What has your 240sx taught you?

[AceInHole]

I've been thinking....

I've always been into cars (and trucks, and... umm, well, vans) since I was a kid. But, when I got my license, my first "car" was a minivan (as seen in some previous pictures I've posted). Even though it wasn't the most reliable thing and I had to work on it pretty often, but I never really learned much with it.

On the 5th day straight of working on my car, I realized that it wasn't untill the S14 that I learned the majority of what I know about cars. Like, recently, my car has been teaching me that patience is the best "skill" for working on projects.

Oddly, I had an S13 before the S14, but never really learned too much from it :P

So, what has my S14 taught me?
1. Everything there is to know about what can go wrong with a turbocharging system
2. Suspension component affects on handling (I've unfortunately been through a bunch of combinations of setups from the base to half modified SE)
3. Tires.... the stickier the better...
4. Stock brakes suck braking hard from 100mph


Actually, now that I think about it:
what did my S13 teach me?
Speed limiters suck

[DMC]

mines taught me

1>if something goes wrong after i perform some mod and the engine wont star, most likely after i take it apart again i just forgot to connect a wire
2>You can get lots of money for little damage done by someone else
3>you can easily blow that money on a ****ty paint job
4>coastek will joke on me if i ever buy a base model again
5> too much gas around a turn makes my wheels get bent, and my car taken away
6>Not to back up real quick while ****ed or ill hit a pole
7>no matter what i do i never get tickets
8>its best to make friends work on your car, instead of yourself
9>dont buy a car with ugly interior chances are youll never change it
10>if the check engine light comes on but you dont wanna fix anything just leave it, it will go away
11>My car stock can beat lots of hooked up cars
12>no matter how cool a car i have it wont get me girls
13>my friends are always tryin to sell me somethin
14>too much more to list

[Kreator]

ermmm what i learned from my s14

1. Ummm everything i know about cars as of right now (that's not directly my cars fault, but it was the reason for me to start learning)
2. ford escorts make decent daily drivers (cuz my car is on the jacks most of the time nowdays)
3. You dream of running 7 psi on 140psi, and then someone hits you with reality saying (thx ace dammit! :mad: )

[CoasTek240]

i've learned that i hate cars! Theres nothing good about them at all. And they are pure evil! I still love working on my s13 though for some crazy a$$ reason.

ohh and one more thing. dont make a u turn in a neighborhood and get hit by a 280zx turbo going over 40 mph, cuz it'll take you 7 monthes to get things straightened out with insurance.

[thelinja]

Well, from my Crown Vic, I learned how to change an air filter. That's about it. I got my S14 last summer, and I still didn't know **** about cars. I joined the motorsports club here at school and have learned a ton of stuff. I know a hell of a lot about rotary engines now that we've rebuilt our bridge-ported 13B two times now. I'm still learning and researching hardcore about my 240 though. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm going to start devoting whole weekend afternoons to playing with the car. I have a repair manual now, so I'll just start finding different parts in the engine, finding out what they do and whatnot.

[240Stilo]

My 240 Taught me....

...that the more money you plan to spend on one thing the more you better think about it.

...I'm better off saving for a house because none of the money i put in it will come back.

...if you don't have the right tool for the job you're screwed.

...I aint as lucky as i thought when it comes to tickets because there will eventually be a cop around one of those corners.

...if i would put the same effort that i put studying my car to good use, I could do better in school.

...the 240 community would make an awesome group of engineers.:D

[transient]

[list=1]
How to drive
how to save up money (for mods)
things about suspension
that I can do anything if I put my mind to it :)
and many many other things...
[/list=1]

[SR240DET]

1. how to work on my car
2. how to not waste money on anymore drugs
3. get me out of trouble
4. an interest on something that will go on for all my life

drugs are bad mkkkayy....:p

[Dousan_PG]

everything. i knew vitually nothing about cars before i got it

[pruto]

1) don't touch you rotors right after your car stops
2) don't touch your jack when your car is raised, use jack stands
2) don't forget the little things like brushings, or grease,
3) don't lock up your front brakes when you want to turn or stop
4) don't run on bald tires, don't chase after skyline with said bald tire
5) don't crash into a car made from american steel
6) don't ignore traffic signs, or double yellow lines
7) don't park your car overnight on a street in South Central
8) don't expect more than what you paid for
9) don't believe everything people say
10) don't waste time on message boards

wait, those are the things i haven't learned... ;)

[DuffMan]

Mine has taught me that police and speed limits suck.

Well I already knew that, but it constantly reminds me of it.

[Halz]

The right books and information offer the best 'dollar to performance' returns

'JDM' does not equal 'performance'

[boro240]

since owning a 240 ive learned alot more about cars in general. how things work, how to fix things when they break, etc etc. ive also learned more about driving. its been a great experience overall, even with all the repairs ive needed to do to simply bring it back to stock (not there yet!). i love my car.

[Zemus]

> A ****loads about cars work
>No matter how stock i am, i can still beat minorly modded civics
>Drifting is a drug
>Chicks love the lil red load sportscar
>Fellow drives/Cops HATE the lil red load sportscar
>Hiting curbs sucks, aspecialy when you break more than just a tention rod.
>Putting in new tention rods is easy
>215/50s on a stock engine is all i need
>Open Diff Blows
>Take advantage of people who get SR front clips, you get free suspention pars (aka Tention Rods, Thanks NICK!)
>Manuals Rock
>RWD, i will never go back


> I want a 240 for the rest of my life, well untill i can get a 2004 impreza sti for cheap, but ill still have the 240 :-D

DRIFT ON PPL!!!

[Steeles]

mmm I've learned not to take my car to the shop
a nissan can be taken completely apart with a 10mm 12mm 14mm and a 17mm socket for the most part.
changing my own oil cost me only slightly lesss than having someone else do it
what offets are
how suspensions work
how to swap engines
its a good idea to take your mechanics with you to the track (let them drive and they are happy)
i learned just how much fun autocrossing/track days can be
i spend WAY too much money on mine
they are NEVER FINISHED there is always something you want to redo or fix or change
if you buy a CF or fiberglass hood GET GOOD HOOD PINS!!!!!!
have a freind that does body work. he will be your savior
i spend way to much time online
i'd rather drive than fly

[240sxspeedracer1]

hehe.......
when I had my cavalier, I used to count on having to fix something at least once every month and I thought this was normal for every car.
Then I got the Nissan ('nuff said)

If I research something and get the right information, any repair can be done instead of always going to the mechanic like I used to do with the Cavalier.

Upgrading things that don't exactly supposed to give you HP, are usually the most worthful.
ex: upgrading clutch, fixing exhaust leaks, doing really frequent oil changes(1 a month), etc. etc.

[AKADriver]

Originally posted by James
My 240 has taught me:
A stock 240 sucks- everything about the car sucks.
Never had to modify/replace everything on a car so much as this one to make it decent all around.
Not a good project car unless you have alot of money.

Huh... I learned the exact opposite.

I bought the car thinking "@#$% yeah! I'm going to swap this, Z32 brake that, this car is going to kick so much ass its feet are gonna stink!"

Then I drove it, and I drove it some more, and I took it out to the track... and now I like it. I like almost everything about it, and I no longer want to change it. Sure, it could use a nip here and a tuck there... but nothing 'sucks' aside from the stuff that's just broken from being old.

If you think this car sucks then you are truly inexperienced in sheisty cars. Go drive a Grand Am for a bit. A 240SX feels like a rocket with twitch reflexes in comparison.

[Grant]

don't run from PO-lice

[Tyler Durdan]

Originally posted by James
AKAdriver, any car where a majority of it's owners "future mods" are to replace the engine/turbo (SR/KA-T), suspension (coilovers), LSD, brakes (Z32), wheels/tires (wider), seats, front end, etc.....(glance at what the majority of topics on this board are all about- upgrading practically everything on the car) ..tells me that stock sucks.

Maybe you appreciate a stock car - that's cool, this is all my observation and personal opinion.

I'm used to driving cars that might need an engine swap but otherwise are great cars are already set up well from the factory.
Instead of saying "stock sucks" I'll say "the 240 can be made even better" does that make you happy? (though it still sucks). :p

Drive a Grand Am for a while (my first car and I actually miss it even though it's been like 3 years since it was totaled) and the 240's not that bad...;)

Things I've learned...

Turbo projects suck when you buy parts just to put on your dresser till you get it all pieced together. Currenty sitting on around $1200 worth of paper weights.

Tires cost more than I remember.

Nice rims are still six months away.

How to rebuild calipers (z32 upgrades).

How to finish a stereo install with a six pack fresh in your system...tuffer than you think.

There are just as many Nissan idiots (not particulary anyone on this board...guys I know in this area) as there are Honda and Domestic idiots.

[Rennen]

My 240 has tought me:

1) I can't drive. I manage to understeer my hELa tYte DriFto car more often than not.
2) to learn to love the fantastic aroma of burnt oil
3) to NEVER buy a car off of ebay without personally looking at it first
4) to buy the tools to fix it yourself rather than take it to Nissan
5) when you buy a 15 year old car, all that money that you thought was going into mods, is really just to keep it running. Especially if you take your car to get anything fixed at Nissan(see #4)

but all things considered, I love my car and look forward to learning more.

[Carisma•FR]

What I've learned from my S13:

1- Oversteer is FUN.
2- My next door used tires shop became my best friend.
3- Spare tire area is actually a water reservoir.
4- Everybody fight over a used set of OE floor mats on ebay.
5- Makes me read Drift Tengoku & Battle Magazine even tho I don't understand a single Japanese character.
6- Relenless pursuit of JDM parts became my hobby.
7- .....Where's my floor mats?

[AKADriver]

Originally posted by James
AKAdriver, any car where a majority of it's owners "future mods" are to replace the engine/turbo (SR/KA-T), suspension (coilovers), LSD, brakes (Z32), wheels/tires (wider), seats, front end, etc.....(glance at what the majority of topics on this board are all about- upgrading practically everything on the car) ..tells me that stock sucks.

None of that whatsoever is NECESSARY.

The 240SX is a great base for building a badass, fast, insane car, hence the future mods lists. But there isn't much at all wrong with it from the factory. Stock does not suck no matter how you slice it.

[Foxcolt]

My car doesn't get girls:(

[HaLo]

I learned everything I know about cars because of my 240sx! I also learned to love cars, work on them... This car has taught me the passion of tuning! :)

[rewplayff]

i've learned:

1. don't total your s14 and expect your finance company to take care of it.
2. don't total your s14 because you'll miss it.
3. i miss my car.
4. to appreciate my first car in the first place, a 79 280zx. which is a shtload of fun also.
5. be patient, when i get my car back it will be all worth the wait.
6. i love Nissan. i've always liked them over all the others. probably becuase i was raised in a 200sx, nissan truck,and inspired by a cousin's z32.
7. nissan dealers are stupid, they don't know sht about z's i drove in a dealer with my 280zx and and the dealer didn't even know what it was. they just give you bull about the new z which they really know nothing about. telling innocent victims that there is a superchip in the car and that the car is so aero dyamic that if you open the windows... you hear.....nothing....,ooooh. anwayz what was i talking about? oh.
8. loss of traction is not always a bad thing.
9. tightening the gas cap might make the engine light go away
10. nissans in general are great and misunderstood.


ps. aquatreads are great too. go get some.

[Phlip]

Tires cost a lot when you have a heavy right foot.
Attempting to drift multiplies that point.
Buy the better quality parts, they are worth the money in the long run.
FUCK MECHANICS WHO YOU DON'T KNOW PERSONALLY.
What wheel sizing means.
The art of changing the oil in hurried fashion.
Chicks dig S14s.
Imports in general (I had only worked on GM small blocks before)
How to remove and reinstall a head unit in 10 minutes.
DON'T TOUCH THE DAMN LIGHT BULB PUTTING THEM IN.
Have extra parts on hand when they are made to wear or subject to failure.
Don't try to carry coffee in the car when you have to use both hands and feet to drive.
Don't drive on high point road after a concert in the rain.
Friends are good to have when you need something done fast.
I spend too much money on my car.
A "project" is never done, it will just morph into something more.

[soulDistortion]

My car (Winding Road, as I've taken to calling it) has taught me that:


cupholders are overrated in theory, until you actually try driving and holding a drink at the same time
zip ties will fast become your best friend
no matter how much you try to clean it, the light and windshield wiper switches will always be dirty
the backseat is just for show; nobody will fit back there, and even if they do, they won't be happy and will let you know that they're not every 5 minutes
automatic seatbelts, while they may seem like a convenience at first, absolutely suck ass
I should appreciate the smell of gas every time I step out of my car, and if not appreciate, at least get used to it
they're called "dummy locks" for a reason
you're not a wuss, the hood is freakishly heavier than one would expect
the cigarette lighter cover I stole from my parent's Quest doesn't quite fit and will fall off every time my arm brushes against it
changing oil = good thing when you actually do it on some type of regular basis
balding tires + icy roads = not fun when other cars are driving around
if you take your time, you can make your car look quasi-decent with just a spraycan paintjob
my car sucks compared to everyone elses


and that is what I have learned from my 240.

[rewplayff]

i must say that this thread is really interesting to read. thread is the word right?

[SimpleS14]

<li>RWD is not user friendly in the snow</li>
<li>Cars are expensive and having a girlfriend is actually cheaper</li>
<li>Don't half-ass any work on your car. Because it will come back and bite you in the ass.</li>

[96SEChick]

RWD and no LSD sucks in the snow--especially w/ bald rear tires
Not a single bolt will come off easily--even if it was removed 1 week go
Fuel filters take me 3 hours to change
My car hates me
BREAKER BARS RULE
A girl working on her car in her driveway attracks drooling men

[SimpleS14]

Originally posted by 96SEChick

A girl working on her car in her driveway attracks drooling men



I have to agree with you on that one.....a girl working on a car is damn str8 sexy! ;)

[mad s13]

since I got mine I have learned:
1. That hoping your odometer will still work when you reset it sucks.
2. that said odometer stops working in the middle of a trip and won't start again until the car sits for a while sucks.
3. non lowered 240's are really high
4. the monoform seats suck after an hour of driving.
5. don't buy springs that cost 80 bucks and expect them to be good
6. lsd+bald tires+wet roads=scary but fun
7. open diff+bald tires+wet roads=really scary
8. That working on a nissan isn't that hard.
9. a stock 240 will always handle better than any 86 buick regal you may have owned
10. people will stare and appreciate a stock/cleanly modded 240sx more than the modded ITR sitting 2 spaces down
11. zip ties are a great invention
12. that the front bumper having 20 bolts holding it on is stupid
13. finding wheels sucks
14. no more buying cheap tires from pep boys
15. everyting past springs/shocks/intake/exhaust costs over a grand
16. sliding in front of an unmarked cop is a bad thing
17. regular oil changes are your freind
18. that the blue interior isn't all that bad looking


I really do love my car though...

Later
Gray

[MorganS13]

*every bolt on my car has welded itself into place to **** me off
*if i fix one thing, something else will go wrong and cause me twice as many problems and cost twice as much to fix
*there is always some little, but very annoying problem that is impossible to find/fix...
*in any stretch of road my 240 will manage to find every single pothole, while they magically are repaired when i'm in my explorer
*if a girl comes out and says she likes my car soon after i meet her, chances are she won't be around in a couple months
*and finally... as much as i bitch and complain about my car, i'd still cry like a little baby if i had to get rid of it after having it for 4 years and it being my first car :o

[adey]

That FR PwNzzzz FF...Originally posted by Carisma•FR 1- Oversteer is FUN. I'll agree with that! :)

[AceInHole]

what i learned tonight:

1. don't wash a head in the bath tub: you'll get scratches all over
2. buy more brake cleaner. you can never have enough CASES of brake cleaner.
3. DIY fuel systems require DIY tuning (finally got my revised hacked MAF to run right! ALso developed a way to tune it quickly and easily!!!!)
4. a dremel is the DIYer's best friend.

recently i've learned:
5. stock brakes aren't good at full braking from 110mph :eek:
6. cheap air filters are..... cheap
7. good air filters aren't cheap
8. i've got way too many spare parts for my engine now....
9. it's easy to resist increases of boost settings by hanging the broken connecting rod endcap on shifter

[96SEChick]

Originally posted by MorganS13
*every bolt on my car has welded itself into place to **** me off
*in any stretch of road my 240 will manage to find every single pothole

Morgan--I feel your pain with these two. Believe me--my car requires a breaker-bar on EVERY single bolt. Just ask Ace about my Tuesday's attempt at replacing my brakes and busting a knuckle instead :mad: :rolleyes: lol

[SimpleS14]

Originally posted by 96SEChick
Morgan--I feel your pain with these two. Believe me--my car requires a breaker-bar on EVERY single bolt. Just ask Ace about my Tuesday's attempt at replacing my brakes and busting a knuckle instead :mad: :rolleyes: lol

Got Liquid Wrench?

[96SEChick]

Originally posted by GT specR
Got Liquid Wrench?

I should get some. I'll let you all know when I'm gonna work on my car again & you guys can buy stock in it. I'm sure the value will go up when I have to buy it by the case for my car.........hehe :p

[punkblackS14]

..... that real cars take real brains to maintain.. ( unlike my civic. cough cough.. that ended up a pancake)
......that i can no longer find massive lists of parts... but i can find massive loads of zilvia freaks that know where to get said parts.... or fab one from an avacado and some pvc.
......that driving sideways is tha ****e...... doing REAL donuts is the ****e.... getting caught by the po po doing these things sucks.
......that even though I hated my car in november when i got it...
I love it now... because of people like you all... and because it just plain grows on ya.
.......I need to stop losing 10 and 12mm sockets.....
........that annoying rattle goes away in 13 bolts... and you can throw 2 of those away.
....... the benifits of an oil change have never been greater... and plugs .... and that pain in the butt fuel filter..
.......that my KA is a slut... and always will be if I dont come up with more grip than my budget allows... ( not that i wont be happy to make that sacrifice with each and every paycheck.)
.......I loved my honda no matter what anyone says... but i love my 240 more.. and more.. and more...

ps.. im pretty new though ive been reading a while.. so...
HI ALL :D

[misnomer]

It's not as hard as everybody makes it out to be.
Regardless of how simple you thing a new job will be, it will take no less than two days to complete.
If WD-40 doesn't make it all better, that breaker bar and five foot steel pipe sure as hell will
No matter how old she is, how faded her hood gets, it still suprises me how good looking she is.
As much as you want to make things better, faster, stronger. . . You will never have the technology
She isn't as slow as everybody claims she is
80 dollar springs with the right shocks are the best investment I've made (aside from tools).
My hood repells paint
Regardless of what I plan to do with my car down the road, I likely won't do it.
Unfortunately, most import fans are dumbasses.

[AceInHole]

today i learned: if you're cleaning a crap load of parts (i.e. an entire cylinder head, intake runners, intake plenum, exhaust header, timing chain covers, valve covers [yes, multiple], brake calipers, e-brake assemblies, pistons, rods.... etc) and dremeling stuff constantly..... you start to smell like your apartment..... which starts to smell like brake cleaner..... and you might as well be wearing girl repellant :(

[240Dori]

HICAS SUCKS.

[misnomer]

Oh, almost forgot:


Spent motor oil is the best smell in the world