Quick Question

[Chillaxed 240sx]

This is a question for the members of Zilvia that are currently located in Japan.

How much does a used, good condition CA18DET run for in American currency? One of my friends is going to Japan in the next few months, and I want to know how much to give him to buy an engine.

[wootwoot]

Retail they go for 1800-2200 bucks for a full clip but you could have found that by looking at some of the vendors on this site and on Google or on Ebay for that matter. Dont be lazy and try to show off =P
Expect to do a rebuild as well since they are older engines.

[s14slide]

OK woot, hold yer horses there bud. Motor/tranny sets can be had for less than $600. BUUUUuuuuutt, CA's are harder to find, and if you do find one, like you said it's gonna probably need a rebuild. Where your looking to spend real money is on shipping. If I were you, I would focus on what it would cost to ship the stuff, then settle for an SR if a CA is not to be found. IMO, that's your best bet.

Step 1. Be sure to check facts when people post.

Step 2. check your own chit, both of you.

step 3. get some decent wheels if your really still sittin on steelies. It's just plain tacky.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

I know I can get them from vendors from anywhere from $1500-$2000 ... that's not my question. I want to know what they run for in JAPAN. Not AMERICA. JAPAN.

I know I will have to rebuild the engine. I have access to a turbo shop that a friend runs and I can get him to clean all of my stuff for real cheap. Advance Auto can set me up with new water pump and belt and that other stuff. I am still in my research phase. I want the CA, though. I do not want an SR. The CA is cheaper and more advanced in some ways than the SR. Bit more complicated, but it'll do for me. Plus, the smaller engine is more to my liking.

[G_Fish240]

Dirt cheap, no one swaps in CA's over there man. I think I saw one in the paper for 100 dollars one time.

[97DubTruck]

I know I can get them from vendors from anywhere from $1500-$2000 ... that's not my question. I want to know what they run for in JAPAN. Not AMERICA. JAPAN.

I know I will have to rebuild the engine. I have access to a turbo shop that a friend runs and I can get him to clean all of my stuff for real cheap. Advance Auto can set me up with new water pump and belt and that other stuff. I am still in my research phase. I want the CA, though. I do not want an SR. The CA is cheaper and more advanced in some ways than the SR. Bit more complicated, but it'll do for me. Plus, the smaller engine is more to my liking.


Because your friend is going to Japan how is he going to try to ship this shit back?

Do you know someone with a crate?

Businesses do it in bulk and cut down on cost. I say if you do it yourself you wont get much for your money.

Also businesses don't want a bad reputation, so if you get a crap motor they will (for the most part) try to help you out. If YOU get a bad motor then you and little Timmy who went to Japan wasted a lot of time and money that could have been spent elsewhere.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Actually, this whole trip to Japan is to buy things dirt cheap and have a good time. He intends to get a container and fill it with parts that people want and cannot get in the USA, or at least cannot get in the USA for a reasonable price.

About the quality, two folks are going. The owner of CCR and another friend. Both Nissan guys and one of them is an encyclopedia of Nissan knowledge. I am trusting on him to know what to look for in the engine and to pick me the right one. This is all still up in the air, of course.

However, no one except G_Fish has been able to answer my question.

97DubTruck - I understand what you are saying. I am just making multiple plans so I have options. I want to keep them wide open so that way if one thing does not pan out, then I have a backup or two.

[97DubTruck]

Speaking of getting parts cheap and raping the American market...

I'm going to Japan next month and I figured out the smallest parts that cost the most money you can put into a suitcase....for personal use of course.

Fuck buying a container unless you're getting motors.

Good luck finding a clean CA though.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Well, I am not sure how big his container is going to be. I probably won't be getting the motor until the Georgia summer passes over, anyway. No way in hell am I going to be working on my car more than I have to in that heat. And for anyone that lives in Georgia, you know my pain.

[97DubTruck]

Well, I am not sure how big his container is going to be. I probably won't be getting the motor until the Georgia summer passes over, anyway. No way in hell am I going to be working on my car more than I have to in that heat. And for anyone that lives in Georgia, you know my pain.


We did my swap in the Georgia summer heat. Quit yer bitchin'. :mrmeph:

[Chillaxed 240sx]

You also live in Kennesaw. I been to Kennesaw in the summer, it's a little bit more bearable than down here in Macon. You have altitude working for you ... Macon sucks when it comes to heat. Pretty good town, but the heat is the only thing I hate about Georgia.

[JaeTea]

How much does a used, good condition CA18DET run for in American currency? One of my friends is going to Japan in the next few months, and I want to know how much to give him to buy an engine.

From all the research I've done I've found it more cost effective to just go with an SR.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Why? If you do a setup of a stock CA with a turbo timer, exhaust, and boost controller, and boost gauge .. that averages out to about $1000 or less. I can buy a CA and pay $1000 or less than what I would pay for an SR. So for the price of a fairly stock SR, I can get a CA18DET with some aftermarket goodies. I am gonna stick with the CA, thank you very much. Plus, I don't wanna be just another SR powered 240. The CA is unique. And I prefer to be unique with my car.

[SR240DET]

there isnt anything "unique" about it.... maby except its age and time its been in the junk yard....

i drove one before and it felt like a KA with i/h/e...... hahahahhahah have fun... your money..

remember how old the CA is... and a rebuild should be on a list of things to do... unless you get lucky......

[97DubTruck]

You also live in Kennesaw. I been to Kennesaw in the summer, it's a little bit more bearable than down here in Macon. You have altitude working for you ... Macon sucks when it comes to heat. Pretty good town, but the heat is the only thing I hate about Georgia.

It was still hot as shit.

Get an rb20. Those are cheap, a little more rare than sr's, and if you're keeping it close to stock then you'll have more power than an sr or ca.

[ILiveToDrift]

rb20det all the way, turbo 2.0L inline six hell yeah! They are suprizingly cheap too. Share alot of parts with the rb25det and some with the vq30de (USDM). Beutiful engine.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Hmm ... maybe I will look into an RB20. I'll wait until my friend gets his installed and then see how his performs out of the box.

I have already stated (or at least I thought I did) that I will be doing a rebuild.

DubTruck - doesn't Georgia summer suck?

[North240]

KA24DET should feel much better than either options......

[ScottMan]

You also live in Kennesaw. I been to Kennesaw in the summer, it's a little bit more bearable than down here in Macon. You have altitude working for you ... Macon sucks when it comes to heat. Pretty good town, but the heat is the only thing I hate about Georgia.
I'm from Warner Robins and I wasn't whining like a baby when I did either of the 240s, or any other cars I've worked on for that matter. Besides, you're going to get hot and nasty even if it's 20* outside. Just do it.


Keep in mind that all of Zilvia doesn't know what CCR is and couldn't care less. I assume Tripper's going?


As for you wanting to be unique by using a CA and "The CA is unique" and :blah: keep in mind that CAs came in S13s (obviously you know that, just making a point). There's nothing unique about them except most people don't use them. Know why most people don't use them? Because being cheap isn't cool. Save some extra money and do it right the first time. Why would you buy a motor you're going to have to rebuild? Buy an SR, an RB (20, 25, who cares?), or, here's something unique (or once was), a KA-T. You'll start out with WAY more power for the same amount of money and the motors are so incredibly available. Don't be a glutton for punishment. Most people won't look under your hood and say "OOOH!!! CA18DET!!! That's so tight, yo!" In fact, the sad reality is that most people will probably say "Why not a redtop?!" Just my opinion.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Since when was it expensive to rebuild a CA in good shape? If it doesn't start up out of the box to begin with, then the two places I have been looking at have start up warranties.

You do it your way, I will do it mine.

[ScottMan]

^Rebuilding a motor is a hassle no matter what. Obviously it varies based on how much you're trying to do to it and whether you're talking about sleeving or doing a balance and blueprint. Obviously different setups cost more or less and are less involved. It doesn't seem like it on the internet or magazines but...it's a hassle to do it. I'm just saying why would you want to put yourself through that when you could just turbo your KA or any of the other options I mentioned.

As for the start up warranty, that sounds good. That would definitely cut down on the hassle factor.

You're right though, you do it your way, I've done it mine.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

If I were to turbo my KA24E, I would have to rebuild that engine, anyway.

I am not looking at massive horsepower numbers for my car. I just want something better than what I have for a good price. I'll be bringing the CA that I buy back to a stock engine with a timer, a boost gauge, and a bov. The mods will be installed onto the motor in that order. After that, I'll look into getting a boost controller. I want to get my first three mods on before I put the engine into the car. This is going to be a nice, long-term project and I am going to have fun with it.

I assume you've dropped an SR into yours?

Oh, you mentioned that comment about popping the hood and people asking "Why not a redtop?" That's one small reason why I do not want the SR. Very few people do a CA. Even fewer people do a KA-T. The KA-T will cost more than I want to spend, so the CA for ME, is just more cost effective. At least, that's the way I look at it.

[ScottMan]

Yes, I have an SR. I understand what you mean, I guess I just didn't understand your logic. I hear you about the "Why not a redtop?" but I guess I see a lot of people in the car world confusing "unique" and "noone else want to do it". Do what makes you happy, man. It seems like you have a plan and are set in your ways. Works for me.


BTW: I like your sig. My super slow (seriously, it's slow) Honda could probably eat up your 240. ;)

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Well, glad to have made another friend on Zilvia. Especially one that is also located in Georgia. Doesn't seem to be too many Southern Shift_ brothers on Zilvia. Georgia is a very neglected state in the import world.

Hahah. It's an inside joke with me and some of my Honda buddies. We always bust on each other with Nissan and Honda. It's all in good fun, though.

[slivia-junkie]

i like the ca its a good high reving engine with a rebuild and some after market goodies they are nice and imo a good choice for that body style rock the 180sx

[Chillaxed 240sx]

Another true believer! ahaha, just playin

[badboy6686]

I say go for the CA and make that thing rev to the heavens, forget SR's and RB's (;)). Just make sure you research the hell out of whatever motor you go with, and not just the motor but the install to make it go as smoothly as possible. When a problem arises you want to already have an idea why its happening.

Don't worry what everyone else thinks, it'll beat the hell out of that tired KA anyday.

[Chillaxed 240sx]

If I wanted a real rev monster with a shit load of power behind it ... I would go for an RB.

I haven't looked extremely hard into a CA18DET installation guide ... but I honestly have not seen one yet. I have heard that it is similar to installing an SR20DET, though. But if anyone has a CA18DET install guide on their IE favorites, please share. But like I said, I haven't gotten hardcore into the searching for one. Ca18det.org has a link for an install guide, but it hasn't been posted yet.

[jspecusa]

I like Apple, but some of you perfer oranges.
You can go on and on about which is better.
This is what I would do base on experience.
89-90 240sx--ca18det or rebuild the ka24e "T" it
91-94 240sx--red or black top s13 sr.
95-96 zenki s14 sr
97-98 kouki s14 sr
ka24det---cheap to do now due to all the cast iron manifold and cheap ebay manifold, but the best part is the cost to replace a blown one now.
rb20---for people who want to be different
rb25---for people who want to be different and have 2x the money of the guy above.
rb26---fun and talk about torque, nothing beat the sound of inline 6 twin turbo with individual throttle bodies.
cheers,

sam

[Chillaxed 240sx]

The KA24DET is also fairly cheape because of the number of kits out there. All you pretty much have to do is find out what individual parts come in the kits and you can essentially piece together your own kit and not have to worry about screwing up.