# S13 questions



## S13toS15 (Nov 18, 2005)

Ok i just bought a 89 240sx for 600 dollars i know good deal right, anyway im just trying to decide is it better to go with the sr20det or just rebuild and turbo the ka24 motor inside already?? Second question, where is a good place to find the s15 front end conversions if you can help me out please do,
Mark
s13tos15


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## Harris (Nov 11, 2002)

Either way will cost you money, and either way will be cool.


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## Shifter (May 25, 2005)

i would say ca18det for an 89
but thats just me


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## S13toS15 (Nov 18, 2005)

Shifter said:


> i would say ca18det for an 89
> but thats just me


 ok so the ca18det is the motor out of which nissan? im not to familliar with the motors in nissan im new to it now, i made the switch from honda so im trying to get a feel for it. needed a rwd car u know. so if you could help out id appriciate it. thanks
Mark
s13tos15


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## 313ryans (Jan 11, 2005)

S13toS15 said:


> ok so the ca18det is the motor out of which nissan? im not to familliar with the motors in nissan im new to it now, i made the switch from honda so im trying to get a feel for it. needed a rwd car u know. so if you could help out id appriciate it. thanks
> Mark
> s13tos15



I see you are in the military, my brother signed up for the army couple months ago. He is in basic at Ft Benning, he is 32 and suffering (ex smoker too)...but he has always been talented with weapons and blowing stuff up. When we were kids we could hit clay skeet pigeons with .22's.

Anyway, when he gets leave in December we were gonna either rebuild my KA and turbo it, or swap a CA. Unless they busted him up too much.

The CA18DET came in the Silvia K in Japan, and originally the 180sx (1.8L=180sx,2.4L=240sx) but the 180sx and the Silvia later on got the SR20DET.

Advantage of the CA is that 

>It is the cheapest, with front clips in the $1400-$1800 range
>It is the lightest, and will balance your car even more
>It is an iron block, and the bottom end is built really well
>It can rev past 8000 rpm
>Stock is good up to 350hp
>It can handle a lot of boost
>It is the easiest swap for an 89, 90

Disadvantages

>It is the oldest of the engines, and could be in poor condition
>It is hard to get certain parts for it
>It has less displacement
>Stock turbo is weak


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## BoostedSE (Jun 26, 2005)

Go Redtop SR and buy some nice suspension pieces and maybe wheels with the s15 front money, your car will look and go a lot better! s15 fronts belong on s15s


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

S13toS15 said:


> Ok i just bought a 89 240sx for 600 dollars i know good deal right, anyway im just trying to decide is it better to go with the sr20det or just rebuild and turbo the ka24 motor inside already??


IMO, I would go with an SR20DET; it's already factory turbo charged, making it a good base to start with. You can just run it stock for a while and get familiar with turbo tuning and then start making mods. There's a wealth of information on the SR conversion. Just remember, the SR is a lower torque, higher winding motor and the KA is a higher torque, lower winding motor; depends on what's your objective.


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## trmn8r (Apr 16, 2005)

i bought my 90 240sx for 500 the motor didnt last me 2 months. so i went ahead and put the red top s13 sr20det motor. havnt made a better choice than that one. as you already said its already turbo and there are a couple turbo's out there that are basically plug and play. bang for the buck i would say the sr would be more conveinient. but thats my opinion, since i havnt moded a ka yet. but i plan on to in da future. both motors can handle an ass beating 1/2. so as for reliabilitythey both do very well.


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## 313ryans (Jan 11, 2005)

Now that I think about it, if you do the s15 front end (do you have coupe or hatch?) you should go with the sr20det. The s15 front on a s13 looks great if done right. You may want to consider a sil-80 or Silvia front end also. 

I like the pigface on my 89 hatch, though the pop-ups can develop artificial intelligence and do their own thing sometimes. the pignose is ugly on some coupe models.

If you put a CA in a 89 240, you essentially have a (Japanese) 180sx. If you do a Silvia front end, you have a Silvia K.

If your s13 is in exceptional shape for $600, do it. But don't overinvest in a car with latent problems.

People in the 240sx community have strong opinions on engines, and will argue with each other about what you should put in your car. I think they are all good, but serve different objectives.

You have to consider your goal, what will the car be used for? Racing, showing off, daily driver, bangin' fly honies on your carbon fiber hood, etc, etc.

Mine is a 89 hatch, the exterior is beat up. I am not out to impress anyone (married with children). I got mine for $500, have a total of $1500 invested with new brakes, exhaust, fuel injection, general maintenance.

The biggest fight I have had is against rust. Get rid of that spoiler asap, check the undercarriage, wheel wells, all that. I have lots of time and bondo in my car. I did a crap job aesthetic wise, but I took care of the rust. I will do better when paintjob time comes.

I also should have taken the 1st advice I was given on this board, do the 300zx big brake upgrade. The stock brakes suck. 

I just like like performance and handling in a car. The 240's handling is superb, but the engine needs more power. Mine KA has been ready to explode for almost a year now. The KA's endurance has impressed the hell out of me. I have had Mustangs and T-birds (an uhh, couple escorts), and they would have been long dead with the same symptoms my KA has.


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## BoostedSE (Jun 26, 2005)

pignose not pigface


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## 313ryans (Jan 11, 2005)

I like pigface the band, the industrial supergroup featuring members of Atari teenage riot, KMFDM, Ministry, so sometimes I insert that word. One of my dearly departed friends lived across from En Esch at Wax Trax studios and knew KMFDM, Revco, and related ilk. Yes they are mostly burned out junkies, but I still like them.

Did not think pignose was an official Nissan part designation


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## Shifter (May 25, 2005)

but for a purely economic veiw, would anyone say, that a WHOLE ca18det front clip(not longblock) for 1500 is a bad deal? exhaust, filter, and you have a budgeted car with nearly 200 HP, with room for easy growth.


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## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

in stockish form "nearly 200hp" being more like nearly 150hp


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## el tigre (Jun 30, 2005)

Joel said:


> in stockish form "nearly 200hp" being more like nearly 150hp


... So, what does it matter if you are going to build it up, HeHe


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## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

true..... ...


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## xs04298 (Oct 28, 2005)

Joel said:


> true..... ...




He'res another option:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RB25...ewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQitemZ8016749440QQrdZ1


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## XTCshri2222 (Feb 15, 2004)

313ryans said:


> I see you are in the military, my brother signed up for the army couple months ago. He is in basic at Ft Benning, he is 32 and suffering (ex smoker too)...but he has always been talented with weapons and blowing stuff up. When we were kids we could hit clay skeet pigeons with .22's.
> 
> Anyway, when he gets leave in December we were gonna either rebuild my KA and turbo it, or swap a CA. Unless they busted him up too much.
> 
> ...



CA's are hard to get running well, I got one, and i'm one the few people I know with properly running CA18DETs. Swap wise it's the same as a SR. 
Stock turbo is fine, but no mater it's gonna be about 15yrs old. Ca's usely been sittin for 7-10yrs if you get one with 40-55k miles. Alot of corrosion, Harnesses are usely very brittle and often crack










took 4 months to get it good

also got my conversion


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## zellx2004 (Sep 30, 2004)

I know this is off topic, but what bumper is that?


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