The hunt is on!

I sold my WRX last December, after paying it off I made $4K, the money I've been able to save a few more grand since then (mostly due to not having a car payment).

Now that the warm weather is here I'm itching to get out of my pickup and into something sporty.

I've decided 100% without a doubt that I want a MY95-98 240sx

It needs to be a stick shift
It needs to be in good shape drivable/inspectable/no rust/no mechanical problems/etc.

I live in NH but willing to go to neighboring states: VT, ME, MA

I'm looking to spend about 4-5K on the car... the only way I would consider an Automatic is if it was 100% flawless and a good price, then I'd at least consider it for a transmission swap.

I plan on building a Silvia 14.5... S14 rear end S15 front end and S15 engine, I've already done my research I know everything involved, I know who I'm going to buy the parts from, I've got the cash I need for the first part of the conversion (engine swap) and I've talked to people who've done the conversion already and willing to lend me a hand if I get stuck. Though I'm doing an engine swap I want the car to be in good mechanical shape before the swap to help ensure that everything is in working order before hand. I want to upgrade the car not repair a basket-case.

All I need now is the car. I've been searching autotrader, uncle henry's, and craigs list daily.

The reason I'm posting this here is because I've found the best deals are usually the ones sitting on the side of the road with no other advertising. So if anyone here lives in the New England area and knows of a nice 240sx for sale.. PLEASE let me know

uncle henrys?
nevermind, it was already in your post

If I see anything Ill let you know.

Damn....
If you're in need of an S13 project car (1989 240SX coupe) with Automatic tranny (that needs repair) let me know.
I spent thousands of dollars on it and even replaced the engine, but gave up after the tranny sprung a leak.
My mechanic wanted it so he can convert to Manual tansmission and race it, but he never gave me the cash ($500).
I'm considering trading it to him for new motor mounts and timing belt for my 92 Talon.

Probably not worth it after shipping costs, but you never know.
I'm in Cali so it would be a cross-country delivery (or a cross-country drive).
The engine would make the trip (35,000 miles), but the tranny won't (211,000 miles and a major leak).

@Ry: Thanks

@Alex:
It'd be about $1100 to ship here. I know because one of my friends just moved to SanDiago and had his Mazda 3 shipped out

Though I guarantee it's in WAY better shape then most of the S13s around here, Winter driving is hell on the body/frame of a car.

Most of the S13s I see advertised are:



what engine do you have in your car; or did you just put another KA24DE in it?

If I were to go S13 it would have to be a 91-94 because the 89-90s are slightly different making the engine swap more difficult/expensive. I'd probably go for an S13 ragtop tough, since they're so friggin rare

It was just a japanese take-out KA24DE. The original engine threw a rod at 209,000 and I had it replaced.
I've also replaced the rear differential, all rotors, pads, tires, A/C control unit in the dash, both Power window motors/regulators (driver and passenger), and a bunch of miscellaneous crap. It doesn't have rust that I know of since it never snows around here.

It's equipped with HUD (Heads up display), but the windshield has a crack. It didn't have a crack in September 06, but since it's been sitting at my mechanic's shop it magically appeared. The dashboard is also cracking all over the place from the effects of the weather. After replacing the engine, it passed California's very strict emmision testing, but after the tranny sprung a leak I gave up on the car and eventually planned non-op'ed it when renewal time came around (August 06).

In it's condition and considering the shipping costs, it's definitely not worth your time to get this thing shipped over to you since you can probably find them in good running condition for about the same amount of cash you'd spend on this one. . . unless you had money to burn and felt motivated to play with a project car.

http://www.unclehenrys.com/CLASSIFIEDS/Sea...0%23-2136523081

240's are a dime a dozen here and very cheap... too far away though

looks nice but I'm looking for a 95 or newer model (different body style)


Where exactly is "here"

Gotcha. I've seen one for sale recently. Not sure exactly where though. Ill keep my eyes open, but it's always hard to find a specific car like that. It may be elusive prey.

I realize it will be difficult, but I know I've seen some cherry examples at good prices pop up in the past so I'm willing to wait as long as I have to for the next one to pop up

when it's something you don't _NEED_ you can afford to take your time looking.

I've seen two so-so ones come up recently

a Silver 95 in keen NH with a crappy half-finished body kit and leaky oil pan (165K miles too)
and a blue/purple 95 in Mass that looks really clean but has a nasty crack in the dashboard... the guy responded to a WTB and sent me pics but it's it's been a week and he hasn't returned my email with some questions like: how many miles? how much? how does it run?... from the pics it looks decent though.

I'm really pissed I didn't start earlier though... two really low mileage, low price, nearly flawless 95 240s went just 2 weeks before I started looking... I saw the posts on 240sxone.com (240 Owners of New England).

Anyone know of a towing service that would reasonably ship a car from VT to NH (about 150miles).

I found a nice looking clean 240 in VT, mid swap with an S14 SR20det blacktop. really clean body the swap needs the harness done and the intercooler installed (missing hoses but it's a brand new aftermarket intercooler).

it's an S13 but for the price it's worth buying just for the motor+intercooler.

I just have no idea where to look to have the thing transported, most towing companies around me wont go that far and most car transport services want specific pickup and dropp-off locations

Do they rent tow trucks by the day?

Uhaul would run you around $400 if you used their trucks, or about $75 to tow it with yours.

You should be able to get an exact price on their website.

oooh... I hadn't even thought of those light car trailers...

OPINIONS?

CAR #1
Vermont: 91 S13 with a S14 SR20DET motor and a Greddy FMIC doesn't run because the wiring harness still needs to be converted and the intercooler needs to be hooked up Also I'd need to rent something to get it hope and finish it up. $3500 though it's not the body style I want I figure it might be worth it just for the motor and FMIC.




CAR #2
Mass: 95 S14 bone stock 151K miles imported from Georga by a 240 collector (the guy has 5 of em and a few skylines too) so the body/frame are clean, only problem is a cracked dash but I figure I could probably find a junkyard donor for that. $3K and I can drive it home.



Anyone have advice on things to check for/look out for when buying a used car car? I've only ever bought 1 used car before (my Toyota pickup) and I had a mechanic friend with me... this time I wont have him to tag along.

Uncle Henrys comes out today and youre not talking about this gem?

http://www.unclehenrys.com/Classifieds/Sea...N%23-2136516114

I like the SR20det blacktop myself. But thats personal preference I suppose. I actually like that body style too, so that may be part of it.

FRESH ORANGE PAINT! Does that come with authentic orange peel too!?!

I'll be ready for Fast and the Furious 4 with that beast



If I do get an SR20DET it will definitely be the blacktop, no question there... though I'm going to see if I can get a hold of a RB25DET or at least an RB20DET... 6 cylinders is so much nicer

As for the body style. As far as stock 240s go I completely agree that the pop up style looks better, but I'm planning on swaping out the headlights/hood/fenders and front bumper with S15 stuff... IMO the S15 front end with S14 rear end is Dead Sexy

I know a guy around here with the RB25DET engine swap. It's a damn quick car. That's for sure. Though repairs are retarded expensive. I can't remember what it was that he broke, but I know the car was up for months over .... a bent valve maybe? Something to the tune of 3 grand? I can't remember the details, but I remember it was an expensive motor to repair.

d-damn, though I suspect something like a bent valve, no matter what you'd be stuck with a hefty repair bill, not so expensive to replace the valve as it is to fix everything around it that became damaged from the valve bending.

www.nicoclub.com

There is a classifieds section in the forum. Feel free to check it out.

cool thanks... think link is blocked at my work though, so I'll have to wait until tonight to check it out

things like, makinf sure it's not stolen, making sure it's not a previous insurance write-off, not a chop-shop number, stuff like that is pretty important lol.

Best thing to do would be to find out what their common ailments are, so you can check to see if the one you are interested buying sufferes from any of them.

Check the underside of them for rust on the sideskirts, where it reaches the rear wheel arch, it being a nissan and all.

other standard checks like making sure the clutch is good (put it in 4th, rev her up high, pop the clutch, if shes stalls, clutch is good) are always good to do.

good advice, I particularly like that clutch trick

oh yeah and check ALL the electronics.

nissans are notorious for having their electrics fail, i don't mean important stuff like spark plugs, headlights though, just stuff like heater switches etc.

for example my heater only works on the highest setting and led in my rear window demister button doesnt work.

if i had electric windows/mirrors, they probably wouldnt work either

i mean it's not hard stuff to fix but taking the dash apart is always a bit of a nuisance.

Opinions?
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/car/316811445.html

I think it looks TOO perfect

There are a lot of inconsistencies too

-Carfax shows a clean history, but it also shows the car as owned by someone in Florida and that the color is Green as of this year (it could have been a repaint but the pics have a red engine bay and door jams)

-The title states that it's an "s15" I would assume they meant an S14 to S15 conversion (aka S14.5) since the S15 was never released in north America and only available as a RHD. However the Front end is definitely not s15 (s15 had tear drop shaped headlights) It looks like the stock style front end from the USA 1997 240 + an aftermarket bumpercover.

-The title states that it has SR20DET with 500hp, despite my skepticism about the advertised power (though the engine bay DOES look like it has quite a few go-fast parts) the listing text says it's a 2.4L ... ok so is it a turbocharged KA24 or a SR20 swap?

Despite the inconsistencies the price is amazing if it is what it says it is.

My guess (hope really) is that it's some local dealership that just doesn't know what it is they have.

I've already shot off an email asking to look at the car.... it can't hurt

beautiful looking car, as far as the paint and lights go, it could have easily of been a conversion and spray, the paint looks fresh and defo not a stock colour, anybody getting a proper spray would get everyhting done proper (engine bay, jams).

Based on a couple of the cars inb the background of the pictures this could easily be the case, best bet is to conatct.

500bhp, easily possible, but this could be from a dyno, and based on at the crank rather than at the wheels, that's the easiest way to increase bhp

best thing to do is go and check it out.

it is now flagged for removal, too good to be true i guess

Where do you see that it's flagged for removal?

EDIT: Nevermind, I just needed to refresh the page.

... damn

Smells like a scam. Guess that's why it was pulled from craigslist.
Good luck on your search. Keep us updated on what you find.

ok I found what sounds like a great car in Danvers MA... the listing was vague but I called and here's the run down

1995, SE trim, Maroon in color
96K original miles
1 owner - old lady (well, in her 50s, even still it's not some chump kid)
CarFax shows a spotless history

I don't have any pictures but she claims the car is in great shape, it had some surface rust on the rear quarter panel that she had repaired by a body shop a few months back. and the exhaust had been replaced once before.

Also she apparently had Nissan replace the turn signal level 4 times from when she would catch her purse on it and break it off while getting out of the car

Apparently she's selling it because it started overheating last week and she's ready for something new (understandable the thing is 13 years old).

She's taking it in to Nissan today so they can officially diagnose why it's overheating.

Also she's a AAA Plus member and they'll tow up to 100 miles, so if it's still overheating and I like it she can have it towed back to my house where I'll just replace the motor

I plan on checking the electronics for flakeyness and the frame for rust/rot (if the exhaust and rear quarter panels had problems before I figure I better check the underside)

One thing I have a problem with... is she doesn't know jack about the car... I'm curious if it has ABS, an LSD, and if it has the Nissan's Super HICAS. Anyone know where I can check these things... is there something I can look for in the engine bay or some other kind of indicator?

since getting rid of my WRX I really mis having ABS, and I'll probably do more autocrossing then drift racing in this thing so an LSD and the HICAS would be nice to have.

1995 means that it wont have HICAS, AFAIK they stopped that in in 94.

If it's an Actual SE model then it might have ABS and an LSD. but they were optional and i think only available to the SE.

So i mean unless she treated herself when she bought it then chances of it having anything you want are unlikely.

I wasn't aware that they stopped the HICAS in 94... I know the LSD is a fairly straight forward install but how difficult is it to upgrade to ABS? do you just replace the master cylinder or are there other things involved?

neither was i, but i did a little digging and apparently that is the case, for the 240's anyway, unless it was an SE it probably wouldn't of had it anyway, but it CAN be added if your willing to do the work.

Yeah the LSD is an easy job. itl cost you maybe not even $100 for the diff and the fitting, even less if your a competent welder.

ABS isnt really regarded as an aftermarket upgrade, i mean i hear the modules for these cars run about $700, and i think the whole process of getting it done can run into 4 figures. If you really want ABS i think your gonna have to buy a car that comes with it, however you should do a little digigng on that and see for yourself.

The profile of the owner would lead me to belive the car was never modded. So basically, if it doesn't have ABS, no LSD will be on it. I can't recall off the top of my head if ABS was a stand-alone option without the LSD though. We used to have the info posted up on the socal 240sx site, but the guy who scanned the info for us has a stick up his but and would not let us reuse it when we had updated the site. But I am quite sure that a non-ABS model will not have the LSD. If you want to check for the LSD, there are a few ways. The best way is to lift the rear end and lock the driveshaft (put it in gear or park if it's an automatic). Then try to rotate one of the rear wheels. If it spins rather freely with the weight of the wheel and tire being the only resistance, then it's an open diff. If it has the VLSD, it will have a lot of resistance to the rotation. You can also look for an orange sticker on the rear diff cover that says Viscous or VLSD or something. The last would be to open the diff cover and physically check for it, but you would need to know what you are looking for.

For adding ABS, probably not worth the trouble as Grim states. If anything, find a wrecked donor and pull all the components you need from it.

If you end up wanting to add an LSD, add an aftermarket unit if your budget allows. I prefer the Torsen/Quaiffe types myself, but they are pricey. 1.5 way clutch LSD would be my second choice, but VLSD is quite acceptable oon a budget. Just make sure you grab the driveshaft from the VLSD equipped 240sx or you might wreck the rear seal of the tranny as the non-LSD 240's have a half inch longer driveshaft. Some people have gotten away with it, but when I had done it years ago, I didn't chance it. 240sx VLSD's are not common though, so in a pinch, you can use one from a J30. You may have to double check which years are compatible. It's been a while sine I looked at the info on this swap but somethig tells me some years weren't compatible in some way. But to consider that the J30 diff has a slightly taller gearing (3.9? vs 4.08).

Not sure why you would need to weld unless you are shortening the existing driveshaft. I did mine with nothing but wrenches, sockets and a jack.

I should also note that Z32 300ZX normally aspirated diffs are also semi-compatible. They have the same nose length as the non-LSD 240sx diff as the ABS sensors for the 300zx were mounted on the sides as they have 4 channels of ABS vs the 3 channels the 240sx's had. The problem is the side output shafts of the 300ZX uses 5 bolt flanges and require replacement. And these output shafts are no longer available through Nissan unless they were resurrected for the newer RWD nissans. The other problem was that when they were available, they cost about $300 for the pair. But if by some chance you can score a set of these output flanges cheap, and can source a NA 300ZX diff, then this would be another option. Be aware that the stock 240sx output flanges will not work with a VLSD. They will fit, but will not engage the viscous coupling essentially leaving you with an open diff.

i stand corrected then, i just did a little reading about replacing the diff and that's the impression i got

If it's bolt on then happy days!

Quick thought on LSD. I think the LSD from the Nissan Pickups is compatible with that of the 240s. I had a buddy who made an offer for mine, for his car. I opted to keep it in my truck.

ok So I did a Car Fax and it says that the car IS an SE model

I suppose if it doesn't have the LSD it would give me an excuse to upgrade to to a nicer electro/mechanical one... I really don't like the viscus diffs, my WRX was all viscus and that's one of the things I hated about it.

go forth and buy!

I'm also reconsidering a 240sx in Vermont... it's a black 91SE with an s14 blacktop swap half done.. according to the guy he started the swap and got lost with the wiring harness, it needs the harness done and it comes with a brand new FMIC he originally wanted $3800 but over the last two weeks his price has dropped and it's only $2500 now...

I figure it's worth it just for the motor/FMIC as long as the motor actually works but I need to figure out how to get it back to NH it's 6 hours on the road round trip and not only does my truck not have a hitch I doubt the engine would be up to the task of pulling another car.

I could probably buy that one AND the one in MA.

http://www.unclehenrys.com/CLASSIFIEDS/Sea...0%23-2136492486

I believe the smaller nissan pickups (at least some versions) used the R200 Diff, but not the same housing. I don't know of any body on frame truck that doesn't have a solid rear axle. The internals may bolt up, but by the time you pay for the parts and the labor to have the internals put in (I would recommend using someone with experience as an incorrectly shimmed diff can wear prematurely or fail), you'll be well above the cost of finding a used pumpkin that already has a VLSD. I'd probably consider spending a little more dough and getting myself a good mechanical LSD at that level of involvement.

yeah I saw that one listed on 240sxone.com too the previous owner chimed in and dubbed it a complete rust bucket

I am so friggin Paranoid right now it's not even funny.

ok I've weeded through a lot of junk listing looking for the right car.

There is a guy in Portland with a drop dead beautiful 95 240sx black every last factory option low miles (69K) original paint and not so much as a scratch on it... reasonably priced below book at $5500... the only problem is it's an auto

I've put off looking at it trying to find a 5 speed... after looking all sorts of overpriced borderline junkers I called up the guy in Maine and made an appointment to see his car on Sunday (I have family commitments Friday and Saturday), figuring it's too perfect and an auto will just motivate me to do the swap sooner.

This morning I did my daily rounds of searches and what do I find... not one but TWO 240sx's that are essentially EXACTLY what I want.

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/car/322548719.html
^ The exact color I wanted, the front end swap done, sunroof... the interior trim is a little ugly and that spoiler will go but CHRIST it's only $4300!!!! if it's for real I'd take the day off from work tomorrow and drive down there with cash in my hand...

This is where the paranoia comes in... it was listed last night around 6pm and the guy only has an email address.. I've sent him an email but I'm seriously worried someone else will swoop it up

The other one:
http://nh.craigslist.org/car/322666351.html

$7000 it's got the factory KA24 motor but the internals are all redone and it's got a turbo... ALSO has the S15 front end swap... no pictures but if it is what he says it is $7K is a steal. I'm not overly worried about this one being picked up as fast considering his location and the lack of pictures but damn if I don't have time to go look at the damn thing

I don't want to blow off the guy from Maine but it's not like I can easily stop in Keene, Boston, and Portland in the same day... they're all about 100 miles in opposite directions from where I am...

quite possibly THE WORSE weekend for these cars to pop up... where the hell were they last week

GAH!!!!

It would appear the 2nd one isn't turbocharged. He has a turbo, but listed it under the uninstalled parts section.

ahh i didn't notice that. Even still, free turbo, coil overs and sways too! those are fun to install.

I emailed and called yesterday morning and neither one of them has got back to me

Agreed...unless he doesn't have all the parts needed to bolt on the turbo and make it run correctly...

Well the turbo give a lot of options
-hock on ebay/make some $$$ back
-bolt on to KA and make a torque monster
-swap to an SR and use it there for an HP monster

I'm cool with all of those scenarios

The one in Boston vanished from craigs list, I think it was a scam because doing a google search of the contact email I found the same exact listing in 4 other area craigs lists.

... the douchebag in Keene wont return my calls either

Ok so several listings have gone by without the seller answering my emails (I can't help but think they're scams and I'm signing up for some spam lists )

The douche-bag in Keene has his car still listed. I called him 3 times in 4 days and that was a week ago... still no call back so he can shove his 240...

I postponed the trip to Main last week to pursue these other cars and that was a mistake. This Saturday I'm driving up to portland and if this car drives as good as it looks I'll have some new wheels

Here are some pics from the car in Portland:







Take a look at that last picture and tell me why I've been hesitant about this car

I figure it will motivate me to do the engine swap sooner... every other aspect of this car is perfect... including the price.

the only thing i could think of that i don't like about this car is the Auto tranny but when your doin an engin swap a tranny swap would be a nice thing to do while your at it.