Brand spanking new

[monkey92]

Hello as the title says I am brand spanking new to the modding car scene. I currently drive a 2009 Nissan Versa and plan on getting rid of it soon for a project 240sx s13. I absolutely love the look of the car and its capabilities they don't make cars like they used to. With that said I am also planning on getting a Silverado as an everyday truck because becoming a firefighter you would get alot of dirt for not having an American vehicle in a union.

Main reason I am here is I need advice i want to mod the 240. I have been reading alot and I like an LSx build but ai understand they are pricey. I have been looking around at junkyards to see if there are some wrecked LSx engines i can use. I have found a few one being an LS7 and another being an LS2. What is the main difference between the two? And is one harder to drop in than the other? I also understand that some people use truck engines mainly 5.3s. How good are those builds? I want to stay away from an older small block because I dont want to deal with a carb.

Also want to stay away from a Japanese engine because I want alot of torque and I don't want to have a hard time buying parts at a fair price. I want a budget build because lets face it any civil servant job does not pay well unfortunately. Any input would be much appreciated. Like I said i have never modded a car and is the first time for me. I know basics of an engine and basic work but am willing to learn and I have help as well.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You're going to have to do some cutting or spend big money to make it work. From what I remember, you want to ideally find an LS from a GTO. They have the oil pan that works with the 240 cross members, as well as a traditional transmission (as opposed to the corvette). You'll also need the ECU and wiring, along with a host of other things.
Budget at LEAST 8 grand, and that's if you beg, borrow, and steal your way to an LS setup.

[monkey92]

I have read that about the oil pan and would definitely not want deal with that. Is there any specific year for the GTO LS that would be better? I know they only had the LS2 in 05 and 06 though. I am willing to spend a little money but like I said by no means do I have deep pockets haha. I am hoping to do everything little by little and try and get the best bang for my buck.

[monkey92]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/pts/4964672368.html how about an LS6 for that price lol

[monkey92]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/pts/4958740995.html this is a deal as well. But i would still have to deal with that oil pan. And im lost about 50hp. It comes with trans to for only $2000 and delivered. Im havong no luck finding a gto ls2 in my area though.

[MeanGreenS13]

I built an LSX S13 Coupe for a friend a couple years back... We used a junk yard 5.3 from a truck, changed the intake manifold over to a Camaro/Corvette style intake manifold and put 98-02 Camaro front drive accessories on the car as well. For mounting, headers etc we used all Sikky stuff (www.sikky.com). To this day everything has held up well.

Sikky sells a complete turnkey drop in LSX kit for $3250 which saves a lot of headaches but is pretty pricey I personally don't mind spending money to have stuff done right but I understand some would rather do it themselves to save some coin and that's fine too.

I do definitely say the 5.3 would be a fine choice, or even the smaller 4.8. Both make similar power and accept the same modifications just as well. A simple heads and cam change on both can net you close to 400whp without any issues.

[monkey92]

I did look at the Sikky kit and although pricey I think it might fair well with someone who hasn't done a swap at all especially because everything you need is there. In your honest opinion though is this swap good for someone that only knows basics of cars?

[MeanGreenS13]

My first swap was an S13 with and SR... It was fairly well documented here on Nico back in the day through a local thread which we had since there were so many nissans in my area at the time. That thread has since died and faded into oblivion, however that swap was done with me having a very basic knowledge of cars. I could work on them with no problem but doing large jobs like a swap were way out of my realm. With the help of a couple more knowledgeable and experienced friends, we did the swap in 3 nights in my driveway.

My point is, we all start somewhere. The SR swap I did then was just about as plug and play as this one is with the Sikky kit. There is likely to be some issues along the way with fitment for different things on any swap no matter if they call it "plug and play" or not, but if you have a couple good knowledgeable and experienced friends like I did, you can get it done!

[monkey92]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/pts/4967008922.html these two are pretty cheap here. How can I go about using these engines? What trans would have to be used? At the moment I am leaning toward the 6.0L. Is it worth trying to put either of these in?

http://rockford.craigslist.org/pts/4947602938.html I also found this LQ4. I have found a few threads on LQ4 240sx builds to.

[MeanGreenS13]

Here are a couple very informative articles regarding the LS engines and what you can do. I prefer the LQ4 if you want to go 6.0. An LQ4 with 243 (LS6) heads, LS6 intake and a decent cam will net you over 400hp at the tires and close to 400tq all day long.

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/tech-stori ... to-riches/

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engine ... -slugfest/

Transmission wise, you'll need a T56 which is a pricy but nearly indestructible transmission under 600hp. You can get lucky and find them around $750 but generally they are up around $1200-1500.