For those of us who've been around awhile...

[mrmephistopheles]

Has anybody else noticed (specifically in the past 6 months or so) a large influx of newbs who buy swapped 240s and have NO idea what they've gotten into? It's kind of stressing to me..
Maybe it's just the fact that I like to be thorough and know what i'm getting into..
I've had my 240 for almost 3 years now, and with the money I've spent on modifying it, could have easily had an SR by now, but to be honest with you, I'm still waffling between motors. I just don't understand why a person would be so willing to jump headlong into a project car that's a complete mystery to them. I could understand more if the car was an older muscle car or a semi-exotic, but the 240 is a relatively cheap car, and typically not interesting to the population at large.

Is it just me or is the :bandwagon: strong with newbs nowadays?


-Kevin

[mrmephistopheles]

On a side note, the idea of buying a 240 just to swap an SR in it is disconcerting to me. I know of people who've bought a motorset BEFORE they picked up their car. I'm not knocking them, I'm just saying I don't like it. I think you should buy the car because you like the car, not because you have a motor to swap into it. I think the SR bandwagon is just too much.

[ca18guy]

The first big influx of newbies I remember was in March 2002. Seriously look around, alot of the high posters on the site are Mar2002, it was the first big wave of new people and most actually stuck around. Anyway it was the same then, alot of people with crap dribbling out of their mouth, and the regulars complaining. Right now the magazines really have the ignorant masses whipped up into a frenzy, eventually though they need to move onto a different car cause their narrow attention span won't let them day dream about 240's forever. Then whats left over will be the regulars much like what most of the remaining Mar2002's are. Atleast I can hope thats what will happen, do we really need another newbie bashing thread?

[Dousan_PG]

yeah sonny, lots of newbies
back in my day, we did research! and hard work!
we googled and used the search mode
these damn new kids, always ruffling my feather and whiskers.
i swear if i've seen one newb ive seen them all
damn punk kids!

[Kreator]

LOL, i actually did come on the board in march hehe. Got the car in february though but it has NOTHING to do with public attention to the car. I was looking for a car, was looking at a pretty wide range, 300zx, 200sx se-r, celicas. And then i stumbled on the 240 pic and was set to buy one. I didn't even plan any modding at first...

But yeah, there seems to be a number of people who bought cars with srs in em. Funny thing you never hear from the people who bought cars with a KA-T in them. Which makes me think that these people are in fact reading the import magazines too much... on the other hand it makes sense to me.... after all they are buying a JDM silvia, you know...

[charlie@justdrift]

wow... so 240sx is some sacred car? do i need ur permission to buy one so u wont get annoyed? im a newbie and i wanted to be a drifter just like everyone else with a 240sx. so i bought one and put an sr20det and i don't even know how to drive. so with ur permission, can i own my 240sx? take a chill pill and relax... nissan made them for everyone who wants to own.
so it's not ur problem what owners do with it...

[hookedup240]

Yes, i have also noticed this i have been on this board for a while and have had my car for 3 years since i got my liscence, and now i am thinking about swapping. All these newb's just read about a 240sx in superstreet and see the swaps and are usually spoiled that have their parents pay for everything and have no idea about the car and just get the engine bought and swaped for them. To tell you the truth i've had my car for 3 years and still don't even know everything about it. Just recently i have been SEARCHING(which alot need to learn how to do) and reading everything i can find on what's needed and how to do the swap, which i probably still won't be able to do for a 1/2 year longer because i have to work and save up all the money by myself like most of you guys, which is unlike most of these newbs who get everything bought for them.

This just doesn't go for 240's and the sr swap but for a lot of other cars. I hate it when people have close to brand new or brand new cars that their parents bought for them, that they dont' even care about if they mess up at all.

This just makes me so mad because i worked for like 4 years(like alot of you guys) to save up for my car. While others do nothing for their cars.

Just venting spoiled kids make me mad.

[logo20]

wow... so 240sx is some sacred car? do i need ur permission to buy one so u wont get annoyed? im a newbie and i wanted to be a drifter just like everyone else with a 240sx. so i bought one and put an sr20det and i don't even know how to drive. so with ur permission, can i own my 240sx? take a chill pill and relax... nissan made them for everyone who wants to own.

the annoying part is asking stupid questions and questions that have been asked before many times, I don't care what other people do to their car, they can drive it off a cliff as far as I care. not every one with a 240sx wants to be a drifter, or swap a sr engine. I bought my car almost 2 years ago, I didn't even know about sr20det or drifting, and when I learned about it I knew it isn't for me.

[dizastaman]

I guess i am guilty of all charges. I am a 240 noob who bought a 240 just to swap in a sr (which i will be doing in a couple of weeks, i just bought my car last week and my sr is on its way from cali). I'm not doing it because everyone else is doing it, but because it is a fast, cheap and easy swap to do. You can have a great setup for around $6,000 that can tear up on stupid civ hatches with their B18 swaps that they think are soooo awesome. So cuff me, and lock me away.

[HaLo]

I totally agree! Too much attention on 240's lately. But like ca18guy said, it will all fade out. The SR/Drift fad will disappear just like the Backstreet Boys did. Then and only then, only the enthusiasts will remain.

[AKADriver]

I'm a freak for research... I've only once bought a car without really thinking it through (my old S12) but even then I never asked simple questions without looking up (and usually finding) the answers first. And that was a rare old car. ClubS12 didn't even exist back then... just the Yahoo mailing list and a few vague web sites. And I STILL found all my answers by myself.

I just don't understand people that don't do research for themselves, before or after buying a car. I don't hold any anger towards them... I'll answer questions if I know the answer is relatively hard to find... I just don't understand why some of these questions get asked in the first place when the answers ARE out there. I mean, very few of the things I know about the 240SX are things I found on my own... it's ALL from reading the internet!

I'm happy to see people taking an interest in what I think is an awesome car. It's already brought down the prices on many parts, especially nice Japanese-made stuff now that a lot of these companies like Bride, RS*R, Tein, and others are opening US offices in response to the "JDM fad".

[240Driver39]

well, i came here last april may and got my car in june, i will honestly say i didnt really know much about a 240sx, i originally was searchin for a classic SE-R (owned a 92 SE with the ga16de) and i stumbled upon a guy sellin the 240sx in jersey, made the drive, loved it, did some research and picked it up. I have been drivin that same stock car since and love it, only recently putting new suspension pieces on to replace my aging stock suspension and for a nice upgrade. I agree though, the lack of research and there have been a large influx of people, i suspose me (coming after that march influx) am considered a newb, and my post count being low makes me a newb, but i am prob on here every single night, readin, and chimin in when i can. Ive learned a ton that way and i still think this site is great for that. Yeah...its a fad...but so is everything, its a great car, i love it so much if i see one up for sale locally, i will go check it out, and considerin buyin another one, or see if neone i know needs one cause i think they are great cars. yeah i got a novel goin here but eh, whatever..haha

like someone said, the fad will end and those who still love the cars will remain.

[SimpleS14]

Originally posted by ca18guy
do we really need another newbie bashing thread?

no

[Zenki_S14]

getting an sr swap is cool, dude!!! i wanna be a drifter like you guys!!! everyone's doing it!!! imagine all the chicks up in my Shizznits!!! c'mon guys, relax, relax. remember when you first smoked cigarettes or weed? you did it cause everyone was doing it and you thought it was cool, and so you jumped on the bandwagon. you didn't know about the toxic in these stuff, but you still did it. this is the same type of $hit. don't flame on these newbies cause they got money. let them do what they wanna do.

[Zenki_S14]

OMG!!! i just read Siizzzoooo's post on being a new member. he just bought his car and his car is stacked!!! already got an sr and all these other mods. holy $hit!!! F*** what i said. he wants to fix it for show, too. OMG. this sucks @ss.

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally posted by HaLo
Then and only then, only the enthusiasts will remain.

For me, that day can't come soon enough.
For the record, this isn't a newbie flaming thread, I'm just seeking opinions and venting.

Originally posted by driftheaven
wow... so 240sx is some sacred car? do i need ur permission to buy one so u wont get annoyed? im a newbie and i wanted to be a drifter just like everyone else with a 240sx. so i bought one and put an sr20det and i don't even know how to drive. so with ur permission, can i own my 240sx? take a chill pill and relax... nissan made them for everyone who wants to own.
so it's not ur problem what owners do with it...

I really could rip you up in my reply to your post, but it won't get any of us anywhere, and I have a strong feeling that it most certainly will not enlighten you. I never said the 240 is sacred. I never said I gave 2 ****s about what owners did with them. You will very RARELY find me ripping on someone else's car. I'm not a drifter, and a good 85% (at least) of 240sx owners are NOT. I'll grant that I like driving on the edge, and drifting comes into play, but I don't consider myself a drifter. I'm not seeking to screen potential owners of 240s either. I am just expressing my opinion. Maybe if it didn't apply to you, you wouldn't be so butt-hurt. *shrug*
I never understood why people take things personally when it's someone else's opinion....

[HaLo]

Originally posted by mrmephistopheles
For me, that day can't come soon enough.
For the record, this isn't a newbie flaming thread, I'm just seeking opinions and venting.

just be patient and let them say whatever they want to say. I know it's hard (i'm losing myself patience on another forum (www.npclub.com/bb -> french mostly)) but we can all hope that it will die down.

i also agree that this is not a newbie bashing thread. It's more "we're-so-tired-of-the-attention-our-cars-are-getting-for-all-the-bad-reasons".

[DuffMan]

Yeah, I dont really understand it. My friend just bought a WRX and neither he nor I know a whole lot about them.

He didn't go to i-club and post a lot of stupid questions, he used their search and google, and I did too, and now we know a lot more about the car and how to mod it.

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally posted by HaLo
i also agree that this is not a newbie bashing thread. It's more "we're-so-tired-of-the-attention-our-cars-are-getting-for-all-the-bad-reasons".

And a "we're tired of the media exposure of our car and it's negative consequences, etc" thread.

[HaLo]

Originally posted by mrmephistopheles
And a "we're tired of the media exposure of our car and it's negative consequences, etc" thread.

I couldn't have said it that well.

[mrmephistopheles]

Shut up, James, lest we ban you.

heheh

[charlie@justdrift]

nothing personal mrmephistopheles but 3 years of owning a 240 is not what i would consider "For those of us who've been around awhile..." i owned mine for 2 years and i still consider myself a new kid on the block. i had a 85 corolla gts (ae86) since 1996 and i don't discourage people but instead i help them.

(*not to be specific on drifing, but it's a good example since it's the hot thing right now*)

in my opinion, the problem is when people do the "drift look" and talk about it day in and day out but has no clue on how to do it nor have they even attempted to do it.
they are giving misinformation to other noobs... that's more problem than a noob slapping an sr on his 240.

as a member of this message board and a 240sx owner, i'd rather see you moderators and members alike help newbies and educate them about their cars and stuff, rather than getting antsy on who owns it or if it's a fad or a bandwagon. maybe it's a bandwagon everybody is jumping on to, but if you educate them maybe they will stay? and other newbs can benefit from it... pass down your knowledge.
when im at the tracks, everyone who is interested in drifting i open with a welcome and a smile. i even give them a ride if it's possible, that way they know what they are getting into instead of blind leading a blind. not that i'm a good teacher/instructor but at least i pass what i know. i don't know how many 240sx drivers in LA i have taught, helped and exposed to track racing/drifting. but it's really better to help than to bitch about it.

[Dousan_PG]

driftheaven got me hooked. i took my first ride
had battleversion alex driving jdmrice's car right behind us (the same day richard's engine took a sh*t)
they were doing tandem. i was the whole way. never had so much fun in my life.

since then i've been hooked. i give all rides whoever asks me. its fun. makes me work hard not to look sucky hahaha..

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally posted by dousan36
(the same day richard's engine took a sh*t)

Which one?

[mrmephistopheles]

and? That was just the day i decided to bite the bullet and join Zilvia (I think at Grant's urging). I'd been on FA for awhile. I remember when Zilvia first started, and I decided not to join, because I liked FA. I didn't see the purpose in joining multiple forums on the same subject. Knock me for my registration date, I don't care. I didn't hop on any bandwagon.

[revat619]

well i just have to say that all the recent newbie "i wanna be a mAD tYTe DRifTeR yAll!" and "i need an SR now!" bullsh*t threads have really been getting on my nerves. All this recent crap about S15 conversions and crap is just stupid. The JDM bling bling thing is really getting out of hand.

MRMEPH, i totally feel your frustration!

OH! and all the posting in the wrong sections. "i wanna buy an SR"....in the for sale section. c'mon now seriously. The worst part is that half the time these people dont even have cars yet. These newbies are soooo quick to jump on the SR band wangon. They want an sr, but they post a thread on how to change their oil and filter.

i'll be honest, i dont know enough about the KA to be considering any kind of engine swap. Hell, i dont know enough about suspension either. Thats why all i ever do is RESEARCH.

now granted, some newbies arent like this, so to those guys/girls, i apologize. But for the rest of them......stop being stupid. That means, dont talk anymore, just search and read.

EDIT: Ok, this is exactly the kind of stupidity i'm talking about. Five minutes before i posted my reply (probably while i was typing it) and look
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.p...threadid=27124
he wants to buy something so he posts in chat

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally posted by driftheaven
nothing personal mrmephistopheles but 3 years of owning a 240 is not what i would consider "For those of us who've been around awhile..."

Well, it's not like I said, 'For us old-skoolers' or For those of us that have been around for a long time."
Awhile. Longer than a little bit, shorter than a long time.
That's how I define it. Anyway, to retort your comments, I DO try to pass useful information. Search my posts here at Zilvia. I think I maybe wasted 50 in OT postwhoring. Look in the FAQ section for my Braking FAQ. I DO try to help. Unfortunately, it's hard to spend time replying to user's questions, when the same 10 threads keep popping up (where can i get an SR, do S14 seats fit in S13s, how do i do a 300zx brake swap, what engine came in the 180sx/silvia, who sells s15 conversion parts, etc - and the not-so-often how can i get my car to do a wheelie like in fast & furious?)
Anyway, I DO try to help. I'm a cynical and sarcastic guy, and a very readily admitted asshole. If you know me in person, you know me to be a nice guy, but I'm also not one to put up with alot of BS. I'm pretty sure I understand where you're coming from, and I think my initial response to your post was incorrect. Please re-read your post and look at it from the perspective of someone who has heard exactly what you said 100 times. You sounded exactly like a fresh-faced newbie. It's clear to me now that you're not but "im a newbie and i wanted to be a drifter just like everyone else with a 240sx." is a very ignorant statement! Can you understand why I responded the way I did?
Anyway, I should've said in my first post that this thread was basically a rant and opinion gathering thread. I'm not out to bash newbies! I was a newbie once, too! I remember posting to a forum that I wanted to put an SR20VET in my 240! Looking back now, I laugh my ass off at that, but at the time, I was 100% serious. I had good users in that forum at the time, and they gave me a little grief, and eventually set me straight. After that, I decided to exhaustively research stuff before I asked about it. That's probably my biggest complaint.
Regardless, this thread is just me (your favorite asshole moderator) asking you (the guy who's been around "AWHILE") what you think & how you feel. The scene has certainly changed since I first bought my car, and I don't think it's been for the better. My only hope is that I get good deals on parts from people parts out their cars when they move onto the next bandwagon. See? I AM an asshole.

Also, if you don't believe I'm willing to help, again, search my posts. I've stated numerous times that I'm always available for questions.
Anyway, I'm done justifying myself.

[Zenki_S14]

i think we should lock this thread. this is going nowhere. yeah, i hate to see newbies get an sr swap without knowing anything about the car or the engine itself, but it's their money and you can't stop them from doing what they wanna do. let's all just shake hands and grab ourselves a beer.

[mrmephistopheles]

James, stop trying to start stuff with me. It won't work. You can't hurt my feelings. All you're doing is polluting the forum with crap.

[240Stilo]

I think some people take it the wrong way when newbies want info fast. Maybe if we let them know all we know, they can grow up faster and actually help give better threads in the future. But, on the other hand they might just kill my theory and still not add anything better to the forum other than "Why don't my S15 headlights fit?"