plain and simple i dont want to build up a weak engine.

Quick! Put the lid back on THAT can of worms before KA guys come after you.

i dont look at the sr as a hybrid IT CAME IN THE CHASSI FROM THE FACTORY

USDM 240SX's never saw the SR20DET. At the time, it was found American's didn't like turbo'ed cars, so Nissan use a larger engine to make up for it. I like grunt down low, just as you claim to. When I get my 240 I will turbo the KA. Not because it came "stock" (which it did, read: not SR) but because I like torque, and am willing to give up some of the joys of hi revs.

But what do I know? I drive an f-150.

And I'd reaaaaally check on the $16,000 cash for a $18,000 asking price. Cars like that don't need much in the way of cash discounts.

[MainEvent212]

talking out my what now?

sir, i HAVE a 240 already WITH suspension mods AND a brake upgrade AS WELL as an Sr20DET w/ some bolt ons (FMIC, full turbo back exhaust, "intake", bov, boost controller, fuel pump, etc...the basic junk u do w/ a swap)

i KNOW what im talking about, and i'm giving you my honest opinion

i think, from the level of maturity that you've shown in this thread that if you dump 16k into a 240 and make 360whp, you will crash it and probably hurt yourself and/or others

and just so you know, when it comes down to it the KA is jsut as good as the SR20...SR costs more and has less parts availibility in the states...the KA can be turboed for as much as an SR swap and make more power w/ minor bolt ons...the KA will always have more displacement, therefore more torque...the KA may not be built for performance, but the SR20 is arguably not the stoutest motor ever built too...if it were up to me, i'd have gone w/ the KA-T but i didnt have time or skill to do so a year ago

[Doomed2Walk]

I have a S14 w/ notch-top SR20DET, the reason I did this was because it was just something I've wanted to do since I was like 17. I agree w/ MainEvent about the KA-T comment though, this is why down the line I'd like to find another 240sx and go KA-T. For a goal of 350WHP, KA will probably be cheaper than the SR, AND produce more torque which seems to be like what you're looking for. If you have 16G's cash, I'll just sell you my car for 14G's and I can get started on TWO S13s (one KA, one SR) . It's a S14 chassis, S14 SR, no hybrid here :P Anyways, for everyone else out there, you already know how he's going to respond, so, if you don't like to read response don't post a reply! Problem solved

[BadMojo]

ok first asking price on 97 c5 with around 50k and in perfect condition is around 18g's if you have 16 cash you wont have to many problems.

If you can find one like that, I'd definitely get it. Stock, right out of the box it'll look good, handle great and have plenty of power. It won't be hard to wring some more power out of it either.

Bottom line, IMO, you'll have less maintenance issues with a car that's mostly stock than a highly modded SR or RB swap, etc. Besides, either way you're buying a used car with a used engine...you'll want to set aside some of that $16K for repairs and maintenance.

Anyway, that's my vote. I'm officially out of this one.

[Saltman]

Ok pushnlacs I'm gonna tell you the deal str8 up. I got my swap with Phase2. They are really cool and know what they're doing. I'm not sure which model you would go with if you got the SR, be it the Redtop, Blacktop, or the coveted S15 motor. But I personally had to have the SR because of it's stock performance over the KA. I got my car in good body condition, but the KA was shot to hell. Only paid $1000 for the car though. I would've spent more money trying to build a 169,000 mile engine up just to equal the SR power that I got stock. I'm not knocking the KA guys though. They are right about it being cheaper to build up, IF you have a good KA motor in the first place. With my SR project, I spent $6000 total because I got a lot of extra parts put on (see signature) all at once plus the labor. If you bargain shop, you can usually find good deals on used parts (i.e. coilovers, exhaust, electronics). I still have a long ways to go in order to build my car up the way I want it. I have to get a FMIC, boost controller, bigger injectors, bigger turbo, ECU, and not to mention, get it tuned so that it will extract the full power. I'm looking at another $10,000 here.

But one more thing, if you are paying cash, the same goes for buying a new car. Cash talks. There's usually no tax involved, and you may get some nice discounts due to this. But the fact still remains, you're gonna end up paying a lot of money. $16,000 will get you a good jump on things. But building a fast car is never cheap, unless you have mad hook-ups, sponsors, and you can do all the labor yourself.

BTW, where are u located? Why don't you come out to the 240 meet posted here on the forum? Maybe one of us will let you test drive an SR powered car. I don't care. I let all my friends feel the power behind the wheel. And yes, turbo on the stock kicks in at 3000rpm so if you got the HKS turbo, just rev up to 3500 and drop the clutch and see what happens.

[Nameless EJ6]

I myself would love to turbo a KA. I'd never touch an SR. After I'm done with my RB I'll be doing it.. I can't wait. Then we'll see just how much power I can get the KA to make compared to the RB.

Ask people who have turbo'd KA's.. it's like they were MEANT to be. They are VERY strong and VERY torquey. Build it with some forged rods and pistons and you have a seriously STRONG iron motor for 2/3rd-3/4th the cost of a full SR swap with all the necessary parts to make real power.

I've always thought of the SR swap as a bit contradicting. You're pulling out a 2.4 Liter and swapping in a Turbo 2 Liter. Now you have a turbo yet you're stuck with low displacement. Turbo the KA and you have both. You can easily get the KA to make good top end power, that's what a turbo is for. Just chose the right turbo..

Never been a Vette fan so I won't comment too much on that. I know nothing about them. My dad had a 93 vette a few years back and it had some good power.. but when you can make that power for less with an import 4 cylinder, why not?

[MNIYM]

make a C5 with an S15 conversion... sheesh...

[Drift Machine]

Eeek! No offense but the KA did come the factory, otherwise it wouldn't have been in every 240sx. And I don't want to start a KA vs SR debate, though it appears one has semi-begun, who is tellin you that the KA is a piece of poop? On less PSI then a stock sr runs, I'm running 6psi while a stock sr runs 7, I am making 220hp at the rear wheels while a stock sr will only make about 180hp at the rear wheels. I'm getting the impression that you think teh only way to have a fast 240sx is to throw in an sr.

[BadMojo]

My dad had a 93 vette a few years back and it had some good power.. but when you can make that power for less with an import 4 cylinder, why not?

'Cause you're less likely to blow up a stock LS1 due to boosting to high with poor tuning.

[Chingon]

I think everyone has forgotten the ***** factor here... I mean, chicks will dig the c5....

[Nameless EJ6]

'Cause you're less likely to blow up a stock LS1 due to boosting to high with poor tuning.

Yet a new KA will net you about 300$..

[nismofly]

lol i wonder sumtimes

do u realize wut u said u dont want an sr to be "jdm", but u want one because its the engine that came in the car in japan. (thats the same thing...)

o and if were talkin engines the only reason i mite get one is because the scca lets you use that or the ka in a solo 1 car. but even then its a tough decision. o and also u arent a good driver because u drive an sts.

sorry to flare it up a little but i just found this thread and had to say sumthin

[BadMojo]

Yet a new KA will net you about 300$..

Yeah, but if the guy who posted isn't mechanically inclined (which he isn't) and will be spending most of his money on the car, he won't really want to potentially have to pay someone to swap in an entire new engine for him.

I guess my point was that he'll have less chance of needing major work done to his car if he gets a new, well-kept and mostly stock car. Don't get me wrong, I love the KA-T and would like to try one myself once I get a second car...it's just not for folks who can't or don't have time to do their own work, IMO.

[nismodave]

Buy the vette.

So I can whip you like I whip your c5 like I whip %95 of c5s here.