Need help with 240sx

[ni_san]

There was a lot that I didn't read but here's a question for you:

What's your driving experience? You live in Michigan and you're looking at getting a 5-speed RWD car. From my personal experience, I learned how to drive on the freakin retarded coral roads of Okinawa, Japan and I didn't know jack about s14s at the time. I was on my way home after a date with an ex gf and it had just started raining. My car had kind of beat up tires and I ended up losing traction and losing my car after only 1 week of owning it. It was the cleanest 97 kouki 14 ever and it was gone in a flash. I should have even died in the wreck but luckily, the tree that my car wrapped around missed me by a few inches.

Did I learn my lesson? Painfully. I wasn't even trying to drive fast at all, just trying to go home. Roads made of coral are the most retarded roads on the planet during the mere rain. I've had 6 of these cars since then and I can drive them under most conditions. Including with a 2-way, bald tires, and in the rain. (NOT RECOMMENDED)

From the description I just read, the guy messed up the door on the inside, probably a little plastic piece is broken in the door Easy. e-brake... sounds like it might've gotten a 5-lug swap or something and the guy didn't have the lines to get the e-brake working. How you can have it as a DD without an e-brake is beyond me. Why does the car have an s13 KA? That just sounds sketchy... unless it were a redtop but it's not.

Anyways, I freakin love kouki 14s. I had 4 in Japan and I know the ins and outs of them pretty well. Owning one in Michigan though... I'd probably never drive it if it got below freezing. Seriously, especially if you don't have any experience drifting, which from what my friends in snowy places have told me is NOTHING like driving in the snow/ice. I would say...... get it if you KNOW what you're doing and how to drive it. There's a reason that most regular a** drivers have FWD haha (not trying to hate). I see it almost every time it rains here and I just shake my head. But if you're new to RWD and if the car is sketchy, pass on it and either wait for a better deal or maybe consider AWD cars. I've had plenty of fun in a GC8 Impreza.

[SixRunner]

He said he had a skyline engine before the s13, but I guess the s13 drops in there no problem so idk what he did with the wiring. Im in love with koukis, but if I can still get the 95 tomorrow I might just get that. If not im gonna get the kouki inspected, and ill see what's wrong with it.

Someone said that if I got the zenki, I could get another chassis later. But couldn't I do the same with the kouki?

[SixRunner]

I probably wouldn't drive it in the winter. I have my screwed up malibu for that.

[OriginalWheelman]

Someone said that if I got the zenki, I could get another chassis later. But couldn't I do the same with the kouki?

You could but you'd be throwing away 4 grand instead of 2. It's 4 grand for someone else's old project, that sounds like it was put back together half assed, or 2k for a 240 who's only problem is being old and automatic.

[SixRunner]

...and being a zenki.

i guess with the money i save if i bought the zenki, i could fix it up really nice.

also, is it worth turbo'ing a KA, how much more power would i get out of it? or what is my best choice for getting more horsepower?

[OriginalWheelman]

Man if ascetics are that important to you, I'm done trying to help.

[ni_san]

you could literally take the hood, fenders, bumper, and headlights off of a kouki 14 and put it on a zenki. Pick up some kouki tails and there you go. It's not a $2k difference.

[orangeNblue]

to go from zenki to kouki its bumper, fenders, headlights, headlight brackets, radiator support, hood, and grill....and then paint which if you really care about aesthetics then you're going to want it to be done right...in the end, if you really want a kouki, then wait and get a good kouki...which is definitely not this one. I have sold a 97 kouki with an s13 motor in it...it was swapped directly over and everything worked flawlessly.

[SixRunner]

ill probably get a zenki, just cause im out of options at this point. aesthetics are the first if not second most important part of a car. but zenkis arent THAT bad looking, if modded right, they can look so clean. its just hard to imagine a clean modded car from a stock car. i guess thats where im stuck.

hopefully when i call the guy tomorrow, he will still have the zenki

[eclipse2001gt]

Im getting the car inspected sometime this next week.
Insurance will be around $350/ 6 months

i cant get a car from out of state because i currently cant leave the state.

there was 1 other 240sx in my area that i was looking at. it had 144k miles, big dent on quarter panel, clear coat is peeling off. its also a '95 and automatic trans. im in love with the kouki front end. so by time i fix the dents, and paint it. ill have a few grand into it. plus if i ever want to front end swap and manual swap it, theres some more money being poured into it.
The '97 that im looking at, isnt really a project car. looks good, runs alright, might need a little maintenance right now but i wont know until i get it inspected.

i dont feel like a 240 will just pop up on craigslist just because i want one, im not that lucky. been looking for a few months and only seen one decent one (the one im looking at right now)

Thats what i thought untile yesterday i found one for a good price. Was going for a supra but test drove it and i was supprized that it made it around the block with out the front end falling apart. Then i looked up 240sx on cragslist and be hold there was one there even tho it has a 350 small block in it. Love the car. Just wait and you will find the one that is in better condition and you might even get lucky and find one with a swap done for you that you just got to do little things and not have to worry about spending money for the engine and have it shipped to you.

[Bubba1]

240s suffer mainly from strut tower and rocker panel rust, as well as under-spoiler rust on S13 hatchbacks.

I didn't read everyone's responses, but I would be pretty pissed if someone wouldn't let me have MY money. I don't even know how they are doing it.

Yes, you'd likely be angry if you were the kid, but consider the parent's perspective. if you had a teenager with $4000 and a big itch to blow it all on a fixer upper car, instead of saving for the adult expenses you know are coming up for him,you might try to stop him too.

[SixRunner]

its not really a fixer upper car though. and they had my money for a year or 2. which makes no sense.

[Bubba1]

its not really a fixer upper car though. and they had my money for a year or 2. which makes no sense.

Well, if you feel a car with a non-functioning drivers door, gauges that don't work, an inoperable Ebrake, and a rust problem is not a fixer upper, I'd hold your money too if I was your dad.

[OriginalWheelman]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3096723605.html

That 240 is a pile. It's got cheap parts on it, they half assed the rear brake swap, and it has different suspension on front and back. They slapped whatever motor they could get their hands on in it, and are asking top dollar, no doubt hoping some kid with a hard on for a kouki will come and buy it for too much money.

[nissangirl74]

My mom wants my uncle to check out a car with me so i dont get screwed again.

What do you mean, AGAIN? What happened before this?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Eh, a good ol fashioned fixer upper is a good way to keep a young kid off the street, and really teaches you a lot about working on mechanical/electrical systems, as well as the value of a dollar.

[SixRunner]

is $6000 to much for a cherry 97? this one looks great, and drives great. 6000 is a little bit out of my price range, but im fully willing to pay a little more for a nicer car.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Need more info (miles and such). Offer 4900, see what happens.

[SixRunner]

145k miles, its his daily driver, says everything is perfect. put over 5k into it. no ebrake though, but again, ill be able to fix that.

sent him an email, waiting for response. when i find out more about mods and stuff ill be sure to put it up on here.

it has a silvia badge on it, not sure why.

[Bubba1]

145k miles, its his daily driver, says everything is perfect. put over 5k into it. no ebrake though, but again, ill be able to fix that.

sent him an email, waiting for response. when i find out more about mods and stuff ill be sure to put it up on here.

it has a silvia badge on it, not sure why.

Are you talking the same car that Oatmealman just described for you?

[OriginalWheelman]

Are you talking the same car that Oatmealman just described for you?

Why do people confuse me with him so much? I complain a lot more.

The worst part is he talks about it like it's a different car, even thought I looked for the Kouki he was talking about on detroit craigslist. It's the same pic ffs.

[Bubba1]

Are you talking the same car that Oatmealman just described for you?

Why do people confuse me with him so much? I complain a lot more.

The worst part is he talks about it like it's a different car, even thought I looked for the Kouki he was talking about on detroit craigslist. It's the same pic ffs.

I didn't confuse you with him at all. You found the ad he was looking at and you correctly identified it as a pile. OP doesn't see that as his enthusiasm to buy one is clouding his judgement.

[numbnuts240]

you called him oatmealman.

[SixRunner]

I didn't confuse you with him at all. You found the ad he was looking at and you correctly identified it as a pile. OP doesn't see that as his enthusiasm to buy one is clouding his judgement.

i was pretty sure i said i found a different one. "cherry" + "$6000" = different kouki.

this one is mechanically and cosmetically perfect. if thats what a pile of s*** is then idk what a good one is.

[Bubba1]

you called him oatmealman.

Whoops. Youre right. I apolgize.

[Bubba1]

I didn't confuse you with him at all. You found the ad he was looking at and you correctly identified it as a pile. OP doesn't see that as his enthusiasm to buy one is clouding his judgement.

i was pretty sure i said i found a different one. "cherry" + "$6000" = different kouki.

this one is mechanically and cosmetically perfect. if thats what a pile of s*** is then idk what a good one is.

You weren't clear. Evidently this "cherry" one also has e brake problems, so it's not perfect as you claim. You're under the impression the e-brake problm is easy to fix without even seeing it. Somthing to think about. If the owner kept it "cherry", and this was aneasy repair. Why was it never fixed? It's probably ecause it's a bigger problem than you think.

As far whether it's worth $6000. Hard to say without more info. It seems on the high side based on the very little you shared.

<long time 240sx owner

[SixRunner]

sorry for not being clear. once he emails me back ill tell you guys all the mods thats been done.

and ebrake would be an easy fix for me since i redid the whole brake system on my old fiero.

[OriginalWheelman]

Your ignorance is astounding. You're assuming it's a broken part. I guarantee it's because they did not do the brake swap properly. You can't just unbolt Z brakes and bolt them on, do some research. You obviously know nothing about 240s other than "they look cool with the kouki"

[SixRunner]

The second one im looking at does not have Z brakes, so therefore your whole arguement is invalid.

i did the whole brake system on my fiero, i cant imagine that an ebrake differs THAT much from car to car.

your right, i just wanna stick my d!ck in a kouki.

[numbnuts240]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3143866419.html

i sense abuse.