hey everyone. through a series of weird events, i have the option of picking up a 240SX for pretty much nothing. i've not driven one of these since they first came out in the states many years ago. my last few years have been spent with turbo German cars and i really need some direction for figuring this thing out - though i'm really jazzed at the thought of getting back into a Japanese coupe.

here's what i know about it do far:
-1990 240SX SE Fastback 5sp
-37,000 miles, yes that's acurate!!!
-no modifications done, looks like even the OEM tires are on it
-seems to have no options really. i don't see a sunroof or alloys, wheels look small and fairly narrow
-body seems good, a few minor scratches in the paint but not through it, no dents that i can see
-i haven't driven it yet, it's still in storage, so i can't tell if it has ABS and can't remember if i saw A/C

here's what i want to know about it:
-is there an FAQ somewhere in here that will explain different model names and engine codes?
-2.4l 16v, right? is it SOHC or DOHC? msn lists it as having 140bhp and 155lb-ft

and now the practical side of me:
-is a 240SX a practical year-round car in Chicago area? i'm guessing that it will for sure need snows in the winter, but seems like it'd be a blast in summer
-how's mileage?
-how's reliability?
-how easy are these to sell if i don't want to keep it?

please help a noob out. thanks!

 

OK, i found the FAQ here that explains engine codes, valve train, etc. any help on the other items would be really appreciated. the more i think about it the more i want to make this work for me.

 

Well you'll definetly be able to resell the car as long as it's in good condition. 240sx are for better or worse becoming a hot commodity these days in the tuning and flamming gay a$$ ricers, so they appeal to a wide range of people. As far as year round driving 240's can give you a problem when you hit snow levels around 2 inches or more. But then again I drive my 240sx all year (Pennsylvania) and keep all season tires on and I can still get around most of the time without too much of a problem.

The milage on that thing is amazing. It's amazingly rare that a 240 still has that little millage on it.

Reliability is a good point. I have a 93 240sx with 125,000 on the clock and I'm having to do very little maintaince to keep the essentials of the car in good running order.

Only thing that you really want to look for is rust. It would kill me to think about it but since that car has been sitting in storage, if it was in a damp area for many seasons it could be an issue. Also if you do plan on buying the car the first things that I would INSANTLY buy are a new set of spark plugs, an oil change, an air filter, and possibly new injectors. Those tend to go bad on cars that sit for a while. Injectors are probably fine, but I'd run some injector clearer through them for sure. All of that would probably cost you under $75.

Ok, that's my .02

 

thanks for the reply. i definitely plan to change spark plugs and air filter before i drive it away from storage. it was driven about 2 months ago, so hopefully injectors and fuel lines won't be gummed up.

i'll run a full tank of 93 octane with fuel system cleaner, then refuel and get an oil change. i'll probably look at changing the fuel filter and tranny fluid myself soon after since it has probably never been done. altho at 37k miles a tranny fluid change probably isn't needed - i'll get a better feel for that after shifting a bit.

it's kind of painful to think that in the next model year the engine got more valves and DOHC, so more power and better mileage. but you can't be picky over a free car, right?

one new question for you guys. if it has a rear spoiler, does that mean it has the sports package and ABS?