How is a 240 as a DD?

[anurok]

Currently I drive a 2008 Civic Si. I love the car and it drives well but I want to start eliminating payments from my life. I only owe 9500 on the car but I would rather save that over the course of the 3 years than put it into the Si.

I have been looking at the 240sx simply because you can find them for fairly cheap these days. I see them going for under 5k all the time and as low as 2k if it needed work.

How is it for a daily driver? The MPG any good? I commute about 40 miles a day all free way.

I used to drive a boosted tC show car as my DD (bad idea with how much crap happened to it) and moved to a stock Si. I want to mess around a little bit with a 240 but not much.

Can anyone make any recommendations? Should I look for something else? After I sell the Si I will have about +/- 7K.

THanks ~

[TougeLove]

uh oh....

msg

[anurok]

Pandora box, have I opened it?

Or am I beating a dead horse?

[zooopreme]

Majority of S-Chassis owners, including myself, consider our cars as a bottomless pit in which we throw our cash in

Although the thread is for humor purposes, we make jokes because they are true:

http://zilvia.net/f/chat/270998-things-you-don-t-hear-240-owner.html

[KiLLeR2001]

Stick with your Honda. When purchasing a 240sx there will always be little tasks that need to be done here and there to keep it running efficiently.

After I sell the Si I will have about +/- 7K.


So which is it? Will you have 7000 extra or will you be in debt 7000?

[towlie]

Stick with your Honda. When purchasing a 240sx there will always be little tasks that need to be done here and there to keep it running efficiently.


This statement, very true it is

[anurok]

after selling it I will have about 7-8K cash in hand.

That is unfortunate to hear about the 240...Can you guys recommend anything?

Maybe a cheap S2k if I can find it? I simply don't want a car payment anymore. I can afford it, but I would rather pay off other bills asap.

[zombiewolf513]

I've had 240s I've thrown thousands of dollars at that would only stay running right for a month at a time. The 240 I own now I bought off of the orginal owner with 170k miles on the clock, hasn't failed me yet, through thick and thin, through snow it's starts right up, through blazing heat the a/c kicks on immediatly ice cold, I've drivin thousands of miles non-stop on roadtrips, I've abused the shit out of it. I've only replaced the clutch to keep it going. It's hard as fucking nails and it's the love of my life. I'm expecting it to reach 260k-270k miles on the stock KA because I keep it extremely well preventativly maintained with top of the line plugs, parts, royal purp every 2k miles, fugn the works. When it finally goes, I'm swapping in an LS1 THE RIGHT WAY so it'll last even longer. I'd say it really depends on:

A) How well maintained it is.
B) How much money you're willing to throw at your new project (believe me, it will end up becoming quite the project).
C) How much the previous owners have fucked it up trying to modify it.

GL

*EDIT*

Oh, and it's my DD, drive about 10 miles to and from work, around town for whatever.

and this...

D) ABSOLUTLY do not buy anything modified what-so-ever if you want a DD. It better be bone stock and the previous owners DD for your best bet in it running right.

[1slowS13]

as a dd? keep your honda.

its inevitable that you will soon throw wads of cash into it.

atleast with the civic, it looks good as is

[anurok]

I dont want to to become a full project DD like my tC was. I did everything to my tC and ended up blowing the motor with the turbo and it was my DD. Being out of a car for that long was not a great thing.

If anything I would simply upgrade wheels/tires/lip kit/lower it a bit. Anything else would be to make the car run properly.

Is the 240 realistically a headache of a car to try and DD?

[i<3mys13]

zombiewolf513 summed it up for you perfectly

[zombiewolf513]

read my post^^^

[Sumslapper]

Stick with your Honda. When purchasing a 240sx there will always be little tasks that need to be done here and there to keep it running efficiently.


Im pretty sure any car you buy will have little tasks. Maintenance is a part of any car. Dont buy a pile of shit 240 thats been owned by 12 different ricers and you should be good. I daily mine everyday, never had a problem.

[mkezzo16]

it really depends on how you set it up..it seems you just want a slightly modded 240
so you'll be ok..you jus goin to have to find one with a decent motor..i dd my s13 with a 96 ka24de swapped in...i have to do stuff here n there..but since ive had the 96 motor its been fine

[KiLLeR2001]

Im pretty sure any car you buy will have little tasks. Maintenance is a part of any car. Dont buy a pile of shit 240 thats been owned by 12 different ricers and you should be good. I daily mine everyday, never had a problem.

This guy is looking to purchase his first 240sx. He has around ~$7000 and is looking for the reliability that which matches an '08 Honda Civic.

You do the math.

[DS562]

if you want a 240 for a dd then buy one that is currently being used as such. you do not want a project car, track car or one thats in the midst of being "finished" because it will become a money pit.

[PITCH]

I dont want to to become a full project DD like my tC was. I did everything to my tC and ended up blowing the motor with the turbo and it was my DD. Being out of a car for that long was not a great thing.

If anything I would simply upgrade wheels/tires/lip kit/lower it a bit. Anything else would be to make the car run properly.

Is the 240 realistically a headache of a car to try and DD?

I DD my S14. I've basically done the above to my S14. Still Stock KA & A/T trans. Downside. KA is slow.. Any 240 w/ any aftermarket exterior mods will be revved at, raced, annoyed by other high powered cars on the road. It really get's annoying. I'm eventually going to go w/ another car to play the DD role and garage the S14 for weekend duty.

But if I could do it again id'e keep it totally stock as a DD.

[Sileighty_85]

Yeah 240s are horrible for DD's Nissan Designed them to be tracked and drifted not to be DD'd on a daily basis

[Mishkin_707]

i would say go with a 240sx, just before you buy it really take your time to check the car out, most people on here would say they are money pits, but im sure they spent $500 on a crappy one they expected to "fix up" and became a money pit, i've had minor problems on my 240sx biggest was a radiator replacement, my 89 240sx has 235,XXX miles on it and i use it to drive to northern california and back to chicago, i've had my car since 2001 so i think i know what im talking about, not to mention most people on here put parts into their cars then drive them like they were on a fucking race track and stuff breaks, hell the 240sx is cheap if you blow a motor you can get another for like $300 on craigslist, way cheaper to have the 240sx than the civic you still owe money to the bank, something goes wrong with the civic you'd have to pay for the repairs AND still pay the monthly car bill and insurance, this is just my opinion and im sure people gonna have stupid shit to say to me.


oh and just to clarify, i drive from cali to chicago 4 times a year.

[RhdjokerNJ]

get one ive had 3 and love them..

with 7k available take your time and fine one that is being used as a daily right now, and just check over everything

dont buy one thats any repairs or anything.. take your time and get the perfect one..

[imnotniko]

i have a 95 zenki with 46,000 miles. perfect daily driver. im willing to sell it =)

[dahveed]

my S13 is a pretty damn good DD. Ive had it for about 4 years now, and now Im DDing it around West Texas after driving it from San Diego. Kinda had a clenched butthole on the drive here though, it is kinda old and janky. LOL

[zombiewolf513]

most people on here would say they are money pits, but im sure they spent $500 on a crappy one they expected to "fix up" and became a money pit


YUP! I paid twice bluebook for mine because I knew it would last. Fuck it I'll just tell you. I paid $3500 for my '92 with 170k on it, and drove 8 hours to a different state 3 times to get it (check it out and buy, get the lisence plate, pick it up). But it looks brand spankin new inside and out, and drives likewise. With my 240 experiances, the second I saw it bone stock, all clean prestine glass, OE flawless chrome exhaust, taillights that were so fresh they still had the small white painted letters on the outside of em (bet most of you actually reading this didn't know they had that), the scratchless stock alloy wheels, not a single speck of rust or paint chip or fade, i haden't even seen the inside yet and I knew it was perfect. Then when I found out it everything but the hatch was original, and he had every single record (all serviced at a dealership for the life of the car) + pictures of it for every 3 months or so. I drove it and I didn't know a car could shift so smoothly, I didn't know the KA could sound so good at high revs, I didn't know the 240's stock suspension felt so good over rough road. I saw another stock one while test driving that had the same trim and color, but I KNEW it wasn't as well maintained. The only thing he did was hide a Sony Amp under the dash and a small 8" sub in the back, and with some new front speakers I feel like I have at least a 12" if not 2 10s, it fuckin bumps, seriously, and if you are outside of it you can't hear shit. I knew it was mine, no matter how much he wanted for it, I'd pay him any amount just for keeping it in such pristene condition. Yeah, I'm beyond enthusiast for these cars- And I still think I got it for a steal. I occasionally bring it to the dealership and to friends' businesses to replace stuff if I absolutely don't have the time, and I hear every single time that it's the cleanest 240 they've ever seen inside and out and underside and under the hood. This is what you should be looking for.


dont buy one thats any repairs or anything.. take your time and get the perfect one..

Like I said, I paid twice bluebook for my current one. And it was worth the money! It should look like it rolled off the showroom floor inside and out. The cherries are out there. Look in Virginia/central North Carolina if you're in that part of the country, I've seen SO many cherry 240s/rx7s in that area.

The key is to keep searching, and don't get all giddy and impulse purchase happy because you found one that looks cool. Wait and search search search daily for an extended period of time for one that is absolutely flawless

[jbballa9876]

If you buy a 240 it is a project car, unless you can get it running on the road the same day because it will break. Keep your Honda unless you have time to waste unexpectedly fixing your daily car when your stranded away from home. Or get a Toyota Prius with a warranty, and a 240 as your project car. Best idea for you in your situation.

[zombiewolf513]

I was going to save these pictures for a "suprise! look what I did!" thread, but I'll give you a little nibbler (This is what you should be looking for)...

240s that have costed me lots and lots of money...
http://i.pgu.me/X+xqkw3B_original.jpg
http://i.pgu.me/W4ueTl9N_original.jpg
http://i.pgu.me/pWiC0AFE_original.jpg

My current 240 the day I bought it...
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5341/22781840.jpg


When I lowered it on coils...
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/5752/unledop.png
http://i.pgu.me/iS_qnxf3_original.jpg

[Dee]

When I had my 240sx I drove it 80 miles everyday for 4 years without any problems. There are just too many variables into getting a good 15-20 year old car especially now that so many people are beating up 240's. If I had 7-8k to work with a 240 would be the last thing I'd consider.

[tqstarburst]

Well if you want a 240 that will be as reliable as you're si,then stick to the si,it's new and need nothng. I daily my ka s14. I commute 50 miles per day and close to 300 a week(school,work,etc),it's a 97 that i got for 3k from an old man. I always keep up with maintenance,check my fluids regularly.It sees some action aside of dd. Within the past 2 years,i've only replaced the battery,alternator and radiator. So find a stock 240 and don't do anything stupid like revving it like an s2k,running it with no oil etc.. Just keep up with maintenance.

[nate1]

keep the honda
1. your honda gets better mpg
2. its faster vs stock
3. if u modd a 240 it gets loud
4. 99.9% of SR's dont have A/C
5. 240s are old as shit, rust wear and tear ect.
6. most A/C parts for ka are discontinued
7. you look like a shit head geting out of a 20 year old slammed 240 at the club
8. they all smell funny
9. honda has more room
10. you WILL crash it

[saleaf]

I love how much everyone bashes their DD 240s. I DD mine. to and from work 15ish miles each way. It gives me the occasional problem. Small stuff. But what do you expect from a 20yr old car. Its all about how you take care of it. When i got my 240 i did a lot of work to it. Since then its mechanically sound. But some parts are gonna break. Like every 20yr old car.

[khmer1]

buy another honda i dd my 240sx everyday but i always want to do something or need something to do to it if that makes sense with that much money you have and can save there plenty of other rides that would make a fine dd like i30/35,maxima,sentra ser,rsx,prelude and so on which i would love to get if i have the cash..24-sx are money pits indeed haha

[HalveBlue]

I have an '89 200sx as a DD.

I got lucky and got the cliche "low mileage grandpa car". As long as you keep up with proper maintenance procedures your stock Nissan will serve you well.

But be realistic. My car is over 20 years old and, depending on which model you're looking at, other S-chassis aren't far behind. I've lost count of how many corroded screws and bolts I've snapped off doing routine maintenance. The typical spoiler rust spot seen on almost all hatchbacks still breaks my heart every time I see it.

Unfortunately, the US Domestic Market got shit on with engine selection.

And this brings us to the fundamental problem of owning an S-chassis...

They're much more fun as project cars than as daily drivers.

The KA is a decent engine. It's reliable and gets decent gas mileage.

But S-chassis vehicles were originally designed as light-weight, relatively quick and responsive vehicles powered by a small displacement, turbo-charged engine...except for the US, which got the larger displacement, naturally aspirated KA24.

Like I said, not a bad engine per se, but it definitely takes away from true spirit of the car.

Rectifying this injustice can cost various amounts of time and money.

Looking at your OP, I would say you would be much better served sticking with your Honda. Maybe look into getting an earlier generation Civic Si if you're looking to cut down payments. That's probably what I would do if I was in your position.

However, YMMV.

Good Luck!

[jamg]

imo, it depends on the 240 you specifically buy.

it took me 3 years to finally purchase the perfect one i found.

1991, 145k miles, bought it for $1750
the interior was perfect, the paint was very good aside for the bumpers (usually normal for it to fade) and the motor was top notch.

i commute 60+ miles 5 days a week, and it hasn't failed me yet.

just take care of it, know the history of the car, and it will last a long time.

only mods i've done to it are control arms, coilovers, and a welded diff.

[JDMStanced]

which year is the best to buy?

[BUFFRATS13]

I daily drive my 240 everyday... 30 mile roundtrip to work and back and wherever else I need to go... No problems... Just hit 204,000 miles. I've had about ten cars in 3 years including a civic si... I would choose my Nissan over all... If you want a car that just gets you from point a to point b... Then keep your civic... However if you would like a relationship with your vehicle and something that's enjoyable to drive... Then get a 240... You have to ask yourself what kind of driver you are... Do u love to drive? Or do u drive as a necessity? By the way my car in on pbm coils which are stiff as fuck and I still love it as a dd :)

[DS562]

keep the honda
1. your honda gets better mpg
2. its faster vs stock
3. if u modd a 240 it gets loud
4. 99.9% of SR's dont have A/C
5. 240s are old as shit, rust wear and tear ect.
6. most A/C parts for ka are discontinued
7. you look like a shit head geting out of a 20 year old slammed 240 at the club
8. they all smell funny
9. honda has more room
10. you WILL crash it


wait, why are you on this forum??

[RTB.1054]

I was in your shoes I own a 08 nismo 350Z my baby I did every performance mod NA so I needed DD I was looking for something front wheel drive with the snow in the winters,but ended up buying a 95 s14 stock auto put some money in to it regular stuff stock pads,belts,fixed AC,plugs,and some flushes (fluids) drove it everyday to go to work 40miles no problems then I found a clean no rust light front end hit but was repaired and painted but Iknow how to tell, of course they won't tell you it was in an accident 98 240sx kouki stock.I sold the 95 and I use my 98 kouki for DD I do little mods here and there like 300zx brake upgrade,rims,coilovers stuff to make it look nice plus I do all the work myself. So if you want one buy one just don't be cheap you get what you pay for and if you have to pick it up on a flatbed don't buy it also make sure it's stock,and that no lights are on in the cluster so when you get in the car turn the key to the on position engine off and make sure all lights come on like check engine,air bag,abs,brake,etc.for like two seconds and then cycle the key to the off position and then start the car no lights should be lit because some people remove the bulbs from the cluster to make it appear like theirs no problem with any system. Good luck

[Nicelyphe]

Bought my first 240 outa jersey, all rusted out..big mistake, didnt take notice. bought my second one,bought clean and no rust, dd it all winter, now some surface rust in some spots, gonna get that all taken care of this summer. KA i bought it with and dd with blew back in January, went blacktop sr, and id never looked back since. Love the sr, great on gas and good for dd. just wish the timing chain was a little quieter. I enjoy as a dd

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/2/imag0250g.jpg (http://img850.imageshack.us/i/imag0250g.jpg/)

[Phate]

8. they all smell funny

Hah. I'm stealing this for my sig.

[LB 180SX]

I daily drive my s13, (50 mile commute) and to be honest its not the greatest in gas mileage. and like it was mentioned above, there is always 'something' that you have to do to keep it in top shape. they're are not the most reliable cars. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun car to drive but I think it more of a weekend car to go cruising on. I myself looking into getting another car with how these gas prices are. but it's your money. good luck to you.

[thrax]

Mileage for a car of that age is not bad. The 240 had better than average mileage compared to some of the competition. Of course after a couple of decades what was once considered good may be average or below average by today's standards.

You should also check you insurance rates. A civic might be cheaper. If it is that could be a cost factor as well in making your decision.


I'm an original owner, driving mine since new since 93. I've had little problems with mine which is why finding one in good condition and mostly stock is probably best for someone looking to use it as a DD. Also factor in winter tires. A good owner though should have a set that he might sell with the car.

[jorge1190]

Ive DD mine since the day I bought it. I used to go to school 4 hours away and I drove it there and would drive it home once a month. Ive also taken it on an 8 hour trip with no issues.

It's like any other car, maintenance will keep it going.

[Psycho 240 Freak]

I DD a 300 hp SR '93 240sx. 37 miles one way and I get 26-27 mpg. Some of these guys are talking like we're driving rotary FD cars. Just make sure you find one in good condition. If you buy junk, then you'll be bitter about your 240 just as these other guys on this thread are.

[Marcyprojects]

figured id chime in on this since I have some direct experience as well. Got my 93 hatch about a year ago. Just hit 248k on original motor and runs strong. I drive about 15 miles round trip to work everyday and a little around town. I run premium in the car beacuse of its age and for performace but I can run for 5 days straight on just over a half a tank of gas. I did all the reccomended repairs a fixes I read about on this forum and it made the biggest impact on getting it to run smooth (i.e. new injectors, ground wiring, removing timing chain guides etc). Since then I have replaced the fuel pump (which I would also reccomend doing right away), and stripped all the paneling out of my rear end which added some mpgs and performance.

In my opinion, any car you buy for lest than 1k is probably a POS. I spent 1600 on my 240 and it was well worth it. I would suggest bringing somone with you who has some experience with these cars when you go look at them. Brought my buddy who has built 2 s14s and he was able to point out everything I needed to know about the car before I bought it.

[nomoremk2]

A nice s14 can be had for much under 7k. I would just get an s14 if you're looking for a 240. It's newer than the s13 and you get a few more creature comforts. As stated before, Find something that HAS NOT been molested. For 7 thousand dollars I'm sure you could get a well taken care of car with maintenance records. Just be patient and don't jump on the first thing you find. Also I cannot stress enough about not buying into drift tax bullshit. I.E Someone selling a beat to shit s13 on stock suspension with an sr for 6,500. Avoid those types of cars at all cost.

[anurok]

Well, most of you guys have convinced me to just keep the Si for now. Maybe I will just make double payments on the car and pay it off within the next year or so and have it become my project car when I hopefully buy my FT86.

I appreciate all of the input <3

[getagrip]

Its not just a 240 thing. The same rules apply to any car you buy be it rx7, miata, civic, whatever. The cleaner and better condition the less headaches down the road. Well the rotary might be an exception lol. But when i had mine there were no problems.

[ZenkiKid]

8. they all smell funny


QFT!!! No matter how many times i clean and vacuum my car and wash the bay.. the smell of old oil/grease still presents itself. Ive owned my 240 for almost 6 years now and at times it still smells like the way it did when i first took it home.

[daryl337]

If you buy junk, then you'll be bitter about your 240 just as these other guys on this thread are.


It could also have something to do with the quality of work they put into the car.

Some of the people on these forums are the types who slap parts on their car (see: valvesprings) and don't do the necessary homework/measurements (see: preloading)



I personally had no problems with my old KA engine. My SR also ran without any problems up until the day I decided to destroy the thing.

[zooopreme]

Not every 240 is a pos. Any car that has 15+ years on it is going to have some problems/wear. Like my original response said, the S-Chassis is a constant money pit because there's always going to be SOMETHING wrong and that could be said about cars.

[Leetheslacker]

QFT!!! No matter how many times i clean and vacuum my car and wash the bay.. the smell of old oil/grease still presents itself. Ive owned my 240 for almost 6 years now and at times it still smells like the way it did when i first took it home.

It's that dirty nissan smell. Although i would argue its that dirty burnin out the exhaust smell that every nissan has.


I daily a stock s14 SE with a bajillion miles.
All in all, i enjoy it except for KA's don't really get that great of gas mileage. Especially coming from a honda. I get 23-24 no matter how heavy or light my right foot is.

Buy one stock. Seriously. This is the first 240/rx7 ive bought that didnt come with fencepost straight pipes, and i'm totally loving the quiet stock exhaust.

[ryandriftingfat]

I sold my 06 G35 last year for the down payment on a house. The G was my daily driver so I bought another 240 to drive daily. I had an 89 SR-swapped hatch back in 2004 that I missed. The 240 was a cheap, easy to work on alternative until I could afford a truck.

I kept both cars for a couple months while I sorted out the issues with the 240, but it's done amazingly well since I sold my G.

The 240 I got was a bone-stock 89 (built in 88!), with 114K original on the odometer. I drove it home, replaced the entire cooling system (thermo, WP, radiator, ALL hoses, cap, overflow), fixed taillights not working and replaced the missing fuel pump pickup sock.

I've driven it daily for almost a year since, just doing oil changes. It smells a little, like gas from running a little rich, but otherwise it's been great at just going back and forth. Just pop the hood and take a look every few weeks is all I do.