help w/ several changes to a 1990 240sx

[adollarwodbnice]

Ok, so i'm very close to getting this 90 240sx and i'm going back to decide if I want it or not in a week or so. I only drove it and wasn't planning on getting it so I never gave it even a decent look over to see if it was a rust bucket or not. It doesn't have a spoiler so hopefully the trunk area is fine. BUT, anyway i'm considering getting it although it is going to need a good amount of fixing up. The engine is very loud and the exhaust(not stock) is annoying so I couldn't really tell if the engine was running good or bad but i'm gonna assume the latter.

This 240 had the gauge cluster with the digital speedometer and heads up display. I was wondering if anyone has done a swap of this gauge cluster with some other type of instrument panel? I was thinking about getting some autometer gauges and designing one but that might be kinda expensive and I originally just wanted a different 240sx cluster to swap but wasn't sure if they're interchangeable. Second the seat belt part that is supposed to slide back over your shoulder was stuck all the way forward and I couldn't even pull it back. Is this an easy fix or is there some type of motor for it or something?I've also noticed ALOT of 240's don't have stereos especially stock ones; which is fine because I have an extra sony headunit laying around from another car I had..., is there a reason these cars normally don't have headunits or would I just need to get a new harness and kit or w/e to fit it in?Now the seats are another thing..., there's nothing wrong with them except I want to have leather seats and these are the racing style bucket seats so I was thinking about getting some later model seats from like a Silvia and reuphoilstering them with leather. Can I use the same tracks from this 1990 with say a 96's seat or no? Would it just be alot easier to get some racing seats that are already leather?MY LAST ISSUE as of now....The automatic transmission runs great but there's a problem with the overdrive button and it's like taped around the shifter handle so it doesn't come out or something lol. I plan on changing to manual but when I can afford it after I get the car. This should be fine right? I mean basically it means my overdrive won't function. They're selling this car for like 1000 so although it needs alot of work it's a pretty good deal as long as the shape of the car i good which i'm gonna check out in a few days or so.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!

-Robb

[ssmikeyss]

well if its a 1990 there's gonna be lotsa miles on it im sure! Is it a ka24e or a ka24de? you will probably have to replace the timing chain and tensioner! Check the compression on all cylinders! Its got an aluminum head so if its been overheated that might be a lil warped. The outer tie rod ends will need to be changed if they are the originals! Also the tension rods and bushings! Basically all the front end bushings will need to be redone! This car is gonna be a money pit at first no doubt! You will probably be better off preparing yourself to rebuild the motor completely, leaving nothing to question! But when you are done with the big stuff, that car is gonna run like a Motha Fuc@#% Champ! I just rebuilt my 1990 ka24e and now im workin on all the little things including the interior. My old lady has been talking @%$# about my car from day one, but my car just blew her doors off and shes gotta new mazda 6 with exhaust CAI and a custom header. Not bad for an old bucket eh! And thats with zero modifications really!

[adollarwodbnice]

I'm not sure which engine it is but i'll find a picture and put it up to show you..., is there a difference? Or is one DOHC? I thought the ka24de was the only one 1990 240's came with and it was SOHC? http://img.photobucket.com/alb...C.jpg it's that one. I guess that's the ka24e and the other is a ka24de?

Anyway I plan on replacing the engine either with an SR20DET or a KA24DE or rebuilding the current one..., which ever I decide on; either of the options would please me depends what i'll be able to afford a few months from now when I start fixing the car up but when I replace the engine i'll replace the transmission to most likely.

From what I hear these cars take mods really well and they're extremely reliable. BTW this one only has 103k miles. Like I said though it's beat to hell pretty much. It runs but it's an ugly duckling.

What I really want to swap first the gauge cluster..., any thoughts/ideas on what I could do? I wouldn't mind keeping the heads up but I don't want the digital odometer.

-Robb

[ssmikeyss]

thats the ka24e which is a single overhead cam! That motor has forged piston rods and a solid crank. You can achieve alot of horsepower on stock internals! alot of folks op for the sr20 swap! the ka24de which is a dual overhead cam only has 10 more horsepower stock, its not to much of a difference. The sr20 is probably your best bet because you can get parts pretty easy and supposedly the swap is pretty simple if you are a decent mechanic. you can get a redtop or blacktop sr20 and transmission for around 2 grand. Go to pandagarage.com and take a look and there motors and entire front clips. The front clips will come with the intercooler turbo wiring harness ecu motor and transmission and all the accessories. As for the gauge clusters im not sure, im pretty new to nissans as well but im sure if you look in the do it yourself section on this website you will find something or just start a new forum with just that question. Also the sr20 is a turbo charged motor. It costs a little bit to make the sohc or dohc ka motors turbo but either way the nissan motors are gonna turn that car into a rocket if you got the money.

[ssmikeyss]

I just rebuilt my ka24e and from start to finish it cost me 1500 bucks. I knew absolutely zero when I started. I just grabbed a chiltons book and did alot of research on here and wikipedia and now the car runs like a champ. I took the block and the head to the machine shop and had the cylinders honed cause they were still okay as far as the gap, and i had a valve job done on the head. the only thing i have left is the cam and rocker arms. I actually found a guy in canada that can make a cam for our car that will add quite a bit of performance and its only 205 dollars out of pocket which is very good. I had the crank shaved and I reused my rods and pistons. It is a big project to be sure, but I am very happy with the results.

[adollarwodbnice]

Coolm thanks for all the advice. I guess I could just look into getting a whole clip for an sr20det as that'l be better bang for the buck plus I'm sure this car will run me until I have the dough for it which would be like 3 months or so. I wanted to go performance on the engine from the beginning BUT I didn't want to put new parts ina beat engine so that might be a good idea to get the better engine first or see how this one is doing. How bout interior? I would like to have leather overall but I wasn't sure If getting racing seats would be a good alternative as i'm looking for sport comfort no uncomfortable racing seats. I want to get later model 240sx seats and either reuphoilster them or w/e but I didn't know If I could get leather seat covers for the 1990 style seats.

-Robb

[ssmikeyss]

I think reupholstering would be the way to go but with seats you can do just about anything as long as they are relatively the same size, you just gotta adapt the mounting brackets so they fit and are safe. I dont know what seats would fit in place perfectly though. I am redoing my seats and sticking a little bit more padding in the places I need it, for a little more comfort.