I recently wrecked my 1996 Maxima GLE (Luxury model, Auto Tranny), and though tthe damage was not too bad, my insurance is likely to rise. On top of that, having the maxima payment and the payment for my wife's Celica, it is a lot to bear. We have done it for the past year, but I am tiring of it quickly. So here is the situation:

I can likely sell the Maxima for what I owe on it. It has 90K and has been reliable. It will have a new front bumper, grille, headlights, hood, radiator, and driver's side fender. I have a long commute, and I use about a tank of gas (93 Octane ONLY) a week. I can most likely part out the mods for $300-500, depending on what all I sell (prob closer to $300). Right now I have about 24 payments left on the maxima.

I am considering a 240sx SE with 113K that is being sold under book. I know that it will need a new clutch in the next 6-9 months, and needs a new MAF sensor (about $40). It is a 5-speed, so if I really wanted to, I could probably do the repairs and resell it at a profit. I know the driver/owner, and he was going to use it as a project car but he lacks the knowhow to do a turbo conversion, plus his parents bought him a new car. They want this one out FAST or they are donating it to charity, hence the low price.

I can have 12 months financing and STILL save about $100 a month versus my Maxima payments, plus it runs on 87 octane and not 93. I found out about the car as we were talking about my maxima wreck and he was saying that he had a 240SX SE 5MT that he bought to play with and to do a turbo swap, but then he got a new car wand went off to college, and he wants to do the swap this summer. After hearing him brag about it, we talked about specs and mods and all, and he finally mentioned that he was looking for help on the conversion. I offered to put him in touch with people who could help, and we agreed to talk later. So when he told me what was wrong with it, it was with the idea of him keeping it- he was not making a sales pitch. After a while, I thought about buying it, so I priced them, researched 240s a little bit, and called him to ask about buying it. He quoted me a price, and I discussed it with my wife.

Our only reservations are the possible mileage problems (not a large concern) and the lack of space or comfort on trips. We take the max on a lot of trips, and it is nice to have 4 doors. But at the same time, $100 a month savings, plus the option of reselling it down the road and making back a large portion of my costs is attractive to me.

Plus, I am not going to lie- I like the idea of the 240, with a 5-speed, and the RWD, sporty feel, and fun-factor involved.

In respect to engine swaps, I highly doubt that there would be a DET conversion in the future, though once I get this paid for and look at another car (after the wife is out of school), you never know.

For now, I want a car that will be dependible and will not be a dissapointment to drive after the maxima.

Also, in terms of speed (straight line), I may NEED the slower car. With 2 speeding tickets plus an accident in the past 12 months (after 3 years of clean driving), maybe I could use the slower car. Or, of course, I could try SLOWING DOWN...

In wanting the cheaper payments, am I being really short-sighted? To talk dollars and sense, I will save about $4000 over the next 2 years in vehicle expense, plus or minus upkeep. I make just under $35K a year, and rent is $950 plus $300 for the Celica's payment. I will save $100 a month for the first 12 months and $270 for the following 12.

Am I crazy? I am really torn about this. As far as I can tell, the car was taken care of so far, but who really knows. It does not have that many more miles on it than the Maxima, but then there are reliability differences between the 240 and the maxima, from what some people have told me. I see a lot of guys on these 240 forums w/ 150K plus on their cars, but I do not know what kind of engine work (if any) that they have done to prolong their vehicle life.

Anyone have any thoughts? Opinions? Assuming that it was driven like most cars are (some stop and go, some highway miles, no rasing or drifting), what is the reliability like on the KA24DE? At 250 miles per week, am I likely to run into reliability issues in the next year to 18 months?

I will be doing a full service (tranny fluid, plugs/ wires [does the KA have plug wures? The VQ does NOT], oil, coolant, belts, and most likely the clutch replacement, as soon as I get the car.

 

first and foremost, welcome.

what year is the car (the 240SX)? it would help to know about how many miles/year it has racked up. for the most part, the KA24 engines are durable little beasties. i've seen posts from others claiming upwards of 230K and still going strong, so reliability shouldn't be too much of an issue. depending on the age, common problems would include the timing chain guides (rattling mostly), shot bushings, and a worn interior. mine is an 89 w/203K and it's not complaining.

 

S14 1995 SE 5MT with 113K.

I keep hearing such mixed opinions on reliability!

 

Pretty much anyone here will be able to tell you that 240s are good little suckers. They can take a beating, especially motor-wise.

 

you already owned a nissan, so expect the same reliability... at least i think that is what i read in the 1st chapter of the novel you just typed. you will be happy. if you can't take it from us, find the consumer reports guide or go online for it. they rate reliability of all cars based on customer feedback.

 

When I go look at the car, is there anything particular to a 240 from the northeast that I should look for? I know about rust and straight body lines, but are there any quirky leaks that are costly to fix that are particular to the 240? What about anything special about the 5MT?

Where might I be able to find OEM specs on the 240- trunk space, fuel capacity, fuel economy, HP & torque numbers, etc.?

Thanks for all of the help so far, guys!

 

http://www.edmunds.com

 

wow...I knew thatthe trunk was small, but 8.6^3ft...tiny.

I am small, so the interior specs are fine. Fuel mileage is not too bad, capacity is fine, HP and torque are good. With 2 people the interior size is okay, but I am a little hesitant ONLY about the trunk size and the rear seat size, in the event that we have a guest or friend.

Tough call...

 

rear seats are more trunk space bud, what are you talking about? only time I ever put people in the back was when I was driving drunks, and I had 2 in the back seats and one with the subs, lol.

Dr.

 

I think the same way, plus 99 days out of 100 I have no need for storage for more than my gym bag. I wish I coudl get a good idea of the trunk size, but unfortunately the 240SX is not easy to come by on the street, and most cardomain sites are hard to visualize as far as trunk volums.

On a side note, if the rear seats fold down but there is just a metal panel there, why do they fold down at all? Or do the S14 seats not fold down?

 

s13 seats fold down, dunno about s14 seats, very convienent if you have something long, makes for lots of trunk space.

Dr.