getting a 240sx tomorrow?!

[Warwick5s]

After 6 years of VW ownership (73 Beetle, 90 Corrado, 87 Scirocco, 83 GTi w/16v, and 88 Scirocco), 4500 posts on vwvortex.com, and after each one of those cars except for the bug turned out to be heaps of crap - i think it's time for a change.

So tomorrow...it looks like i'm gonna pick up my first non-VW. a 1990 240sx hatch, with sport package. it's that dark silver-grey color, leather interior. everything works. 96k, engine compartment so clean you can eat off it, so smooth at idle i couldn't even tell it was running. It drives like a brand new car. new transmission, rear brakes, and exhaust, full records. $3k. needs new tires and has some rust underneath the spoiler. sound ok?

here are my questions -
1) i know about the timing chain rattle, is there anything else that i should check?
2) I live in wisconsin, and managed to survive last winter in my scirocco 16v shod with kumho ecsta supra 712's. would a 240sx with decent all weathers be better or worse? do i NEED to get snows?
3) i'm going to test it tomorrow, but with the seat folded down, does anyone have any guesses as to whether an upright bass would fit in the car?
4) if/when i get it, what is some good preventive maintanance i shoudl look into at almost 100k miles? should i wait to do the timing chain until it starts rattling or is that better done at a certain time?
5) Would it be better/cheaper to try to find a 'new' hatch or repair the rust?


i'm excited to start this new chapter in my automotive history. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

-jason

[Yoshi]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">1) i know about the timing chain rattle, is there anything else that i should check?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Just the usual used car buying stuff. &nbsp;The chain is the main thing, you might check the TC rods for leakage too, they may need replacement on a 90

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">2) I live in wisconsin, and managed to survive last winter in my scirocco 16v shod with kumho ecsta supra 712's. would a 240sx with decent all weathers be better or worse? do i NEED to get snows?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I had a 85 scirocco in the winter in eastern washington state (ie lots of snow/ice). &nbsp;All things considered, the lil scirocco's are pretty nimble and sure footed. &nbsp;Also FWD... you're now part of the sport RWD club <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> &nbsp;Welcome! &nbsp;This also means your car, without having an LSD, will be a nightmare in the snow. &nbsp;All seasons will NOT get you through the winter in wisconsin, for sure and for certain. &nbsp;Even with studs all around I was sliding around a bit and got stuck twice due to my lack of LSD.


</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">3) i'm going to test it tomorrow, but with the seat folded down, does anyone have any guesses as to whether an upright bass would fit in the car?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I'm guessing an upright base will fit, but hte neck might have to go tween the seats, or you'll have to fold the passenger seat forward to accommodate it, that's just a guess tho.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">4) if/when i get it, what is some good preventive maintanance i shoudl look into at almost 100k miles? should i wait to do the timing chain until it starts rattling or is that better done at a certain time?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
just like the VDubs, check all fluids, plugs, wires, bushings, AC charge, etc. &nbsp;On the timing chain, can't help you, as mine was freshly changed when I got the car... .I can tell you this, If you're at all hesitant about the chain's reliability, bite the bullet and get it changed out! &nbsp;If it breaks, it WILL severly damage your engine.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">5) Would it be better/cheaper to try to find a 'new' hatch or repair the rust?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'> &nbsp; &nbsp;
That depends on how much rust there is.

Welcome to Zilvia, and 240sx ownership! &nbsp;the 240sx's performance should probably be a close rival to your corrado, perhaps a bit slower (depending on which model corrado you had) but most assuredly more fun to drive! <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[240 2NR]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Warwick5s @ Sep. 10 2002,11:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">After 6 years of VW ownership (73 Beetle, 90 Corrado, 87 Scirocco, 83 GTi w/16v, and 88 Scirocco), 4500 posts on vwvortex.com, and after each one of those cars except for the bug turned out to be heaps of crap - i think it's time for a change.

So tomorrow...it looks like i'm gonna pick up my first non-VW. a 1990 240sx hatch, with sport package. it's that dark silver-grey color, leather interior. everything works. 96k, engine compartment so clean you can eat off it, so smooth at idle i couldn't even tell it was running. It drives like a brand new car. new transmission, rear brakes, and exhaust, full records. $3k. needs new tires and has some rust underneath the spoiler. sound ok?

here are my questions -
1) i know about the timing chain rattle, is there anything else that i should check?
2) I live in wisconsin, and managed to survive last winter in my scirocco 16v shod with kumho ecsta supra 712's. would a 240sx with decent all weathers be better or worse? do i NEED to get snows?
3) i'm going to test it tomorrow, but with the seat folded down, does anyone have any guesses as to whether an upright bass would fit in the car?
4) if/when i get it, what is some good preventive maintanance i shoudl look into at almost 100k miles? should i wait to do the timing chain until it starts rattling or is that better done at a certain time?
5) Would it be better/cheaper to try to find a 'new' hatch or repair the rust?


i'm excited to start this new chapter in my automotive history. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

-jason</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Sounds good. &nbsp;Where in WI are you?

I'll just answer a few of the questions. &nbsp;

First off, the 240 would probably do fine with all season tires, provided they were heavily biased towards bad weather. &nbsp;Since it's a nimble chassis, you're going to want something performance oriented which does not mix well with snow. &nbsp;I ran some snow tires last winter and, though it was mild, they did serve me very well one weekend in Milwuakee when we got 10". &nbsp;For most of the night I think I was the only car on the road (everyone else out in trucks) aside from police cars and must have looked like some circus freak as I drove around with realative ease in a rwd sports car. &nbsp;Snow tires rule. &nbsp;Get some and some summer tires and you'll have little to worry about. &nbsp;On the flip side the one day I did drive with a summer biased all season tire I was literally afriad of my car, even with less than an inch of snow.

As for the hatch rust, if you can see it, it's probably bad. &nbsp;The good news is you can use this as a bargaining point and probably save a few bucks. &nbsp;Once it's your's I'd recomend gong to a junkyard and picking up a "new" one without a spoiler to replace it (~$250). &nbsp;In you prepurchase check, you might also look under the carpet to see if any water has been getting in the trunk.

Preventative maintence (check owner records) is pretty much like any other car.

Fluids
Brake system
Air filter
Distributor cap and rotor
Spark plugs and wires
Belts
Tires (which you are aware of, but check the wear patterns for other suspension problems)
And a general check of all other components for proper working order.

All these compenents should be inspected/replaced.

[Warwick5s]

i'm in madison 2402nr, you from around here too?

i think the most fun part of owning a non-VW will be the thrill coming from being able to actually drive it, instead of working on it all the time.

i had a g60 corrado that was pretty nice. took a few craps on me, but was a fun, and definitely good looking car. if i wanted fast - i would have kept my gti. 2.1 overbored 16v with twin weber 40DCOE's. 200 hp, LSD, rock hard suspension...it was FUUNN but as you can imagine, not too reliable.


i wish i had the cake for both summers and snows, but i don't <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('> i'm horribly addicted to buying basses with too many strings and giant amps. Any recommendation for tires that are both good in snow and offer performance good enough for me to be able to enjoy the car in the dry?

this seems like a cool board. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[240 2NR]

I'm on the west side of madison (till I move to chicago later this month), let me know if you'd like to meet up. &nbsp;There's even a few SR's in this town.

Funny, my boss is a die hard VW head. &nbsp;Just sold his Corrado to get the first 337 in madison. &nbsp;I got to drive it and it sure is fun. &nbsp;My friend has a 1.8t golf with a .9bar chip and it sure does scoot. &nbsp;If I could afford a new car VW's would get some serious looking, though I would probably rule it out due to fwd.

As for good all seaosn tires I can only tell you tires to avoid. &nbsp;Really there is no comparison to a dedicated set of snow tires for driving in the winter, especially when whatever all seasons you buy will likely be summer biased. &nbsp;Honestly, winter tires can be picked up for fairly cheap and are more than worth the money spent once it snows. &nbsp;Then you'll have from now till April to save for another set (or get some for chirstmas, maybe everyone in your family could buy you one tire till you have a set <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> ).