First new car?

[Claysario]

Hey everyone, this past year i've been dreaming of buying me a car. My goal was to buy a z32 tt but after doing research on it like maintance and that it "bad" as a first car cause it really complicated to understand i started to look more in depth into the s13. My budget is limited to around 2-4grand on just the car itself not including the extras i want to add ti it. Straight to the point i've been debating on ethier an s13 or a z31tt. ( i read the z31 is easier to work on). My end goal is to eventually swap the engine with with an rb25 or a sr20. Im still learning more everday about car. I want a fast car but im still learnig more aspect of a car being fast. (I.e. Wieght, torque, etc.) thank you again. And in glad to be apart of this forum!

[IAMTheRuckus]

S13 is pretty easy to learn on and has a ton of aftermarket support for a plethora of engine swaps and just general information about the vehicle and the many modifications that can be done to it. It's also easier to find, slightly newer, and probably less troublesome that getting a turbo z31. The first car I ever built or did anything to was an S13 so I may be a little biased but I've had 4 of them over the years and I know them very well.

[Claysario]

What year would you recommend for the s13? My goal is to have a real fast car that i eant to build from scratch so of course ill be getting a stock s13. And can i get your opinion on Which engine swap is best to meet my goal?

[IAMTheRuckus]

Depends really on how much you want to spend. You could go KA24DET which would be the cheapest route, just turbocharging your factory motor. SR20DET is a popular swap, from the silvia overseas. CA18DET from the 180sx overseas. VH45DE which is the big V8 from the Infinit Q45. LS swap kits are out there, VG30DE and DETT, VQ35, Pretty much anything you can think of someone has probably already swapped into it. I would recommend doing some research on the swaps and motors because it can get more expensive than you think. Create a parts list and price the parts you need for what you want to do so you'll have an idea of where you want to go with it. There is tons of information on this site for whatever you decide so grab a pen and paper and start reading through posts that pertain to what it is that you want to accomplish.
As far as year goes 89-90 models came with a single overhead cam KA 91-94 came with dual overhead cams. Mine has a 96' KA in it from an S14 but it's just what you prefer. I would recommend going with the dual overhead cam KA (91-94) unless you're going to swap the motor out then it doesn't really matter.

[Claysario]

I was going for the 91. Can you can explain the single and dual cam to me and why its better? My end game is to the a swap of course with either an rb or a ca. 180sx really fascinated me when i was looking up. But in the meantime i would like to turbocharge the stock motor if the engine is still in reliable condition. I want a fast and reliable car that leans toward more to the daily driver use.

Thanks much for the help ruckus! You really cleared somethings up for me

[A872B]

I'm biased towards the z31. I had one as a first car. It was an N/A though. They're really fun cars especially with the targa tops. There are more mods for the S13 though. While you could swap any engine you want, id highly recommend doing it right the first time and just do a 1jz with a 2jz gte head or a 2jz-gte. The RB25 is the best one to swap in IMO but you will have a lot more potential with the 2jz since it's a better motor. But if you're on a budget, you could build an sr20 to about 300ish hp and it will still be quick.

What is your idea of a fast car?

[Claysario]

To be honest on that question, i want a car with a lot power from start to end. Ive been in many car with turbos (stock) and it was really an experience just now am i learning that what i experienced was just just the beggining. Im a fan of street racing and looking into drag racing.

That car im talking about was a mustang gt 2015

Is my goal realistic ?im still learning and i will look into the 2jz swap thank you very much!

[BadQ45t]

Doing engine swaps are not super easy and take alot of work. What I would do if I were you is find a good Z31 Turbo car and then get it up to snuff and start to built up the turbos. You can easily get this car up to 300-330 horse with turbo boost and the Z31 was a much nice car new and still is a nice car than any S13. You could work with the bullet proof VG30 in the Z31 turbo and easily build it into a fast car without an engine picker and going through the hassle of an engine swap.