New to 240sx's

[deathletsgo]

I'm new to the 240sx world and looking to get my feet wet. I've been looking at craigslist and all around for a 240sx to buy. Some look good and some.....do not. What I'm wondering is if there are any issues that are prevalent in 240's that aren't always apparent (things I should look out for). Thanks for any insight.

[Alan240sx]

here (not everyone has these problems gathered info while looking at build threads)

- windows that leak like a waterfall
- car is a dent magnet even if you park far
- faded windshield switch
- cigarette lighter pops out when driving
- dodgy speaker wiring from the other asshole owner
- power windows going out
- odometer lights suck ass
- blown speakers
- automatic seat belts that don't work and get stuck
- stock brake calipers that most likely need rebuilding
- brake lights go out
- car makes a whole bunch of noises when you're driving
suspension,engine mounts, radio trim lol.
- only people the are able to sit in the back are midgets
- imaginary cup holders that clearly should've been in the car but nissan thought about
weight reduction
- RUST look for rust man i can't stress that shit enough

But hey they're great cars in the long run. Mine hasn't broke down and the cluster is stuck at 330,421

[deathletsgo]

thanks for the tips. I look forward to getting a new project.

[Marsinosllc]

Depends on what your project is going to be? Is it going to get the crap beat out of it? Or a nice weekend driver? Daily?

[deathletsgo]

Oh one more thing, I've seen that some people have cracked dashes. Is there a reason that some have this problem or is it just an older car syndrome?

[deathletsgo]

I want something with moderate power and good reliability. Wouldn't be a daily, but a couple times a weekly.

[guitaraholic]

Welcome to the world of 240s. You'll be getting into it about the same time I'm getting out. I've had my Kouki for about 8 years now. I'll probably be getting rid of her soon, as I am building something A LOT more fun/sporty/faster,, yadda yadaa.

[deathletsgo]

Tampa isn't that far, how much you asking for her ;)

[Beaters13_240sx]

ive been clicking and scrolling all throughout this forum and i can only find out how to reply to posts i cant for the fucking life of me figure out how to start a new thread. which is important because i need some assistance with working on the s13 i just bought. please help guide me in the right direction. thanks

[l adam l]

Save yourself a fuck load of headaches and time and $$$ and go ahead and buy a nice one...with nothing wrong.

and beaters...I think you have to have an account for some time to post??? If not look for post new thread button on bottom right?

it's on bottom left.

[S14DB]

ive been clicking and scrolling all throughout this forum and i can only find out how to reply to posts i cant for the fucking life of me figure out how to start a new thread. which is important because i need some assistance with working on the s13 i just bought. please help guide me in the right direction. thanks

http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=297481

[black'N'proud]

Depends on what your project is going to be? Is it going to get the crap beat out of it? Or a nice weekend driver? Daily?

There is no such thing as a "daily driver" 240, they all either break down or become a two year project that sits lol. My advice is get a reliable daily before getting a 240. As much as I love my s14, if I could do it all over I'd get a 350z, imo they're slowly becoming the "new 240." Good luck, if possible check for rust on rear quarter panel from inside trunk area.

[deathletsgo]

Thanks. I have a daily toaster (Honda element) I'm going to keep. I kind of like the 350z..... I might test drive one.

[guitaraholic]

There is no such thing as a "daily driver" 240, they all either break down or become a two year project that sits lol. My advice is get a reliable daily before getting a 240. As much as I love my s14, if I could do it all over I'd get a 350z, imo they're slowly becoming the "new 240." Good luck, if possible check for rust on rear quarter panel from inside trunk area.


I drove mine as a daily for years, and never had any issues with it. In fact, the only time I did was when I took it to Sebring on a track day and the water line to the turbo broke. I was working overseas, so I just put it in storage till I got back. I went ahead and upgraded the turbo, and should have it back on the road shortly. It's a fun car.

deathletsgo... I need to change my info, I'm actually in Mobile, AL for the moment. Though I still have some rentals in Pinellas. She's got a ton of miles on her, but rides and looks good. The engine was taken out so I could replace all the hoses and put in new motor mounts, clean up the engine bay a bit. I'm just waiting on a Banjo bolt/AN fitting to come in for the oil line. It's got an SR notchtop, FMIC,, BC Racing Coilovers,,, and a bunch more.

I need to finish my other project first before I sell this one. I'm going nutts not having something fast to drive at the moment, as my Crossfire and Duramax aren't exactly sporty. Though I'll say the Max is pretty quick for a truck.



I'll let you know in a few months

[ADIDASilvias]

I think my parent's auto '95 just ticked the 400,000 mile mark. No real issues since they bought it in 2001. A few odds and ends replaced over the years, and a fuel pump, but otherwise it still runs like a champ. It's not fast, but the stock KA is a reliable motor that's for sure.

[deathletsgo]

I'm from the Destin FL area, but I'm in Auburn AL now so I'm familiar with the area. I'm not to worried about it being a DD I don't want a crazy build, but I want something RWD, turbo, and can at least make some turns. I've always loved the s13 and s14 looks, but most of what I see on CL has either been really abused/old (not maintained well) or is overbuilt for me and therefore more expensive than what I really want it for. I'm patient tho.

Definitely let me know when you get ready to sell it if I haven't found anything yet I'll want to take a look. And imagine how I feel in my toaster (it's at least a 5 speed so not as bad as it could be).

400k is respectable for sure! If I get something that's still KA I'll add boost so I doubt it will last that long, but that's all part of the game.

[Extreme Dimensions]

missing interior from weight reduction previous owner.

[deathletsgo]

haha I'll be sure to keep an eye out for that one. The only weight reduction I'm interested in involves going to the gym.

[R_Rod_s13]

here (not everyone has these problems gathered info while looking at build threads)

- windows that leak like a waterfall
- car is a dent magnet even if you park far
- faded windshield switch
- cigarette lighter pops out when driving
- dodgy speaker wiring from the other asshole owner
- power windows going out
- odometer lights suck ass
- blown speakers
- automatic seat belts that don't work and get stuck
- stock brake calipers that most likely need rebuilding
- brake lights go out
- car makes a whole bunch of noises when you're driving
suspension,engine mounts, radio trim lol.
- only people the are able to sit in the back are midgets
- imaginary cup holders that clearly should've been in the car but nissan thought about
weight reduction
- RUST look for rust man i can't stress that shit enough

But hey they're great cars in the long run. Mine hasn't broke down and the cluster is stuck at 330,421

Hahaha I experienced half of this with my s13 :keke:

[Kingtal0n]

- windows that leak like a waterfall
I've never had a leaky one, I cant imagine it would be difficult to repair. The only thing is the sun roofs all seem to rust. My favorite 240 is the base model with 4-lug no sunroof to just avoid all problems and perhaps save weight. On the other hand, most of the 240's I've owned have been sunroof models, and with over 20+ cars I have never had a single sun-roof system failure or needed to mess with the sunroof, they always worked and it was a fun feature that I enjoyed. A- rating sunroof 240sx IMHO

- car is a dent magnet even if you park far
park farther :D At my college I park in the maintenance facility where no sane student would dare park oO

- faded windshield switch
? Not sure what this is referring to. Windshields are cheap so it should not bother a new owner.

- cigarette lighter pops out when driving
Now I see this is funny items.

- dodgy speaker wiring from the other a$$hole owner
Dodgy anything if somebody else does anything. Cheap car, young owners, poor execution. However, the learning experience associated with, and the reliability factor (how often a poorly executed solution still suits the application) is favorable for novice level mechanical learning material IMHO.

- power windows going out
Never had a failed power window. One time I did goto home depot and buy a bunch of wire off that huge spinning rack and used it to install power windows into my original manual regulators car. I just sort of hide it under the dash and it worked great.

- odometer lights suck ass
Often I simply turn these off to keep the light down in the car for long drives. It is preference but the option to replace the bulb is there and cheap, and easy. High reliability with first-time cluster openers to bulbs replaced ratio is significant.

- stock brake calipers that most likely need rebuilding
These cars have one of the best brake upgrade options I have ever seen. For around $150 the ultra-budget minded person can have all the stopping power needed to daily an 11-second pump gas vehicle. I've tried the OEM brakes with 300rwhp and you can only stop once, or maybe twice, really well from 120mph to 0 quickly. The temperature seems to overwhelm the stock pad and it might cause an accident.

- brake lights go out
They are simple to change, honestly. I think I had only 1 or 2 brake light go, on around 20 car samples.
- car makes a whole bunch of noises when you're driving
Sometimes. You can fix this, but this is the non power associated pathway of these cars. This is where the number of years plus some manner of wear gives you each representation of each car, limited in number to the total number of cars produced in any resolution of anylysis (we can look at total number of 240sx produced, or each model in detail.)
So each car might make a noise based on factors of wear/adjustment in each component. This is where I say that the ratio of reliability to learning factor was good again, and point out that you can spend money and time fixing each noise. For instance the turbo timer a previous owner had installed was vibrating on the highway, so I stuck a little piece of paper under it and it stopped. That was a fix, it cost 25 seconds. Next I want to fix the noise in the door panel. It looks like the factory plastic window switches have broken. I sand them and JB weld some wooden supports into them, and bolt it down nicely and thats fixed. The ideal vehicle has problems with simple novice capable solutions for novice mechanics/students and this car is full of that.


suspension,engine mounts, radio trim lol
Ill focus on the pros of 240sx suspension, engine mounts, ratio trim:
The OEM suspension, the high ride height, feels comfortable enough to me. Truly budget minded owners will not want to spend $3000 on a suitable coilover suspension setup, complete with all arms and geometry set by a professional, this is my mean estimate provided for this example. I would prefer to use $3000 to give the 240sx 220rwhp sr20det engine instead if I could only choose one or the other.
Engine mounts: use a brand new OEM mount if you can afford it. Try the ones you get with the engine if they look good. I rarely have a mount problem, but I do notice that the engine needs a little additional help staying still, I like the idea of a torque damper.
Radio trim: you can now officially buy radio trim from ebay, brand new. So no more epoxy! Unless you enjoy putting together a puzzle.

- only people the are able to sit in the back are midgets

Yeah, just take all the seats out, the instant you get the car, because race car. I actually did remove the passenger seat and spare tire for local trips, the same way I would install a carbon fiber hood hopefully.

- imaginary cup holders that clearly should've been in the car but nissan thought about
weight reduction
exactly, you don't want cups in this car because of the way it gets sideways so often

- RUST look for rust man i can't stress that shit enough
I am lucky to live here in Florida where these cars that sit outside for 18+ years never seem to rust. The sun can destroy the dash and eats the paint if they did sit outside for all these years but rust is never (seems to never be) an issue.


But hey they're great cars in the long run. Mine hasn't broke down and the cluster is stuck at 330,421

The highest I've seen is 222,xxx. The great original KA24DE seems to be capable of 180,000 to 220,000 in most cars. I mean, I would easily expect to see one go 180,000 and still have great compression and be mostly leak free. Its a nice reliable car, seems like. That was fun back to homework thanks for the break