Future proofing my S14?

[svensko]

Hopefully in August of next year I'll be heading off to graduate school somewhere in the U.S. The issue is that my S14 has 198K, but I love it dearly. I could go purchase a new(er) car and have a fairly reliable car but I believe I'm going to go the route of simply refreshing the S14.

My goal is basically replace/rebuild all the possible wear items that I can. I'd also like to add a few maintenance mods so that I can track it every now and then without feeling too guilty.

My plan:
-Rebuild KA24DE, tranny, rear diff (possibly add LSD?)
-Remove A/C, P/S (can't live without both)
-Replace radiator, starter, altenator, exhaust (2.5"?)
-Add cheapo stereo system, GPS (I've heard record players with better sound quality than my current set-up, and the GPS is going to be handy if I end up in a place I've never been to)
-Replace suspension with reasonable suspension set-up, urethane bushings, etc.
-Replace wheels with Enkei RPF1 (lightweight, decently cheap)
-300ZX brake swap, SS brake lines, etc.
-Do a roller white paintjob, probably flat, then clearcoat that (not too concerned with looks, but I'd prefer white over gold)

What am I missing? Does my plan seem reasonable? I'm not interested in a SR or KA-T or any sort of engine swap that might compromise reliability.

[TTrx7Pete]

Mileage is just a number.. heh.

Seriously though, replacing a lot of those things will do you a lot of good. Replacing the wear parts will help. I wouldn't go rebuilding the motor unless it is giving you problems. That is just a little overkill in my opinion.

[svensko]

Mileage is just a number.. heh.

Seriously though, replacing a lot of those things will do you a lot of good. Replacing the wear parts will help. I wouldn't go rebuilding the motor unless it is giving you problems. That is just a little overkill in my opinion.

I have a second car I can drive, also, the engine drinks oil and is really down on power. :-/

[unlegendary]

a vq35de swap is required-- just kidding but it would be reliable ;] if done right.

rebuilding the engine in my opinion is overkill, but if your engine had a bad history then do it. same goes with the transmission and i would replace the diff with a vlsd so you will not have that much trouble with the 3 wheel problem lol. if you would like an aftermarket lsd then go ahead. why remove a/c and power steering? was that sarcasm?

other than that your general suggestion is good.

[Addicted2Kouki]

When was the last time you had a tune up?
I say do a FULL tune up.
replace everything.
fluids, water pump, spark plugs and wires,
maybe even timing chain and headgasket.

If you really wanna rebuild, then by all means.


What does removing powersteering and a/c have to do with reliability?

If youre going to paint... don't half ass it.


Just because theres a turbo on the engine, doesnt mean reliability goes out the door.
Just keep up with maintenance and start with a GOOD engine... meaning a rebuild would make sense.


and what are you missing...? well you named a lot of things but werent really specific.
so anything can fall into those categories.
really just personal preference whenever you feel your car is done.


but if you really want to future proof.
look for the guy that fully restored his s14 in the UK.
His name is Petrol. hes on SXOC.

[svensko]

I don't use AC (windows down is enough for me, even in SC) and I've driven cars without P/S and sort of prefer it. I'd do turbo but that raises the cost dramatically, and I don't want to have to worry about insurance inssues and such. Basically I want my KA to be dead reliable (which is why I can justify the engine rebuild, I'll have time to do it as well) but don't want to spend an arm and a leg. As far as the paint job, have you been to a university parking lot lately? I refuse to spend money on a paint job just to have it dented up by idiots who couldn't care less about other peoples' property. Another reason why I'd like to keep it NA is because I'd rather learn to race a slow car than spoil myself with a fast car.

[kuruptR]

-Do a roller white paintjob, probably flat, then clearcoat that (not too concerned with looks, but I'd prefer white over gold)


:smash:
so much for 'future proofing'

[svensko]

Yeah, because how shiny my paint is is going to determine if I can travel across the country without issues. :rimshot:

I'm not willing to spend massive amounts of money on a paintjob that's going to be ruined in a university parking lot, I'm sorry.

By future proofing I mean making it reliable for the next 5-7 years. After that I'll probably go crazy with it but until then I just want something that cracks everytime. :wan:

[ByeByeSti]

honestly your going to spend an arm and a leg fully rebuilding the ka. and since youd be pulling it out anyways. put an sr in.... there reliable. just dont build it if your going to daily drive the shit out of it. sr's arnt expensive and that way your replacing everything. and my s14 has 210k on it and i just pulled my ka which was still bulletproof

[svensko]

honestly your going to spend an arm and a leg fully rebuilding the ka. and since youd be pulling it out anyways. put an sr in.... there reliable. just dont build it if your going to daily drive the shit out of it. sr's arnt expensive and that way your replacing everything. and my s14 has 210k on it and i just pulled my ka which was still bulletproof

I have access to a garage, power tools, a cherry picker, blah blah blah. Rebuild kits are a few hundred dollars, correct? How is that an arm and a leg? I realize the tranny + rear diff are going to be expensive but my tranny grinds quite a bit and I'd rather have a new tranny/diff than be stuck in the middle of nowhere, knowing no one, and thinking "Well, at least I saved $1000! :ddog:"

[unlegendary]

Automoto Sports Copyright&copy AMS 2006 (http://www.amsperformance.com/store/index.php?cPath=24_62_304)

Manual transmission parts, rebuild kits and overhaul kits for Nissian 4 and 5 speed FS5W71 (http://www.drivetrain.com/nissian4_5sprwd.html)

and suspension parts from powered by max, the nismo shop, and spl parts. it will cost an arm and a leg.

[svensko]

Automoto Sports Copyright&copy AMS 2006 (http://www.amsperformance.com/store/index.php?cPath=24_62_304)

Manual transmission parts, rebuild kits and overhaul kits for Nissian 4 and 5 speed FS5W71 (http://www.drivetrain.com/nissian4_5sprwd.html)

and suspension parts from powered by max, the nismo shop, and spl parts. it will cost an arm and a leg.

Those rebuilds kits include rods and pistons and are meant for turbo builds (hence the 8.8:1 compression ratio). Also, yes, a rebuild of the drivetrain will cost an arm and a leg but a newer car will as well. And even then, a newer car (that I would want to buy) wouldn't have any sort of warranty.

Engine Rebuild Kits Nissan By Top Line From RPM (http://www.rpmmachine.com/enginerebuildkitsnissantop.html)

$450 for a gold rebuild kit. Not unreasonable for a fresh engine IMO.

[96Turbo]

personally, i'd throw an SR in there with all stock running gear (stock SMIC, piping, ECU, EVERYTHING)

Find an S14 SR which would most likely be really fresh and a lot better than what you've got.

Like addicted2kouki said...just cuz there's a turbo/swap under the hood doesn't mean it can't be as reliable as your KA was/is.

An SR swap would be much less of a hassle than a full rebuild of your KA, and a lot more rewarding too ;)

:2c:

[svensko]

How is regasketing/reringing the current engine harder than swapping an entire engine/harness/FMIC, etc et al

Am I missing somtehing?

[96Turbo]

well it's arguable....but if you're not comfortable cracking open an engine then the swap would be easier

It would probably take about the same amount of time to do both

And in the end you'd have a low mileage, reliable, boosted engine

[fromxtor]

Also replace the roller paint job with some satin paint by tcp global https://www.tcpglobal.com

[svensko]

well it's arguable....but if you're not comfortable cracking open an engine then the swap would be easier

It would probably take about the same amount of time to do both

And in the end you'd have a low mileage, reliable, boosted engine

I've rebuilt a few 22REs in my day and my father is a Lexus mechanic so I don't think we'll have any issues with the rebuild. I'd rather have a brand new engine than a SR, sorry.

[MrChow]

Hopefully in August of next year I'll be heading off to graduate school somewhere in the U.S. The issue is that my S14 has 198K, but I love it dearly. I could go purchase a new(er) car and have a fairly reliable car but I believe I'm going to go the route of simply refreshing the S14.

My goal is basically replace/rebuild all the possible wear items that I can. I'd also like to add a few maintenance mods so that I can track it every now and then without feeling too guilty.

My plan:
-Rebuild KA24DE, tranny, rear diff (possibly add LSD?)
-Remove A/C, P/S (can't live without both)
-Replace radiator, starter, altenator, exhaust (2.5"?)
-Add cheapo stereo system, GPS (I've heard record players with better sound quality than my current set-up, and the GPS is going to be handy if I end up in a place I've never been to)
-Replace suspension with reasonable suspension set-up, urethane bushings, etc.
-Replace wheels with Enkei RPF1 (lightweight, decently cheap)
-300ZX brake swap, SS brake lines, etc.
-Do a roller white paintjob, probably flat, then clearcoat that (not too concerned with looks, but I'd prefer white over gold)

What am I missing? Does my plan seem reasonable? I'm not interested in a SR or KA-T or any sort of engine swap that might compromise reliability.
So is this a DD and track once in while car? Or what?
Don't need to rebuild it if it doesn't need one. Get the kit anyways. I say when your ready for more a bit more power then do a good rebuild and just refreshers for now.
LSD is a great thing but take your do the research before getting one.
P/S read bolow.
Get something a lil better than stock for the radiator. Exhaust take your time in research and listening to sound clips. Again what is the car used for.
Sound personally I love music. If you like music and your going to DD your car spend a lil more $$. You'll be very happy. Do a lil research and it'll be worth it.
FN's are good to just to note.
Brakes again what are you going to be use the car for? Q45 is a good opinion too. Again research.

Take your time and search here and good. There's soo much info about what you can do. If you want some help with stuff PM me and I'm be happy to give you some opinions.

I don't use AC (windows down is enough for me, even in SC) and I've driven cars without P/S and sort of prefer it. I'd do turbo but that raises the cost dramatically, and I don't want to have to worry about insurance inssues and such. Basically I want my KA to be dead reliable (which is why I can justify the engine rebuild, I'll have time to do it as well) but don't want to spend an arm and a leg. As far as the paint job, have you been to a university parking lot lately? I refuse to spend money on a paint job just to have it dented up by idiots who couldn't care less about other peoples' property. Another reason why I'd like to keep it NA is because I'd rather learn to race a slow car than spoil myself with a fast car.
You have a S14 I'm guessing. Our cars are made to have p/s. S13 can get a away with it not really but the steering is really heavy in S14. I have coil and when I shut off my engine to coast down a hill the steer is super heavy. I've also driven car without p/s but our car needs it. Also if your going to be seeing track it'll make life so much easier.

http://www.zilvia.net/f/chat/165576-new-240sx-bible-vol-2-unifinished.html
Good link to start out with.

[svensko]

TY for the link and advice. It's going to be a DD/track car, hence why I want it to be overbuilt even for a NA car. It's going to be DD in the sense that it has to be reliable enough to take me around where I live (i.e. to malls, grocery store, blah blah) but I will probably be biking/using public transportation daily at whatever university I go to.

Basically I want a track car that I can drive the hell out of it without worrying about a rod going through my hood. :ughd:

[silpena]

why are u re painting ur car with a roller if ur gonna have to pay toget it off then do a real job. IF its becuase your scared of it getting chipped or ruined at a parking lot then tuff luck man i would leave as it is a and put your money else where like a savings account for un expecting shit happens. Engine rebuild is an over kill becuase so many things can go wrong if you dont get it built right. I try and look for a lower milage motor and do a couple of tests.
Id get new battery cables from nissan while your replacing the starter/ alt. The cables seems to go bad.
maybe replace all your grounds with something better? check all major sensors would be good also.
Also get Triple a just in case...

p.s. You cant roll and top coat with real clear. Youll have a crazy paint reaction and waste all your money. Not to mention your car will have a crazy soft orange peel look. Itll probely chip and come off easier due to the thickness and lack of flex of the paint.

[svensko]

why are u re painting ur car with a roller if ur gonna have to pay toget it off then do a real job. IF its becuase your scared of it getting chipped or ruined at a parking lot then tuff luck man i would leave as it is a and put your money else where like a savings account for un expecting shit happens. Engine rebuild is an over kill becuase so many things can go wrong if you dont get it built right. I try and look for a lower milage motor and do a couple of tests.
Id get new battery cables from nissan while your replacing the starter/ alt. The cables seems to go bad.
maybe replace all your grounds with something better? check all major sensors would be good also.
Also get Triple a just in case...

Because when I pay to get it off i won't be living on $20/K a year? It's alright as is but the clea coat is peeling badly and I've always wanted a white 240. If i do the prepping work/painting myself then I don't know what money I'd be losing out on beside the cost of the paint? I've built several engines before, read above. Good idea on the sensors, thanks! :bigok:

Edit: triple what?

[silpena]

if ur doing all the prep work then you can paint your car less than for 350.00 in paint and materials. White pain is so damn cheap lol. A basic bc/cc will something like this:
3 quarts of white base-100-125.00
hardener-28.00
reducer-18-40
1 gallon of clear-130.00
1 quart of hardener-50.00
it all depends on where you go but u can buy a generiec reducer that works with most urathane paints.
sorry didnt read the engine building thing before. I kinda skimmed through.
need a gun also rangien from 3-800.00....btw "cough cough" i have a couple of guns for sale.. he heh. Id also re'grease all of the suspension like ball joints/ tie rod ends and cheak your rack for any signs of leaks or wear.

gps is a good one. I wish i had a gps. I bought one for my gf since she gets lost and scared easily. I used it once and man it was awsome. I got mine on craigs list for hella cheap and brand new.

[svensko]

if ur doing all the prep work then you can paint your car less than for 350.00 in paint and materials. White pain is so damn cheap lol. A basic bc/cc will something like this:
3 quarts of white base-100-125.00
hardener-28.00
reducer-18-40
1 gallon of clear-130.00
1 quart of hardener-50.00
it all depends on where you go but u can buy a generiec reducer that works with most urathane paints.
sorry didnt read the engine building thing before. I kinda skimmed through.
need a gun also rangien from 3-800.00....btw "cough cough" i have a couple of guns for sale.. he heh. Id also re'grease all of the suspension like ball joints/ tie rod ends and cheak your rack for any signs of leaks or wear.

gps is a good one. I wish i had a gps. I bought one for my gf since she gets lost and scared easily. I used it once and man it was awsome. I got mine on craigs list for hella cheap and brand new.

Thank you for the input. Yeah, this weekend I could've used GPS since I had to take an alternate route home on my two hours drive and I had no idea if I was going the right direction or not. I had been considering it before but now I'm pretty much sold.

[Bigsyke]

Cooling and oil is #1 IMO. Change with some amsoil, get a nismo thermosta if your in SC - clip off the jiggle valve; make sure you use 1 jug of Honda type II coolant, distilled water and water wetter if it never gets below 32*f.

Make sure your PCV valve is opperational too.

A light weight car is a more reliable car too.

[svensko]

A light weight car is a more reliable car too.

While I'm assuming your post was sarcasm, there is a definite correlation between weight and reliability. Just look at 3000GT VR-4s! :tardrim:

[MrChow]

TY for the link and advice. It's going to be a DD/track car, hence why I want it to be overbuilt even for a NA car. It's going to be DD in the sense that it has to be reliable enough to take me around where I live (i.e. to malls, grocery store, blah blah) but I will probably be biking/using public transportation daily at whatever university I go to.

Basically I want a track car that I can drive the hell out of it without worrying about a rod going through my hood. :ughd:
Well your doing what I want to do. Personally if the motor is good condition don't rebuild it just yet. Since your going to do a NA build when you do the rebuild do it good. Spent the money on good stuff.
KA's are reliable motor if you keep good maintains on it. But if you know what your going to do for the motor go ahead and rebuild it. Like I said before research.