Debating LS2 GTO or SR20DET swap for my 98 SE.

[alkemyst]

It's coming down to the wire where I am going to either do a swap in my 240SX (should be CCNP by March and a lot more money coming in)...or with prices the way they are sell my 98 240SX and put about the same money into buying a low mileage 05/06 GTO.

I want something that I don't see everyday on the street and my 240SX has done that. However I worry about the interior failing with 10 years on it now...everything is still mint save just a small split in my drivers door panel.

Maybe my math is off, but I am figuring $10k to do an SR20DET swap with a bigger turbo, FMIC, clutch, injectors, tune/electronics, a couple seats....I see some guys are getting by for like $2000-3000 but I don't know how they are getting all these parts at that cost.

I am also debating just dropping in a S14 blacktop with a BB turbo and keep the SMIC shooting for less HP. I'd still need the clutch and a minor ability to tune.

I want to be in the low 13's or high 12's at the least.

The main thing I worry about the GTO is the extra weight.

Anyone have experience is going to or from one or something similar?

I have a full 80mm exhaust and 3" cat already on the car.

[sonomadrifter]

I understand the availablity of the market/ loans right now and if you have the money aside, I suppose it makes sense to go with a new vehicle in certain aspects, yet you are going to get less for your S-chassis as well. But thats only if you have the cash to back it up.

A far as a swap, 10K is a bit high for what I know, but its always going to be more than you expect.

I dont know what kind of numbers your going to be pulling with either setup as far as built redtop vs a "newer" blacktop how important is this extra to you? What is this car being used for?

Also, have you considered a Ls2 in the 240?

Thats the route I would think about, but again it depends on what its for.

Just a idiot's opinion here tho. Do what moves you, not what moves others.

EDIT: What other mods have you done to you car?
Suspension, brakes and much more can give you results a engine can not. But then again, whats the car used for.

[alkemyst]

It's not really a market/loan deal...it's so many disparate people are unloading these types of cars now for fire sales. The GTO is sort of the ugly step child with others going for the G35's, Vettes and mustangs as first picks.

I did think about the LS1 or LS2 in the the 240SX, but I was told you lose a/c...I haven't researched it out fully though...I am planning once I have the cash aside figure it out and then go and buy the right parts.

The 10k would also include a couple seats and some minor cosmetic parts.

The purpose is a great DD...able to launch off a dig or nail a tight corner (which I worry the GTO may not do so well).

If I do decide to go 'built' SR20 then the red vs black isn't that important...

My car is pretty fully modified outside of the engine internals. KTS Coils, power brace, Okuyama front and Cusco rear strut braces, nismo mounts, R33 GTST brakes front and rear, 16/15 BMC, new slave / clutch master, VLSD, upgraded grounds, goodyear asymmetrics 235/40's, subframe collars, kazama / Z32 tie rods, whiteline sways, SPL tension rods, Cusco RUCAs, SPL toe rods

I'd like to keep it, but I don't want to dump the cash in and then be disappointed.

[roboticnissan]

welli have a few friends with gto and they break down pretty fast man. so dont rule out your s14 just cuz its old and you think its going to break down.

[MangoDorifto]

Does Florida have any sort of Emission Law or Testing that's required to register the vehicle? Just something to keep in mind since your car is OBD2 and WILL NOT pass with an SR20DET. LSX swap is really something to consider. Your able to wire up the OBD2 port and will make testing and registering the vehicle easier.

I've got a 96 with a S14 SR20DET, it's a total pain to register. Love my SR but it recently just blew up. So a LSX is gonna take the SR's place next!

[TanaMU]

dude, it's simple. Take the gto ls1 and put it in the 240. cost ya under 7 grand.

[alkemyst]

not so much my car is old as much as if I wreck it. Just dealt with insurance to fix a fender bender and they wanted to total it out at first.

Don't know if the next time I will be so lucky and if I sink more cash into it I have more to lose.

All the stuff I have done is top notch. There are a few S13's around here that have smoked me, but they are rust buckets...there is one fast S14 I have seen but his body looks like it was a roll-over recovery

While the swap isn't legal, I don't have registration / inspection issues to worry about.

[sonomadrifter]

Originally Posted by alkemyst

The purpose is a great DD...able to launch off a dig or nail a tight corner (which I worry the GTO may not do so well).

If I do decide to go 'built' SR20 then the red vs black isn't that important...

I'd like to keep it, but I don't want to dump the cash in and then be disappointed.

Gotcha. It seems you have done your research and know your options well.

Are you comfortable with the way your 240 rides now as a DD?

Sorry, I meant throwing in a built SR vs. a stock motor set.

I have a freind with a new GTO and he loves it, and I have to admit its nice. However, I wouldnt trade my SR S14 for much of anything, I love my car and I dont think you will be dissapointed going Sr if you did.

By this sound of it you have a beautiful kouki, I hope it serves you well.

[alkemyst]

Originally Posted by TanaMU

dude, it's simple. Take the gto ls1 and put it in the 240. cost ya under 7 grand.

I am not sure about that...have these fallen in price?

It's not just putting mounts on usually. I am looking at fuel, upgraded cooling, I will need a custom head back exhaust, etc.

The SR20DET is nice because it's a drop in and with the right turbo/build pretty untouchable.

[alkemyst]

Originally Posted by sonomadrifter

Gotcha. It seems you have done your research and know your options well.

Are you comfortable with the way your 240 rides now as a DD?

Sorry, I meant throwing in a built SR vs. a stock motor set.

I have a freind with a new GTO and he loves it, and I have to admit its nice. However, I wouldnt trade my SR S14 for much of anything, I love my car and I dont think you will be dissapointed going Sr if you did.

By this sound of it you have a beautiful kouki, I hope it serves you well.

I am ok with the ride. I have driven more forgiving cars that handled equally or better...but at the same time I am not on uber coilovers.

my car is at link

[SleepR 240sx]

Honestly having a 240 as a DD is great fun and all...but realistically it's simply not the best choice if you want a truly reliable hassle free DD....IMHO...

I vote ls series for the $10,000...even though you want a/c...it's not that big of deal without it.

[alkemyst]

Originally Posted by SleepR 240sx

Honestly having a 240 as a DD is great fun and all...but realistically it's simply not the best choice if you want a truly reliable hassle free DD....IMHO...

I vote ls series for the $10,000...even though you want a/c...it's not that big of deal without it.

no a/c is a deal breaker in a daily driver /thread. it's 80-90 year round here and often raining during the hottest months.

My 240SX has held up fine for the 4 years I have owned it now.

[SleepR 240sx]

True...and because it's a kouki you may not have many problems...my experience with my s13 just tells me otherwise...idk i just think if your putting 10,000 into a 240 you should be making it into a track car not a DD.

[ROIDMONKEY]

GTO sick period . for the money i think is the best down u can buy. the interior of the car is beatifull (red/blue or black) my friend have one and he love it too. car needs a supercharger tho if u like to be fast. when i was making 350whp on my s13 i beat it a few times , hes stock 100%(LS2) but yeah if u can get a GTO over a 240 go ahead.. unless u really love 240's

[ruben705]

well you should test the waters to see what you can get for your car first.. to see if the gto is within the price you wanna be in.. and if it is i say go with that

[blueshark123]

u can now have a/c with an ls1 they sell monut kits for 1500 headers for 600 and engine sets for 4000 with a t56 tranny add another 1000 for miscellaniuos (sp) parts and 500 for wiring so u can do all that for around 7k.

[TanaMU]

Originally Posted by alkemyst

I am not sure about that...have these fallen in price?

It's not just putting mounts on usually. I am looking at fuel, upgraded cooling, I will need a custom head back exhaust, etc.

The SR20DET is nice because it's a drop in and with the right turbo/build pretty untouchable.

sr20 build is pretty untouchable? I would think that an ls1 build would be touching the sr all day long.

I know exactly what's involved in the swap. Let me put it to you this way, if you chump it up and pay someone else to do all the work, then yeah an sr is cheaper. but if you have a garage and a welder.... i mean, ls1 engine packages are like 2400 bucks.

[vodka2]

rb30dett ...scream at me 12k

[morbid]

I was actually debating selling my s13 and grabbing a c5 z06 instead.. haha


Do you have a purpose for having 240 besides being different? If you can stand having a gas guzzler that's kind of fast in a straight line, then go for it. I say kind of fast because I've been driving an 06 srt8 Charger all day and have also driven a m6 C6 vette (non z06) and a jeep srt8 and 300c srt8 and none of them really "threw me into my seat" like I expected. The 425 hp Charger I have right now is a lot less exciting to drive then the 05 STI I got a wreckless ticket in a year or two ago.. oops. Sound wise, they make my panties wet. Fun wise, I prefer the power delivery of a turbo car. One more thing, resale value on most of these American muscle cars sucks balls. I'm not too sure on the goats, though.

If you want a car that has amazing handling capabilities and you can custom tailor to your exact needs and build to the point that it shits on everything else in a straight line or curve, then keep the 240. If you don't care too much about performance and just want everyday drivability with a nice interior and a little umph, get a infinity or lexus.

just my 2¢

[spikNspan]

Originally Posted by alkemyst

I did think about the LS1 or LS2 in the the 240SX, but I was told you lose a/c...

and this is important when driving an LS1 swapped 240?! come on man, get your priorities straight. I drive around with no a/c in cali and I did it through the dead heat of summer, it wasn't that bad, drive with the windows down and crank some tunes or just listen to the sound of the motor. It also helps when you drive really fast!

[KansaiDrifter]

If you're already looking at spending $10k on a swap, drop the LS2 into the s14. Best of both worlds, and that will keep your car different from most! The sr swap isn't really going towards the different, but rather fan boy like everyone else swap anyway.

Or ka-t it, that's not seen everday either, well done up fully. And with a brand new ka-t engine, it's just that, brand new. The sr will be used and abused already, but the LS2 will more likely have less miles on it, but still not new.

oh just read the previous posts, so btw, you Can hook up the ac, but it'll be a little more difficult, but you can ac whatever you'd like really, just a matter of a few wires, and some custom tubes.

[blu808]

Dude. I have had all of the cars you are considering. I currently have an 05 gto.
It is the biggest piece of shit ever.

Even the supercharged gto's feel slow. Get a zo6 and call it a day.

[idahotuner]

lol were are you located. i am planing on selling my whole sr20det set up. that made 416 hp.. for in the neighbor hood of $7,000. that includes tuned ECU and everything.

[alkemyst]

Originally Posted by TanaMU

sr20 build is pretty untouchable? I would think that an ls1 build would be touching the sr all day long.

I know exactly what's involved in the swap. Let me put it to you this way, if you chump it up and pay someone else to do all the work, then yeah an sr is cheaper. but if you have a garage and a welder.... i mean, ls1 engine packages are like 2400 bucks.

The SR20DET can hit 8000 rpms pretty easy and make more horsepower than the 240SX can put down.

I haven't seen any LSx 240sx's really race, but I have seen plenty of 240SX's smoke even Z06's.

Most of the people that are having problems mechanically with their 240SX's have not really maintained them or cut corners.

[alkemyst]

Originally Posted by KansaiDrifter

If you're already looking at spending $10k on a swap, drop the LS2 into the s14. Best of both worlds, and that will keep your car different from most! The sr swap isn't really going towards the different, but rather fan boy like everyone else swap anyway.

Or ka-t it, that's not seen everday either, well done up fully. And with a brand new ka-t engine, it's just that, brand new. The sr will be used and abused already, but the LS2 will more likely have less miles on it, but still not new.

oh just read the previous posts, so btw, you Can hook up the ac, but it'll be a little more difficult, but you can ac whatever you'd like really, just a matter of a few wires, and some custom tubes.

I really don't care what's under the hood. I have not seen another kouki like mine around here...most KA's are actually going to have more mileage than a SR from Japan though...you can rebuild either. If you are paying the right money/sourcing properly any engine you get should be fine. I am really not worried about getting a bad motor whatever route I go.

The KA-T is a lot more expensive than the SR swap if you do it right. The SR is nice because it just goes into place and you can still use all the factory tuning equipment.

KA makes a great drag car, but the SR handles the higher rpm / steady much better IMHO.

[RanciD]

Originally Posted by alkemyst

I really don't care what's under the hood. I have not seen another kouki like mine around here...most KA's are actually going to have more mileage than a SR from Japan though...you can rebuild either. If you are paying the right money/sourcing properly any engine you get should be fine. I am really not worried about getting a bad motor whatever route I go.

The KA-T is a lot more expensive than the SR swap if you do it right. The SR is nice because it just goes into place and you can still use all the factory tuning equipment.

KA makes a great drag car, but the SR handles the higher rpm / steady much better IMHO.

If you do it right is pretty subjective though, everyone has different goals. A KA-T setup that costs more than an SR swap is also going to make a hell of a lot more power than an SR swap. Keep in mind after you spend a grand or two to get the engine in your car you still only have 200hp. For the price of the SR swap you'll make more power out of a KA-T setup no question. Whether or not you want a KA-T setup is your choice but I wouldn't dismiss it so easily. Honestly it's all irrelevant with your budget though. If you're looking to spend in the neighborhood of 10k I would for sure go LSx, VQ or something else crazy/fun, why toy around with kids stuff.

[mmeedd26]

I have a nice 95 S14 SR20 with GT2871 HKS cams step 2..... ect.. about 25k - 30k into my car..

My buddy has a LS2 GTO.


If I were you and I could do it over again I would go GTO with out a second thought.


1) way more torque from the get go - do a few mods on the GTO like a new cam and headers and you have a serious machine in a newer vehicle.
2) resale value. I have 25k -30k in my car and I would be lucky to get 15k for it, where as the GTO if you get tired of it in 2 years you can sell it way easier and people can get loans for it easier.
3) GTO and LSI parts are way easier to source.
4) GTO has less parts for that power. No turbo and other thing to go out or break like the SR20 needs to make the same power numbers.
5) At the end of the day these are two different machines that drive completely different. V8 versus a turbo 4 cylinder. It depends on what and how you like to drive. I would rather the GTO but you should drive both and decide. It sounds like you want a kick ass DD that has a/c and is plush. The GTO is all of that. And by the way swaping any engine can have problems, my first swap was an SR that I paid a shop to do and the engine blew. Took almost another 6 months and a lot of fighting to get another engine put in. Swap are a huge mechanical ordeal and there are a lot of opportunity for error. Also a straight SR swap with no mods or upgrades isnt going to give you the power of a non moded GTO LS2.

[alkemyst]

Have you driven that GTO? Some of the GTO guys said the 240SX's they have been into 'while dated' were wickedly fast some mentioned they felt more responsive and attached (but also louder and harsher).

I don't need a ton of bells and whistles. My car is in absolutely perfect condition just I can't stand the lack of power...I tried to add on a header and 248/232 cams but still even with my exhaust there is no power. Compression is all great, fuel pressure tested fine...my injectors (Deuschwerks 270cc), Z32 filter, etc are all new. New wires/plugs...I am done putting more time into it though because even if I get every ounce of power out of it I am looking at maybe 170HP at the wheels if I am lucky.

The $10k budget is not just the engine swap though...a couple Bride or Recaros and either recovering my door panels or replacing / fixing the driver's side (minor split in the vinyl).

I am figuring any swap I will need a clutch, fuel pump and some kind of AF computer...

$10k is not a ton of cash to do this all...if I just wanted a junkyard swap I could do an ebay FMIC, bolt in any SR and hope its good, and an old Apexi SAFCII. There are still many on the forums that will brag they did a full KAT build for $1500...I just don't see how it's possible. Just exhaust, clutch, fuel pump and injectors you burn though a good half of that. Still need a manifold, management, turbo, lines, etc...

If I can do it for less I would love too...out of the budget about $7k is really the swap part and the other $3k seats and fluff. I have a couple calls in down here to get some pricing. My friends have all moved on to mostly 350Z and G35's...a few went to the STI/WRX side of things.

[Sonic Motor]

if you have the funds, get a GTO. That shit is siiiick.
You can be as cool as Kazama as seen on topgear! hahah

More reliable to get power from a V8 than turbo 4.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Well how much HP are you shooting for with the SR? That will dictate on how expensive itll be and how much of the work will be done by you. I dropped $7k on the first 3 days when I did my SR swap. Thats me doing the labor, that $7k is mostly price of the parts I wanted to throw into the car at retail. I got the engine for $1500, the rest went to bolt on parts. Thats before I went GT2871R, 740cc and Entalphy Rom Tune.