I've been considering buying a 240sx for a while now. Since my 1988 BMW 325is is dead (cracked block) and I don't feel like buying a new engine, I've been considering on buying a 240sx (S13). Out of curiosity, how reliable are these things? I've heard some people with 300,000+ miles on the engine, they seem to be built fairly well, and they seem to be the kind of car I want. I don't want anything too incredibly powerful, but at the same time I don't want a car with no power (*cough* Civic *cough*), and I'd rather have a car that handles than a 400bhp boat.
So how much should I expect to buy one of these beauties for? (Say around 100k miles) Of course you will have to take into consideration that I will be paying the California Over-Inflated Fee (yay I love this state.) What things should I look for that commonly go wrong in these cars? The most common I've heard is oil leaks and overheating. I'm basically looking for a car that's reliable and is still fun to drive, probably something in between my first car (Volvo, eck...you're always safe in a vulva) and my second car (BMW - Break My Wallet). The stock performance on the DOHC engines seem pretty impressive, about 155bhp and 160lbs/ft of torque (quite amazing since my BMW had about the same amount of torque.) I might consider swapping the engine for a SR20DET, but that will be in the late future and I don't know if it will meet California's Nazi-like smog restrictions. I'll probably stick to replacing the intake, exhaust, a upgrading the suspension (keeping the exterior stock) for now. I also have another question, is there any considerable difference between the fastback and the coupe? Other than body styling and weight?
These seem like awesome cars (even nicer that they are RWD), and I'd like to hear what you guys have to say, am I better off walking to work? :P
Should I get a 240SX?
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Zydeco
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Well senice Im from Petaluma ill help you out. An s13 w/100k miles prople like 3-3.5k. but there hard to find. I got 150+ miles and Mine rush damn strong. I have had it over a year and had to replace the water pump and EGR valve. You should get a 91-94 s13 cause you get a motor w/DOHC.EDIT: Oh yea 240s aren't the fastest car on the block, but they do move when need be. Coupe and fastbacks same thing diffrent looks.
Thank you so much guys.-
WingsNThangs
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I think its a great car in that you can find very nice ones from $3500 on down to $2500 area...They are IMHO drop dead reliable! I have owned a few and my current one is a 93 with now over 158k and starts perfect & runs flawless...Everything still works...Heck even the orig. stock exhaust is still in very good condition, although I will be doing a custom job soon with intake...Just those 2 mods can make the car perform very well (For a 4 cy) I think its a pretty good match between power & actually pretty decent fuel mileage!
Test drive as many as you can so you can compair cars and to see if you like them...Good luck/skill!
Test drive as many as you can so you can compair cars and to see if you like them...Good luck/skill!
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yeswepromise
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I don't think I'm worried about 'practical', otherwise I'd buy a Honda or a Volvo. I just want kind of a balance. I want a reliable commuter car that can also be a joy to ride on the weekends.WingsNThangs wrote:It's a real nice sports car, but not very practical. Interior space is extremely limited, gas mileage isnt the greatest, no airbags, and the KA-powered ride just isnt as smooth as newer cars. Keep in mind this is coming from a person who doesnt prioritize competitive driving.
Also 'smooth' rides aren't a big deal for me. My friend has a '00 Mercedes E320 and I can't stop myself from falling asleep in it. Of course there's a difference between 'smooth' and 'stable'. My friend's Integra feels like it's about to fall apart everytime I ride in it. It's probably the tight suspension (not the 'hella tight' tight) and the super grippy tires he has, but yea, I really don't want a tin can on wheels.
I know that post was your personal opinion, but we all have different priorities, thanks for your input though
Dougster wrote:I think its a great car in that you can find very nice ones from $3500 on down to $2500 area...They are IMHO drop dead reliable! I have owned a few and my current one is a 93 with now over 158k and starts perfect & runs flawless...Everything still works...Heck even the orig. stock exhaust is still in very good condition, although I will be doing a custom job soon with intake...Just those 2 mods can make the car perform very well (For a 4 cy) I think its a pretty good match between power & actually pretty decent fuel mileage!
Test drive as many as you can so you can compair cars and to see if you like them...Good luck/skill!
Bah! I don't believe in the "just a 4 cylinder" argument. There are a few fairly impressive 4 cylinder engines out there. Two that I can think of are:
The Honda H22A (Japan) they stick in Preludes (over 200bhp)The E30 M3 Engine (also over 200bhp)
Of course I could be wrong since I'm a guy :P
I'll definitely give a 240sx a test drive (if I can find one)