# just bought my first nissan 240sx fastback need advice



## Nizmo_240sx (Nov 12, 2007)

hey everyone i'm a newbie to nissan, i am currently switching from my civic to the 240sx, i bought this 1990 240sx a few days ago for $200 it needs alot of work done to the body but the car runs, its been sitting for 2 yrs or so i was told, so i need to flush everything and after that begin work on the body and then the engine, anyone have any ideas on what i should do?

i was already thinking of doing the 180sx jdm tail lights and CA18DET engine, the car has a front lip on the stock bumber so i dont know if i should get like a bodykit or just finish off with a sideskirts and rear lip, it has an OBX exhaust, well let me know what you think.

i cant add pix, so when i can i will post some on here.


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## Nismo240 (Jul 24, 2004)

pics would be nice.


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## Nizmo_240sx (Nov 12, 2007)

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2942767 ok i have posted all the pix i have of the car on cardomain so let me know what you think.

















here is the plates i will be putting on the 240sx


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## Ricky... (Nov 7, 2007)

ok well depending on what your going to do with the car i would have to say engine wise 

A KA24DE is a strong engine but no turbo

The SR20DET isnt as strong as a KA but has more power and a turbo

and the CA18 isnt very powerful at all and i have no idea how strong one is

but yeah you should go ahead with the JDM tail lights and body work and maybe get a body kit


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## Hazmatt (Sep 30, 2007)

Also, that "sleepy eyes" mod looks cool, but is kinda dangerous at night. If you know how to raise it up/down thats good too.

My advice would be to stay with the KA first, depending on the condition of the engine.


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## Nizmo_240sx (Nov 12, 2007)

the engine has alot of power left in it at 95k miles i just need to do a tune up..also the CA18DET is a steel block not aluminum so it can handle alot better than other engines is what i heard plus ive seen videos and the engine is pretty powerful even though it looks like it doesnt put out alot of power. the sleeper look is only when its driven during the day and then it fully opens when driven at night. i also need help with the shifter when i drive it like shakes and moves side to side any ideas on how to fix that?


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## Ricky... (Nov 7, 2007)

well if your going to upgrade the car anyways i'd go with a shortshifter just because but if your on budget go to a junkyard and get a new shifter


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

hey man CA18DET are old and the SR20 are newer and have a shit load of aftermarket support also some parts are forged. KA24DE is also good because its new but the KA24E can also be turbocharged. Its on preference dont bother putting the money in on a CA18 cuz i heard they have to be rev'd really high to get the power you want, higher then the SR. So your now in the SR vs KA battle...lol i steal am confused on which one some will be strongly on one side and talk sh!t on the other but its all about preference. Do some research, if your on a budget just turbo the KA24E with a SR T25 or T28 whatever they are avalible because the SR people upgrade to an even greater turbo for example the GT2871r or GT25r or wat ever.


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## paulie240sxr (Oct 21, 2007)

as far as the ca18det goes ive been doing allot of research cause im thinking of doing this swap my self first ? how much power are you looking for ,second how much money are you looking to spend , after that heres a link of dynos that the ca18det has put down its allot stronger than you think go to google type in ca18det dyno it will bring up nico forum where the dynos have been done the engine is capable of 500 hp to the wheels when built right but the low end stock is only capable of 300 hp safely

heres the link to norris deisngs 

Norris Designs  Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru Tuners - +44 1225 700748


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

Exactly if your going to rebuild CA18 to handle that much power you going to have to replace quiet a bit of parts so the cost will go up where as the SR20DET it can handle more on stock internals all it really needs is some bolt on cooling upgrades like FMIC, Bigger Oil Pan, CAI, Larger Injectors, Rocker retainers, Radiator, bigger injectors, ECU and a turbo of your choose and it would be good for about 370hp. Some people have went to 400hp with it but I would not risk it so that is why I wrote 370.


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## paulie240sxr (Oct 21, 2007)

but like i said it depends on what hp looking for you looking for mild or wild all i need is around 300hp to the wheels , while i have the ca 18det in i will be slowly rebuilding my ka , the ka tranny seeing how my ka tranny has 173,000 miles on it . it really matter on your budget and how much are you willing to spend believe me if i had the money i would just go 2jzgtte 6000 for the swap and i start off with like 250 hp and stock internals are good for 1000 hp but im on a tight budget so i cant afford that so i agree with on the sr has more possibilities as hp is concerned but can you go to an auto parts store and buy alternator ,starter ,water pump, sensors ... thats all im really trying to say (easy accessibilities )

and i was just trying to prove that the ca18det is a pretty strong motor as you see ricky doesnt know much about it 

Ricky...
Sorta-Newbie

Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14

ok well depending on what your going to do with the car i would have to say engine wise

A KA24DE is a strong engine but no turbo

The SR20DET isnt as strong as a KA but has more power and a turbo

and the CA18 isnt very powerful at all and i have no idea how strong one is

but yeah you should go ahead with the JDM tail lights and body work and maybe get a body kit


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

Thats good but you will need to rebuild and get some forged parts for the KA. Also isnt the CA18DET is jdm so it would be just as hard or even harder to find parts for it as the SR. Also the 1.8 liter causes the stroker to need to go to high RPM to get power. KA people say the power comes to soon in the RPM range where as the SR is just between them with a displacement of 2.0L. Sometimes its nice to have the power as quick as possible but I like to rev and mess around so thats why I like the SR. I also like the KA but i still am doing more research to find out which engine i am going to get.


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## paulie240sxr (Oct 21, 2007)

2high2aim said:


> Thats good but you will need to rebuild and get some forged parts for the KA. Also isnt the CA18DET is jdm so it would be just as hard or even harder to find parts for it as the SR. Also the 1.8 liter causes the stroker to need to go to high RPM to get power. KA people say the power comes to soon in the RPM range where as the SR is just between them with a displacement of 2.0L. Sometimes its nice to have the power as quick as possible but I like to rev and mess around so thats why I like the SR. I also like the KA but i still am doing more research to find out which engine i am going to get.


actually ive been doing allot of research and other than internals i can replace the parts from autozone so not a prob. i do plan on rebuilding the ka the way i want but i need to get my to get my tranny done first so it time consuming and til give a turbo motor to play with while i work on the ka,the ka tranny . as far as when you get your power its a preference 

:idhitit:


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

I told you my preference. I am just saying that the CA18DET is not worth the work for rebuilding because it is so old and hard to find parts for so might as well upgrade to the SR20DET. Now for the SR vs. KA it is all about preference. Power is give at lower RPM on the KA where as the SR it is higher up. Also with the KA you can get it done for a few bucks less whereas the SR your swapping it out for another stock motor but dont get me wrong this motor is bad ass with forged intenals and was ment to be turbocharged. Now this is where you must do a shit load of research to find what your looking for. If your going to be drifting the SR is better and if your going to be doing drag racing the KA is for you. Everything is choice you know you can drift and drag with any engine and any car but it is more suitable for it to be as describe. Sr is for drift because of the even weight distribution and the KA has more torque once it is built and turboed so it would be a better choice for drag but it really all depends on what you want.


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## Kyu-ju-kue (Mar 9, 2007)

How about, you do you. What's the fun in driving a car you own that was put together mostly from the ideas of other people. 

Things to think about: 
-I've seen 180's w/CA spank 180's w/SR, this is not always the case, but it is posible
-I've lost to CA in my 14-Silvia w/red top (CA can hang with the SR)
-I've beaten RB20's and RB25's from dead stop in my Silvia (so not just for Drift)
-Badly beat a Skyline, that for some reason had a CA swap (the Skyline's a much heavier car then the 180)
-CA's and SR's are about the same age
-A turbine can be installed on anything
-The sleepy eye works in Japan cause the speed limits are dramaticly lower and sometime the light housing is changed out for a smaller one so the lights point forward


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

WEll what you said is true CA's can beat SR, SR can beat CA, CA can beat RBs, RB can beat SR, and SR can beat RB...Do you get it, i not i will explain an engine can be a good engine if you have enough money you car gain more power all engines can be modded to be the best. BUT>>>>>>>>>>>>In the stock form the SR will beat the CA. Also the CA you might have raced agianst might be modded and had a bigger turbo in it. Now the RB is powerful but its heavy and thats the downfall also the weight is not evenly distributed so its bad for balance. RB25 swap is quiet expensive, because you need custom mounts or u need a to buy a kit which arent cheap.... SR's arent as much and bolt right in the 240. Now if you spend like $700 dollars you can buy a brand new factory S15 turbo BUT IT GETS CHEAPER BECUZ u can SALE YOUR OLD S13 TURBO ON THE WEB AND GET SOME MONEY BACK CUZ KA24DE PPL wanna turbo and this is what they go for.....the S15 turbo will bring you to about 300hp which is gained without any other upgrades this is good sense it will be pretty cheap to upgrade, you can then upgrade your radiator, intake, and exhaust. I heard that the Fujita Air intake adds about 17hp and the exhaust will increase response, Koyo radiator will ensure that your cars is well kept so this will bring you to about 330hp with exhaust and all. This will cost you about
$700 S15 turbo $700-$350(for you Stock turbo)=$350 for S15 Turbo
$270 Fujita Air Intake System
$450 3" Exhaust System
$300 Koyo Radiator

TOTAL: $1370
This is without discounts and with out searching for good deals.

Also part of your Swap should include 3" Exhaust System and Radiator. SO you can SUBTRACT $750

*TOTAL would be $620 to have 330hp, 330-205= 125hp gain*

This is worth it and you would be beating CA with the same set up because they have a smaller displacement and also that the HP in the powerband will be higher up for the CA as with the SR will be a little bit lower, this means in the streets you'll get power you want quicker. Also you can change the timing chain to 15 degrees to get about a gain of 6 whp.
After you can add a pully kit which will raise it another 5hp and your response will be much better.
THIS IS WHY I SUGGEST SR20DET, cheap, good, easy, reliable, street performance.

Hope this helps all you out there. Also you know the most reliable engine is in the stock form so if you change it too much then it less reliable unless you do a rebuild with race prep and forged components. So if you have a 150hp motor and sup it up to 400hp not so good chances are you going to replace a shit load of stuff unless you were smart enough to get internals rebuilt. Once you pass 350hp you will want a fuel controller or a Chipped ECU.


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

Oh yea a turbo timer would be a good addition, also switch from manual to automatic boost controller, and an FMIC intercooler kit and you will be good to go oh yea and rocker arm stoppers so you can rev up and scare your neighbors and friends...lol jk about that don't do it, its a PIG MAGNET. Oh yea i think i suppose to say not recommended for street use.


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## Kyu-ju-kue (Mar 9, 2007)

Wow, I was partly agreeing with you guy, but since you apparently was not listening so I shall break it down for you and the others who might not have been completely paying attention the first time. I have an S-14 Silvia with only a redtop SR and blah, blah, blah, blah (basically nothing major in the power area). If you take the RB20, RB25 and CA18 put them in their respective cars and roughly add the same upgrades that I have everything would come down to who's the better driver (over what type of engine you have). You can spit out numbers all day, but numbers don't matter when the theory has already been verified. That aside, I think they wanted know if the engine had potential, yes they all do (this is the part were I’m agreeing with you again) but it depends on what you want to do with it.

It's not about horsepower, it's about power to weight!


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## KITSUNE90 (Dec 6, 2007)

Wouldnt go with the CA engines go with a KA and turbo it or go with an SR20.


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

WOW that is dumb thing to say. It all depends on 2 things 1 driving skills 2 engine power mods. So you probably had an stock SR20 swap with some bolt ons and the other CA guy had a fully built CA18DET with a bigger turbo running on higher boost and he beat you. I am saying at the STOCK FORM the SR20DET is better then the STOCK FORM CA18DET. You know if you had the money you can build any engine to handle anything it is just for the average joe the SR20DET makes more sense because most people who do the swaps r not going to fully build a SR or CA. They are looking for speed, reliability, afford ability and fun. So in the STOCK FORM with a few bolt ons will give you fun BUT if you mod the both of them to handle about 350hp the SR will be cheaper because less mods will have to be done for it to handle stock, the more you change from stock form (w/o rebuild) the less reliable the motor is. So this is what i am trying to say but dont take my word for it and do the research yourself.


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## Kyu-ju-kue (Mar 9, 2007)

*This one tastes like purple!*



2high2aim said:


> WOW that is dumb thing to say. It all depends on 2 things 1 driving skills 2 engine power mods. So you probably had an stock SR20 swap with some bolt ons and the other CA guy had a fully built CA18DET with a bigger turbo running on higher boost and he beat you. I am saying at the STOCK FORM the SR20DET is better then the STOCK FORM CA18DET. You know if you had the money you can build any engine to handle anything it is just for the average joe the SR20DET makes more sense because most people who do the swaps r not going to fully build a SR or CA. They are looking for speed, reliability, afford ability and fun. So in the STOCK FORM with a few bolt ons will give you fun BUT if you mod the both of them to handle about 350hp the SR will be cheaper because less mods will have to be done for it to handle stock, the more you change from stock form (w/o rebuild) the less reliable the motor is. So this is what i am trying to say but dont take my word for it and do the research yourself.


I think I'm having dejavu …I mean, cause I do think I remember saying something close to the fact that "all 3 cars basically had the same additions” ...no, no ...now that I that look back I did say something to that effect …it is amazing how much people around here don’t listen.

What, of power to weight doesn’t anyone understand. You can hurl parts at a car till your arms fall off, in the end it still comes down to “what are your end goals”, case in point; The Lotus Elise, most can agree that this is a pretty fast car, but even “The Designer” of the car (during an interview) stated that the car doesn’t have a powerful engine, but what makes the car so fast is how incredibly light it is. Which proves again “Power-to-weight is more important then horsepower and torque”, and also that there are lot of car designers that agree with me ...so apparently that must make them dumb also …wow this is gonna take a minute to soak in …all the worlds top car designers are dumb …I just don’t know if I can go on having this new found knowledge…

…so, I guess I’ll end with this, I am not saying one engine is better then the other, only trying to explain that there is potential either way he go’s. Second, unless you are sponsoring him or flipping him the money so he can go pro, in the end he’s going to have to decide for himself which way to go. Oh …I almost forgot. Most, if not all of the quick and easy upgrades for the CA you listed above are parts that can be taken off the SR, but most people in the States probably wouldn’t know that because people in the States have SR on the brain …and I would install an oil cooler before I installed a larger oil pan. It doesn’t matter how much more oil you have, if you can’t keep the oil temp down. Lastly, I’d just like to clarify; I don’t have any “bolt-on’s” except for the exhaust.


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## Kyu-ju-kue (Mar 9, 2007)

*All engines are created equal in the eyes of Tomei*

Here are 2 links to TOMEI's web page. This way people can see that even a big name thinks that the CA has potential. Again, I'm not saying one is better just giving him or her info so they can decide what to do on their own.


SR20DET Complete Engine

CA18DET Products


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

Kyu-ju-kue said:


> I think I'm having dejavu …I mean, cause I do think I remember saying something close to the fact that "all 3 cars basically had the same additions” ...no, no ...now that I that look back I did say something to that effect …it is amazing how much people around here don’t listen.
> 
> What, of power to weight doesn’t anyone understand. You can hurl parts at a car till your arms fall off, in the end it still comes down to “what are your end goals”, case in point; The Lotus Elise, most can agree that this is a pretty fast car, but even “The Designer” of the car (during an interview) stated that the car doesn’t have a powerful engine, but what makes the car so fast is how incredibly light it is. Which proves again “Power-to-weight is more important then horsepower and torque”, and also that there are lot of car designers that agree with me ...so apparently that must make them dumb also …wow this is gonna take a minute to soak in …all the worlds top car designers are dumb …I just don’t know if I can go on having this new found knowledge…
> 
> …so, I guess I’ll end with this, I am not saying one engine is better then the other, only trying to explain that there is potential either way he go’s. Second, unless you are sponsoring him or flipping him the money so he can go pro, in the end he’s going to have to decide for himself which way to go. Oh …I almost forgot. Most, if not all of the quick and easy upgrades for the CA you listed above are parts that can be taken off the SR, but most people in the States probably wouldn’t know that because people in the States have SR on the brain …and I would install an oil cooler before I installed a larger oil pan. It doesn’t matter how much more oil you have, if you can’t keep the oil temp down. Lastly, I’d just like to clarify; I don’t have any “bolt-on’s” except for the exhaust.


What your saying is ture power to weight is important now listen the 240SX ways an X amount and so you can make go faster by to ways 1) making it lighter 2) adding power. This is true now you can only reduce Y amount of weight after that you have to be stripping out the metal (lol basically i am saying you took out all the weight you can) then what. So you want more weight to power to make it faster you can easily can get the weight factor low but what if you want to keep you interior. Well if you have stock weight or less you wanna go faster you need more power. So you will get more speed if you get more power. Basic you can only reduce a certain amount of weight but power can be infinitely obtained. Do you understand???


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

Lol "TOMEI's web page" they got insane asssssssssss motors for INSTANE assssss Prices...lol.


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## 2high2aim (Jul 8, 2007)

DID you read wat i posted earlier all motors have potential as long as you have money.


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## Kyu-ju-kue (Mar 9, 2007)

2high2aim said:


> What your saying is ture power to weight is important now listen the 240SX ways an X amount and so you can make go faster by to ways 1) making it lighter 2) adding power. This is true now you can only reduce Y amount of weight after that you have to be stripping out the metal (lol basically i am saying you took out all the weight you can) then what. So you want more weight to power to make it faster you can easily can get the weight factor low but what if you want to keep you interior. Well if you have stock weight or less you wanna go faster you need more power. So you will get more speed if you get more power. Basic you can only reduce a certain amount of weight but power can be infinitely obtained. Do you understand???


You are contradicting yourself and partly agreeing with me at the same time ...based off what you just said, a car weighing 2lbs w/300hp is going to carry just as much speed as the same type of car weighing 30tons w/300hp, and the only way to make the heavier car faster is to add more power, yet your also saying power-to weight matters?

Power and weight are relative. The more power you apply, the more weight your going to need to hold that power to the road. The more weight that’s added the more power you're going to need to get that power moving. This is power-to-weight, and the 2 cars that explain this best are the Lotus Elise, and the Suzuki Cappuccino. Two cars that aren’t fast because of how much power they have, but are fast because of how light they are. A strong light car will always be faster then a heavy car with power with a lot o power ...and we’re talking about a 240sx …and an S13 at that. It doesn’t take a lot to get this car light anyway.

(If, I to was trying to lose weight, the last place I would even consider starting with, is the 15lbs of furniture. Unnecessary metal is the first to go.)

Instead of going with a brand new turbine stick with the old one, then he could take that money and bore the CA from a 1.8 up to a 2.0 if he’s really serious about the CA.

I posted the TOMEI links just to prove that the parts are there, not to compare prices. You and everyone else are still not proving that the CA is not a worthy engine. I might be making it seem like the CA is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I’m an SR fan …however I will still give the CA respect because I’ve seen what it can do, plus I realize that there is no such thing as “the perfect engine!” It may come close, but there isn’t an engine that excels everywhere! So, as I said before I am not pushing toward one engine or the other, each engine has potential depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.


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## 240kid (Jan 18, 2007)

alright can i put my 2 cents in here we go we all have our different veiws personly i would go sr just because its easier and cheaper out of the box to put aftermarket upgrades on it yes parts for the ca are available but not very easy now for the hp weight issue adding hp is more efficient than decreasing weight heres why a stock 92' 240 wieghs approx 2700+/-LBS and has 155 hp thats approx 17lbs per hp now lets say you lose 200 pounds but keep the stock hp now weight to hp is approx 16LBS Per hp now lets take stock weight and add an sr with some mods and now you have 200 hp above stock now the weight to hp is approx 7lbs per hp so now you got a 2700lb car with 355hp then of cousre you could go ahead and lose the 200 lbs as well basically spending 300-600 bucks on a hood that weighs 15 lbs lighter is a wast of money go spend that 600 on engine mods and increase hp


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## Kyu-ju-kue (Mar 9, 2007)

240kid said:


> alright can i put my 2 cents in here we go we all have our different veiws personly i would go sr just because its easier and cheaper out of the box to put aftermarket upgrades on it yes parts for the ca are available but not very easy now for the hp weight issue adding hp is more efficient than decreasing weight heres why a stock 92' 240 wieghs approx 2700+/-LBS and has 155 hp thats approx 17lbs per hp now lets say you lose 200 pounds but keep the stock hp now weight to hp is approx 16LBS Per hp now lets take stock weight and add an sr with some mods and now you have 200 hp above stock now the weight to hp is approx 7lbs per hp so now you got a 2700lb car with 355hp then of cousre you could go ahead and lose the 200 lbs as well basically spending 300-600 bucks on a hood that weighs 15 lbs lighter is a wast of money go spend that 600 on engine mods and increase hp


Exactly! ...you should make changes and do up grades based on what's logical, not because someone thinks the engine isn't good. I like this guy.

(Ha-ha) I wasn't saying don't add power, of course "add power" ...just make it more efficient power that’s based on what the owner intends on doing with the end product.

I agree buying a lighter hood is a waste of money unless the one you have is FUBAR. But there are, 8 million and 1.2 ways to lighten a car. Ok maybe not that many, but there are a lot.


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## Deamon::.. (Dec 16, 2007)

*Go for the Ca18det!*

I got ca18det engine in my car! Original turbo from a silvia s15. Stage 2 chip. Running at 1.2 bar. estimated horsepower: 280+ At original internals and injectors. Been running for a while now and still runs great! The engine can handle 390+ Hp with original internals (injector change must be done when going over 280-290!) been running for over an half year now and turbo is still without shaft play even i have driven with "cool" turbo flutter sound "blocked dump valve" (That should not be done minding the condition of the turbo after a while!) lets see how long it is going to last! The bad with this is that you feel the performance loss in gear shifts! But i promise you! You would not regret driving an 200sx with ca18det engine! I can have a full car yes belive it or not "5" people! hump.. barely fit inside!!! And burn 1st,2nd gear fully out! Only limit is mind! And you get plenty of tuning gears to a ca18det!

Regards

Pst. My friend sold his ca18det and buyed an original Skyline R33 rb25det 5 door. And he is about taking suicide because he sold his ca18det same specs as mine!


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## Deamon::.. (Dec 16, 2007)

*I dont know if i should say this but..*

Some time ago i raced a 200sx s14 with the 200sx s13 of mine. And if i am not mistaken anything the 200sx s14 comes with how many horsepower? "280" Because rumors said it where tuned. 2 in that car, and me and a friend in my car. Either the driver could not use the gears or either the rumors where wrong... He lost pretty bad.


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