5 Great Upgrades for the Money

[jspaeth]

In advance, if this type of topic already exists, feel free to delete it...

It seems that half of all new threads from inexperienced owners pertain to "what do you "guys" think I should to my 240?" Rather than figuring out for themselves, these people want answers.

The purpose of this thread is 2fold:
1) Stop new owners from constantly asking members "what should I do next"?
2) Get some input on what 240 owners think are the most effective upgrades for the money.

The following are some of my favorite upgrades for a relatively stock 240....we aren't talking engine swaps, etc here....also, not talking things that need to be done sequentially (sure a turbo itself isn't that expensive, but there is a ton of other stuff that needs to be done with it).

In no particular order, 5 great upgrades (IMO) FOR THE MONEY:


1) Aluminum subframe spacers: for roughly $80, these provide a drastic inprovement in the rear end slop of nearly every stock 240

2) Thicker, aftermarket sway bars: probably gonna run between $300-$500 for a set of really good ones...probably the suspension mod that tightens up handling the most (assuming you have coilovers or a spring/shock setup already)

3) 3" catback exhaust: On a stock KA that doesn't really put out much top end horsepower, a 3" exhaust from the catback can greatly help the engine breathe and free up a good amount of horsepower (relative to the very little that the KA makes when stock)...a good one will run $600-$1000 or so, with titanium models costing more often........however, for plain functionality without the cost, you can have a local exhaust shop make you piping for much, much cheaper

4) Wider wheels and quality tires: Tire quality is more important than width, but it's worth it to do both. Upgrade the stock 16's (or 15's) to a set of wider wheels with an offset that pushes the wheel out further towards fenders, and choose a tire that is pretty sticky (a good tire for the money is Kumho Ectsa MX, for example)....This will make the car LOOK better and you will notice a substantial increase in handling. Depending on how much you want to shell out for the wheels (new vs. used), can probably get decent wheels and tires for around $1500 or so.

5) Quality brake pads: I myself am guilty of never using good brake pads, but anyone that knows brakes will tell you that using a good set of pads makes a drastic difference. A good set of pads can be had for $60-$100 per axle....Hawk is just one brand that is very popular for street pads.




Please provide me with some feedback, and if anyone thinks this thread's a good idea, I will update the list above to include what some members agree are the best initial mods for the $$$. Again, hoping this will help newbies and stop the unnecessary "what should i do to my new car" threads.

[OptionZero]

Um. No. $1000 on an exhaust is not a "for the money" upgrade, it's a "for the hell of it, i got cash to spend" upgrade

if u want a for the money upgrade, get an internet connection, patience, and reading skills...and a job...that'll upgrade you quick

[kandyflip445]

Nismo Power Brace (or Jonnie Fraz's brace) and heim joint tension rods. A must on most S-chassis with the stock oozing tension rods.

[jspaeth]

Yes, you are right....I will change that to read just 3" exhaust....you can get one made at an exhaust shop for way cheaper that is probably just as functional

[HWYKING]

great start! those are definitley 5 good starter mods. i would add in the B&M shortshifter as well, gets rid of the sloppy stock shifter feel.

[Irukandji]

Lsd ?

[jspaeth]

^ Ya that's a good one that I didn't immediately think of....probably because I have an SE with a stock VLSD....

I know, I know, VLSD is barely better than an open diff (or so I've been told)

[Serebros]

nice thread, good advice on your 5

id like to add 2

1. Walbro 255 HiFlow Fuel Pump & 300ZX Fuel Filter - ($85 Shipped + $10)- I have one on a more or less stock ka24de (aem intake), and i noticed a drastic improvement in the behavior of the motor, idle, response, acceleration, top end, the stock pump just doesen't cut it, even for a bone stock motor, as for the filter, its bigger and it flows more, dont buy those fancy WIX ones for 27+$, get one from discount or autozone 8-10 at most.

2. (Tein, Peak, Kazama) Aftermarket Tension Rods - ($150-$300) - stock viscous bushings suck, they crack, they leak, the ES Poly bushings help a good bit, but they still flex, aftermarket tension rods lock up your front end, handles completely different after installation, def worth it. Make sure u get an alignment after installation.

Mods that u will notice the most in actual driving

1. Turbocharging, Poweradders, Cams, Big Gain Parts
2. Coilovers
3. Tires/Wheels
4. Suspension Arms

[kdashy]

A six hundred to a thousand dollars for an exhaust?

[jspaeth]

^ I agree again....as someone who has replaced every SINGLE suspension arm on the entire car, I know what they can do....my car handles like a beast now!!!

Agreed that for lateral motion, tension rods are by far the most important...

It's nice to be able to slam the brakes on and not feel the car "run into itself"

[KA24DESOneThree]

Mine, in order:

1. Tires. Get ones that suit your mission, not your stinginess. Your tires dictate what direction you go, when you stop, and when you go. Without them, you go nowhere. If you drive hard often, upgrade to stickier rubber. If you drive in the snow, consider a dedicated set of snow tires and wheels. If it rains a lot, learn how to drive in it. Should be about $400 for a set of performance tires for your stock wheels.

2. Decent pads and a change of fluid. Even Axxis Ultimates or Hawk HPs are a nice upgrade over stock. Carbotech makes some nice pads too. Figure around $150 for the whole deal including a can of Motul RBF600 from your local motorcycle shop.

3. Seat time. Familiarize yourself with the car first and every mod you make from that point on will be more useful. Understand how the car reacts to certain inputs and make sure you're SMOOTH. Fast drivers are never jerky. $however much gas you use, but it'll be worth it

4. Replace bushings with poly/spherical bearing. $depends. Price it out yourself, but it's worth it.

5. Tension rod brace/quality chassis stiffening in general

[OptionZero]

Don't forget a couple hundred bucks for a helmet
unless you enjoy wrapping other people's sweat and hair around your head

[lflkajfj12123]

this thread has a lack of direction

it should be more like 3 categories of 5 upgrades for track, performance, daily driving and then go from there these are all pretty general statements

[jspaeth]

Yeah I think maybe divide it into that or maybe do one category for handling, one for power (I dunno)

There probably is a better way to do this, I was just getting tired of reading all of the "what should i do to my new car" threads

[OptionZero]

...then don't read them...

[drift freaq]

Ok here is my suggestions

1. Suspension, on the low end a good spring shock combo can be had for $500 or less. For most beginning drivers this is a very good upgrade and more than adequate . Coilovers should be for people with more experience in driving.

2. A VLSD. Yes a VLSD! Why? They are cheap, you can pick one up for $150-$300 max. You can learn to drive with it. When you feel you need more, you can choose to spend the extra cash on a helical or Clutch type or go budget with a Welded.

3. Spherical rod end tensions rods. All of cars need these if they have the stock TC rods.

4. Better wheels and tires. This is a grey area because you can find cheap upgrades in this department or you can spend the sky is the limit. For the money a good set of 15 or 16 's in a wider rim is a good way to go. Tires are cheap and again when you gain experience you can upsize to bigger wheels.

5.Exhaust and intake, spend no more than $300 in this department to get a good sized exhaust and while your at it change your intake to a more free flowing intake.

Ok given all of the above there are things I could have listed that I did not because it depends on the condition of the car if needed. I did not list brake pads in my list because the stock brakes with a stock engine are not horrible.
If you feel the need to go after a brake upgrade the cheap way to go is with a set of JDM 180sx brakes or even putting on a set of Q45 brakes either way most you will spend is $150. They will provide much more stopping power.


The things I chose to list I feel are by far the most important stuff for the newb driver to learn how his car drives and handles with.

P.S. I should add engine mounts. Why? At this point in time most of the stock engine mounts in our cars are kinda toasty. :D shameless self promotion here see my sig for a inexpensive engine mount upgrade:D

[jspaeth]

^ Thank you and constructive

The reason this is so difficult, is bc it's addressing the real life fact that most people are working on a limited budget initially and can only afford a few things...

[ThatGuy]

Then drive a stock car until you can afford to upgrade it properly. The only thing worse than doing nothing, is doing anything half-assed.

[jspaeth]

My car is no-where near stock, and all of my upgrades are extremely high-quality shit...

So I KNOW you weren't talking to me, because you aren't a dick

I am trying to provide a resource for people that just bought their car and want some direction

[OptionZero]

thatguy provided all the direction those people need
doing things cheaply for the sake of doing things is retarded

[ThatGuy]

My car is no-where near stock, and all of my upgrades are extremely high-quality shit...

So I KNOW you weren't talking to me, because you aren't a dick

I am trying to provide a resource for people that just bought their car and want some direction

Congratulations.

I was referring to anyone trying to build on a budget.

I'm building on a fairly tight budget myself. I am pleased with almost every modification I have made to my car. It has been a slow process, but it has been worth it.

I didn't need a single thread to tell me what I should do with my vehicle.

I read every thread I could find, and made up my own mind what my priorities are, and set to make them a reality. Slowly.

BTW, you're right, I'm not a dick. I'm an asshole.

[jspaeth]

This really is a simple concept

I am NOT talking about buying shit parts, I am trying to discuss what the mods are that get you the biggest gains in performance for your money


SPL Subframe spacers are only $80 but are high quality and are worth their weight in gold.....perfect example

jesus christ

[bo2o]

1.get steering wheel off ebay 100 dollars. with hub.

2.find a nice seat with harness. theres a ton of seats out ther. s14 or bucket.

3. get coilovers and sways forshure. coilover you can find used for around 600. sways godspeed makes sum for under 200 and most others are around 300. and subframe bushings..

4. wheels and tires are a most. atleast tires.

5. ehxuast used is around 250 most the time.

these things are a must and will make any car fun agian.

[ThatGuy]

SPL Subframe spacers are only $80 but are high quality and are worth their weight in gold.....perfect example

That's a good point. They are inexpensive, and make a difference in the vehicle.

They have also been discussed in depth in any number of threads that alot of new Zilvians FAIL to search for when researching.

If they can't find a thread that discusses just ONE PART, how are they going to find a thread that discuses every part you think they should get?

[jspaeth]

I did what you did and read my ass off, and believe I have built my car up correctly and with quality parts....

I guess I am just guilty here of trying to be too nice to the people that aren't smart enough to research stuff and figure out what to buy when, etc.

Ehh, whatever you are prolly right...I need to learn how to be more of an asshole sometimes anyways haha

[ThatGuy]

I'm not saying your attempt was feeble. It was a decent idea. I just don't see many of the "I'm-new-so -spoon-feed-me-everything-I-need-to-know-to-build-my-own-car" crowd utilizing it.

[cdlong]

i think this type of thread has one benefit as originally setup. it highlights specific weaknesses our cars have that noobies might not notice right away and wouldn't know to search for. stuff like tension rod bushings and subframe bushings are cheap upgrades that make a big difference on an old car.

everyone that has even thought about modifying a car knows springs, exhaust, and tires are benefitial on virtually anything. searching for those isn't out of the grasp of a noobie.

[fliprayzin240sx]

You forgot the "sell-your-car-and-go-get-another-honda-cuz-that bandwagon-is-better" mod. This advice is not worth gold, its worth Platinum, hell its worth DIAMONDS....

[unicoladron]

strut tie bars people....the s13 chassis is weaaaaakkkk....

how could we have forgotten that!!

you can either egay it up, or you can splurge.

if you have an eye for decent welds and construction, you won't regret your purchase. (this pertains to exhaust, sways, strut tie bars).

IMO, these ARE the things we can cheap out on. but again, that's an opinion :)

and someone who HAS had a megan tie bar, or godspeed sway bar "break" on them....please interject.

on another note. I pretty much agree with the fuel pump and filter, subframe collars, replace rubber bushings with poly (which was relatively cheap if you do it yourself), and brakes. i also didn't notice anyone mention both the q45 brake upgrade and 300zx brake upgrade. which are extremely cost effective. but any moron who has done any research on an s13/s14 HAS to stumble on that stuff.


and i do think this thread is a good idea, and should end up stickied, something like "top 5 mods" or something, which is split into categories of course.

[jspaeth]

I think we all are agreeing that chassis stiffening comes first...

[420sx]

ok we can all get our panties wet. me next me next! whatever..

anyhow, it depends what are you doing with the car.

its depends what you like.

it depends what is your budget.

its depends if you are a pussy. or not. or like pussy..... or not. anyway,


5 best things for your money:

1) lsd.
2) a bucket seat
3) a shiftknob and a steering wheel. comfort in control is everything.
4) entry level coilovers, under 1k. come on, a fuckin bum can afford megans
5) wheels/tires.

oh yea, feel free to substitute one with event fees.

tada

[aznpoopy]

#1 tires. they're the only thing on the car that actually touches the ground. you can do wheels at this stage too if you feel like it.
#2 i agree subframe collars are good. cuz they're always broken.
#3 t/c rods or t/c rod bushings, the latter being the better 'bang for the buck.' cuz they're always broken.

after that you can go out into whatever are you feel like doing, starting with broken stuff too.

personally i think exhaust is a waste of money starting out. you can track with a stock exhaust. you can daily drive on a stock exhaust. you can drift on it too. spend your money elsewhere when shit is broken, unless its falling apart or something. ditto for sway bars, stb. these mods are supplemental imo.

my 4 5 6 would be brakes, coilovers, differential
my favorite mods were lightweight flywheel (made ka kind of fun)
and steering wheel (improves seating position sooo much)

[drftmark]

BTW, you're right, I'm not a dick. I'm an asshole.

Allusion to Team America intended? if so, lol

[bigOdom1]

top five things to do. full tune up is always number one. then whatever suspension/brakes/tires you need the most if you need all three your a danger to society on the road so go to work til you can afford to drive a safe car. then hpde a couple of them to get used to the car. go back to a hpde cause you still need to get more experience behind the wheel

[thejapino]

The NUMBER 1 mod you should do when you first get your 240SX is replace any old worn-out parts period. None of the upgrades you guys listed would be worth it if your high-mileage KA has an oil leak and timing chain rattle while it wiggles around in your engine bay b/c of worn engine and tranny mounts. But I do agree with the tension rods, those are almost always busted already. Next on my list is subframe spacers:cool:

[Dirty Habit]

The minute I got my coupe I cleaned the interior and engine bay. Put all new fluids in her and changed the coin holder to a cup holder. She loves me now, and doesn't make my fiance complain of the cat piss smell.

Seriously: New suspension did wonders.

[KA24DESOneThree]

By the way, when I said drive, I mean everywhere and anywhere at any speed. You get the feel for nuances and it's easier to learn how to drive smoothly when not at 10/10ths.

I've put ~42k on my 240 since June of '04. Three wheels could fall off and I'd know what it was gonna do next and how to correct.

[Dutchmalmiss]

Not in any particular order

1. Gut the car, remove a/c, etc. It's free (track)
2. Tires and brakes. fuck, track in all seasons if you want. if you have enough tires, crappy track time is better than no track time. Hawk pads FTW.(track/daily)
3. Tune up, including filters, fluids, good plugs (everything)
4. Intake, cheap power increase, not to mention better gas mileage if granny driven correctly (track/daily)
5. BUSHINGS, all of em. Rubber on the car isn't as good as it was 15+ years ago (track/daily)
6. Air freshener (desert jasmine mmmmmm)

[WanganRunner]

1.) Fix anything that's broken

2.) Full tune-up (plugs/wires/cap/rotor, change all fluids, bleed all hydro systems, clean MAF/TB, replace all filters, don't half ass it)

3.) Good tires w/wider wheels. Wheels should be maybe 16" on an S13, 16x8 +10 is about perfect, and lightweight is important. Don't skimp on tires, they're the most important thing you do after you fix all the broken stuff on your car.

4.) Brake pads and stainless lines. Most people don't need additional clamping force of larger calipers, they just need fade resistance. Don't buy cheapo Autozone pads.

5.) Bushings. Bushings remove slop, slop is bad. This can be expensive if you can't press bushings in yourself or if you don't have a garage and need to use shops for everything. Labor-intensive.

6.) LSD. Don't daily a 2-way, it sucks, just get an S14 HLSD if you're not going to be a mad tyte drift4rz. HLSD is fine for track days. Of course, if your car isn't a daily, do whatever you want, especially if sideways-ness is the primary intent of the build.

7.) Struts/Springs or Coils. Contrary to popular opinion, coils aren't for everyone, but on a smooth surface they're the best. If you'll be running a lot on crappy roads, a good strut/spring setup might be preferable. Depends on the application, like everything else.



To the guy who said "Drive anywhere and everywhere at 10/10th's", I'm very glad you don't live anywhere at all near me. You probably have a lot of zipties holding your car together, don't you?

[Koopa Troopa]

nice thread, good advice on your 5

id like to add 2

1. Walbro 255 HiFlow Fuel Pump & 300ZX Fuel Filter - ($85 Shipped + $10)- I have one on a more or less stock ka24de (aem intake), and i noticed a drastic improvement in the behavior of the motor, idle, response, acceleration, top end, the stock pump just doesen't cut it, even for a bone stock motor, as for the filter, its bigger and it flows more, dont buy those fancy WIX ones for 27+$, get one from discount or autozone 8-10 at most.


I fail to see how adding a 255 lp/h fuel pump did anything to a car that was probably not even using 80% of the stock fuel pumps abilities. Maybe your fuel pump was on it's last life?

1.)

6.) LSD. Don't daily a 2-way, it sucks, just get an S14 HLSD if you're not going to be a mad tyte drift4rz. HLSD is fine for track days. Of course, if your car isn't a daily, do whatever you want, especially if sideways-ness is the primary intent of the build.

7.) Struts/Springs or Coils. Contrary to popular opinion, coils aren't for everyone, but on a smooth surface they're the best. If you'll be running a lot on crappy roads, a good strut/spring setup might be preferable. Depends on the application, like everything else.

To the guy who said "Drive anywhere and everywhere at 10/10th's", I'm very glad you don't live anywhere at all near me. You probably have a lot of zipties holding your car together, don't you?

While I agree with you on many things you said; I am sure many other will agree with me when I ask if you have a vagina.

What would I do if I had to start with a bone stock car and buy everything new?

1) Tires, because not only does your entire car rely on these to do their job your brakes are only as good as your tires.
2) Brake pads, because stopping is cool.
3) Bucket seat, so you can focus on driving and not flying around the car cause the granny seat your car came with sucks.
4) Coilover suspension, because stock sucks
5) 2 way diff, because open is gay

[a_ahmed]

Best/cheapeast upgrades imho that you can feel right away:

metal bushings on steering rack and steering column.

Steering column ones are a hassle to do and steering rack ones if u can jack car up on lift is fairly easy to do.

[unwed_transient]

I should add engine mounts. Why? At this point in time most of the stock engine mounts in our cars are kinda toasty. :D shameless self promotion here see my sig for a inexpensive engine mount upgrade:D
agreed.

engine mounts plus tranny mounts are a good uograde, and not expensive at all.

[ZX88]

I think we all are agreeing that chassis stiffening comes first...

i agree and if your going to spend 600-1000 on exhaust i would rather buy a set of basic or used coilovers.

[Confusedkorean]

lol i guess i did it backwards then... oh well. i went w/sr20 first. dont worry though im doing suspension next.

[exitspeed]

My theory is to learn how to drive a slow car fast, first. Because if you don't, you'll drive a fast car slow.

Here's my Suggestions if you want to AutoX with a near stock 240:

1. Coilovers. For the price you can get Megans, Stance, etc, they are accessible for anyone on a budget.

2. Brake. Even if you just go with Brembo Blanks and some nice pads. Hawk, MM, etc.

3. Tires. A good set of stickies can make all the difference in the world.

4. VLSD. Like Drftfreaq said, it's cheap and is effective enough that you'll notice a difference.

5. Seat time. You don't need power and mad upgrades to have fun, learn how to drive your car, AND be competitive. Go to events. Hang out at'em if you don't race. Befriend the instructors.

There's obviously a million other things to do before (tune-up, replace bushings etc) and after even these upgrades, but this is a good starting formula.

[gunluvS14]

nice thread, good advice on your 5

id like to add 2

1. Walbro 255 HiFlow Fuel Pump & 300ZX Fuel Filter - ($85 Shipped + $10)- I have one on a more or less stock ka24de (aem intake), and i noticed a drastic improvement in the behavior of the motor, idle, response, acceleration, top end, the stock pump just doesen't cut it, even for a bone stock motor, as for the filter, its bigger and it flows more, dont buy those fancy WIX ones for 27+$, get one from discount or autozone 8-10 at most.

not to rain on your parade buddy, but hi flow rate fuel pump shouldn't make any difference at all unless the engine is starving for fuel. Most KA with stock 270cc inj and stock map run a decent air-fuel mix, and actually a tag rich near top too. Stock pump is fine, I bet yours was dieing.

and about Z32 fuel filter, what u said is misleading. It is has a bigger filter area, but the inlet and outlet nipple (cross sectional area) is the same, it doesn't flow any more than the stock piece, only difference is it has larger filter, so you will have less pressure drop across the inlet and exit.

[nissanguy13]

1. Walbro 255 HiFlow Fuel Pump & 300ZX Fuel Filter - ($85 Shipped + $10)- I have one on a more or less stock ka24de (aem intake), and i noticed a drastic improvement in the behavior of the motor, idle, response, acceleration, top end, the stock pump just doesen't cut it, even for a bone stock motor, as for the filter, its bigger and it flows more, dont buy those fancy WIX ones for 27+$, get one from discount or autozone 8-10 at most.





I'm not getting the walboro fuel pump or 300zx fuel filter? If you're just starting out and have a stock KA......well you just wasted at least $100 of your money that could have been put for something useful. If you are already SR'd I can see the the $10 fuel filter, but unless your FP is junk why spend the $100 if your car/engine is stock?

It's starting to get repetitive so I'll make it short and sweet. It all depends what you are planning to do also, DD, Track, Drift. The main things no matter what would be:

A good set of tires (you dont need to go out and buy $700 good year eagles, but something sticky) with a wider set of 15 or 16" rims.

Shocks are a must since most of them are blown by now. ( I picked up a pair of Tokico blues on e bay for $500 shipped) They aren't Tein but they'll do the job.

Replace all your rubber. bushings, engine mounts, tie rods. If they are stock 99% of the time they are toasted.

Tie rods, sway bars, c-pillar bar, strut bars.

Bucket seat that is for your size (if your a big guy don't buy one with a lot of padding you can barely squeeze into, or if your a small guy don't get one that has no padding and you just flop around in it. A steering wheel and shift knob that is comfortable for you.

Of course when you get your car you should go through it and do a routine maintenance on it. NGK plugs and wires, rotor, cap, air filter, fuel filter, run sea foam or good engine cleaner. check the o2 sensor, temp sensor etc. change oil and replace with something other than pennzoil. I'm not saying put royal purple in a stock KA but at least mobile 1, quaker etc. Then maintain.

Exhuast and intake good to have, makes car sound pretty. But in all honesty is spending $600 or so on a descent intake and exhaust as your first mods really worth it? On a KA you get what an extra 15hp or so, SR ya thats a little different.

[civilized_drifter]

for the s13 guys, hows about s14 seats, their cheap at junk yards. i got my front 2 for $50

[vipd240]

I'd say
1) Intake(for ka cars)
2)tension rods
3)coilovers
4)wheels
5)exhaust