91 240SX or 90 300zx??

[DirtyTitan]

New to the forum and new Nissan cars. I own a Titan and have owned VW cars for years that I do all my own work on. I am thinking about getting an older used Nissan car and have found a few in the local area. Each have their pros and cons but I have a few questions.

First car is a 1990 300zx 2+2 non-turbo with 150k miles. Interior needs serious TLC, leather has many rips. Exterior has typical dents and dings for a car of this age but has no rust. Car runs solid, and just had an alignment. The exhaust needs to be replaced, a few hangers are broken and one of the mufflers has a large hole. Asking price is 2100$.

Second car is a 1991 240sx twin cam with 218k miles. Interior is also in need of serious TLC. Body is solid with no rust but has a dents on the front and rear drivers side quarter panels. Car currently does not run consistently. It will turn over, but runs very rich, smokes and dies. Oil looks good but smells like fuel. His mechanic told him it was a bad FPR causing the motor to flood. It looks very easy to get to and should be an easy fix, if that's really all that's wrong with it. Spoiler was removed and has rust around the holes. Hatch is also completely missing the locking mechanism, are they hard to find? Window has been left open because the power window motor went out, it was partially covered with plastic but water still got in. It has recently had new clutch reservoir assembly, radiator, plugs, wires and oil change. Asking price is 1000$.

I have not tested the compression on either car. I am looking for a car my son and I can wrench on and have as a daily driver. Based on availability of parts and ease to work on what car is a better purchase.

Thanks in advance.
-Aaron

[Dattebayo]

Neither of those seem like a good first car. The z engine can be a trial to work on and the 240 sounds like a real lemon IMO...

[frapjap]

Welcome to NICO!

I agree with Dattebayo- both of those cars sound like heaps of trouble. There have got to be better 240's out there.
How about a Miata? Perfect for a first car- slow, reliable, great on gas, he could only carry one friend around.

[Bubba1]

I agree with both of these guys. Neither individual example sounds appealing. But if you were looking to choose between the two models, both cars have a strong coolness factor, so there's really no wrong answer. But assuming similar condition, the 240sx will be likely be less expensive, less complex, and easier to work on as a project car, and might be a better choice for first project. And if your son is a teen and will take possession of it when finished, as a dad, the less powerful, more economical 240sx might be a safer, wiser choice for a teen's car than a Z.

[krash]

I'm a bit confused. Is this a project car for you? Or a first car for your son?

I'd go with the 240. Do a compression test to see the condition of the piston rings. I feel like for an extra $1000, you can get that car to pretty decent shape.

As far as the Z, 2+2 and N/A is the deal breaking combo (for me at least).

[OriginalWheelman]

The Z32 300ZX, 1990-96 is a PITA to work on. The single worst car I've ever owned to work on. Simple maintenance is a complicated process. Repairs and upgrades are very difficult. Almost ever millimeter of the under hood space is spoken for. Seriously. It is often tricky simply to get a wrench on a bolt, and frequent that the bolt is just the right length to clear the gap.

S13 and S14 240SX, 89-94 and 95-98 respectively, are very very easy to work on. Parts are easily accessed. Parts are cheap to buy. Aftermarket support is strong and usually cheaper than the 300ZX. Upgrades are simple factory bolt ons from other Nissans. Customization options are unlimited.

*Edit* With that said, the 300ZX is a far superior car. However, I would not recommend one for a new driver, especially if he has a heavy foot. The 240SX is very communicative of its limits, and forgiving when you exceed them. It is a car that will teach a driver. The 300ZX feels like your tires are digging into the pavement until it suddenly exceeds it's limits and is very hard to recover. The 300ZX is very likely to be totaled from a front end collision as the floor of the unibody has a tendency to buckle

If you are willing to travel, I recommend using http://www.Searchtempest.com to find a good deal. When I lived in the southeast I would see sub $2000 running project cars all the time. Be patient and one will come up. The worst thing you could do would be rush to get started on a project instead of waiting 2 months for the right car, only to have it cost more money and take 6 months longer to complete. Shop smart.

[DirtyTitan]

Yes, it's a project car for my son. I am only trying to help him make an informed decision and because I will be the one teaching him how to work on it, and don't want him to get something over my head. He will be 18 this weekend and has been driving since 15, not that that amounts to much experience but has generally made good decisions. He has saved all his own money and has about 3k banked away. Him having a 230hp z worries me more than him in a 140hp 240. I finally got the tool to test compression and will be doing it this weekend. Hopefully the 240 will have good compression and not be gas washed in any cylinders from flooding out.
Thanks

[krash]

Yea I'd definitely go with a 240sx. They are super easy to work on and parts are EVERYWHERE.