Need some opinions please!

[Seanzyyy]

I'm in the middle of an RB25 swap into my coupe and I'm now contemplating what I'm doing

I go to college, work part-time, and make little money.
I have pretty much everything i need to drop the RB into my coupe,
minus the shortening of the driveshaft.

My biggest worry is reliability.
I've read mixed reviews on the reliability of RB's.
some have said they're bulletproof, others say they aren't very reliable at all.
and a big problem is if something were to go wrong,
would i be able to cross reference a part here?
and if not, i'd see some serious downtime (based on what i've read).

I'm contemplating whether or not to sell it, put the ka back in, and wait for an sr (as aftermarket is a lot better and more suited for my budget).

What do you guys think?
and what are some of your experiences with reliability/parts (both factory replacement and aftermarket upgrades)?
I'm just a college kid wanting a good running, reliable, fun car. lol

Thanks for any input guys!

[fastass]

i know i have a buddy with a s13 that would want your motor. i cant tell you how an rb is. i can tell you my buddy has an sr swap and he has never had a thing go wrong with it. and he beats on the weekends at the track. but its hit or miss. let me know if you sell that motor. i call dibbs for my buddy.

[Seanzyyy]

well,
how's an RB?
mine will stay fairly stock.
it won't see over 350hp for a long time.
i was hoping to maybe have around 300hp.

From what i've read everyone loves their RB's,
i just need to know if it's worth it to drive it daily.
as in, how reliable is it REALLY.
when things go bad, how bad is it really to get parts?

[fastass]

like i said i cant tell you much i know you have to get most of your parts from japan. i know a buddy who had his swaped and waited like a month to get a part i forget what it was. but his car ran good and i dont think he had any other parts go bad. how many miles are on that rb? i bet you 1000 dollars that what they advertised it at isnt whats really on it. just go trough your steps and replace things before you put ot in. "if you put it in"

[Seanzyyy]

ahh, i misread your post.
well i bought it already swapped into a vert and am currently in the process of swapping it out and into my coupe.
it starts up and runs fine.
the only thing needed to drive it as it sits would be a better radiator and fans (which i have for the coupe)
i already have a mounting kit.
the powersteering lines however get in the way of the passenger side.
which was a question i asked in another forum whether or not i can just swap the lines with lines from a dohc (the vert).

i have decided to go ahead with the RB as i have yet to even really give it a chance.
like i said it starts up and runs fine.
many parts are cross-referenced to usdm cars.
and sites like this, craigslist, az240sx, skylineownersusa, etc. may have parts up that i would need.
and since im only planning for a modest power gain,
nothing should be strained.

i've just realized that it IS a motor, just like any other motor.
it's almost like i'm treating it as if it was built on another planet or something.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Any swapped car like what you're doing should just be a second car, imo. If you can't afford to have a car on the side when something breaks, you shouldn't be dropping that much of your money into a swap imo.

When I had my hatch things would constantly break and I was lucky enough to have a car I could drive while I fixed what was needed. And I had a single cam, no swap.

Sounds like you should focus your spending on something else. Take that 3K or so you would spend on that swap and put it in the bank. You're NEVER going to see any of it back once you dive into it.

[fastass]

Any swapped car like what you're doing should just be a second car, imo. If you can't afford to have a car on the side when something breaks, you shouldn't be dropping that much of your money into a swap imo.

When I had my hatch things would constantly break and I was lucky enough to have a car I could drive while I fixed what was needed. And I had a single cam, no swap.

Sounds like you should focus your spending on something else. Take that 3K or so you would spend on that swap and put it in the bank. You're NEVER going to see any of it back once you dive into it.

thats what i meant lol.

[allenms240]

Do it while you can imo.

[rsmithdrift]

two ways to approach this....
1. the somewhat neive, somewhat immature teenage angst way that will give you instant gratification along with a slight risk of be in a bad situation latter on... by just forging ahead and installing it anyways against all forethought and damn the consequences your going to make it work so you have an rb in it so when you can finally afford to do something worthwile with it you already have a headstart and it's fun to have even stock. Who cares about the risk I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I want to have it in my car till I can afford to go further and be safe if something were to happen.
Basically if the risk is worth the reward... go for it and install it.

OR 2. Do the smart and no fun thing and sell the RB and stay with the KA till you can afford to do something like this properly... using the money from selling it to improve upon the KA and still have a reliable form of transportation everyday. And also having alot of patience to be able to wait untill you can afford to swap it to something you want and have the time of your life and still have reliable transportation.
In other words, is it really that much better to play it safe and wait.... sell it and use the money to make the ka RELIABLY fast enough to hold you over till you can finally afford a swap. Maybe even saving some of the money also.

I'm not ragging on anyone who would choose 1 at all because it totally depends on your current situation... I if I was you i'd be on a post as well.... But either way you will be satisfied if you look at it in the proper light. both have their good points and both have thier draw backs. Whatever you choose, make sure it's what's right for you. Your life. Your decision.

[matt_240sx]

If you are going to do the swap, find a cheap daily beater you can use for all of your transporting needs while you are working on the swap. That's what I would do..

[Seanzyyy]

thanks for the input guys.
btw i do have another car that i drive everyday to school and work.
I just want to be able to take the 240 out afterwards if i go somewhere or just to cruise.

rsmithdrift: that's what i was thinking about doing.
i still have my old single cam and was actually cleaning it up to put it back in.

my main thing is that i miss driving it.
even with a sohc,
it was still nice to be able to drive around in it.

AZ89two4Tsx: i was thinking that too.
if i stopped now and sold everything,
i may be able to make most of my money back,
if not all of it.
then i'd be able to drive my car again and have a good chunk of money in the bank and save for a more practical swap,
like an SR or a dual cam KA.

so in otherwords, lol,
this is a whole RB or SR debate
hahaha.

but if i was able to go back and do it all over again...
i would have just got an SR.
it would've spared me some dough in the bank.
lol.

so now i'm still thinking about what to do.
lamesauce.