Help! Need guidance on purchase of SR20 swapped 240sx!

[Slidewayz88]

Hello all,

I have browsed these fourms for a couple years but this is my first post. Glad to be here.

Soo I'm looking at buying a 97 kouki... This car is located about an 1hr and half from where I am, and I haven't seen or test drove it yet. He has only sent me pictures. The seller states: the previous owner before him did the swap, this car has never been tracked or drifted, car "runs like a champ", this has never been his daily driver or the guy who did the swap, and when he has driven it it's never been for more than an hour at a time, chassis has 177k and SR 40-50k. I don't want to get into something that will overheat and blow a head gasket an 1hr and half down the road. I'm not super familiar with SR's(I'm learning). Here's my question: could you have a look at the engine bay photos and maybe point out some things right off the bat that don't look good/red flags? Also, some advice for when I actually go look at the car? I will be going to look at it in just a couple of days. Any help would be appreciated, thank you so much.

https://flic.kr/p/HRW8mW
https://flic.kr/p/HAcTD7
https://flic.kr/p/HXCWVN

[derass]

- Missing fan shroud
- Blow off valve not connected
- Air filter not mounted to chassis
- The way that the cold-side intercooler pipe is blocked off is janky
- S13 radiator instead of S14
- Radiator mounting brackets missing / rad zip-tied in place
- Either the grille or intercooler is zip-tied in place, hard to tell from pictures
- The engine having 40-50k is 99% a lie

[Slidewayz88]

Here's the ad: https://panamacity.craigslist.org/cto/5604597822.html

[derass]

You can add cheap plastic steering wheel to my list.

But honestly, $8k isn't a bad asking price.

[Slidewayz88]

After some work, could this be a DD?

[hanzbrady]

Well it was wrecked at some point due to the rebuilt title, I'd ask what was damaged and how it was fixed. As for the engine bay photos I agree with most of the points made above, I'd just like to add the exposed butt-connectors and overall messiness off the wiring as a thing to look out for. There's nothing more annoying than half ass-ed wiring that you have to sort through and fix. Also anytime I see an autozone air filter on a "performance" car I cringe a little. Overall it's a clean original Kouki that if I had the funds available I would buy.

[KAT-PWR]

The SR has probably closer to 100k, treat it as such.

Hanz where did you see rebuilt title?

[BoostyMcZface]

I like the color, FWIW.. anyone know the color? Lol.. I'd comp test the cylinders and check the oil and coolant for signs on a blown HG as well. Plus give it a nice shake down to check for overheating, I've seen too many cars get sold that are on the verge of blowing up. Looks fairly clean, though. I also totally agree, messy wiring is a pain in the ass. If there's a bundle of wires stuffed under the dash and not properly heat shrunk etc, that stuff is not fun to try and fix later on. Having to sort someone's poor build out and fix it is costly and takes a ton of time so just be thorough

[hanzbrady]

Originally Posted by BoostyMcZface

I like the color, FWIW.. anyone know the color? Lol.. I'd comp test the cylinders and check the oil and coolant for signs on a blown HG as well. Plus give it a nice shake down to check for overheating, I've seen too many cars get sold that are on the verge of blowing up. Looks fairly clean, though. I also totally agree, messy wiring is a pain in the ass. If there's a bundle of wires stuffed under the dash and not properly heat shrunk etc, that stuff is not fun to try and fix later on. Having to sort someone's poor build out and fix it is costly and takes a ton of time so just be thorough

Scion 1h5 I think. The photos look pretty color corrected so the shade seems off but that's the only solid gloss grey I know that looks like that.

[tuzzio]

I wouldn't buy it strictly because its from florida.

[ixfxi]

car looks like a piece of shit

i cant understand how anyone would zip tie a radiator like that - fucking ghetto

the biggest give away is how he did not trim the zip tie holding the CAS wire. if you skimp out on cutting the end of a zip tie off, then you probably skimped out on a million other more important things

the random use of different intercooler pipe clamps, the cheap fuck air intake, all of it screams JUNK. even the photos are not consistent, you can tell that some were taken a long time ago. kinda how girls do when they want to show how they looked 5 years ago, prior to having a kid or two...... or three

i say fuck that car

[XMcEvilson]

that is way too much of a gamble for a modded by someone else, salvage title car

[LockOn!]

Zip tie radiator and exposed butt connectors tells the story of a lazy ass swap. Could be many other cut corners you can't see.

Salvage title too

pass




Also just wanted to say this is an example of a reasonable post asking for valuation with legitimate concerns.
Not, HOW MUCH IS THIS WORTH HURDUR I ONLY HAVE THIS SUMMERS ALLOWANCE TO BUY

[silviaks2nr]

That car has been hit in the front for sure.

[Slidewayz88]

Thank you all for your responses. I will hold off and continue waiting for "the one", lol. Again, much appreciated, thank you.

[ixfxi]

how about the fact that the car is from FLORIDA

_THE END_