n00b... I have a nice 240sx lined up!!! :)

[snvin]

Hi everybody. Currently I own a '04 WRX wagon with a few mods, but I want something fun that I can drive to keep the miles down on the WRX. There is a guy in the local Subaru club who's selling a 1990 240sx.

It's an auto. He says there's no rust, but I'll be taking a look at it, and he also says there are no leaks. The VIN history has come up PERFECTLY clean.

The ONLY issues with this car, as far as I know so far, are:1- ripped driver's seat, which isn't really a big deal at all... I mean - it's 15 years old.2- the speedo doesn't work, and I have no idea how many miles are on it. The owner says it runs strong, and it does not burn oil. Obviously, I'll take a look at the oil cap, etc...

I can get it for $900. From the pics, the car looks pristine!

Anyway, since the mileage on this car is a big question mark, I was thinking I'd save up for a swap at some point, probably something straight-forward like an SR20det.

After reading pros and cons, I am looking at the red top. I'll be keeping the new engine mostly stock, with Maaaybe some exhaust mods, provided I can keep a cat in there somewhere without sacrificing too much power.

Anyway, I do have a few questions:*For those who have purchased and paid for a red top swap, how much was the total cost, EVERYTHING included? I'd be going with a stock turbo and SMIC, most likely. *Also, would it make sense (or is it even possible) to have an aftermarket DP, with an otherwise stock exhaust setup, including cat? *What do you think of $900 for the car, as described (assuming no rust, etc...)

Thanks a lot guys. I know how people get pi$$ed over on the Subie forums when people post n00b questions, so hopefully mine are not TOO n00bish... but any first post on a car forum usually is.

-Vin

[hannibal]

Welcome to NICO!!

$900 is a great deal if the car checks out. Be sure to check the shock towers as they tend to rust. You could find a pair of S14 (95-98 model) seats. They do a better job of holding you in place. Not sure how much they sell for.

I suggest you spend some time in the KA-T forum. You could find a lower mileage KA24 and turbo that.

Check out some sponsors' sites to see what they charge for a Redtop. Heavy Throttle sells them for $2500 for a stock swap and $4500 with some upgrades.

I would think a 3" downpipe and stock cat and exhaust would give you more power than a 3" cat and exhaust with stock downpipe. Of course, you 'should' do 3" from turbo back.

One of my friends (HashiriyaS14) sold his WRX for a 98 S14. He says he doesnt regret it a bit.

Oh yeah, show us some pics
Modified by IWannaS15 at 3:07 PM 5/27/2005

[snvin]

Thanks for the reply!

I've looked into Heavy Throttle - People have said nothing but good things about their work and their engines, but one of the Subaru Tri-State(NY/NJ/PA) guys has a 240 drift car, and he has a contact that supposedly does quality swaps for cheap. I'm thinking about getting the engine from HT and then getting this other dude to do the swap, but I'm not sure if I want to be bothered with transporting this engine all over the place.

As far as the exhaust, are there any 2.5" DPs on the market that will mate up with the stock cat? I know 3" will flow better, but I am just not going to be pushing the kind of power levels that would make it a factor. I'm hoping to have 200-220 rwhp - THAT'S IT. I know these are light cars. My Subie is a pig by comparison, but with ~225awhp on tap, it moves ok. I'm thinking a S13 with that many hp would be pretty effing quick.

Anyway, here are some pics!!!

[justmerging]

Make sure you check under the rear spoiler for rust and whatnot. It is a very common place for rust to fester without being noticed. As far as swap prices you could probably have it done for right around 3500-4k, depending on mods, etc. There are a few pieces you will want to replace while the motor is out of the car(ie, clutch). Another thing is that you will be going from auto to 5spd. That will add to the cost a little bit and the parts are a pain to find these days.I would say closer to 4-5k would be a safer bet(that is to have someone else do the swap for you).

[GrilledCheese33]

http://www.team-octane.net/turbokaultimate.zip

Welcome to nico! the best nissan place on the web, anyway the link i posted is the ultimate KA-T video which is from http://www.ka-t.orgThis is what convinced me to go ka-t. It is a video of all sorts of ka-t 240s doin some crazy things. I believe an sr costs too much. you can go ka-t with boost designs stage 1 and put out 230 rwhp. so its your decision and i hope you have high speed iternet b/c the movie is 50 meg, but definately worth the watch! if you got dial up, just go the the website and click on the names at the top of the page to see smaller clips. But anyway, on your car, i would say go for it. THat thing looks very clean. The rip in the seat is normal, and just be sure to check for rust in the common places that the other guys mentioned. But good luck and let me know what you think of the video! i think you will go ka-t after you see it. i just have to save some money, then my car will be one enjoy that new 240

[gogg]

Pignose with a lip.... damn you!

[snvin]

gogg - What's a pignose?

grilledcheese - From reading these boards, I've noticed that there have been some heated SR vs KA discussions.

The thing that has me leaning toward the SR20det is not really power-related. Basically, I want my car to look and sound close to stock. With that in mind, if I was go get an SR20det, I could run a stock SMIC and stock cat & cat-back. On the other hand, to turbo a KA necessitates aftermarket (i.e. loud, not stock looking) parts, which is really not what I'm going for.

Hell - I might even keep it as an automatic... since my WRX is a MT, an auto would be a nice change of pace. I'm not looking for a dorift-o monster... just a quick little car that's fun to drive a few days per week.

[Rosco]

A 89-90 240sx has a front bumper commonly referred to as a "pignose". If you look at it you'll notice why it's called that. 91-94 240's have a more rounded and "smoother" looking bumper. I personally say the pignose looks better especially with the OEM lip. My friend post over at the subie forums as well. Not sure what his SN is, but he owns a 97 2.2 4 door sedan. I know he wants throw some of the newer 2.5 RS parts on it.

[snvin]

OK... I get it now. You guys have "pignoses," while Subarus call the '02-'03 WRX "bugeyes."

I've been doing more and more reading, and I am seeing some people mentioning MBCs. If I put an MBC on my WRX, I would be screwed, because we have some fueling issues in the '04/'05 models....

...but people run MBCs on 240sx's with no problems?

[rico05]

A boost controller on a SR is not a bad thing, even if it is manual. On the stock turbine, the 370cc SR injectors are good for about 15 psi (which works out well because that is when the T25G runs out of steam).

Not to play the Devil's Advocate, but I hate HT. Screwed up my orders no less than 3 times and the last time their customer service was not only poor...It was insulting enough that I will never purchase even a worm clamp from them. I only do business with dealerships and a select few shops (ProjectSilvia, Phase2, and Drift Factory)

[snvin]

OK, I am going to see this car in person on Tuesday.

I know to check the hatch, strut tower tops, hatch & sunroof seals, oil & oil cap, under the spoiler, etc...

...but I now I should also check the frame rails. Can somebody tell me exactly where to look? I know it's a part of the structural framework under the car, but I'd lie to know exactly where it is/what to look for, so I don't look like a jacka$$ when I check out this car.

Thanks again for all the input everybody.

[snvin]

Anybody have input as to what I should be looking at w/ the frame rails?

it would be outstanding if somebody could post a pic...

[wild_maxx]

pignose and lip in sig