looking to buy SR20DET 1993-1998 240sx

[zerobeeeeeatz]

I'm a teen driver saving up money to buy an S13/S14 with an SR20 engine.

I'm a huge noob when it comes to this stuff so I was wondering if I can get a few pointers when buying this car such as:

• range of how much the car would cost (preferably for one in a condition where the car runs well and at least has AC lol)
• maintenance issues/costs; how to maintain
• dumb things not to do when driving this car
• etc

I probably won't buy the car for another year or two, but if you know anyone willing to sell me one (someone living in Florida or somewhere close to the Jacksonville area), please contact me at my email: xxxxxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com

Thanks, guys

EDIT:

I have my insight on whether I should get an SR. I've decided that I'm NOT going to get one. I'm gonna keep it simple and get a stock 240 preferably '95-'98 and I definitely won't be getting into any major modifications on my car.

I appreciate all the input you guys put into my questions, thanks.

[brndck]

well, this forum is an excellent resource, just don't expect people to spoon feed you info. it is all readily available, YOU are required to do the research though.

[Bmxer300zx]

here broaden your search
1989-1998
94's were verts only

dont worry about a sr a stock sr s13 is less fun than a dohc s13 with coils, other suspension mods and a lsd. More you can do but people seem to worry about go fast opposed to handling.
A friend had a bonestock s13 with a sr handled like shit and a one wheel steelie peel is lame

[HyperTek]

6 Months later, For sale/part out thread by zerobeeeeeatz. "wrecked into curb/building/motor blown etc".

HAha just kidding, anyways, stay lurking this forum and learn all you can. While I do not recommend starting out with a already swapped SR car. You need to learn how to work on it first, as no repair shop will really know how to work on an sr20 let alone get parts for it, in case all of a sudden you need a water pump and your local repair shop has no clue on it etc.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by brndck

well, this forum is an excellent resource, just don't expect people to spoon feed you info. it is all readily available, YOU are required to do the research though.

yeah man, I've gone through a lot of research about the car this past week lol. the thing is most of the people talking were super experienced and I was really lost and it was pretty hard to follow what they were talking about.

I've got most of the basics down, I'm not trying to get into any serious racing/drifting, but I guess this will become a hobby for me.

I just listed the things I wasn't sure about like I said earlier:

• range of how much the car would cost (I've seen a lot of em go from 3k-7k but most had something dumb wrong with them like no AC or something which is why I'm trying to look into how much one in good condition would cost)
• dumb things not to do while driving an SR20
• basic maintenance needs that are different from a stock engine

One specific thing I'm confused about is maintenance for an SR20, since it's not exactly a stock engine I was told that I can't really bring it to Nissan to get it maintained. I'm not sure if this is true or not, I'm guessing they can do basic maintenance like oil change but I'd have to buy my own oil. I was wondering if the same would apply for the other parts, if I just bought the other parts would they be able to install them for me?

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by HyperTek

6 Months later, For sale/part out thread by zerobeeeeeatz. "wrecked into curb/building/motor blown etc".

HAha just kidding, anyways, stay lurking this forum and learn all you can. While I do not recommend starting out with a already swapped SR car. You need to learn how to work on it first, as no repair shop will really know how to work on an sr20 let alone get parts for it, in case all of a sudden you need a water pump and your local repair shop has no clue on it etc.

Hahaha, something I'm really trying to avoid is doing stupid things with this car xP I'm still a noob, teen driver and I'm prone to doing stupid things but I'm working hard for this car and I'm planning on taking care of it.

I was told that same thing by my older brother, the maintenance is what worries me lol. What are your thoughts on a KA24DET? (specifically for me, vs an SR)

[dos eses]

If you want to buy a car with a sr20det, don't only focus on sr20det specifics. If you can't follow alot of the basics people tell you about the motor or mechanics o it in general, then educate yourself. I'm assuming you already understand the basic workings of an internal combustion motor, if you need further help into understanding the ins and puts of a turbo motor, and since you are planning on buying a turbo motor, I highly suggest books such as maximum boost by corky bell. It tells you pretty much everything you will ever need to know about turbo charged motors. It's written very simply too and easy follow. Parts of it are slightly outdated, since I believe it was written in the early 90's but still a great read to educate yourself.

Basically, don't just rely in forums for your education. They are good, but there is also a wealth of misinformation and debatable topics. If you really want to know just try and really educate yourself.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by dos eses

If you want to buy a car with a sr20det, don't only focus on sr20det specifics. If you can't follow alot of the basics people tell you about the motor or mechanics o it in general, then educate yourself. I'm assuming you already understand the basic workings of an internal combustion motor, if you need further help into understanding the ins and puts of a turbo motor, and since you are planning on buying a turbo motor, I highly suggest books such as maximum boost by corky bell. It tells you pretty much everything you will ever need to know about turbo charged motors. It's written very simply too and easy follow. Parts of it are slightly outdated, since I believe it was written in the early 90's but still a great read to educate yourself.

Basically, don't just rely in forums for your education. They are good, but there is also a wealth of misinformation and debatable topics. If you really want to know just try and really educate yourself.

Thanks, will look into it

[xoxide]

Fuck... Florida strikes again... In my town to.


On a helpful note, go to www.240sx.net

Its a jax local 240 forum.

And if you're going to be taking a 10-15 year old car to Nissan for "maitenence" ie oil change, I would not recommend a SR, or even a 240sx for that matter. These cars break down constantly and if you do not know how to work on them (even just simple maitenence), your going to be screwed.
Last, if you think not having ac is a problem with the car, 99% of people who swap SR's into their USDM 240s's do not have AC. If you want it you're probably going to have to do that yourself, in which case you need to google codyace's SR AC conversion.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by xoxide

Fuck... Florida strikes again... In my town to.


On a helpful note, go to www.240sx.net

Its a jax local 240 forum.

And if you're going to be taking a 10-15 year old car to Nissan for "maitenence" ie oil change, I would not recommend a SR, or even a 240sx for that matter. These cars break down constantly and if you do not know how to work on them (even just simple maitenence), your going to be screwed.
Last, if you think not having ac is a problem with the car, 99% of people who swap SR's into their USDM 240s's do not have AC. If you want it you're probably going to have to do that yourself, in which case you need to google codyace's SR AC conversion.

lol... thanks.

and I actually heard SR's were pretty reliable for daily driving as long as you keep it around 7 PSI.

is there a specific reason for them not having AC?

how reliable would a turbocharged KA engine be? lol

[xoxide]

Precursor questions:
-How old are you?
-Income, if any? (do you have the $$$ to properly build it)
-Mechanical experience?

Any motor can be reliable if it is built properly and not built using shitty parts.

Most swaps dont have AC because most people dont use AC afterwards, either they are used to driving a shitbox, or they are track cars. When buying a motor from an importer, none of the AC stuff comes with the motorset so most people just dont use it. Also alot of people dont live in humid, hot florida.

A KA-T is just as reliable as an SR, again if built properly. You need a good chunk of change to do so...

If this is your first car and is going to be your daily driver I would recommend getting a stock 240... SR's are expensive and a major pain in the ass if you start taking short cuts and using cheap parts.

[Bmxer300zx]

AC is different on a sr to ka? cant remember 100% most people dont wana bother trying to make it work plus the extra 5whp to some is worth sweating to death in 100 degree weather

Sr's are pretty reliable, well ones i've had or helped swap stock psi is 7 if i remember right its more how you drive you beat the shit outa it and constantly boost you'll run into problems. sensor wise some are interchangable with z32, ka and usdm sr20de

A ka can be reliable turbo'd but the few i've been around don't last long.

[xoxide]

Its not the motors so to speak, its the owners and previous owners that rag the shit out of the motor. Why do you think half the motors coming to the US are coming to the US? Because most of the cars theyre being pulled out of are drifted, beat to shit, or crashed (usally because of reason 1 and 2)... If you go through the motor and freshen it up (new gaskets, arp studs, etc etc.), you shoud be good reliability wise.

[memphis180sx]

There is adaptor kits for ac with a sr in s chassis cars and check craigslist in orlando for 240s there is always 4 or 5 nice ones for sale a week.

[Piggy]

You need to learn how to pull the handbrake. If you do it right, girls' clothes will come off.

[Bmxer300zx]

Originally Posted by xoxide

Its not the motors so to speak, its the owners and previous owners that rag the shit out of the motor. Why do you think half the motors coming to the US are coming to the US? Because most of the cars theyre being pulled out of are drifted, beat to shit, or crashed (usally because of reason 1 and 2)... If you go through the motor and freshen it up (new gaskets, arp studs, etc etc.), you shoud be good reliability wise.

ya i went through my Rb all gaskets exept head, water pump, t-stat, t-belt, idler pulleys, plugs and converted to a ka24de powersteering pump and new z32 alt, z32 ptu and tons more 2 years later and not a hiccup.

As far as boosting a ka it comes down to what you said having it done right most kids slap a t28 or ebay kit and leave it untuned and beat the piss outa. Well the ones i've seen lol

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by xoxide

Precursor questions:
-How old are you?
-Income, if any? (do you have the $$$ to properly build it)
-Mechanical experience?

Any motor can be reliable if it is built properly and not built using shitty parts.

Most swaps dont have AC because most people dont use AC afterwards, either they are used to driving a shitbox, or they are track cars. When buying a motor from an importer, none of the AC stuff comes with the motorset so most people just dont use it. Also alot of people dont live in humid, hot florida.

A KA-T is just as reliable as an SR, again if built properly. You need a good chunk of change to do so...

If this is your first car and is going to be your daily driver I would recommend getting a stock 240... SR's are expensive and a major pain in the ass if you start taking short cuts and using cheap parts.

I really appreciate your input bro, thanks.

I'm only 16 with basically no mechanical experience at all lol. I won't be buying this car for another year or two, I'm just looking into things for now. I only work part time min wage. My dad is paying for half the car and I'll be 18 by the time I get it so I'll definitely have a job to get the money to maintain the car.

It's getting pretty discouraging as I'm looking into SR20 240's, I really want one though, or even at least a KA-T. I dunno, it'd be nice to have a turbocharged car lol. I'm really looking into mechanical stuff because it'd be nice to have the knowledge in the future.

For me, would you recommend a KA-T or an SR?

[xoxide]

I would recommend you getting a stock 240 (CLEAN 240), and chilling out with the turbo bullshit. Start with the basics, suspension and brakes. A stock motor with basic boltons will keep you plenty happy for a little while until you get familiar with the car. Having a turbo'd car isnt all its made out to be. There are a ton of headaches that go along with it, and you, having no mechanical experience is just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by xoxide

I would recommend you getting a stock 240 (CLEAN 240), and chilling out with the turbo bullshit. Start with the basics, suspension and brakes. A stock motor with basic boltons will keep you plenty happy for a little while until you get familiar with the car. Having a turbo'd car isnt all its made out to be. There are a ton of headaches that go along with it, and you, having no mechanical experience is just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.

Alright, sounds good. Thanks dude.

[iRONDONkey]

Originally Posted by zerobeeeeeatz

I really appreciate your input bro, thanks.

I'm only 16 with basically no mechanical experience at all lol. I won't be buying this car for another year or two, I'm just looking into things for now. I only work part time min wage. My dad is paying for half the car and I'll be 18 by the time I get it so I'll definitely have a job to get the money to maintain the car.

It's getting pretty discouraging as I'm looking into SR20 240's, I really want one though, or even at least a KA-T. I dunno, it'd be nice to have a turbocharged car lol. I'm really looking into mechanical stuff because it'd be nice to have the knowledge in the future.

For me, would you recommend a KA-T or an SR?

alright, here is what you should do from the start.

first, do you have any car buddies? if not, you should find some. everyone will be able to help each other out. i can almost guarantee every member on here has a "crew" that have the same interest in modding cars.

second, since you have no mechanical experience at all, find yourself a STOCK 240, and learn with that. Make sure it's clean/reliable.

from that, learn the easy stuff- brakes/suspension. you need to get your feet wet before going into advanced stuff, even though in reality, it really isn't that difficult. it depends on your common sense.

learn what it's like wrenching bolts and upgrading the little things. learn to change your oil, swap out your brake pads, and learn how to fix minor issues if you ever run into them. usually small problems will arise, and it really is common sense in fixing it.

third, continue to work, and SAVE your money. slowly gain experience in what it's like to wrench old cars and get some mechanical experience. you can do easy upgrades- coilovers, brakes, brake lines, suspension arms, etc.

do that for a 2 years. continue to SAVE your money.

you'll grow older and be much more experienced in what it's like to work on cars. during that time, do your research, read forums, go to car meets, talk to people, help your friends out with their cars, enjoy it.

i hope you have hopes and dreams that are better than owning a nice 240. Hopefully you strive for success in life, where you'll be able to do have the freedom to do as you wish, even if it may be having a nice 240. worry about gaining that freedom, before having a nice car. (((my mentor was pulling in $60k month before the tech bubble. he was only 17 years old. his first car was a C5 vette, he bought in cash. at 18, he also bought a 350z, in cash, when it first came out, in 2003. but being young and stupid, he lost it all. but it was a good experience for him, he currently grosses 5 million a year with his business. This is what i mean by FREEDOM, you can do as you wish. freedom is when you can impulse buy cars- he recently bought a C6 vette in cash, dumped a couple grand in mods.)))

but chances are by the time you are 18-19, unless you are a self made entrepreneur, you'll have a limit on how much money you will have saved.

thus, you need to set down a budget that you will not go over.

i personally follow the 10% rule- do not spend over 10% of what you net in one year, on your car.

with the budget set down, you'll have the large sum of money to work with what you need. hopefully at this point, you will have gained much knowledge with what you need to know.

then, scour the hell out of fourms/craigslist/ebay for parts.

I found great deals on all my parts.
my rebuilt SR longblock with a built head, stage 3 clutch, lightweight flywheel, and transmission, under 20k miles- 800
FMIC/piping, turbo elbow, exhaust mani, radiator with hoses, coilpack, harness, some other things etc etc- roughly 450
I still have my KA24DE i can sell, which saves me money on my build.

you get the idea. search for good deals, because they are out there.

you need to be patient, and you don't have to worry about the money issue, because it's there, as long as you don't go over.

and by then you should have enough experience/knowledge on what to do.

just be smart with your money.

that is what i would have done, if i were 16 again.
instead i owned a bunch of different crappy S13's, spent some money here and there, and wasted my time/money.

[millerlight763]

Being young and in this day in age, we want everything now. What a lot of these guys are telling you is true. I just turned 24 and I am just now getting ready to start exploring the option of a KA-T. This was after a failed attempt at a 1JZ swap, and two junk 240sx's. Research EVERYTHING and use the Service Manual. I am willing to spend a Minimum of 2 hours searching for information before I ask someone for help and typically I can find it on my own. And SAVE SAVE SAVE. Don't rush into a turbo, learn the basics and you will do fine. We are here to help if you run into trouble... after you've done some searching. Good Luck lil bro, PM if you have any questions.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by iRONDONkey

alright, here is what you should do from the start.

first, do you have any car buddies? if not, you should find some. everyone will be able to help each other out. i can almost guarantee every member on here has a "crew" that have the same interest in modding cars.

second, since you have no mechanical experience at all, find yourself a STOCK 240, and learn with that. Make sure it's clean/reliable.

from that, learn the easy stuff- brakes/suspension. you need to get your feet wet before going into advanced stuff, even though in reality, it really isn't that difficult. it depends on your common sense.

learn what it's like wrenching bolts and upgrading the little things. learn to change your oil, swap out your brake pads, and learn how to fix minor issues if you ever run into them. usually small problems will arise, and it really is common sense in fixing it.

third, continue to work, and SAVE your money. slowly gain experience in what it's like to wrench old cars and get some mechanical experience. you can do easy upgrades- coilovers, brakes, brake lines, suspension arms, etc.

do that for a 2 years. continue to SAVE your money.

you'll grow older and be much more experienced in what it's like to work on cars. during that time, do your research, read forums, go to car meets, talk to people, help your friends out with their cars, enjoy it.

i hope you have hopes and dreams that are better than owning a nice 240. Hopefully you strive for success in life, where you'll be able to do have the freedom to do as you wish, even if it may be having a nice 240. worry about gaining that freedom, before having a nice car. (((my mentor was pulling in $60k month before the tech bubble. he was only 17 years old. his first car was a C5 vette, he bought in cash. at 18, he also bought a 350z, in cash, when it first came out, in 2003. but being young and stupid, he lost it all. but it was a good experience for him, he currently grosses 5 million a year with his business. This is what i mean by FREEDOM, you can do as you wish. freedom is when you can impulse buy cars- he recently bought a C6 vette in cash, dumped a couple grand in mods.)))

but chances are by the time you are 18-19, unless you are a self made entrepreneur, you'll have a limit on how much money you will have saved.

thus, you need to set down a budget that you will not go over.

i personally follow the 10% rule- do not spend over 10% of what you net in one year, on your car.

with the budget set down, you'll have the large sum of money to work with what you need. hopefully at this point, you will have gained much knowledge with what you need to know.

then, scour the hell out of fourms/craigslist/ebay for parts.

I found great deals on all my parts.
my rebuilt SR longblock with a built head, stage 3 clutch, lightweight flywheel, and transmission, under 20k miles- 800
FMIC/piping, turbo elbow, exhaust mani, radiator with hoses, coilpack, harness, some other things etc etc- roughly 450
I still have my KA24DE i can sell, which saves me money on my build.

you get the idea. search for good deals, because they are out there.

you need to be patient, and you don't have to worry about the money issue, because it's there, as long as you don't go over.

and by then you should have enough experience/knowledge on what to do.

just be smart with your money.

that is what i would have done, if i were 16 again.
instead i owned a bunch of different crappy S13's, spent some money here and there, and wasted my time/money.

Originally Posted by millerlight763

Being young and in this day in age, we want everything now. What a lot of these guys are telling you is true. I just turned 24 and I am just now getting ready to start exploring the option of a KA-T. This was after a failed attempt at a 1JZ swap, and two junk 240sx's. Research EVERYTHING and use the Service Manual. I am willing to spend a Minimum of 2 hours searching for information before I ask someone for help and typically I can find it on my own. And SAVE SAVE SAVE. Don't rush into a turbo, learn the basics and you will do fine. We are here to help if you run into trouble... after you've done some searching. Good Luck lil bro, PM if you have any questions.

Wow, this is a lot. This will be of great help to me. Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. All of your really saved my butt from making a bad decision lol.

[fliprayzin240sx]

So you're 16, working min wage, no mechanical know how...my advice to you is stay the fuck away from these cars. You need a reliable car, nothing about any 15-20 yr old car is gonna be pristine. You being broke and no mechanical know how is gonna be a bad combination. These cars turn into money pits real quick.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by fliprayzin240sx

So you're 16, working min wage, no mechanical know how...my advice to you is stay the fuck away from these cars. You need a reliable car, nothing about any 15-20 yr old car is gonna be pristine. You being broke and no mechanical know how is gonna be a bad combination. These cars turn into money pits real quick.

even with a good condition '96 stock 240? I'll definitely be able to get maintenance for the car whenever I need it, my parents are gonna help me with the money issue whenever I need it.

only reason I'm getting an old 15-20 year old car is because my parents aren't buying me a car so I'm gonna have to save up for my own, and since I'm already into cars like these it seemed like a good idea to start here. cheap and reliable daily drivers.

[xoxide]

These arent cheap and reliable daily drivers. You want an SR car, which means you're probably like most of us on here and cant just leave shit alone. Which means, car wont stay stock, which means your reliability will start going down hill fast, along with your savings account. By the way, its chump to get mommy and daddy to pay for your stuff.. Buy a civic and call it a day.

[Corbic]

Originally Posted by xoxide

These arent cheap and reliable daily drivers.

I beg to differ. They are very simple, reliable and basic cars. Parts are also very cheap.

The problem people face is that mods and engine swaps are done by idiots who are to ill experienced to even do basic maintenance. They do all sorts of short cuts, half assed work and omfg... shit is broken.

OP, Stop posting, put the keyboard down. You need to do some basic research and man up. This shit has been asked thousands of fucking times across dozens of web forums. If you want to own one do some research on your own. If you can't look up some basic FAQs and question threads your to stupid to know how to work on a car.

Also, if you want a reliable daily driver - as in DOES NOT NEED TO BE WORKED ON WEEKLY - expect to spend $7,500. Either in buying a car, or in building one. Yes, you can do it for less, but then we get into that "half-assed" thing I was talking about and you can expect to be doing something to it every week or two.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by zerobeeeeeatz

cheap and reliable daily drivers.

I've spent so much God damn money on my 240sx just to have it stay/be reliable and run right and it doesn't going any faster than the day I bought it off a Nissan tech who finished changing out the water pump, belts, and a ton of other things. Just has some different wheels.



OOOOOOOOOOOh and don't get me started on my very first pos 240sx I bought when I still didn't even have a license yet.


Get a Toyota or Honda. Pull the ebrake on 'em a few times, whatever. Learn how to drive, educate yourself more, don't depend on your parents and once you've accepted that you hate your life and don't like having money maybe look into buying a 240sx.



There's no need to be in a damn rush to buy a pos 240sx. More so buying your first one with an sr20 somebody poorly swapped in. That would be stupid.

[xoxide]

Originally Posted by Corbic

The problem people face is that mods and engine swaps are done by idiots who are to ill experienced to even do basic maintenance. They do all sorts of short cuts, half assed work and omfg... shit is broken.

True. I should have worded it diffrently, just didnt feel like typing that much haha.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by xoxide

These arent cheap and reliable daily drivers. You want an SR car, which means you're probably like most of us on here and cant just leave shit alone. Which means, car wont stay stock, which means your reliability will start going down hill fast, along with your savings account. By the way, its chump to get mommy and daddy to pay for your stuff.. Buy a civic and call it a day.

I've already to decided to keep it simple and get a stock 240. I'm not getting an SR, KA-T, or any other mod. I'm definitely not planning to put any major work into my car other than maintaining it's basic needs and I won't be getting into any modding until I have the experience and the money and if I even still feel like doing anything to it in the future. In time, I'll be able to learn about all this stuff and if I wanna do anything major to my car, then I'll do it. I won't get my mommy and daddy to buy my parts and put in all the work for me for something I don't even need. If I ever do need financial assistance with things my car DOES need because I absolutely just can't get the money, then my parents are there to help me so I don't end up in a money pit and I'll be just fine lol. I'm barely 16, it's my first car and I barely know what I'm doing. I can't even financially provide for myself, so my parents are there for a reason, to help me avoid getting into bad situations. To save up for my own first car is just something I want to accomplish as a teenager.

[zerobeeeeeatz]

Originally Posted by Corbic

I beg to differ. They are very simple, reliable and basic cars. Parts are also very cheap.

The problem people face is that mods and engine swaps are done by idiots who are to ill experienced to even do basic maintenance. They do all sorts of short cuts, half assed work and omfg... shit is broken.

OP, Stop posting, put the keyboard down. You need to do some basic research and man up. This shit has been asked thousands of fucking times across dozens of web forums. If you want to own one do some research on your own. If you can't look up some basic FAQs and question threads your to stupid to know how to work on a car.

Also, if you want a reliable daily driver - as in DOES NOT NEED TO BE WORKED ON WEEKLY - expect to spend $7,500. Either in buying a car, or in building one. Yes, you can do it for less, but then we get into that "half-assed" thing I was talking about and you can expect to be doing something to it every week or two.

I've done my basic research. I made this thread so I can ask specific questions and gain the insight I need instead of searching hours through a thread only to find something close to what I need to know, but in terms I don't even really understand because of my lack of knowledge in this area. I'm just trying to get direct input from people with experience in this type of stuff so they can put it in simpler terms and because I feel this is a more effective way for me to get the information I need to know.

I appreciate your input lol.