mikemarin1

currently i have an 04 ford focus zx5 which sucks
i bought it thinking this is a nice little car with low miles and cheap for the condition it is in but i am not happy with it at all

i like the style of the 240sx and think i wanna get one as a project car
but i wanna look into it more than i did my focus
so let me hear what you guys got to say

and if i do get one what year and model do you guys think i should get?

Pillion240sx

Well congratulations on making a fine choice in project car first off. The 240sx is almost endless in possibilities. Todays market offers all kinds of after market products from some of the biggest names in the industry. The car is used in all kinds of motor sports applications like AutoX, D1, Road racing, and drag Racing. Your not gonna find a project out there that doesn't have its draw backs and the 240 is no exception. But luckily there are sites like this nowadays full of knowledgeable people to help you with your build. Engine swaps and upgrades are affordable and from an automotive standpoint fairly simple. As far as picking the right 240 for you, that's personal choice. I have a deep seeded love for pop up headlights so I knew it was love at first site when I spotted my 91 s-13 hatch. I know people who really like the 89 pig nose front bumper I on the other hand don't care for it. Other people like the wider more aggressive look of the 95 and up models. Then there's the vast majority of power platforms each year has in it all with there ups and downs. My best advice is to find the body style you like best then pick the power plant because there all interchangeable. But most importantly post threads of your build so that you can help the new guys when your a knowledgeable 240 connoisseur. And don't be afraid to ask questions most people love answering them and then there's bums like me who are on here all the time soaking up as much knowledge as I can to improve my own projects.

Good Luck

mikemarin1

thanks alot man

weshole

Very well put Pillion.

Pillion240sx

Thank you thank you haha Im working on becoming a politician so talkings kinda my thing.
Im gonna race Cindy Mccain when my cars done haha

Lord Umoja

Welcome to the club mike. Strangely your information is creeping me out majorly cause I lived in Prescott for 2 years, owned a focus, and recently bought a 240. Let me tell you my story and maybe you can learn a little more.

My first car was a 2004 Focus ZX5 with an automatic and the factory 2.0L Zetec motor. By the time I was done my car had over $8,500 invested in it. It went from running 18 second 1/4miles when new to 15.8sec 1/4miles when I sold it. It was a blast to drive and I miss it every single day. I poured my life into the car and took it through 2 complete builds, a 2nd and a 3rd place at the All Ford Nationals car show, multiple drag racing wins, a win at Dragfest, and a feature in my local newspaper.

That being said, I decided a little over a year ago that it was time for the project to end and sold the car. I decided that I wanted a project car that I could build from the ground up. My focus was a project "Built on the fly" as it was my daily driver as well as being a project. I never got to install the fun parts i was planning on. My major advice is if you can afford a DD while you work on your project you will be FAR happier with the outcome. Having the project car as only a project car will give you the time to focus on your goal and not be forced to cut corners.

As for which car to choose, follow Pillion's advice. Take a look at the various bodies out there, and all versions available. Just to give you a head start look up these styles, S13 Hatch and Coupe (what I own), S13 Silvia, Sileighty, S14 Zenki and Kouki, and S14.5/13.5.

Once you have decided on a body, then you can choose a motor. If you are looking for turbo fun you have the easier options of swaping in an SR20DET, or trying to turbo the stock KA24 (my plan). For more involved work there is the RB series of inline 6 motors, though some of these swaps can be rather involved from what Ive read. If you are not into turbo cars, there is always the LS series V8 swap, but I have no clue about the difficulty here.

If you have any questions on here dont be afraid to ask. Do some research, and take a look what options you have and make sure to read some of the build threads.

mikemarin1

thanks for the info lord umoja
i am planning on keeping my focus for the daily driver and having the 240 as my project car i can't wait and i wanna turbo it and everything and i was also thinking about putting a skyline engine in it

thanks for the info

Lord Umoja

Lots of skyline motors, and if this is your first swap I DO NOT reccomend it.

Evans1109

Which rb are you considering for the swap?

mikemarin1

i think im gonna go with the sr20det

Evans1109

Have you found a 240 you are interested in or are you just researching? Do you have a budget in mind for the car and parts? What are your goals with the car>

hatrick6

FINALLY SOME ONE ELSE IN AZ!!!

haha, ok now that i have declared that pillion pretty much said it all. pick a body style you like and buy that, then depending on what your project is for (drag, drift, track, autox, or just a dd) will help decide what kind of powerplant/suspension setup you want to do. and feel free to ask around here as we have a wealth of knowledge (i myself was a total noob just a year ago, and sense have learn A LOT). but please, try the search button at least once before you start to ask

cleantune

great choice on the car! my 2 cents....
Pros:
-RWD
-tons of aftermarket products
-semi-lightweight
-it is easy to learn how the car reacts in different situations (understeer, oversteer, rain, etc..)Since the 240sx is a somewhat small car, changes in throttle braking and steering in all weather conditions can be noticed.

Cons: some 240sx's do not come with a vlsd so only one tire will spin.
This can be fixed though by purchasing a diff or welding the gears in the diff

hatrick6

understeer? does anyone here have understeer problems with their 240sx?

cleantune

yeah i guess youre right, haha.

I was just thinking, back in high school some friends and I used to whip it in the parking lots in the rain. If the wheels were turned too much to one side before the gas was applied it would skip, and same for the snow.

But yeah understeer is not a big issue