Starting out..S14

[barshroom]

Hey, I'm stuck in a situation and thought you guys on here could help me.. here's whats up. I've been looking for a s14 that runs and is cheap as a first and daily once in a while slide corner car, to my luck I found one with an sr off a hatch and the problem is that the car is two different colors.. I showed my dad who is a car dealer and has absolutely no 240 knowledge and he based his reasoning off normal cars like a camry. He doesn't want me buying it but I don't see why not.. SR, clean title, interior not too messed with. The reason with the colors I talked to the guy and he said the previous owner hit a dog. I've provided pics please help. all the car needs is a door panel, an ac comp. ( found one for $45) and a knock sensor.

the guy wants $3000 for it.

[Kuma]

Looks like the core support behind the right headlight is tweaked. Idk about your ac
situation, I'd start out by Google "adding ac to sr swapped 240sx" .... for $3k though, if it drives, it'd be worth going to look at. show your dad other 240s for sale, and compare the pricing. it's not exactly a Camry... compare it to other rwd cars with 200-250hp, a good running mustang gt or v8 f-body is going to run more than 3k.

[silviaks2nr]

That must have been a big concrete dog. Likely it was some wannabe drifter like you that hit a light pole, another car, or guard rail. Rule #1 of buying a used car never trust the seller's word. Having said that $3k is fair and you can get te front end paint matched and blended into the doors for $1500 to 2000 and the car will look presentable.

[barshroom]

That must have been a big concrete dog. Likely it was some wannabe drifter like you that hit a light pole, another car, or guard rail. Rule #1 of buying a used car never trust the seller's word. Having said that $3k is fair and you can get te front end paint matched and blended into the doors for $1500 to 2000 and the car will look presentable.

I guessed the same thing, aha you hit a dog and you have to replace the hood, both fenders and the bumper doesn't seem right also explains the sr in it, the motor prior prob got wrecked.

[dudermagee]

get a toyota camry

[huaiqiane]

both fenders and the bumper doesn't seem right also explains the sr in it, the motor prior prob got wrecked.http://goo.gl/NQIZBB

[OBEEWON]

Even if it was wrecked I'd pay 3k for that.

[Almighty So]

Even if it was wrecked I'd pay 3k for that.

Agreed.
I'm sure with your dads knowledge of shit to say he could knock him down a couple hundred as well.
That car probably has well over $2500 worth of shit to part out, worst case scenario.

Just a heads up though, 99.9% of previous generation fathers will never approve of a 240 in any situation.

[CamberWear]

Good luck diving into the 240 world Sr first... Camry's are pretty cool man you'd be surprised.

[rbpwrd240]

Your dads word is probably based off years of experience in the general car world. This comes from dealing with many cars by many makers over a variety of situations in a variety of configurations and platforms. He's making a call given all the situations he has run into with the main focus on protecting your investment. Id listen. Sure a 3K dollar car with a turbo and rear wheel drive sounds awesome. But just like someone else said a car with 250hp rear wheel drive and space for four should easily go for more then this unless it has some serious issues.

Even the paint issue means pulling the engine to get the car painted correctly no matter which way you go with the color or atleast pulling everything off down to the core support to have it sprayed. If the core support is bad then your looking at 500 for the part and a lot more to get yours cut out and a new one welded in. After all that your going to easily be out another 2-3k bucks. Add that to the sale price and look around at what could you buy with 6k dollars? A lot more then this car that's for sure.

Your best bet is to get a stock one or one in good shape and put it through its paces at auto-x or track day events. Build it as you can afford and let your driving skills grow with your horsepower numbers. These cars can be a handful. I only have 150hp in my kouki and I can count 3 times off the top of my head where I spun the car accidently on the street in the last 7 years, once where it got sideways jumping on the gas to pass slower traffic on the highway and once where it got crossed up on an on ramp while I was accelerating onto the highway. All of these situations could have been life threatening but Luckily I always caught the car and never hit anything. These cars hydroplane, they over steer and they are unforgiving past the limits. If your not very comfortable and knowledgeable about car control then your most likely going to wreck your investment. Heck even if you are you may still do it eventually especially if you plan to slide the car.


I'm not telling you not to get the car just trying to give you some perspective first hand. I have raced a slew of fast street cars and a smaller assortment of full blown race cars. I stick with the 240 as my street car because its fun not because its the fastest best handling machine on the block. Next time its raining try to spot a 240. They will be the guy in the center lane of a three lane highway doing 20 under. LOL

And for the record yes I wrecked mine eventually too, just check out the thread another totaled kouki input needed in the chat section......

Also interestingly enough I clipped a great dane in the passenger front at about 15mph in my s14. It cost me a dent in the fender and a broken corner lens, not a hood, two fenders, a bumper and a core support. My most recent wreck where I totaled the car I hit the corner of a fence and a parked car at 25mph and it didn't do that much damage. Also my post will show you a lot about what you will need to do to fix your core support.

Good Luck!!!

[yingiang]

most likely its a different color because he sold his zenki front end, got a kouki front end, then sold kouki front end and bought another zenki front end

[Suicunes]

I payed $2200 for a Bone Stock, early production 95 Zenki. It had a dent in the hood, and needed to be painted but had mint leather interior, brand new stereo, all new Polk audio speakers and good wiring, a redone LSD, and it was an SE. Mileage was like 226,000 but the PO said it was rebuilt about 60K ago but I doubted it because he couldn't provide paperwork. I ended up rebuilding the KA again and just adding hot cams and bolt ons. My dad didn't approve of a 240 like most previous generations dads. He loves it now that I've got the suspension completely re-done and a healthy motor, I've even got him talking about LS swaps, (he's an old GM muscle car guy, V8's are his bread and butter). Get a stock car dude, it's much better to start with nothing and build to something because then you know what's in it. This looks like a dude did a little something more and he's trying to cut his losses maybe. Maybe I'm wrong, but just some words of advice from a fellow teenager who got a 240 after wrecking a turbo Miata. Good luck with finding an S14.

[NISR20MO]

I would buy it. Color scheme is on point too, 'Murica.

[FaLKoN240]

Assuming the car runs right that's fair. It probably has enough mods to substantiate the price.

If it's stumbly or runs like shit and you and your dad don't know anything about the car...

I wouldn't

[10psitx]

Most of what is said so far is great advice....listen to your dad, he's got experience with CAR'S in general. On another note why does it need a knock sensor? does the engine run strong, what condition is the suspension in? brakes? It seems your are blinded by the WANT of THIS car and not considering the normal aspects of buying and owning A car...in short, listen to your dad and his experience in the world of cars.

[barshroom]

Your dads word is probably based off years of experience in the general car world. This comes from dealing with many cars by many makers over a variety of situations in a variety of configurations and platforms. He's making a call given all the situations he has run into with the main focus on protecting your investment. Id listen. Sure a 3K dollar car with a turbo and rear wheel drive sounds awesome. But just like someone else said a car with 250hp rear wheel drive and space for four should easily go for more then this unless it has some serious issues.

Even the paint issue means pulling the engine to get the car painted correctly no matter which way you go with the color or atleast pulling everything off down to the core support to have it sprayed. If the core support is bad then your looking at 500 for the part and a lot more to get yours cut out and a new one welded in. After all that your going to easily be out another 2-3k bucks. Add that to the sale price and look around at what could you buy with 6k dollars? A lot more then this car that's for sure.

Your best bet is to get a stock one or one in good shape and put it through its paces at auto-x or track day events. Build it as you can afford and let your driving skills grow with your horsepower numbers. These cars can be a handful. I only have 150hp in my kouki and I can count 3 times off the top of my head where I spun the car accidently on the street in the last 7 years, once where it got sideways jumping on the gas to pass slower traffic on the highway and once where it got crossed up on an on ramp while I was accelerating onto the highway. All of these situations could have been life threatening but Luckily I always caught the car and never hit anything. These cars hydroplane, they over steer and they are unforgiving past the limits. If your not very comfortable and knowledgeable about car control then your most likely going to wreck your investment. Heck even if you are you may still do it eventually especially if you plan to slide the car.


I'm not telling you not to get the car just trying to give you some perspective first hand. I have raced a slew of fast street cars and a smaller assortment of full blown race cars. I stick with the 240 as my street car because its fun not because its the fastest best handling machine on the block. Next time its raining try to spot a 240. They will be the guy in the center lane of a three lane highway doing 20 under. LOL

And for the record yes I wrecked mine eventually too, just check out the thread another totaled kouki input needed in the chat section......

Also interestingly enough I clipped a great dane in the passenger front at about 15mph in my s14. It cost me a dent in the fender and a broken corner lens, not a hood, two fenders, a bumper and a core support. My most recent wreck where I totaled the car I hit the corner of a fence and a parked car at 25mph and it didn't do that much damage. Also my post will show you a lot about what you will need to do to fix your core support.

Good Luck!!!
Hey, Thanks for the useful advice, really appreciate it. I've decided to not go with it, I kept thinking about it and something about just doesn't feel right. I talked to a friend who owns one just like it, except a 95 and with the stock KA, he told me all about how his car started. He bought it off a guy who was completely pissed about it every now and then something would screw up also it was auto then for 1.2k. So my friend bought it, took out the motor rebuilt it with his dad, popped a 5 speed and the motor back in, car is mint.All in all, he's spent 3.5k total on it which is not bad at all. I'm probably gonna save a bit more money and wait till I find a better one. in FL everyday atleast one 240 gets put on craigslist it's great

[Kingtal0n]

If the engine is good, you could buy the car for 3k, then sell the engine out of it for 2700 complete with fmic and exhaust, wiring, computer etc...

then put the stock engine/exhaust back in it, 5-speed and sell the whole car for 2700 again.

if you paid 1k for a stock engine / trans (highest) your profit will be 1700 minus labor and storage (it takes me 6 hours by myself to do all of that)

just sayin'