need some diagnostic advice...
 

i am considering buying a 95 s14 coupe. this one is a fixer upper so i need some help identifying some potential problems...

first, the first test drive was crap. the clutch was soft, the friction was up high, and the clutch didn't catch at all. so my question is: when i punched it, the car didn't "go", but the engine still spun. hard to explain. it's like the engine was smooth and everything, but the car didn't accelerate. im assuming its the clutch. please correct me if im wrong

second, there is NO coolant in the resevoir and coolant leaks all over the place. but the weird thing is that the car never over heats. i have drove this car a few times now and it doesn't overheat. the needle rises, but comes back down when in motion. when i drove it, i made sure to blast the hot air which helped a lot. what could be the problem/saving it from overheating?

third, when i rev the engine in neutral the car wants to stall. i revved up to 3 or above and let go. the needle dropped smooth, but went past idle (about 750) and dropped to 250-500 rpm and boggles, but saves itself everytime i do it. the car has trouble starting, so i assume its either the battery or alternator. my friend suspects its the alternator/bad battery combo. he told me that when the car is at idle the alternator is not producing enough juice so at low rpm, it wants to die. he said his car does the same "want to stall thing" and dies all the time due to battery or alternator. i don't think its a vacuum leak because the idle is steady. what could it be?

besides front lip, foglights, spoiler, five lug nut, and abs/vlsd. what else am i missing out on buying a coupe? not clear if this owner bought the option of abs/vsld yet. but im hoping! should i hold off for an se to surface? this coupe is a steal though, so im torn...

thanks for any advice or help. sorry for such a long post, but i might be buying it soon...

:D sorry, but i forgot to add a little. for the second ? (coolant thing). did i do long term damage by driving the car a couple of times for about 10 minutes while the temp needle was jumping? or are KAs really that strong? :shock: i just imagine massive heat on the internals potentially making this a problem for me. thanks again

just picked it up so any help would be appreciated. just dont tell me to not buy it!

First, it's the clutch.
Second, fix the leaks. Just because it hasn't overheated yet doesn't mean it won't, and it also doesn't mean the PO wasn't filling the catch can every day.
Third, check and clean your IACV circuit.

used search on "IACV circuit" and all that popped up was my thread. would you mind telling me what IACV circuit stands for? not used to nissan lingo yet. thank you

Stands for " Idle Air Control Valve" and it opens and closes when the car needs to accelerate in order to gain its idle/ prevent from dying. you know when you turn in you A/C, the car accelerates? if you watch, the big butterfly in the car's accelerator (the thing that rotates at the end of the accelerator cable) won't move, so how is it posible to accelerate? that valve moves air arround that butterfly onto the engine, so it can iddle faster. If the valve is broken or dirty, it can't pass air, so it becomes constipated......cuz it can pass air... got it?.... lame I know. but since air won't go trough, it can't control idle, so idle its all to the car itself to handle.