Worth it...

[legendarysnail]

After selling my Caddi I'm gonna have $2000 to spend on my car. I'm trying to decide whether my 240sx is worth keeping or not. If I sell it I'm going to look into a Fiero with a Northstar. Although I don't know if $4100 would be enough because IIRC, the Northstar requires all custom brackets. I could do the 3800 Supercharged swap for $3000, then have $1100 left for repairs/mods.

Here are the specs on my 240:
1993 Nissan 240sx Coupe SE 5-speed. 137,00 miles. Front transmission oil seal is leaking, causing the clutch to slip (I'd upgrade the clutch anyway). Rear e-brake squeals (adjusted too tight?). Front brake discs are scratched up from worn pads (had no money for new ones for a while). The tranny fluid needs to be flushed/refilled, but the 1st and 2nd gear syncros may be going bad. The fuel system is acting up (flirts with zero RPM at stop - Jiffy Lube suggested their fuel injection service).

So all in all there's about $500 or more in repairs, and with 136,000 miles the engine is going to need to be rebuilt soon if I start modifying and racing it. I've been looking at alternatives to a Fiero...for the family car I could keep the 240 and buy a '92-'94 Maxima in good shape and spend $2000 on it, but most have higher mileage.

I don't know what other cars would be good candidates for street drivers with a little drag, autocross, and track action. I could sell the 240 and buy a cheap car with the $4100, then spend the rest on the family car (Maxima, Accord, Altima, etc.). What are some other cars that are reliable and cheap, that fair well to some mods. I'd like to be able to run 14's in the quarter, but depending on the car, that may or may not be in my reach. Can anyone give me a few suggestions? I'm about to search eBay and Autotrader for nice, cheap tuners.

[mrmephistopheles]

Knock it off. :squint:

I'd say pay off any debts you have first, then mod. If you have no debts, tuneup your motor & get enverything running right, then buy a nice suspension.

[Roly]

That's correct...Make sure your motor is fit before you mod. Solve all the leaks, rebuild the motor with future boosting in mind, then go to work on the suspension and brakes.

[sykikchimp]

But Fiero's are SO ugly!?

don't mod without fixing all the little problems. 136K isn't all that much. Keep the 240, and play.

[legendarysnail]

Ugly?! Have you not seen an '88 GT (or '86-7 with single-tone custom paint)??

Feast your eyes on these:
http://www.v8archie.com/car986.jpg
http://www.v8archie.com/car987.jpg
http://www.v8archie.com/car9818.jpg
http://www.v8archie.com/car9823.jpg
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-182S.JPG
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-324S.JPG
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-765S.JPG
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-764S.JPG
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-827S.JPG
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-831S.JPG

[Bill Roberts]

Any idea how many of those (Fiero's) are remaining?

I have not seen one in a long time. I thought that only a handful are left and parts are becoming hard to find items.

[hookedup240]

hey if you get a fiero, you could always make it a kit car!!! haha!!

But yea if i were you i would just fix up the 240 and get it running well, rebuild or whatever and then get a good suspension first like everyone is saying.

[old_s13]

Wow! What a FEAST, I feel like I've eaten some high-quality Fiero dining!

Now, where is the barf bucket so I can rid my innards of this domestic indigestion

[KiD-H22A]

Originally posted by legendarysnail
Ugly?! Have you not seen an '88 GT (or '86-7 with single-tone custom paint)??


Yeah, they sure a Ugly.

Ugliest roadster I ever seen.

Seriously, I rather have keep the 240

Those things are a rust bucket.

[legendarysnail]

Well...to each his own :o

Haha...was messing around today on a flat, straight, deserted road... Let's just say 20-second burnouts with an open diff. aren't too sightly :eek:

[TheTimanator]

wasn't the fiero the car that's gas tank caught on fire when it was rear ended? :eek: or was that just a certain year or something?

[-E-]

wow thats the first time I've seen a V8 powered Fiero
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-764S.JPG

[Tekryder]

If your having doubts about ur 240 and are considering a Fiero, then I think you should just sell ur 240 and go with whatever you like. I didnt know the Fiero had a cult following, but to each its own. I would perfer a SW20 MR2 over it anyday tho if you want affordible mid engine.

[legendarysnail]

I had almost made up my mind to keep my 240, but it keeps on running ****tier every day...

[legendarysnail]

Timinator...the prototype Fiero's gastank did catch on fire. But they addressed this issue by placing the tank under the armrest. It may seem odd and dangerous, but it is very safe (safer than most cars).

[96SEChick]

Originally posted by TheTimanator
wasn't the fiero the car that's gas tank caught on fire when it was rear ended? :eek: or was that just a certain year or something?

I believe that was the Ford Pinto

[96SEChick]

Evan, do you have any good pics of the interior of a Fiero GT? I love the exterior looks, and have been toying with the idea of getting one for a project, but I can't find interior pics.

There was a guy who autocrossed 2 years ago that swapped a Northstar V8 into one--OMG that thing hauled *** and sounded great! I can't imagine what the Corvette engine would do to that car!

[hookedup240]

yea the corvette engine into the fiero is a very popular swap among those guys. Otherwise they are very slow.

[TheTimanator]

Originally posted by 96SEChick
I believe that was the Ford Pinto

oh yeah, I must have been getting it confused with the pinto I guess. That's kinda hard to do. LOL, my grandparents used to have a pinto and they dropped V8 in it! lol, thing was nuts :eek:

[legendarysnail]

All of those pics are from V8Archie.com --

http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-322S.JPG
http://www.v8archie.com/MVC-737S.JPG

[legendarysnail]

Not this crap agin...I thought that was over and done for.

[DuffMan]

Swapped fieros are cool. Even though it was a huge piece of ****e, I sort of miss my ol' iron duke fiero

Anyways, I would avoid the Northstar. If you're going to all that trouble why not just do a SBC for cheaper and have more options for power? I guess maybe the northstar could be lighter, not sure. Supercharged 3.8 sounds good and from what I understand should be easier than any V8. With those type of swaps its all the little stuff that gets you. All the little things you have to customize you will nickle and dime you out of your budget so be prepared to pay more than you thought you would.

[legendarysnail]

You're wrong on a lot of points...I have a 16 year old son. We are not $10k in debt. Not including regular bills (power, water, house, etc.) we're $3000 in debt. I've discussed this with my family and this is what we came up with:

Sell Caddi for $12k. Buy nice, economical family car (Accord, Maxima, etc.) for $3500. That leaves us with $9.5k. Pay that $3000 - leaves us with $6.5k. Take a couple thousand for car and put the rest in savings for gas, food, bills, etc.

Do you understand now? This post was doing just fine until your sorry a$$ had to make a smarta$$ comment.

[legendarysnail]

I'm leaning more torwards keeping the 240 and buying a low-mileage tranny (possibly even a whole engine). I know its history and all its problems, but if I get a Fiero, I'll have a whole new book to learn...

Update*** I fixed the bad idle and the hesitation (may not have mentioned)...all I did was idjusted the TPS and it fixed them both...