need help starting out

[jin3000]

im looking to purchase a sr motor but i have a few questions that i hope can be answered here.first,can i buy a engine and manual transmission and just use the engine but still use my auto transmission?second, whats the difference between a red top and a blck top besides the obvious color difference?and third does anyone know a reputable business in san antonio tx or nearby that i can purchase and maybe get it installed in my 97 240sx? thanks for your time any help is greatly apprieciated.

[LarryStooge]

im looking to purchase a sr motor but i have a few questions that i hope can be answered here.first,can i buy a engine and manual transmission and just use the engine but still use my auto transmission?second, whats the difference between a red top and a blck top besides the obvious color difference?and third does anyone know a reputable business in san antonio tx or nearby that i can purchase and maybe get it installed in my 97 240sx? thanks for your time any help is greatly apprieciated.

in the future, please do a search. but to answer your questions;

you cant use your stock auto, you can source an SR auto though if your willing to go through the trouble.

a redtop is from the older s13 cars, the black top is from the newer s13 cars and from the s14 and s15 cars, with slight differences depending on what car it came from. the redtop is most peoples choice because of cost reasons. the s13 red/black top motors (supposedly) have a better flowing head than the s14 blacktop, but the s14 blacktop has a slightly larger turbo.

as far as purchasing a motor, i recommend the following people:

http://www.underground-motorsports.comh ... rtrend.com

I know the owners (Undergrounds owner, chris, is an awesome guy, know him from many phone convos, etc. wayne at phase2 is awesome too, i did his website design, so i talked to him a little bit, and what ive gathered, hes really good guy) of both those places and theyre both trustfull. I personally would try out Underground since theyre a knew company (if I was purchasing that is) since the owner seems to have his heart in the right place, and since hes so new, hes willing to cut deals to get business. Phase2 has decent prices and EXCELLENT quality (as wayne's reputation says, i dont know from personal experience).

As far as install in texas, cant help ya much there.

[SmithSR]

Discounting cuts directly into profit margins.. a few years of profitable business(i.e. no discounting) and a small company might eek it's way out of the red. Cutting people deals means you have to make up for the lack of revenue some way. Hurried work, cutting corners, increasing volume sales without a measure of quality control, missing phone calls, or failing to reply to customer inquiries. It all leads downhill.

This is why, if you're not sure who to trust, deal with the long-standing, good reputation companies, who have not and will not pack up & run. Our sponsor, Heavy Throttle who's link is in the left hand column, is a solid outift.

Phase2, who's link is found at the bottom left of page, is another well run, properly organized company that deserves a shot at your patronage.

Search around for info on local shops. I can recall a few recent threads that mentioned local Texas shops. The best way to do business is still and will always be in person.

[LarryStooge]

Discounting cuts directly into profit margins.. a few years of profitable business(i.e. no discounting) and a small company might eek it's way out of the red. Cutting people deals means you have to make up for the lack of revenue some way. Hurried work, cutting corners, increasing volume sales without a measure of quality control, missing phone calls, or failing to reply to customer inquiries. It all leads downhill.

This is why, if you're not sure who to trust, deal with the long-standing, good reputation companies, who have not and will not pack up & run. Our sponsor, Heavy Throttle who's link is in the left hand column, is a solid outift.

Phase2, who's link is found at the bottom left of page, is another well run, properly organized company that deserves a shot at your patronage.

Search around for info on local shops. I can recall a few recent threads that mentioned local Texas shops. The best way to do business is still and will always be in person.

youve definately got alot of good points there. i personally would deal with heavythrottle though. they have an awesome reputation, but not awesome enough to justify their prices, im a poor ****er.