SR vs. KA

[dickie]

What the heck happened? The last time I had to think about this was years ago and it's like everything changed since then. I was looking for a cheap KA-E for my Cressida wagon a while back and there were literally no KA engines available locally. I chalked it up to just being the beginning of the summer and everyone snatched them up for their projects before I started poking around. Then recently I saw some pop up on Craigs for $500 for a KA-DE with rod knock. And not just one or two. Most of the engines I saw ranged from that up to $800 with no transmissions or accessories.

I went to a drift event recently and talked to some 240sx guys, they told me that is just how the market has been for a while now. I really couldn't believe that motors that were going for free to $150 a few years ago when they had several thousand less miles on them were getting so inflated. If anything I thought it would be because they were getting harder to find without vented blocks, not because they are actually becoming "more desirable" to people. People are actually ditching SR motors in previously swapped cars for KA-DET setups.

Someone tell me why I can't get a good running KA-E with all accessories and an auto trans for $250 anymore.

[Encryptshun]

Because race car.

[IanS]

Because drift car.

FTFY

Nobody runs a KA in a real race car.....

Oh wait.

[PEZi]

Nobody runs a KA in a real race car.....

Oh wait.

KA-t FTW!

[themadscientist]

Someone tell me why I can't get a good running KA-E with all accessories and an auto trans for $250 anymore.

[Dittoz7]

KA + BuddyClubSpecII = Instant Racecar

Trust me BRO!

[sx moneypit]

Someone tell me why I can't get a good running KA-E with all accessories and an auto trans for $250 anymore.

[DamonDread]

In a cressida? Why not just find an auto 7mgte. Put in a new OEM head gasket, with arp studs torque to 85-90lbs, and your good to go.

[dickie]

its an older car, live rear axle with leaf springs. not made to handle any kind of real power. KA24 or 3RZ would be just about right plus more reliable and I'd have a ton of space in the engine bay to keep it running forever.

already have a fast car and a fun car, this is more of a beast of burden. unless i sell it or trade it for a pickup.

[300ZXttZMAN]

GO RB!

[dre1507]

Like Ian said, blame it on drifting. I really think drifting is a plague on the motorsport world. What makes it worse is that the majority of it's participants do not seem able to think for themselves. KA's that were once ditched for the oh so mighty SR are now being snatched up in the same manner an anteater wreaks havoc on a nest, just because a few daring individuals dared to build competent beasts out of the once undesirable, and deemed useless, motor.

I do like to watch drifting, but it's kind of annoying when I see people switch from one choice to another just because it's becoming popular to do so.....In other words. You SR fanboys who swore up and down you'd never touch a KA needs to stop messing with the KA market so the KA fanboys can have motors to by when they need. Lol.

[Razi]

Many years ago, nobody went KA-T, since there were very little aftermarket support and very few had good success with them.
So performance wise, a KA was worthless to anyone that wanted over 200 horsepower.
Now, a large amount of people are going KA-T reliably, and people are looking for spare blocks to build up, that makes the KA worth more than $100 bucks.

By the way, without drifting, companies would not be doing so much work on developing new parts for the aging S-chassis.
Companies like PartsShopMax are making everything from nice adjustable arms to drop knuckles, and they are a company that's only focused on street and drift cars.

Was it drifting that made companies develop more parts for the KA?
I don't know, but I'm glad they did.

[dre1507]

That's good and all, but what i hate seeing is mass shifts from one selection to another. Even as recent at 1.5 to 2 years ago, even if people were snatching up extra blocks to build (in case they borked the first time), you could still find KA for $100.

I'm sure the people who were building KA's at that time are not the ones out there snatching up all the KA's because they, by now, should know how to properly do one up. So I'm going to blame all the new KA converts, who likely saw a powerful specimen in a drift car and got all googley eyed. So they dump whatever they had or wanted at first in an attempt to copy what they saw. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when it's happening on a large scale, it sort of hints to the mindlessness of majority of the sport's participants and fans.

The same thing happened with V8's. Now all you see in FD is V8's. Wasn't swapping in a V8 into a drift car once considered taboo? Few daring individuals decided to embrace the taboo (I'm a fan of the "few daring individuals") and disregard what anyone said. Now all of a sudden, V8's are loved by all.

Oh snap. I just realized that i started to turn this thread into something similar to TMS's about the current uprising lack of originality in today's automotive community.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

A big reason why KA's are going up as well is the dwindling supply of SR's.

Clean ones are almost impossible to find nowadays, especially ones with "around 60K" miles. And add on top of that the tsunami/earthquake that wiped out any that were left.

Idk where you live, but a single cam is like $100 here. They're still inefficient turds, imo. Dead nuts reliable, but no power....

[Razi]

Ahh, the drifting stereotype. Not all 240 owners drift, and not all 240 owners that want more power are wanting it for drifting.
Why do you hate the fact that people are picking one new option over an old one?
1.5 to 2 years ago? I was in the process of turbocharging my KA and I did not see clean KA blocks for $100.
Why wouldn't all the older KA-T people be snatching up blocks now? I don't get the logic. You can blow an engine up no matter how long you've "done one up".
How extensive is your knowledge of the world of 240 owners that you can clump them all into a group as blind lovers for the KA?
You're making up stories of people getting goggle-eyed and mindlessly going for the KA, and you also think the KA-T is a setup that's clearly better engine for drifting than the SR for some reason.

I don't know if you've ever talked to a 240 owner that is debating going SR or KA, but one of the first things that come to their mind is budget.
Both engines can make the same amount of power, so budget is the next thing on their minds.
You seem to think that at the flick of a switch, a 240 owner has enough money to drop their SR and spend another $3-4k on building a KA-T.
Adding to what AZ said, finding a clean and reliable SR can be difficult, why should you pay $3k for an engine in unknown condition when you already have a reliable engine in your car which only needs a turbocharger to meet your needs?
That is usually the mindset of people that go KA-T. (Including mine)

People aren't changing to V8s because it's popular. V8s are getting popular because it's a reliable powerplant, which is what the pros want.
It's cool that there were a few daring individuals that embraced the V8 (:O God forbid!), and I'm sorry their opinion is now mainstream.

But still, V8s aren't "loved by all", same goes for the the V8 of Japan (2JZ) in Japan. (Look at D1 Street Legal)

[asoomal]

Eh, people are still throwing their KA's in their garbage over here.

Most of them are being crushed here for scrap metal.

[krash]

[Razi]

[float_6969]

And while all of you spend gobs of money on the SR and KA and V8's the lowely CA sits in the corner, making just as much power, and cutting himself with a razor for attention that it doesn't get.

[alms24sebring]

KA > SR

People might like it more for drifting for the torque. Also original motor and cheaper engine are a big plus for me.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Another thing to think about....

Many people switch to V8s for TORQUE. Something many import people aren't familiar with, haha. Once you get past the excitement of hitting boost, you'd kill for a smooth, balanced, powerband.

Try driving a 400HP boosted 240sx. Then try the same with a 400HP N/A V8 240sx. If you're trying to drive competitively, hands down the N/A one wins, 100% of the time. It's a no-brainer. And if you have a substantial budget, why mess around with all the turbo crap? It's just not worth it.

Going along with the torque thing, many prefer the low end that the KA delivers. Having driven both, the extra .4L is quite significant and you can easily tell the difference. The SR is only popular because it was boosted from the factory and just happens to be a drop in replacement. If the KA was boosted and made the same amount of power, everyone would be all over it's nuts instead.

[alms24sebring]

Agreed that's why alot of people consider the SR. But not all of us have the time and money for an LSX dropped in. And boost is fun.

Are SR's becoming rice because it's jdm tyte?

[Razi]

Are SR's becoming rice because it's jdm tyte?

totally bro!

[PEZi]

Try driving a 400HP boosted 240sx. Then try the same with a 400HP N/A V8 240sx. If you're trying to drive competitively, hands down the N/A one wins, 100% of the time. It's a no-brainer. And if you have a substantial budget, why mess around with all the turbo crap? It's just not worth it.

Hmmm.... I knew we were doing something wrong with our Pike's Peak car.... never knew what is was until now! :P

[dre1507]

I never said all 240 owners drift, but the sport does have an influence on majority of 240 owners whether they set up cars for street or drift. I clearly remember 1.5 to 2 years ago, which is around the time i joined this forum. People who were going SR were practically throwing away their KA's for little to nothing. And the old KA people were picking up extra blocks at the time because it was cheap and if they borked one, they'd have a back up. The logic is that those people should by now know how to keep a KA from exploding, no matter what they throw at it. While i do favor the KA, i'm not going to say the SR doesn't have it's good qualities. To each his own.

Honestly, KA vs. SR all comes out to about the same in terms of budget. Just matters if you have the time and what it is you prefer in a 4cyl. My bad if I made it seem like I was saying that everyone who went SR are dropping their's for a KA. But you have to admit that it wasn't too long ago that even mentioning that you wanted to turbo a KA would make people look at you crazy.

All I'm really trying to say is that it seems that the sport of drifting sometimes causes mass bandwagonism.

[Razi]

But you have to admit that it wasn't too long ago that even mentioning that you wanted to turbo a KA would make people look at you crazy.

Now that people know how to set it up correctly and keep them running reliably, that opens up another option for people to pick, yay.
Are you also a bandwagoner for wanting to turbocharge your RSX, since you are picking an engine option others have picked?

So I'm going to blame all the new KA converts, who likely saw a powerful specimen in a drift car and got all googley eyed. So they dump whatever they had or wanted at first in an attempt to copy what they saw. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when it's happening on a large scale, it sort of hints to the mindlessness of majority of the sport's participants and fans.

All I'm really trying to say is that it seems that the sport of drifting sometimes causes mass bandwagonism.

In your head you created some world where people saw some KA-T drift car (I have no idea what car you have in mind), and they mindlessly jumped on some wagon.
You need to stop writing fiction, talking out of your a**, and stereotyping a large group of people who have all made the same decision for a large variety of reasons.

The logic is that those people should by now know how to keep a KA from exploding, no matter what they throw at it.

So, those people will never ever buy a spare KA ever again?
My KA isn't even giving me trouble and I bought a spare KA, and I'm sure there are many other people that did the same.
I picked up a spare KA + an engine stand for $300
I checked on craigslist today and I saw some KA + transmission sets for $300, and once in a while I see an occasional $100 for just the engine itself.

Try driving a 400HP boosted 240sx. Then try the same with a 400HP N/A V8 240sx. If you're trying to drive competitively, hands down the N/A one wins, 100% of the time. It's a no-brainer. And if you have a substantial budget, why mess around with all the turbo crap? It's just not worth it.

Hmmm.... I knew we were doing something wrong with our Pike's Peak car.... never knew what is was until now! :P

Wow Pezi, did you decide to go with a V8 because you saw it in a drift car?
You filthy bandwagoner!
How dare you pick a popular engine that makes a lot of power in a reliable fashion!

[dre1507]

Yes, Razi you are a bandwagoner. Lol. I've run out of argument producing statements. So what I'm gonna do now is say. Ok, I'm done. You're still gonna let me drive your car right?

[Razi]

I never asked you.
I was boosting before you were even on Nico.

[dre1507]

I don't think you understood. None of my first 2 posts were serious representations of my opinions on the SR vs. KA debate. They were simple to evoke responses.

[Razi]