240SX Testimonys?
-
driftaholic
- Posts: 1216
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2002 9:04 pm
- Car: '91 Nissan RM S13
- Contact:
tomorrow, i will have had my S13 fastback for exactly 2 weeks now.
it all started with Initial D making me realize that I really wanted to drive a stick shift again. yeah, i got in because of Initial D, but not for drifting or racing or anything like that. i also wanted a car that i could pay for myself... prior to the 240 I drove a G20 paid for by my parents, who bought it from my uncle... i didn't like the fact that the G20 was handed to me, wasn't chosen by me, was a color that didn't match my personality (Gold), and was an automatic (turbo G20 w/5spd would be killer).
the 240 simply met my criterias. i wanted a stick shift, but i also wanted something unique. unique in my book are things along the lines of RWD, AWD, stock-Turbo, etc... and it also had to be no more than 5 grand (preferably around 2 grand)... I had narrowed down my choices to FC RX-7, Miata, 88-89 Celica All-Trac, and the S13 240SX.
I loved the RX-7, but it has terrible gas mileage, is more expensive to maintain, e.g. finding rotary specialists, constantly checking the oil levels due to oil injectors, etc...
I liked the Miata after going along for a ride at an AutoX... it's a fun car, and top down is nice when the weather is. Unfortunately after actually test driving one i found that it was no good for short people (sitting too far forward, you have poor forward visibility, i.e. windshield is very steep and top line cuts into your vision), and the shifter was WAAAY too short for me... so short i couldn't find the right gears... not to mention a trunk that is almost as useless as the back seat of a 240 j/k, it's a whopping 3 cu. ft.
Celica All-Trac, Cons: over-priced, expensive to maintain, hard to find. Pros: AWD and styling.
S13 240SX (fastback or coupe i didn't care, but i leaned towards fastback)... it wasn't as powerful as the RX-7, but it had better gas mileage, had back seats (not usable but in desperate situations can be used), loved the styling (91-94, esp. w/kouki tails), RWD, reliable, and had a trunk that was at least the same size as my G20 (fastback's got 14 cu. ft., same as G20)
Once I had decided on the 240, I searched daily and I mean daily, for at least a month! It got to the point where I was dreaming about blue book values... could NOT find one that was a stickshift and had low-miles... I also wanted either a white or charcoal one, but color wasn't as important as simply finding one (although i wasn't happy about the fact that the only ones i did find were all burgundy or aztec red... colors i wanted to avoid
Then one day, after coming home disappointed from checking out a black 240SX that turned out to be an automatic... I did my usual search... and lo and behold... I found a 93 240SX with only 68k miles on it, stock (i didn't want a raced out, modified car), well-maintained (all records kept)... that was posted THAT VERY DAY! On top of that... it was the color I wanted, white. I jumped on it! And that very night I drove 2 hours just to drive it for 10 minutes. I was sold. I spent almost a week making a bunch phone calls to verify the history of the car and owner, and with the owner himself trying to close the deal. And on December 5th 2002, I made the pickup. A proud new owner of beautiful 240SX (well, it's got paint blemishes and rust under the spoiler, but the 240 itself is beautiful nonetheless).
I love my 240!!!
it all started with Initial D making me realize that I really wanted to drive a stick shift again. yeah, i got in because of Initial D, but not for drifting or racing or anything like that. i also wanted a car that i could pay for myself... prior to the 240 I drove a G20 paid for by my parents, who bought it from my uncle... i didn't like the fact that the G20 was handed to me, wasn't chosen by me, was a color that didn't match my personality (Gold), and was an automatic (turbo G20 w/5spd would be killer).
the 240 simply met my criterias. i wanted a stick shift, but i also wanted something unique. unique in my book are things along the lines of RWD, AWD, stock-Turbo, etc... and it also had to be no more than 5 grand (preferably around 2 grand)... I had narrowed down my choices to FC RX-7, Miata, 88-89 Celica All-Trac, and the S13 240SX.
I loved the RX-7, but it has terrible gas mileage, is more expensive to maintain, e.g. finding rotary specialists, constantly checking the oil levels due to oil injectors, etc...
I liked the Miata after going along for a ride at an AutoX... it's a fun car, and top down is nice when the weather is. Unfortunately after actually test driving one i found that it was no good for short people (sitting too far forward, you have poor forward visibility, i.e. windshield is very steep and top line cuts into your vision), and the shifter was WAAAY too short for me... so short i couldn't find the right gears... not to mention a trunk that is almost as useless as the back seat of a 240 j/k, it's a whopping 3 cu. ft.
Celica All-Trac, Cons: over-priced, expensive to maintain, hard to find. Pros: AWD and styling.
S13 240SX (fastback or coupe i didn't care, but i leaned towards fastback)... it wasn't as powerful as the RX-7, but it had better gas mileage, had back seats (not usable but in desperate situations can be used), loved the styling (91-94, esp. w/kouki tails), RWD, reliable, and had a trunk that was at least the same size as my G20 (fastback's got 14 cu. ft., same as G20)
Once I had decided on the 240, I searched daily and I mean daily, for at least a month! It got to the point where I was dreaming about blue book values... could NOT find one that was a stickshift and had low-miles... I also wanted either a white or charcoal one, but color wasn't as important as simply finding one (although i wasn't happy about the fact that the only ones i did find were all burgundy or aztec red... colors i wanted to avoid
Then one day, after coming home disappointed from checking out a black 240SX that turned out to be an automatic... I did my usual search... and lo and behold... I found a 93 240SX with only 68k miles on it, stock (i didn't want a raced out, modified car), well-maintained (all records kept)... that was posted THAT VERY DAY! On top of that... it was the color I wanted, white. I jumped on it! And that very night I drove 2 hours just to drive it for 10 minutes. I was sold. I spent almost a week making a bunch phone calls to verify the history of the car and owner, and with the owner himself trying to close the deal. And on December 5th 2002, I made the pickup. A proud new owner of beautiful 240SX (well, it's got paint blemishes and rust under the spoiler, but the 240 itself is beautiful nonetheless).
I love my 240!!!