s13 owners, pros/cons

[partymonster 975]

I'm looking to buy an s13, I want to know what you guys like about it but better yet dislike. Except for no cup holders. So tell me the top 5 or 3 or any things you like and dislike about your car.....the s13.

[Nissan240Sound]

Cup Holder? Who needs a cup holder when you can take the ashtray out and use that as a cup holder.

I dont have any dislikes about the car at all.

[rowlatt]

pros

fastish with great handlingfun as hell to drive1990 hatch=the best lines of any car nissan ever madeeasy to work on (no experience and have found my way around it pretty well)the info available on nico

cons

THE REAR SPOILER!!!!timing guide issuesbad gas mileage when you drive like i do

[partymonster 975]

anyone else. What u mean 90 has best lines, you mean 89-90 better then 91-94? Or is there some secret I don't know about.

[Driftless240]

anyone else. What u mean 90 has best lines, you mean 89-90 better then 91-94? Or is there some secret I don't know about.

pros

fastish with great handlingfun as hell to drive1990 hatch=the best lines of any car nissan ever madeeasy to work on (no experience and have found my way around it pretty well)the info available on nico

Only Con== Possible Rusting due to age. Was my only Problem.

[Veriest1]

They seem to have some funky smell in the interior (at least mine did and I've heard others say this).

Stock seats are normally worn out and aren't so great anyway.

Ugly front on the 91-94's :P

Semi hard to find good offsets for them in four lug but not as bad as it used to be.

Getting to be a little to popular. I'd worry about car thieves and the like. Not to mention some complain endlessly about being profiled by police.

Handles decently.

Reasonably lightwieght.

Automatic seat belts! Blech!

4 wheel disc brakes (harder to find on some older cars... and, sadly, some newer ones (The Xterra comes to mind.).

Tiny backseat that's sometimes reffered to as "Nissan's Patented Padded Rear Shelf." Notice the apstrophe "s" on Nissan there. That's because if you sit in the backseat you've pretty much just been owned by some Nissan engineer.

[VinceSez]

pros-fun to drive-hatch - can turn into a truck if needed

cons-old, usually a lot of worn/broken parts, but easy fix (sometimes)

[g-ride]

well since im new to this nissan stuff ill tell you what i like. This is kinda comparing to my 89 civic si hatch with an ls swap and full suspension.

Good

1. Rwd can be very fun2. Handles ok for being stock3. Decent amount of power

bad

1. not as fast as im used to... or as free reving2. doesnt handle anywhere near as well as my hatch3. seems like everyone ive drivin has an exhaust rattle4. timing chain guide problems5. timing BELT > chain anyday6. not very good gas mileage7. one of the worst designed spoilers ive ever seen8. parts are more expensive than my honda9. seats suck *** (once again this is compared to my civic that came from the factory with recaros)

I could do more in favor of the nissan but you said mainly the bad. Overall its a fun car that i plan to keep but my civic isnt going anywhere.

[one85_db]

Pro: Lots of after market parts and support! Con: They are not made by Nissan anymore, so OEM parts are either hard to find or expensive from Nissan. Pro: FUN!!! Fast! Reliable! Light! RWD! EZ to work on! Lots of different stiles or racing can be accomplished. All wheel disk brakes, parts exchangeable with the skyline and the 300zx. Con: Bad gas mileage with any engine that comes factory in this car. Common engine swaps will not help that. Pop up headlights can be ugly, and intrusive. Rear spoiler made of foam-rubber causes rusting. HICUS (need i say more about that)... RWD is bad in snow, and scary when wet. ABS in this car sucks. Pro: Warm community dedicated to the 240SX. Con: Police and theve "profiling". Pro: Hatchback great for Subs, lots of interior room in dash for HUs and to run wires. Con: Factory speaker sizes suck, 4x6" all the way around (mods have to be done).

In the end, any and every car has their pros and cons; but it mostly comes down to personal preference.

[TheOne]

cup holders? wtfudge is that?! learn the art of shifting and steering 1 handed!

[boznuttz]

my cupholder is named 'Corey'

[jrb92se]

ill be 100% honest with you.my s14 was way prettier but..... it was newer and therefore i had to wash and vacuum it often and wax it and **** to keep up the paint also cleaning the enigne bay!now my 13 on the other hand is pure machine i dont wash it its got soot all over it from the exhaust and dead bugs on the front bumper the inside is clean and i got a new cd player and 14 leather so its sweet also i use my ashtray (*dont smoke) as a cup holder i replaced the bushings (energy hyper flex$100) and it handles better and is way (rb25det) faster then my 14 was but the 14 was so sexy!now my rec to you is buy a clean s13 kade coupe with pwr options use the money you save to upgrade the suspesion and then start saveing for an rb swap (or sr) or build a ka-t that was what iwas going to do with my 14 before i totalled it

[jrb92se]

and also just so you know usdm oem replacment nissan parts are very easy to find

[boznuttz]

new o2 sensor was 32 bucks for my s13. beats 400 for a bosch on most newer honda b series motors

[g-ride]

new o2 sensor was 32 bucks for my s13. beats 400 for a bosch on most newer honda b series motors

haha... right, mine for my b18 was $17 at advance

[kanecain]

I will list my cons first...Cons:Bad gas mileage even on a rebuilt engine (can be reduced with lower rpm shifting)Cheap *** uncomfortable seatsNo built-in cup holderAfter a while, stock engine feels weakDashboards will crackSunroof leaks air (very annoying at high speed)

Pros:The first moment when you actually turn the steering wheel is unforgetable. Handling is superb.Wonderful 80's hatch styling that still looks good today (looks way better than bulky S14)Engine at higher RPMs is Nirvana.Braking is pretty good (even without abs)Stock suspension rides high, but it's fairly stiff.Parts galore (as well as numerous engine swaps)Engine very easy to work on, and very reliable (guys will turbo 200,000 mile blocks!!!)You can't beat a cheap RWD car.

[boznuttz]

haha... right, mine for my b18 was $17 at advance

go to autozone and ask for a price quote on a bosch o2 sensor for a b16a2 motor in the 99 to 00 civic si . 111 or so now. for soem reason i got 400 from honda dealer, lol. still OUCH.

[g-ride]

go to autozone and ask for a price quote on a bosch o2 sensor for a b16a2 motor in the 99 to 00 civic si . 111 or so now. for soem reason i got 400 from honda dealer, lol. still OUCH.

eh i just get universal ones. $60 a piece on the b16a2 only vtec cars have 2, mine= no vtec.

all i know is that a full tune up for my civicplugs, wires, cap and rotor for my civic was only about $50 the same things i just priced for my 240 were closer to $80

[SR20Essex]

The only things that were recalled or reported as a complaint on the S13 240sx were the seatbelts having some problem and the SOHC KA needed lower compression pistons (both were fixed for free by the dealer back when it was an active recall). Other than that as far as bad; just minor annoyances that everyone else has pointed out.

Because it’s a unibody design its light (~2700lbs), but there is allot of flex which can be remedied by braces, strut bars...etc, but never completely fixed (you only notice if you drive really hard). I think the reason why this car is so appealing to most people is that its rear wheel drive, light, independent rear suspension, tons of aftermarket, several options for very good motor swaps, and they look hot when done right because of that classic sports car wedge shape (especially the hatchback).

Honestly, IMO, there isn't a better option anywhere for the money.

[~4N~]

Pros:Everything!

Cons:Bad drivers on the road just waiting to hit your pretty S13.

[adrianfromthecastle]

pros: too much fun...

cons: everyone automatically thinks your a drifter

[masticatingcow]

Pros:1. Handles like it's on rails.2. Styling for ANY year is great.3. Huge and growing aftermarket.4. CHEAP. RELIABLE.

Cons:1. Bandwagoned to hell by now - hard to be original, if that's something you're interested in.2. Inflated aftermarket pricing.3. Not fast without work... don't fool yourself.4. High mileage engine = easy to replace, but high mileage chassis = impossible to replace.

Don't worry, get one and you won't care about the cons.

[Juujai]

not very powerful stockpaint shows its age after 15 yearsinterior shows age4 lugbrakes are small

propretty fun to drivefairly light weightstyling is alright... stock

i've wanted to give up on it many times. i've been through hell and back and now my car doesn't even run.

Nissan did a good job with the paint but its showing age. 1500-2k atleast for a nice job.Brakes were too small so I changed to 300zx 30mm alum front/rear +ebrake4 lug… no need to explain had to change to 5…engine not enough power stock had to do something about it swapped it out. Its not that its too less power but to be competitive vs other cars something had to be done.

at the moment my car has 11k into it after the motorwork and paint it'll be at 16k+... without front mount, bov ... for that money i could easily buy a used 350z or s2000. You have to be a real big 240 lover to keep at it after that much restoration…

if you're looking for a beater that you'll drop some small change into then buy the s13 if you want it to be something more that looks really nice you're better off with another chassis imo... to park next to a newer car without looking like a fool will be a tough task… I’m tired of seeing mickey mouse 240s with mix and matched s13 front ends with blown shocks, cracked dashes, all season tires on black steels, warped rotors trying to race other people thinking they have the best car ever…

[Juujai]

long story shorti will recommend it to a person looking for a beater or someone looking to go all out

not to someone that is not willing to spend a lot of money to fix the 240s weaknesses.

[one85_db]

long story shorti will recommend it to a person looking for a beater or someone looking to go all out

not to someone that is not willing to spend a lot of money to fix the 240s weaknesses.

Weaknesses??!!!!

I would like to see you list another car that could be as flexible and reliable as the 240sx within the same price range. Even doing mods (keeping the KA) I don't belive there is any other car that can compare to the 240sx in it price, flexibility, performance, or it's reliability/low maintenance costs. (Don't even try FWD...)

The closest ones would be: Mazda RX-7 or Toyota Supra. We all know that the RX-7 is high maintenance and high costs, and it's rotary engine's power band; uh can you say TINY. The Supra on the other hand is closer, however it is way more expensive, and the cheep ones are usually the older ones like pre 90. Also they will be N/A, have a slightly higher maintenance costs, and weigh much more.

Please let me know if you can think of any thing else.

[mrzabala]

So far of owning an s13 for a month nowPros: -Decent weight-Parts cost less than my other car (3000GT) by about 2x or sometimes 3x.-RWD-The options available-Easier car to work on than my other car

Cons:-Rear fender welded and not bolted.-Underpowered for a 2.4L oh well Ill have a CA18DET so no problems really-Stock seats-Carpet material on glove box and side door trims-Head aluminum with steel bolts for the valve cover: Not a smart move.-4 lugs-110MPH Cluster (WTF is this )

[Juujai]

sorry what i meant was if you're gonna drive it as is then the 240 is one of the best bang for bucks basically in its own category lightweight rwd cheap reliable.

but in terms of spending money onto the car and making it look like its worth it. 5 lug brakes power etc. it fails really hard. i'm pretty sure you see a few modified 240s on autotrader/recycler and go wtf??? 10k for that car??? hell no right. but seriously a lot of times people spend way more than that and thats as good as it looks...

mr2, miata are 2 cars that can outrun the 240 stock. mr2 turbo especially... lightweight rwd, mr, lots of power, handles really good. miata although looks a little wimpy outhandles and atleast matches the speed of a 240.

[mrzabala]

Miatas cost around 5-20k for the good years with mx-5 94 and up. You can spend around 800 for a shell 240sx, put in an sr20det with transmission and still have extra for suspension, and a good set of wheels and tires. MR2-GT (200hp USA version), 32-GTE(245) or 32GE(172hp) also can have a high price tag. With that amount of money, I can also do a repeat and instead of upgrading suspension, I can upgrade the engine and externals. Im not saying they are bad cars, but with the current prices they're sold at you can easily upgrade a 240sx that can easily compete. Besides, why spend 10k on modified cars when you can do it for way less? You can even have Spencer down in LA to install a nice engine RB20DET that can own miatas and mr2 for under 4.000 including complete engine, tran. and install.

[amolao]

Good:Too much too list.Unique and superb handlingBeautiful classic body lines (S13 early hatch/coupe )Bulletproof engine and chassisCheap parts and easy to work on...etc...

Bad:89-90 front seats

Ugly:Timing chain Mysteriously cracked coolant reservoir

[asher4857]

when i first got my 240, i had one problem after another. first my starter went out which had to be replaced. then the little grommit on the nuetral safety switch broke and ym car wouldnt start.. i had the hardest time figuring out what the problem was.. damn little thing. my AC died soon after I baught the car, paint is chipping, dings and dents..

I love it though.. its my first car and I plan on keeping it for years to come.

like everyone said though. Its an older car, it will most likely need work and depending on the owner before you it could be pretty expensive. keep your eyes out for a good deal and you could find a running s13 with a great body and paint.