HELP!PLEASE! What would something like this cost to repair??

[ThoroughbredxX]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/3736186125.html

Subframe damage cause it to be "toe in"
http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/3717219731.html

^He said smashed core support and bent passenger side frame rail

So this is my first time ever being involved in a forum like this. If I need to update anything or change my posts location just let me know! And just wanna give a thanks in advance for any and all help!

I was looking around for a 240 I could put some tlc into and came across these two that caught my eye. I'm a novice at all this and wasn't positive on the difficulty or cost to repair either one(price isn't really a issue). I'm more interested in the second one but just looking for the better deal. Anyways I just wanted to get a ball park figure for labor and parts? Preferably separate, I got quite a few people that I could call on for their tools and skills to do the labor my self.. If that's reasonable? And thanks again for any and all help!

So my questions are:
1. which ones the better deal? If either ones a good deal..
2. Cost of a labor and parts? If your going to answer for just one I'd like to know about the second one.
3. Is it reasonable to be DIY project?

Thanks!

[GTR PrYdE]

Welcome!

I'll give you my honest opinion on this one.

I would keep looking for a clean, preferably stock 240. Reason being is they can come with their fair share of issues, so you don't need to compile that with a previous owners problems.

If you're planning on modding the car in the future, having it reliable is very important. If this wasn't you're first 240 and you knew your way around them very well, then you could judge if you're up to the task of fixing these... Me? I'd still rather buy one a clean good running 240 even though i've had mine for about 7 years and know my way around them fairly well.

[mechanicalmoron]

Unless you want to build a hardcore racecar (or hardcore something-car), and strip it to the ground, and rebuild everything, like replacing/reinforcing frames, tubing in place of frame bits, etc, OR you just wanted a parts car, the one with the smashed front end is worth negative money. You could get a reeeally nice car for what you'd have to pay to make it even safe and drivable, unless you own the shop (in which case, you'd know this).

The other one, maybe better, but I'm confused. If it's the rear subframe, I'd wonder exactly how he bent it, and why he didn't just replace or repair the subframe itself, and if it maybe damaged the body itself. If he means something on the front, he should stop being a tard and read what an alignment is. He might have the wrong tie rods or something on it, if it can't be aligned even to where it looks right, or would make it to an alignment shop. You might be able to get a good deal, just because he's being slow -- or maybe something that I don't understand really is damaged.

I read that s13 and s14 tie rods are different. Maybe he tried to put s13 ones in, and his stupid is your gain - get the right ones, throw it on a truck, and take it directly from his place to an alignment shop. But totally don't pay 2.5k for it, nomatter how "firm" he is. He's selling it cause he's at a loss for what to do.

[ThoroughbredxX]

ive read up a little bit and watched a few videos showing its not the hard to replace the core support and frame rail. If i had that done wouldn't it be as good as new or at least close to?

[mechanicalmoron]

ive read up a little bit and watched a few videos showing its not the hard to replace the core support and frame rail. If i had that done wouldn't it be as good as new or at least close to?

Do you have a welder and a lot of tools, and some welding skills? And then some car skills for once it's all done?

If not, it actually IS hard.

Of course you can sit down and do anything, but.... yeah, good luck. You'll spend a lot more than it would otherwise cost.

You probably saw videos on patching rusted out frame rails, not replacing the whole freaking thing, that supports the motor and whole front of the car.

Why on earth are you leaning towards that, if the other may only have the wrong tie rods installed? One's a total tear down/tube front deal, the other needs thirty dollars worth of tie rods.... and that's not the one you're interested in? It's not like you WON'T need tie rods for the totaled one.

There's obviously lots of other things you could consider in the price, but just looking at the bodies (i didnt read about milage or extras or anything) there's no way I'd pay 2k for that wreck.

It is something that you could sit down and blast through, but the fact that you need to ask shows that it's actually not. If you're watching a video where someone patches a frame rail, and asking here if it's fixable, how on earth could you expect to fix it? If you personally don't have the tools and skills and area, it's going to cost a lot more than another 2k to repair it, imo. It needs lots of cutting and replacement, both in steel and actual parts.

[ThoroughbredxX]

Okay so first of all i did take your advice.. i contacted the guy and offered $2000 for it being generous. And he replied with a "f*** no" so i steered away from it. And as for your questions about my "having lots of tools" Yeah i got welder and everything im gonna need at my disposal and the internet for any info im unsure about. But i wasnt really asking about skills or difficulty tho, i was more interested in what i might have to repair besides the passenger frame rail and core support and why? Because 1. Hes saying thats all that needs to be replaced.. And 2. ive found both relatively cheap 150 for a core support and 150 for a passenger frame rail. Which between my dad and his buddy they could knock that out no problem.

Step by step to do a core support. Seems pretty damn straight forward. (And i know seems is the key word)
http://zilvia.net/f/tech-talk/239722-s1 ... t-how.html

And the frame rail does look like a bit more of a pain in the a** but here's another thread showing a pretty straight forward way to do.
http://zilvia.net/f/chat/416990-xcessiv ... eview.html

[ThoroughbredxX]

f*** it ill just buy the one 25,

[95_240]

So did the guy lower his price because now both are being sold for $2000.

If you buy the car with the front end damage you are drunk. That car is not worth anywhere near that much money. If you want a cheaper project car that you have to fix that is fine but this car is not worth what he is asking. I'm sure that brand new aluminum radiator is destroyed along with the a/c condenser, bumper support, hood, fender, and bumper.

By the way, I bought a S14 shell for $300 bucks that was in way better shape than that car.

[ThoroughbredxX]

Yeah, apparently he did! What an A-hole! I actually offered him 1900 but he shot me down with pretty much an "F you". But just so you know big thanks! You answered my questions quick and simple. And teach me your ways man, where the hell'd you find a deal like that?! Ive lloked all around and cant find nothing like that.

[blkvrtswp]

I've been working on 240SX's since 1998, did my 1st of 100+ engine swaps in 1999 - and I shy away from front end hits like that. Mostly because I am not a welder. That is not the job to learn welding on, despite how it looks in videos. Plus there will be tons of hidden things that need $$ to fix.

The other one is more wrenching - much better for a new backyard mechanic.

[mechanicalmoron]

I've been working on 240SX's since 1998, did my 1st of 100+ engine swaps in 1999 - and I shy away from front end hits like that. Mostly because I am not a welder. That is not the job to learn welding on, despite how it looks in videos. Plus there will be tons of hidden things that need $$ to fix.

The other one is more wrenching - much better for a new backyard mechanic.

This.

You can't learn to weld, while doing a good safe repair on your car. Especially an in-depth one. Welding thin metal is quite hard, you need a lot of practice before that. Learning to weld really takes dozens or hundreds of hours, there's no substitute for experience. All you'd do is make a mess that would be even harder to fix, seeing somebody do it on youtube is a lot simpler. It looks like they're just zipping the steel right up, but it's a lot harder than that.


You could wait a while, and then go back for the good one. He dropped to almost your price, so he knows he was pushing it. (even so, I'd say, low milage or otherwise, cracked windshield, etc, I don't know that it's worth that much.) "clean" does not jibe with "qp damage" or cracked windshield. Or with having, for some reason, a big bottle of brake fluid under the hood.

[ThoroughbredxX]

i wouldn't be doing the welding my dads buddy welds for a living.

[ThoroughbredxX]

i wouldn't be doing the welding my dads buddy welds for a living.