Looks or Speed

[David16]

I just bought a 95 240, I have a few friends with 240s and they always ask me if I am goin to go for speed or looks! I have a pretty limited sum of money and i was considering working on the interior, buying rims, dropping it, and getting the car painted and next summer after have the car payed off doing a sr20 swap (i have 135000 miles <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>, but i cant complain i got a great deal) I'd like to hear some opinions of this, criticicsm is always helpful too! thanks

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;-David

[fodive]

SPEED! what are you mad? after all that money spent on interior rims, etc., you could be fast!

[West]

I think speed looks good, so I dont have to do anything as for apperance.

Id go for the SR20 swap before anything since you gots a high milage 240.

[fodive]

hey west, when do you think the rides section will be up..just curious

[240sx_soon]

u can always do looks first, then SR20.

And then u can accidentally step on the gas a bit too hard going over a wet floor and get some snap oversteer mess up those "rims" and ur phat body paint.

Get the SR20 first, then the paint, u'll be much happier later on.

My friend got his body kit, rims, and crap and a fresh shiny paint job. Then later got his motor (it's a civic). He converted from auto to stick. He didn't know about lift off oversteer, so as he went over some wet ground, he lifted off the throtle and slid into a curb and hit a tree.

[KiDyNomiTe]

Go for speed, its better to have a sleeper than a car thats all looks and no speed. If you have a car that looks like shit but has an SR in it, you will either never be challenged by ricers, or surprise people when you race. So you are in control. After you get the SR then get suspension, then you can go fro body kits and paint and interior and such.

Depending on what you want you can get like a sound system now, since you'll have to deal with the sound the whole time.

[SilviaDriver]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (240sx_soon @ July 11 2002,9:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...He didn't know about lift off oversteer, so as he went over some wet ground, he lifted off the throtle and slid into a curb and hit a tree...</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
OH SHIT!!..dats wat happened to me!!!..well heres my story..i was driving one day..and the road was wet..due to rain of course..and as i turned left..i shifted gear..and i fished tailed..i corrected it..but i corrected it too much and i whipped back the other way around..then i drove off..is that "lift off oversteer?"...i wanna know more about this "lift off oversteer. Thanks


well as for me...im in a crew and street racing isnt allowed..i also have a limited lump of sum..ok ok..i have no money..but id go for show..since i cant street race or anything..not that i want too..so i can juss roll around in a nice lookin car..only racing i would do is..racing at the track haha..nice car running stock times..oh well..but on the other hand..going fast is koo..cuz speed never fades

[KiDyNomiTe]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (SilviaDriver @ July 11 2002,10:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (240sx_soon @ July 11 2002,9:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...He didn't know about lift off oversteer, so as he went over some wet ground, he lifted off the throtle and slid into a curb and hit a tree...</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
OH SHIT!!..dats wat happened to me!!!..well heres my story..i was driving one day..and the road was wet..due to rain of course..and as i turned left..i shifted gear..and i fished tailed..i corrected it..but i corrected it too much and i whipped back the other way around..then i drove off..is that "lift off oversteer?"...i wanna know more about this "lift off oversteer. Thanks


well as for me...im in a crew and street racing isnt allowed..i also have a limited lump of sum..ok ok..i have no money..but id go for show..since i cant street race or anything..not that i want too..so i can juss roll around in a nice lookin car..only racing i would do is..racing at the track haha..nice car running stock times..oh well..but on the other hand..going fast is koo..cuz speed never fades</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
if your gonna do AutoX then fix up your suspension, avoid the SR swap until you get bored of it, then get teh SR then you &nbsp;are bumped up to a very tuff class. I dont remember all the details but there is a post not too far back about the SR and what class of AutoX you would be in.

[SilviaDriver]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KiDyNomiTe @ July 11 2002,10:59)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">if your gonna do AutoX then fix up your suspension, avoid the SR swap until you get bored of it, then get teh SR then you are bumped up to a very tuff class. I dont remember all the details but there is a post not too far back about the SR and what class of AutoX you would be in.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
no no..when i said i spun out..it wasnt on a track..it was on everyday road..and when i said..i can only race on a track..i meant drag racing..not the twist and turns..and i sorta do have suspensions..sorta..Koni and eibach and STB F/R..and sway bar

[fodive]

lift off oversteer is when you panic and get off the gas instead of correcting it w/ opposite lock, iirc

[SaintlyCharBoy]

my gut feeling
1 brakes
2 suspension
3 fast as humanly possible
4 look acceptable (stock w/o dings is good enough for me <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> )

[mbmbmb23]

Heres my suggestion......upgrade things that would cost the same whether or not you could afford the "top of the line" products or not.

Personally I'd fix up the interior first. I just bought a new carpet kit ($130 + S&H) for my car. Also, I just bought some S14 (95) cloth front seats to replace my current S13 seats. I will have them recovered in black, along with the rear S13 seat. I'm repainting the plastic interior (from brown to black) also, and will be running thick speaker wire and power amp wire under the carpet when I have it out, and mounting an amp that I already have.

The outside has no major dents, and no rust, otherwise I'd get those done first. Luckily for me, the paint is really nice, and the engine is strong....so that leaves the interior. My reasoning for upgrading the interior is what I mentioned in the first paragraph.

reasoning:

NOW - I can afford rims and tires now that would "get me by" on looks...that would cost me $600 used.

FUTURE - Nice rims and tires in the future (when I get a better job), will cost me $1,600 (which I'll gladly pay after getting rid of the $600 rims)

NOW - Right now I can afford a nice carpet kit and it will cost me $130

FUTURE - A nice carpet kit when I have a better job will still cost $130

Upgrade the interior, its what you'll spend the most time looking at....and its what you'll get sick of first (besides the wheel gap). To me, it makes the most sense to get everything up to at least a new stock quality level (replacing broken plastic knobs, cigarette lighter, blown bulbs, stains, rips, burned out seatbelt and window motors, etc) before upgrading everything else.

I'd rather have a nice looking bone stock car with a flawless interior, than a fast terd....or a bling blinger that runs like crap.


-m

[David16]

Seems like everyone wants speed but I just want to love my car when I look at it that way when I see a car with body kit rims and stuff I don't get jealous. Thats all I'm afraid of is people saying I went all looks and not believing me I am going to buy a sr20, but I hate my Interior and everything but the seats and carpet i wat replaced(its all TEAL!<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>) I posted earlier about this and didn't recieve much help. But for all of you saying do the sr20 now what is their price range? because I could always have my paint touched up for like 100-200 and buy used stock s14 rims (mine are all scratched from drifting into a curb) and how much do you think cheap but good lower springs would cost?

[Yoshi]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (David16 @ July 12 2002,08:59)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Seems like everyone wants speed but I just want to love my car when I look at it that way when I see a car with body kit rims and stuff I don't get jealous. Thats all I'm afraid of is people saying I went all looks and not believing me I am going to buy a sr20, but I hate my Interior and everything but the seats and carpet i wat replaced(its all TEAL!<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>) I posted earlier about this and didn't recieve much help. But for all of you saying do the sr20 now what is their price range? because I could always have my paint touched up for like 100-200 and buy used stock s14 rims (mine are all scratched from drifting into a curb) and how much do you think cheap but good lower springs would cost?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Dammit man, I don't wanna single u out, but people like you are the ones who give drifting in the states a bad rep.

Of course you screwed your wheel trying to drift on stock suspension, jesus christ man, that's just not safe... and the fact that you screwed your wheel hitting a curb? &nbsp;Curb = Sidewalk = an area people could be around... regardless of the situation (ie there was no one around), at least have the sense to go to the track or some vacated industrial parking lot or something.

"Curb Humping" has become all too common a term, and it comes from people trying to drift on stock setups in residential areas. &nbsp;I'm not saying that's what you've been doing, but seriously, from what people can see from your post, that sure is how it appears.

Tell me I'm wrong.
BTW, if you really cared so much about the looks of your car, you wouldn't be drifting in the first place.

[West]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (fodive @ July 11 2002,8:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">hey west, when do you think the rides section will be up..just curious</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Were in the process of talking to a coder about getting the other sections of the site done, I have everything mapped out and am sitting down this weekend to nitch out the details and I may talk to the guy who is doing the coding this weekend so I can get a quote on how much it will cost. So hopefully it will be pretty soon. Along with that will be a dynamic events section and hopefully a few other new sections I've been thinking about. I'm working on the some of the other sections right now myself. I may stop by the office this weekend and at least get some of it done if I can get my ass away from all these damn Pool BeerBQs <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

[misnomer]

Always have said it, always will say it. The s13 looks good enough as it is. Repair any damage, then get into performance.

[David16]

actually mine is an s14 prolly just a typo but in case you didnt notice. And man this is pissin me off, I was not tryin to drift at all. It went to fast for me to know what went on but from wat a can remember I slammed on the brakes to avoid... welll either way it is my bad driving but this was the first time I had ever driven a stick out of my neighborhood, so your just gonna have to take my word I wasn't trying to be cool, I wasn't drifting( I STILL AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT DRIFTING IS(I have heard many definitions)) and I wasn't burning out or speeding. I don't know if I plan on drifting because everytime I go around a turn in someone elses car a little fst I feel as though we will lose traction and hit a curb, haha but only that happens to me everyone else can drive.

[adey]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (SilviaDriver @ July 11 2002,8:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (240sx_soon @ July 11 2002,9:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...He didn't know about lift off oversteer, so as he went over some wet ground, he lifted off the throtle and slid into a curb and hit a tree...</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
OH SHIT!!..dats wat happened to me!!!..well heres my story..i was driving one day..and the road was wet..due to rain of course..and as i turned left..i shifted gear..and i fished tailed..i corrected it..but i corrected it too much and i whipped back the other way around..then i drove off..is that "lift off oversteer?"...i wanna know more about this "lift off oversteer. Thanks


well as for me...im in a crew and street racing isnt allowed..i also have a limited lump of sum..ok ok..i have no money..but id go for show..since i cant street race or anything..not that i want too..so i can juss roll around in a nice lookin car..only racing i would do is..racing at the track haha..nice car running stock times..oh well..but on the other hand..going fast is koo..cuz speed never fades</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
errr... right.


Lift off oversteer is what might have initiated your FIRST (initial) powerslide -- lifting off the gas to shift causes weight transfer from the rear of the car to the front, lessening friction on the rear wheels causing you to slide. &nbsp;
OR
it could have been shifting. When you shift into the next gear and accelerate, you're suddenly putting power to the rears, which might overcome the traction with the wet road -- and hence caused them to spin freely, and hence your rear end to come around a little.

The reason your eventually spun out after "correcting" this initial powerslide is called snap oversteer -- and is different from lift-off oversteer.
Snap oversteer is what happens when you correct the first oversteer situation too much (i.e. you over-correct) and the rears gain traction again, causing your car to snap back the other way instead of slowly correcting the slide.
What you should have done was to "catch" the car just at the point that your countersteering corrected the slide, then slowly unwound back into the direction that you want(ed) to be going.

... hmm a little complicated, yes... for some better descriptions, try sites like http://www.turnfast.com &nbsp;(turnfast.org?)

[tnord]

holy shit........nice work adey, you pretty much explained everything just about perfectly. i thought i was going to have to intervene on that one. i didn't know you were into that kinda stuff. glad to see some other non-idiots around here. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

back to the original topic.

as the old adage goes........"speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?" &nbsp;in all honesty, if you're that tight on money, don't do anything. if you want, you can do some fairly simple things like removing the resonator box which makes the car sound faster. or you can buy a cheap set of good tires for like 250 bucks. (yoko avs int. are like $50 right now) and always leave enough money so that if something breaks you can fix it without having to wait a few weeks until you get some money.

[SimpleS14]

I'm in the same situation as you are David, '95 with high mileage but was a good deal. After all I've spent alot on other things besides my car, I've decide to go for looks first because its cheaper (when done piece by piece). My engine is pretty strong and I'm taking good care of it, except for the lead foot I get once in awhile. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/lookaround.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':look:'>

This is basically the order I'm going in:

sound system (speakers, amp, sub)
exhaust (hey it doubles up as looks)
rims/tires and suspension
97-98 front end conversion w/Bomex kit, spoiler and mirrors
paint job
SR w/tranny swap (maybe 2 yrs from now)
little goodies...turbo timer, gauges and what have you

but this is all easier said then done <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>