buying a 240 and got a few Q's.

[EstoMax]

long time lurker, first time poster..

hey all,

first of all, :ylsuper 240SX power! :ylsuper

anyway : ) i graduated and my parents told me i can sell my hyundai (2000 accent GL) and they would help me buy a new car, personally, i want a 91-93 240sx, but in my area there are few an they go fast, plus they cost about 3000-4000, which is more then the ones in the south, but oh well.

the reason im posting is that I was wondering if you guys could point some things out i should check for when i go to look at a car if i find one here, common problems, i know the underspoiler rust is one thing, but where else are semi-hidden rust problems on this car? also if you know any mechanical problems i can check for and diagnose, then leave a reply.

TIAMax

[masticatingcow]

Hey man,

Welcome to the boards... nice to have another lurker out in the open! LOL.

Anyway, I don't know if I can be of much help, but let me tell you what I had to pay for in the months after I bought my car, a 91 S13 FB... (in this order):

ClutchFlywheelClutch Master CylinderClutch Slave CylinderTranny resealBrake Master CylinderDifferential ResealBrake padsBrake rotorsHead gasketWater pumpInjectorsDriver's stide seatbelt assemblies (under warranty)Lower control arms

This is excluding regular oil changes, and recommended tuneups. Regardless of what condition the car is in, the first stop you should make is to a trusted mechanic. Have them perform a bumper to bumper inspection (usually 30-60 bucks) and take the list of problems back to the seller. It's a good bargaining chip... I saved 1000 dollars on mine and convinced the seller to let me pay in three payments, rather than all up front.

Also, check for recalls. I know that the 91's had a recall ordered on the seatbelt assemblies. Pull on the belts, check the connectors. If you find something loose or questionable, it may be leverage for you to lower the price. The seller may or may not know that it is a warrantied repair, so how much you save may vary. (FYI, the dealer initally quoted my seatbelt repair at 300 bucks before I told them about the recall.)

As far as rust goes... if you find a fastback you like, check the hatch hinges. Also check the hood hinges. You can always just buy a Cali car, which will have very little rust. He he he. That's about it, at least from what I've seen. I know that the wheelwells have a tendancy to rust also, especially outside of CA, so that's worth checking.

Remember, problems like rust and slight electrical malfunctions don't have to be deal-breakers. The 240sx is an excellent car for the price, and take it from me, even if you spend DOUBLE what you paid getting it really fixed up, it's still worth every penny. Hope this helps! Good luck and again, welcome!

[black s13]

cars from california arent magical... theres plenty of totally rust free 240s everywhere, i own 3, and know of 4 more right in my city that are perfect as far as rust is concerned.

[getnrowdy23]

if you are going to keep the ka motor i would just check on the clutch, transmission, and headgasket and thermostat, CRUSHPLATE(if its been in an accident or not).... parts arent that hard to come by.... do a sr swap and dont worry about the motor

[silkk]

welcome!

[EstoMax]

tnx for the welcome

heh, my parents are telling me to get an s14 (they dont want an old car like an s13, even though it looks better IMO, the s14 looks good in its own way too )

so i found a blue 96 240sx for a nice price, the only problem with it besides normal wear and tear is that its odometer died at 35k miles and mileage is unkown for that reason, so i was wondering how hard is it to fix / replace the odometer on these cars ? should i just go to a junkyard and find a 240 and rip the instrument cluster out?

Thanks

Max