new to the forum/240sx budgeting help

[OMSIN]

whats up guys I'm Richard and I just so happen to be new to this particular forum. I've been into the import scene for quite some time. I'm no stranger to the 240 scene, my friend and I have been working on his 240 for about 8 months.

Any ways now that's said and done I wanted to talk about budgeting. first off I don't have a 240 yet, I'm about two pay checks away from buying one. still can't decide between an s13 or a s14. but it has taken awhile to save up the money witch has inspired this budgeting topic. I don't live a lavish lifestyle, I've practically starved myself for 4 months to save up the money to buy a 240 and I'm almost there. once I actually get the car I'm going to want to start messing with so if you got any budget Ideas let me know. I usually have about $650 to work with at the end of the month just to give you an idea of what I'm working with.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Well.....

S13's are cheaper than S14's. What exaclty are you looking for help wise? What do you want to do with your future 240? How much do you want to spend on the car itself?

[MastaYu]

Welcome! ^

[str33tprintz]

Welcome as well this is my first post here but I have modified my share of cars and all I can say is be patient I pick up my first 240 tomorrow and I have waited a while as well. S13s are cheaper, Though I as of tomorrow own an S14. I could have bought one months ago but waited for the right one.

On another note 650.00 is a decent amount to work with. And pick your parts wisely. You dont have money to burn so dont buy cheap and replace later. I.E. Ebay.

Good luck... and wish me luck

[red ka-t]

First off welcome, you have just joined the best 240sx forum on this planet, well maybe not the best but one of the best, but anyway what do you want out of your car? Do you want crazy speed or just something to have a little fun with?

[positron1]

Welcome to the forum!

[themadscientist]

Forecast recurring expenses and sock money away beforehand.

You should have several recurring expenses.

TaxesInspectionsInsurance

You also have operating expenses that you should average.

GasOil changes/tuneups

You will want to add neat parts and upgrade so those must be figured in.

These should be accrued as soon as you can afford if you want to upgrade quickly but only after the basic expenses are saved up.

Simply determine you savings plan for the recurring by taking the due dates and dividing the expected amount by the number of paydays between now and then. I would suggest rounding up a bit and whatever you don't spend at the time the expense comes due let it drop into your "fun money" for parts and cool stuff.

To determine gas budget collect your receipts for a couple of months to see what you are using on average and use that as a base. If the 240 is going to likely drink more you should figure that in.

After these are done you should determine an amount to save for s*** happens. It is hard to plan for a thrown rod or a blown head gasket etc. This is an old car, you should set aside money to cover unexpected part failure.

Only then would I put aside money for fun stuff.

[Xj220gt]

I would (have gone) go with an s14 only because they are the newer model. all 240s are old and will require some sort of fixing, so why not get a s14 which was the latest model?

I got an s14 because they look a bit more modern and I love the way my zenki looks. I later plan on getting an s13 because they look extremely nice when modded, but for my daily I want an s14.

Just my suggestion.

[S13Joe]

I think with your kind of budgeting you should go with an S13. Not only because they are cheaper but because if you DO crash it/bang it up doing some jdm tokyo drifting and what not, there won't be $3-$5k down the drain.

While your on these forums your first mod to the car will more than likely be coilovers (~$1000). Then wheels and other little things and probably an engine swap. This is why I prefer the S13 to you, cheaper, fun, looks good, and they are WAY easier to find for the right price compared to an S14.

Anyways, I just woke up, idk why im typing so much... If this doesn't make any sense to you then maybe I'll edit it later. Welcome to Nico.

[OMSIN]

I plan on doing every thing. I'll be building a road track/daily driver although I don't know how long it will remain a daily driver knowing me I'll gut it within the first week. the first thing I'll do is get coil overs and some fresh wheels because I really don't like the stock ride height nor the stock wheels. Plus I'll be tracking the car any ways so I'll probably address the suspension and handling characteristics of the car first. I defiantly got to get my hands on ings+1 body kit before they discontinue they, I just love the way they look on s13/s14. but the body will be last in line. I don't know about the engine yet I'll probably stick with the KA and if I do a swap it will be an RB26 swap. I plan on touching every inch of the car.

[adrianfromthecastle]

S13

its cheap[er]

[gregfarz78]

Whatever you estimate your budget to be take that number and double it that will be closer to reality lol

[AZ89two4Tsx]

I defiantly got to get my hands on ings+1 body kit

Wow, then you've definately got some money to spend. I forsee a very nice s-chassis if you're parts are as expensive as that body kit. Be sure to tell us what you do and keep us updated!

[OMSIN]

I'm a big fan of getting the job done right the first time, so you can bet your a** that I'll be using quality parts. my budget is a big problem, so I foresee a very slow build but I defiantly keep you guys updated when I get it started.