Bababou

If it were a USDM version sure, there is one in my area that has an LS2 and T56 for the same price as this JDM car. The one I'm looking at only has about 72K miles on it which is nothing on a stock Sr20det so plenty of life left in it. I'm looking for a fun and unique car to DD not a track monster.

Kingtal0n

I hate to sound pessimistic but how do you know the mileage is accurate?
I used to visit a shop that brought right hand drive cars in with 200,000km, the owner would put a 66k cluster in the car and sell as low mileage.
All day long. Because nobody can tell the difference.

You can't really tell if it has 200k or 60k.
In fact, half the time you can't even tell the exact year given the short vin#. I've seen the guy cut the seat belt tags out of a car and sell a 98 as a 2002

Bringing in the car from another country goes around all of those laws and regulations about mileage, car fax, etc... and I would be highly suspicious of any car from 199x that claims to have only 50,000 miles or whatever.


Here is what I would do in this case at least. Simply perform a nice cold compression test. If the motor really has low miles it will either have insane carbon build up and need a head refresh to bring compression back. Or it will have superb compression (155psi across the board is fine).
If it shows 125 125 128 125 or similar, it has 200k miles
That is step 1.
Step2 is to investigate the PCV orifices and turbocharger compressor wheel condition.
get a nice macro shot of the compressor wheel. An OEM ball bearing turbo with that low mileage will show NO wear.
If you see little chips around the edges of the blade, or any kind of obvious wear, it has high mileage or was run without an air filter.
Both BAD signs.

anymore when it comes to sr20 engines, I always go into these situations expecting an engine rebuild. Regardless of how many 'miles' they have. Because the current owner will say about 80k, while the previous owner put 30k on it, the owner before that put 80k on it, and the guy before that put 65-100k on it in 199x after driving it for five to eight years in the first place.

And any engines are not cheap or easy to rebuild.
V8 rebuild failures, as well as 4-cylinder:

Low mileage engines fail, more reason to always use a cheap engine
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-blown-up.html
Don't rebuild that engine!
https://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/s....php?t=2401762
"stock is reliable on the track"
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...p?p=1598526132
Engine building (machine shop/paying for work instead of doing it yourself) screws you over most of the time
https://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/s...2527749&page=8
Even crate engines fail, use an oem block
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...crate-ls3.html
the Al. 5.3 is where its at:
http://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-ind...d-5-3-a-2.html

"I hear ya! Had more trouble with machining BS trying to use aftermarket parts than I care to admit. Wish I would have stuck to factory short blocks as well. Tired of pulling apart "built" motors when guys are making twice the power on factory original stuff and racing the whole season."
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...l#post19525070


4-cylinder applications perhaps to an even worse degree
https://zilvia.net/f/showpost.php?p=6285960&postcount=4


If the car is actually low mileage I think 12k is more than fair considering the cost comparison to buying and properly swapping a USA version with a low mileage engine (Which doesn't exist, so...)
I mean we've seen all original 240sx go for 9k 10k with the factory KA engine. Even I let a 97 LE with 48k go for $9000. Makes you wonder

Kingtal0n

I took another look to see if I could pinpount any obvious shenanigans.
Here is what I noticed

1. The dash has been replaced and the air bags are gone. This red flag indicates the vehicle was involved in an accident. Without carfax and without being there, whose to say what the frame underneath looks like. There are no pictures of it either. I would take a good hard look at that frame regardless of what anybody says. I've also seen JDM cars cut in half and re-welded together to make a whole new car. So gota watch out for that too. need to look at the seam glues, especially under the carpet and inspect spot weld areas.

2. For such low mileage the interior seems to have a lot of wear. The broken radio bezel, center console, and seats remind me of a 240sx with 150k

3. exterior recently repainted is a warning sign, what is hiding? And how long until it shows through? I'd rather buy a car with original paint that is peeling and fading than a repaint.

4. Take a good look at the front of the car, hood and headlights/fenders don't line up properly. The body panels have obviously been removed, repaired, something has been done there. I would never touch a car like this because I know that with my facility (basically nothing) I would never be able to repair the front end properly, lining those things up takes a real skill/artist in body work which is why it probably looks the way it does currently.

All of this is adding up to: its a $6500 car. Probably paid $3500-4500 in Japan for it, hit. $2000 to get it here. $1500 in body work and paint (cheaply done).
Typical process is to rebuild a wrecked car purchased cheaply at auction, and try to turn a couple thousand in profits here since there is no paper document trail showing that its been wrecked or how bad.

__________________
5.3/4l80e/turbo 240sx playthrough:
https://tinyurl.com/turbo240

Bababou

Ok lots of information thank you.

I should be able to do those checks you spoke of but may not be worth the time based on your other comments. I noticed the hood was a little up I just assumed it was popped for taking pictures I don't really see any other miss aligned spots, but body work and lines has never been my thing. I know a couple guys that could help me true that up if I were to buy it. I want to go take another look and get under the car to see how it looks. I was not prepared to crawl under a car when I went over and I have a month before the cash will be available to buy so not in a huge rush either. The add says it has the kouki conversion so that would explain the parts being not quiet right and the need for a repaint, not arguing that its not previously wrecked just what I assumed reading it. But I'm one of those foolish trusting souls.

Assuming there are no signs of welding a couple cars together to make one and the motor checks out ok what would you call a reasonable offer?

Kingtal0n

I'm the last person you want to ask that.

You know how hard it is to pay more for something that you used to pay less for?
In ~2007 I bought an 1999 gunmetal S15 Spec-R from Japan for 12000ish. Complete, running, not a damn thing wrong with it. No damage at all. Thats why I wanted it.
Left the body original paint and just drove the thing for years.

So, that was ten years ago. And I expect car prices to come down, not go up. You know, "normal stuff" to happen.
So here we are almost 10 years since then, I would expect an S15 to go for even less than that now.
And we all know how inferior the S14 is to the s15. So... way less. I would try to pick one up from Japan auction for around $5000 and have it here for under 8k.
Thats about what they went for 10 years also, more or less. Its hard to remember the S14 situation though because nobody ever brought them, usually it was just S15 and skylines.
A local friend just picked up a 1992 GT-S Skyline for around 6k.

The deals are out there. Find an overstocked Importer with fresh cars coming in and no space....

Bababou

We dont get those deals here from what I've seen. Cheapest skyline here is a 93 4dr gts. Or there is a 90 2dr gts 4 for $20k. The importers here are never over stocked on cars. The same place this s14 is I got a motor for my subaru from him last April. He is still sitting on the same z32. They focus on motors, trans and parts here. I'll have to check japan auction, not sure what site I was on but the best I found was about 11k and I'd still have to get it from Baltimore to Phoenix.

wanadrift

Sold my s13s but that was a huge mistake. I'd like to go ahead and get a 180sx but the main importer I was considering I've heard not the greatest news both on here and from someone I met in person who purchased from them. They both advise I go up there to see it and not to rely on pictures.. I'm in the Savannah Ga area.