Picking up a 1998 240SX on Friday. My new car.

[Neo-Maikeru]

Hello everyone. First off I would like to say hello to everyone here because I am new. These forums look pretty active so I chose to make this my new home for 240sx needs/etc. I am sure all the activity brings in a lot of idiots too though, heh. I am going to LA to pick up and buy a a 240SX this Friday and can't wait. You can see a picture of the car in my sig. Here are the specs:

1998 model year
White in color
SE edition
ABS
100% stock besides alarm system
LSD
Sunroof
64,000 miles
Mint interior and exterior
Clean Title
Original Owner
All records of all work ever done
Automatic Transmition (That I will swap eventually)

I am getting all this somewhere in the range of 9-10k. The only bummer about the car is that it is an auto but that can always be changed. How do you think this deal is? I am buying it regardless but I just wanted to know what you all think. This 240 has pretty much every factory option that one could want and the owner seemed to take really good care of the car and it shows. I know I could hunt down a 5-Speed for the same price but it probably won't be in this condition, have this low of miles, and have original white paint. I think it is better to get a car that you know has been treated well in automatic than get a car in worse condition for the same price that is a 5-speed. Most of the 240's I see seem to be green or red.

[nsn240]

yea, i think you have a good deal there. if it as in good of condition as you say it is + lsd... i like the koukis more anyways, so yea buy it! Plus, tranny swaps arent too pricey and there's 'how to' guides all over the place. Let us know what happens. good luck!

[NemeGuero]

good deal, but you don't need those stock side skirts so you can just give them to me.

[Neo-Maikeru]

good deal, but you don't need those stock side skirts so you can just give them to me.

Nice try. :D

I am guessing that all the parts for a manual conversion will cost me $500-600 correct? Not including labor of course but I will do that myself.

[A Spec Products]

Decent deal and I know you've already addressed it but you might want to just find one that's already 5 speed, just makes one less thing to worry about / plan for. If you're going SR then yeah, but you might as well get what you want from the start especially if you're paying 9-10k unmodded. Looks very clean as far as I can tell.

For me personally, I'd rather get base model S14, the only thing I might want is the 5 rug.

Good luck!

[Neo-Maikeru]

Decent deal and I know you've already addressed it but you might want to just find one that's already 5 speed, just makes one less thing to worry about / plan for. If you're going SR then yeah, but you might as well get what you want from the start especially if you're paying 9-10k unmodded. Looks very clean as far as I can tell.

For me personally, I'd rather get base model S14, the only thing I might want is the 5 rug.

Good luck!

I was considering doing the transmition swap before getting an SR as you can see from my latest post. I am thinking that I will just wait it out though for a few months until I save up the cash for my SR and swap out the transmition with the one that comes with the new engine. No drifting until I get that manual transmition in there...Sucks. Atleast I will have a nice looking kouki to drive around though. Heh. As far as me buying this "unmodded car" goes, I rather have it unmodded from the start. This way I know that the owner probably did not race it around and it also feels more like my own car. I know I could drop $3000 more and go find one with nice rims, SR20, stereo, etc. but when I drive it around it will never feel like my own car, it will feel like someone elses. Part of the fun is making the car evolve all by yourself and doing your own work to it both exterior and engine wise.

[NemeGuero]

Manual swap is easy, don't let people get you down! I did my own. If you need any help with it. lemme know. And I still want ur skirts!

[A Spec Products]

I was considering doing the transmition swap before getting an SR as you can see from my latest post. I am thinking that I will just wait it out though for a few months until I save up the cash for my SR and swap out the transmition with the one that comes with the new engine. No drifting until I get that manual transmition in there...Sucks. Atleast I will have a nice looking kouki to drive around though. Heh. As far as me buying this "unmodded car" goes, I rather have it unmodded from the start. This way I know that the owner probably did not race it around and it also feels more like my own car. I know I could drop $3000 more and go find one with nice rims, SR20, stereo, etc. but when I drive it around it will never feel like my own car, it will feel like someone elses. Part of the fun is making the car evolve all by yourself and doing your own work to it both exterior and engine wise.

Yeah, just saw that :)

Do it man, sounds good!

I wish I could find more 60k KA24s lying around!

[Neo-Maikeru]

Manual swap is easy, don't let people get you down! I did my own. If you need any help with it. lemme know. And I still want ur skirts!

I have somewhat of a stupid question. Is it still possible to buy a new 1998 240sx transmition and all parts from the Nissan dealer? The reason being is because I do not want a transmition from an 89 240sx going in my 98 and there is no real way of knowing what year your trans is from. I am not saying that the older 240SX''s have bad transmitions or anything but it just seems right to have a newer transmition if you are putting it in a newer car. Plus it will probably have less wear and tear the newer it is. As for help, I could use all of it, haha. I am a previous 2005 WRX owner and here are two of the reasons why I sold it...One is that I always loved the 1997-1998 240SX's even befor the whole craze plus I want to get into drifting after riding in my buddies S14 Zenki while he was having a drift small drift session.(No worries though I am not going to try to be like Takumi, I am going to do it on a track or safe area) The second is because I know nothing about mechanics but hate being clueless about it and want that to change. My past cars such as the WRX have been newer cars with tiny cramped engine bays that are very difficult to work on. With the 240SX I can swap the engine, transmition, etc. alongside a skilled friend or two and learn a whole lot and get some satisfaction by doing it and not have to be worried as hell that I am going to mess somthing up like I would be if I was working on a nearly brand new car.

[OptionZero]

Mine had 60k. Doubled that in about 3 years, haha.

[Neo-Maikeru]

Mine had 60k. Doubled that in about 3 years, haha.
This is hilarious...

We both live in the same area
We both have white kouki's
We both have or had an AT transmition
We both have the SE model
We both have or had the same amount of miles on our car

[infinitexsound]

so u gonna track it or look at it allday?

[Neo-Maikeru]

so u gonna track it or look at it allday?

A combination of both. :)

[OptionZero]

Some lessons you'll soon learn:
Sunroof? It's not a benefit, it sucks. Headroom and chassis stiffness are waaay more valuable.

Get new tires. It's worth it. Falken Azenis in stock size will pwn everything for under $400 shipped (assuming any place stocks them...)

Fix before upgrade. Shit will break, waste your money on mods like me and repairs will have you in debt up your ass. Sucks, but true. get your basic maintenance done, change plugs, wires, oil, distributor cap and rotor, battery, radiator fluid, bleed your brakes, check for anything else wearing down.

Driver skill is 1 and 1A. Unless you have an opportunity to upgrade while replacing something broken (clutch, shock, body...), pay for events, ride with others and drive. get the swap ASAP, learn how to drive stick, make rev match and heel-toe second nature.

Get a Helmet. It's part of above.

Suspension>Power. the 160whp from your SR won't mean shit on bald tires, weak pads, and soft suspension. When you can get the most out of your 130whp, then you can worry about adding more. Stomping on the gas in a straight line is fun until the road turns faster than your car does.

[Neo-Maikeru]

Some lessons you'll soon learn:
Sunroof? It's not a benefit, it sucks. Headroom and chassis stiffness are waaay more valuable.

Get new tires. It's worth it. Falken Azenis in stock size will pwn everything for under $400 shipped (assuming any place stocks them...)

Fix before upgrade. Shit will break, waste your money on mods like me and repairs will have you in debt up your ass. Sucks, but true. get your basic maintenance done, change plugs, wires, oil, distributor cap and rotor, battery, radiator fluid, bleed your brakes, check for anything else wearing down.

Driver skill is 1 and 1A. Unless you have an opportunity to upgrade while replacing something broken (clutch, shock, body...), pay for events, ride with others and drive. get the swap ASAP, learn how to drive stick, make rev match and heel-toe second nature.

Get a Helmet. It's part of above.

Suspension>Power. the 160whp from your SR won't mean shit on bald tires, weak pads, and soft suspension. When you can get the most out of your 130whp, then you can worry about adding more. Stomping on the gas in a straight line is fun until the road turns faster than your car does.


So does having a sunroof make the car really worse as far as stiffness goes? That post made me think of this aspect of my car. Is it a big enough deal that I shouldn't get it because it has a sunroof?

[OptionZero]

Its not a big deal and you won't notice it till your car is heavily modified, hahaha.

I hate it because I'm tall and i need head room, especially with a helmet.

Also it may lead to more cabin noise as the sunroof on mine vibrates. It may just because my suspension is stiff and bouncy, stupid spring/shock.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

So does having a sunroof make the car really worse as far as stiffness goes? That post made me think of this aspect of my car. Is it a big enough deal that I shouldn't get it because it has a sunroof?

not to the point where you should turn away from the car at all, its just not ideal

[Neo-Maikeru]

not to the point where you should turn away from the car at all, its just not ideal

And if I get the 5-Lug SE model of any Kouki 240SX it will have a sunroof. Correct me if I am wrong. My old WRX has a sunroof and to fit in the car with a helmet on you had to open it. Is that the same for the 240SX? I am about 6'1.

[p11driver]

If you are over 6 foot and plan on going to the track then the sunroof support will be hitting your helmet. its not very fun driving with your neck bent.
i took my sunroof out and welded sheet metal to the roof. You can also get a different seat with lower seat brackets, that will keep you from hitting your head also.

also, almost every se model came with sunroof. opening the sunroof does not help at all.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

I may be wrong on this but I think some kouki se's didn't have a sunroof, but they are super hard to find, again im not 100% on that. Stock 240 seats have a pretty good driving position so I dont think you'll need to worry about opening the roof. I'm tall too (6'3) and I fit in just fine with a helmet, then again I have a base model

Edit : might look into doing what he said ^^^, get a lower seat ,

[NemeGuero]

fuck that! sun roofs rock! don't be jealous you tall bastard!haha You can buy a refurbished s14 tranny for about 450-500 bucks from attarco. If you're ordering from the dealer you'll easily spend another 500 on the lines, and both cylinders and other parts. It's not worth it. Get an s13 tranny and s13 parts 'cuz they're cheap and easily replaceable. New is nice.. but you'll pay for it! I did my swap for 450.. for EVERYTHING.. but that's with s13 parts..

[OptionZero]

just find a used '97-98 tranny and be done with it, they should be relatively low mileage.

Turdz has an SE with no sunroof.

[Neo-Maikeru]

If you are over 6 foot and plan on going to the track then the sunroof support will be hitting your helmet. its not very fun driving with your neck bent.
i took my sunroof out and welded sheet metal to the roof. You can also get a different seat with lower seat brackets, that will keep you from hitting your head also.

also, almost every se model came with sunroof. opening the sunroof does not help at all.

Maybe a set of Bride Zeta III seats are in order sooner than I planned then...Thanks for the reply.

[NemeGuero]

AIM: KoukiNemesis for your swap help

[TurDz]

Hi there Neo,

Nice to meet you. If you want to come by Davis to meet me and OptionZero, don't hesitate to. I have a 98 w/ no sunroof, no ABS, 5-speed, and got it 2 years ago with 50k miles.

I sometimes regret buying a Kouki for so much (around your price), since conversions and all that are cheaper if you get a cheaper Zenki, but I plan to keep this car for many years so looking at it overall, it was a good buy to get everything in one package and its a great car to have fun in.

Maybe you can even come to Davis before you buy the car, to check out how the headroom clearance is for you. Just let me know. Good Luck!

[Neo-Maikeru]

Hi there Neo,

Nice to meet you. If you want to come by Davis to meet me and OptionZero, don't hesitate to. I have a 98 w/ no sunroof, no ABS, 5-speed, and got it 2 years ago with 50k miles.

I sometimes regret buying a Kouki for so much (around your price), since conversions and all that are cheaper if you get a cheaper Zenki, but I plan to keep this car for many years so looking at it overall, it was a good buy to get everything in one package and its a great car to have fun in.

Maybe you can even come to Davis before you buy the car, to check out how the headroom clearance is for you. Just let me know. Good Luck!

Well checking the clearance on your car won't help me because it has no sunroof, heh. I would like to meet you all though. Once I get my car we can arrange somthing. Hit me up on AIM sometime, my SN is Neo Maikeru.

[OptionZero]

haha Turdz, no one can drive our cars with that shifter...remember dave couldn't do it?

heck people couldnt' drive my car with that old clutch...

[aznpoopy]

I have somewhat of a stupid question. Is it still possible to buy a new 1998 240sx transmition and all parts from the Nissan dealer?

yes. for about 12x what a used one will cost. everythingnissan.com has it listed for the discount price of $1625 dollars. (just the tranny)

[orion::S14]

I am getting all this somewhere in the range of 9-10k.

Mother of god...that's A LOT for a 7 year old car that cost ~24k new.

Hell, I paid 16k for my '96 SE Auto...in 1997. Damn.

I'm gonna start buying all the overpriced '97-98s for $7.5k here in FL, and sell them for 10k shipped to CA...hehe.

Anyway, I just bought the same car for my wife...except 125,000 miles...for $6,600.

Perfect condition, GREAT compression, drives beautifully, gets great mileage, etc...here's a pic:

http://ka24development.com/file_images/beths_240sx_white.jpg

Enjoy it...these are great cars, especially for the money (even at $9k :p ).

- Brian

[dorifto-san4o8]

i got a 97 SE with no sunroof, 5spd manual, no abs for 5500 clean title but in green. i would keep searching on craigslist or ask older people around your area or when you see them getting out of there car if there selling it.

[Irukandji]

u dont need an sr to drift...shiit ur ka only has 6x,xxx miles... keep that! just do the tranny swap.

dont be another "i g0t a 240 wida SR20 so Ay3 can Dr1ftz0rz".

nice car btw!

^ ignore what i sed.. im jus jealous

[jOeHaCk98]

or buy my fully modified "kouki" with ferrari red modena paint.. all mods have been on for about 400 miles. 11k. Full suspension, all black interior including carpet, bucket seat, intake, exhaust, 17x9 / 17x10 wheels, and origin kit. 80k miles.

[Siizzzoooo]

if you're willing to travel you can get an even better deal, but the 5 speed conversion aint that big of deal

if its a dealership, you can lowball them and hopefully they'll be willing to work on the price

[TurDz]

Well checking the clearance on your car won't help me because it has no sunroof, heh. I would like to meet you all though. Once I get my car we can arrange somthing. Hit me up on AIM sometime, my SN is Neo Maikeru.

I was hoping you'd understand me. Since OptionZero has a sunroof, and I don't, you can compare both.

[Omarius Maximus]

Hahaha...I think its an awesome car. In fact I wish I had it. I too have a 98 kouki, but it's a weird one. It has no options whatsoever. No power door locks, no power mirrors, no tilt steering wheel, and no adjustable settings on the windshield wipers. Also, my mirrors are black while the color of the car is green. I also don't have cloth on the inside of my doors, instead it's just black plastic. It also has less sound deadening than an SE cause it's a hell of a lot louder, and the doors don't thud closed like my old zenki. If it weren't for the auto tranny, it would be the lightest factory produced S14. A type R if you will.
Even with all of this, I would give it up in a heartbeat for a sunroofed SE.

[Omarius Maximus]

The price for my car brand new in 1998 was a little over 17 thousand dollars. Compare it to an SE at 24k and you'll understand how much less crap it has in it.

[WanganRunner]

I bought my 98 65k 5spd for $9800 a year ago, functionally speaking it hasn't depreciated one dime. I've gotten two different offers from people on this site, via PM, for $10k.

$10k is a lot for an auto though, but it is a desirable color and all....and it is CA.

[OptionZero]

Dude I'd kill for a kouki that's:

Aspen Pearl White
5 lug
5-spd
no sunroof
VLSD stock
power windows
no power locks
no spoilers
cloth seats

Basicallly stripped to hell except for 5lug and VLSD and power windows (lazy)

all that other crap is just dead weight, i don't even need a CD player

[RUTH'LESSDET]

I think its an okay deal(you could prob find better but f*ck it) i just picked up a mint 97 auto Starfire blue w/ 86K for $6K and i love the car...and since it is an auto is kinda less likely it was beatin on so good luck with your pick up dont let any one discourage you........ :rawk:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/ruthlessdet/my97s14mc.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/ruthlessdet/DSC02979.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/ruthlessdet/DSC02978.jpg

[SDS14Driver]

Youve' made it crystal clear that an auto is something you don't want. I found my 98 manual with 89k miles for 9 grand on autotrader's website. If you find a car and it's not 100% what you want, don't get it. Despite what a lot of people think, there's always a low mile S14 out there perfect for you at a price you can afford, just don't screw yourself over by settling for less.

good luck.

[Neo-Maikeru]

Youve' made it crystal clear that an auto is something you don't want. I found my 98 manual with 89k miles for 9 grand on autotrader's website. If you find a car and it's not 100% what you want, don't get it. Despite what a lot of people think, there's always a low mile S14 out there perfect for you at a price you can afford, just don't screw yourself over by settling for less.

good luck.

Here is how I am thinking though...Manual is easy and fairly cheap to swap in, unlike paint color, good conditioned chassis, etc.

[SDS14Driver]

You seem very eager about your plans for your SR swap. Just be sure to do as much research as possible and be realistic with what it is you really want. SR's are fantastic engines in my opinion but they're also illegal and have their weaknesses.

I drive a 98 also, and paid over 9k for my 240 and i'll be damned if some soCal cop pulls me over because my exhaust is shiney, pops my hood and i never see my car again. It happens... Beware.

Not only that, but research what it takes to do the swap. It's not a simple, 1 - 2 -3 - Boost! project. It really isn't, problems will happen and guess what, fixing them isn't free... I promise you that. What i reccomend you do is take a good look at what youre trying to accomplish, with or w/o an SR and work backward from there.

You want Turbo? You want 210HP @ the wheels? You can do both cheaper, more legal and more reliable with the KA, just a thought... A good friend of mine got busted for a JDM engine man, not a pretty sight.

[RUTH'LESSDET]

i'll be damned if some soCal cop pulls me over because my exhaust is shiney, pops my hood and i never see my car again. It happens... Beware..

Damn its really like that in cali that sucks sorry to hear that....you should come to ny :naughtyd: