Tips on buying my first 240sx

[celerrime]

Hey all, I'm not exactly new to the boreds but this is my first time posting. Anywho, I'm looking to get an s13. I have found one around me in some adds and will most likely will be checking it out tonight. 93, 5-speed, fastback etc etc.... but I would like to know what things in specific I should be looking for in it? Like model specific type things. I have heard of the timing chain rattle and a few others, but I didn't know if there was anything obvious that I'm missing here. I guess I'm asking what would you look for in an s13 if you were in the market?

Before you ask, I have searched and nothing really seemed to answer my Q's.


Thanks guys, and sorry for the long post :eek3:

[KA24DESOneThree]

What do you plan on doing with the car? If you state your intentions, it'll make it easier for us to say what options you should avoid and what parts tend to deteriorate under stress.

[aznpoopy]

mileage? condition? asking price? what are you doing with it? how mechanically inclined are you?

#1 b4 anything else carfax; check for accidents
#2 compression + leakdown : not always possible though...
#3 make sure the tranny shifts good with no grinds
#4 no rust!!! (check under the car too)

other stuff is easier so maybe you can fix that yourself. timing chain rattle is not a big deal oh dohc. make sure the engine isn't knocking or something. that would be bad. i would be looking for a s13 with a straight body, no dents or dings or rust; and a clean title. a strong running ka is a plus. check out wear items and fluids to use as bargaining chips! rusted out brakes, bald tires, dirty fluids, engine oil, etc etc. "oh this will cost $xxx to fix/replace so if you take that off the price, that'd be fair." small things like coolant level and tire pressure can tip you off to how well the previous owner kept the car.

[celerrime]

Sorry guys, completely forgot to mention that. It will mostly be a street car for getting me back and forth from classes, but I would love to do some autocross. I would like it to be more of a beat you through the curves then on a drag strip type car. And I don't know the condition nor mileage. They didn't state that in the add and I'm just going to look at it tonight. Thanks for the tips so far guys.

[aznpoopy]

if you're focused on autox; youll probably end up spending a bit more money on it. namely - brake rotors, pads, lines, brake fluid. and most likely springs, shocks, wheels, tires. so these items are not as important when determining if you want to buy it or not. however, you can use them as a bargaining chip to lower the price. from what you said it seems swapping an engine/tranny etc is totally out of the question. so make sure that stuff is ok! ka's can be very reliable and go well past 200k+ miles if well treated. good luck! look for those options like abs and lsd

[exitspeed]

My best tip for you is be patient. You can get exactly what you want if you are.

[morpheus8486]

My best tip for you is be patient. You can get exactly what you want if you are.

True that. It pays off. When I was ready to buy a car, I looked for a 240sx in my area for like 4 months. During that time I probably only saw maybe three for sale within 100 miles of where I live. Then one night I saw my baby in the classifieds. She was everything I was looking for, except for the color, but I'm fixing that right now. A fastback with 65k miles, original owner, no rust, super hicas, 5 speed. I called the seller and I sent my parents to look at it the day after with all the $ I had saved. If they thought it was a good buy I told them to bring it home. Later that night I was the proud owner of a 240sx. Sweet story huh? Almost brings a tear to my eye. And again, patience does pay off. Just keep looking for one that is in good condition and one that is mechanically sound.

[lilredstiffy]

me personally i would look for a clean interior, no wrecks, good paint, body in good shape.

things to haggle for price, front oil seal behind crank pulley, timing chain rattle, steering feels like shit (bad tie rods or t/c bushings), crack in plastic top of radiator, if its running like shit it will probably just need a fuel filter and spark plugs, ka's are tough haha

I found exactly what I was looking for about 3 and a half years ago, clean clean clean 93 hatch with power everything no abs, got the price down a little bit because of a couple oil leaks and it wouldn't rev past 4k , paid about 3500

don't know whats left on the market as far as good shape 240's but i pray to god i never get in a wreck :-/

[S13FREEAAK]

Be patient, In the last 2 years there has been 3 240s for sale, 2 were junk and one is now mine. Don't settle on some piece of shit.

BTW: where in Iowa are you?

Joe

[celerrime]

Thanks for the tips guys. Couldn't find the dealership tonight, but I may try tomorrow. And I have been looking for a few months. I can still wait for a good one. Hopefully its soon though ;)

S13FREEAAK- CR. I'll be going to Kirkwood next summer/fall though. Where are you at in IA?

[S13FREEAAK]

I'm in Dubuque.

[G_Fish240]

get a car alarm