Should I buy swapped?

[DanThaMan]

What would everyone recommend? Buying a 240 with an sr20 swap done, or buying a stock/semi stock 240 and swapping it myself. I do have the means and know how to do a swap this summer, but I think it would be cheaper to buy one already swapped.

Also whats everyone think about this? http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/1132229312.htmlthanks

[NismoZRS]

your choice i suppose.. a new engine is a new start..

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Swapped cars will always be cheaper than doing it yourself. It's just that you never know what you're getting. Most swapped cars have been beaten on more than once.

[White Comet]

^ thats kind of a valid argument, but most stock 240s have been beat on, so whats the point? i bought my car already swapped and the motor was sound. imo getting a swapped car isnt bad, but i ripped mine apart to redo everything. it was just nice to already have the engine there. and if you plan on getting the car in the link, it looks to be a great deal.

[gregfarz78]

swapped car is fine if you rip it all out, rebuild the motor and rewire if necessary...you never know what you're getting with a swapped car if the last owner jury rigged it that could be a nightmare to troubleshoot

[AZ89two4Tsx]

If you're gonna tear it all apart and go through it, yeah, good choice. But if you just want something to drive and not really work on, I'd be careful.

[White Comet]

true, stuff could be rigged badly but if you look it over good and know what you're getting into you should be fine.

[Kraayl]

I am in a similar situation, i am considering buying a 90 coupe with a s13 blacktop with t28 turbo, fmic, and tuned ecu. I guess the wiring under the dash is jacked up and car wont start unless you jump the starter or push start. But i think i still might pick it up, 2k is the price right now and if i can haggle it down should be worth it. Think i should pull the engine and have a shop check it out? i am planning on putting the engine in my s13 or swapping my goodies over, havent decided yet.

[DanThaMan]

thanks guys What should I look for if I go look at the car, besides rust on frame, anything else in particular besides the normal stuff?

[eidk]

There is a handful of people i would even consider buying a modified car from. But i would never be able to afford their cars.

The thought of hours trying to diagnose an issue because of the previous owner bothers me way to much.

Plus I love the satisfaction of the build. But that is just my .02 cents

[DanThaMan]

personally I would love to be able to build or just have a 240 as a project, but unfortunately I need a vehicle to get me to school and work and I cant afford to insure 2 vehicles right now

[dsc4130]

im going to be your friend on this one, stay the f*ck away from that car. the owners name is ginx and there is a reason for that. i was once offered money to work on that car and i turned it down. that car has some bad karma around it(yes i know that sounds stupid but its true) if you want some help looking at a 240 find my email address and email me ill help ya. haha just not that car

[White Comet]

Plus I love the satisfaction of the build. But that is just my .02 cents

i agree with you that built > bought but i bought my car swapped and still consider it built by myself. i did suspension worked, changed the bov and boost controller, interior and exterior and then finally switched to a whole new shell. i paid $4k for my car already swapped but there was still plenty to do. it was basically like buying an sr engine that you could start up and drive, cuz you run the same risk buying an engine from an importer only in a swapped car you can see how it runs.

that car has some bad karma around it(yes i know that sounds stupid but its true)

doesn't sound silly at all. thats how my last s13 was. everything that could go wrong did. i had problems with it that i've never had with other 240s

[j-z]

buy a stock beater, and build it yourself. youll be alot more satisfied, and youll know exactly how everything was put together. i would never ever by a modified car.... even if it had an intake i wouldnt buy it. thats just me though. build one yourself, and be sure to put progress pics up.

[S13Joe]

I personally would never buy an already swapped 240sx unless it was a crazy deal. If I were you I would just keep in mind that you don't know how many shortcuts the owner may have taken putting in the engine and being that the demand for these stupid motors and tokyo drift is so big right now, im almost 85% sure the engine was beat on.

I vote buy a beater and swap it yourself if you really want the sr20. It may cost a little more but then you know how the swap was done and hopefully you won't cut corners like some people may. You will also have alot of bonding time with your car. If its your first car, its always nice to feel the improvements you do to it as well. I'm so happy I have my unmolested car right now FINALLY.

[ZOMG.SR20]

umm that car in the ad is also for sale in arizona also.......

[serpentarius]

"Unknown why it isnt running at this time but it has to go. "

So the engine is not working????

[C_MONEY]

I hate to buy moddified cars unless i know the seller personally and then its still a maybe. The problems i always seem to run in to is the amout of getto work that has been done in the repair,upkeep and swap. For example i can not stand bad wiring, it bugs thw sh1t out of me and always cause weird problems , nothing is ever torqued right and somethimes people forget to hook the most random things up. So for me its worth the extra money to buy stock and do the work my self

[S13_love]

Imo, I like to buy a car that has been unmolested...not only that, but i think it's better for someone to do a swap themselves than buying a swapped car.

[fiznowler]

If the swap looks clean and everything worked well I would buy a swawpped car. If it looks even slightly halfassed I would walk away unless it was cheap enough I could justify redoing it all correctly. But I would always prefer a stock car. I will keep my eyes open for an s14 for sale around here I know there was a maroon zenki in spfld a couple months ago but the clear was really peeling. I will check and see if it is still around.

[sean8564]

it is up to you if you buy one already swapped than you might inhearet someone elses problems or the swap could be done right each car is diffrent