Need some opinions on a 240 from some experienced owners

[Athikerguy4life]

Alright guys. I've been on Nico for awhile but I've stuck to the Versa forums (my daily driver). This weekend I'll be heading out to look at a 1989 240sx hatchback. Right now I only know what has been listed in the craigslist ad because it seems that the seller is the parent of the owner. They moved to the west coast and no longer need the car. This is great for me, because it means I can probably get it cheap (parents want it out of the driveway) but also bad because they know very little about the car.. All I really know is that it starts+runs, has some minor rust on the underside, is an automatic, and has 180,000 miles. I have no idea if there are any aftermarket parts and it has a service history, but its limited to the last 4 years. Here's a picture the seller sent me:



So here are my questions:
Auto to manual conversion-is it hard?
What are some trouble spots/sounds I should look out for when I test drive it?
How reliable/long lasting are these motors?
What do you think its worth/whats a reasonable price to pay for it?

I am mechanically inclind and not afraid to get my hands dirty. Thanks in advance guys

[Morph]

Auto to manual conversion-is it hard?

If you can swap a motor then its not that much more work. You obviously need a clutch pedal, clutch reservoir, auto to manual clutch line, and a drill to make the holes for mounting the pedal and reservior, and shifter hole. Obviously you need more parts but its not as hard as say welding in a new strut tower.

What are some trouble spots/sounds I should look out for when I test drive it?

Timing chain rattle, check the frame rails for rust, rocker pannels wheel wells, strut towers, look in the spare tire well( most of those seals around the trunk are probally gone so it could have some rust in there. Also look for clunking sounds, these could be the struts or bushings that are probally toast after 20+ years.

How reliable/long lasting are these motors?

That all depends on how often it was serviced and how hard the motor was abused. There are ka's on here that have gone over 200k but me personally i would rebuild it since its not your DD, or get a swap, SR/RB/LSx/KaDe, etc

What do you think its worth/whats a reasonable price to pay for it?

Since its the parents and they sound to have no clue start at 1k depending on how bad that rust is.

[Athikerguy4life]

Thanks for the good info! They have it listed for $1500, and I'm probably gonna start the bidding around $750 and see what happens. With any luck they'll let it go cheaper than its listed. I've never done an engine rebuild before but I know the basics. I would be getting it as a project, so there's really no rush. I can take my time and do it right. Hopefully with some help from you guys here on nico

I'll take pictures when I go look at it and get back to you with more details.

[biggie]

My main concern in your area would be the rust, check it throughly. Frame rails and under the battery would be the first 2 places to look.

[Athikerguy4life]

will do! I've read elsewhere that if it has a factory spoiler the hatch will rust as well.

[nevertheless]

Yes, its made out of foam, so its easy to trap water. It's probably worth 1,000-1,250 depending on how bad the rust is.

[Jabberwocky]

Both my s13s had rust on the floorboard under the passenger seat. One wasn't anything serious, the second one I had to cut the spot out of the floor and weld in a patch. Of course you probably can't rip the carpet back before you commit to buy it, but while yore checking out the frame rails look under there as well.

[lylasohc]

Hear for bad clunks when steering and when brakings. Front suspension on these go bad after lot of years. Rear subframe bushing go bad as well

[SX APPEAL]

What everyone has said about the value of the car is pretty much spot on.

What'd I'd do... is show up with 1K in cold hard cash in your pocket, offer them the $750 and move from there. Cash talks. Don't give more than a grand for it though, that high of miles with an auto and questionable rust is not the best starting place, but it does have potential.

One more thing, please don't use the phrase "do it right" again. You, I and everyone else knows that's just the internet rhetoric we use to avoid getting flamed for having been perceived to have cheaped out in this or that area. I've put over 10 grand into my build and I still haven't done everything "right." So please, whatever you do, use this car for your own enjoyment, don't worry about what a bunch of faceless usernames (myself included) think of what you've done with it.

[Athikerguy4life]

One more thing, please don't use the phrase "do it right" again. You, I and everyone else knows that's just the internet rhetoric we use to avoid getting flamed for having been perceived to have cheaped out in this or that area. I've put over 10 grand into my build and I still haven't done everything "right." So please, whatever you do, use this car for your own enjoyment, don't worry about what a bunch of faceless usernames (myself included) think of what you've done with it.

When I said "do it right" I meant rebuilding the engine carefully, taking my time, and not rushing through it. I didn't mean for it to apply for the whole build, cause obviously everybody has different tastes and there is no 1 way to build the car perfectly. I will indeed use it for my own enjoyment, and I don't particularly care what anyone else thinks, as long as its fun for me to drive. If I had ever let other people determine what I should drive, I would've never gotten a Versa. Everyone criticized me for that buy, but I love the thing!