What to do?

[jess14]

I finally found an S14 motor that is worth purchasing. I have been looking forever and saving money for a little over a year. Now I'm in a delima and I need other member's opinions. The engine I found will be $3500 shipped. I have exactly $3500 in the bank.

Okay now, I just graduated highschool (yesterday) and I'm off to college. Should I save the money for college or spend it all on the motor? Also, it feels good to be my age and not have to worry about money. All my friends are in debt and I can take out as much money as I need, when I need it... it's a good feeling. Another thing, if I get this engine, I'm not going to lie, I will probably street race. I don't want to sink a load of cash into something and then have my license taken away or my car impounded. Those are three delima's I have with purchasing a nice S14 Blacktop.

One more thing that is kind of far out there. My parents said they'd go half and half with me on a newer used car for around $20,000. That will take 6 months. Should I wait for a new car?

I know this is my life and I should make my own decisions but I wouldn't mind other people's opinions and what they would do. Thank you very much.

[Hawd]

Your highschool friends are in debt ....wtf? Problem is you only have $3500 what about extra money if you run into problems etc...

[Salty_X]

College can get expensive real quick, I say hold on to that money for a while.

[heated heavy]

ya, 3500 isnt gonna cut it. you'll need backup money for stuff that goes wrong plus you might want to change clutch, flywheel, radiator, maybe an intercooler and other bolt-ons.

[element240]

keep your money and keep saving it... use if for more useful things like tuition etc..

what do you drive, s13 or s14? why do you need another car?

[uiuc240]

you will go through $3500 so fast in college you won't even know what hit you. also, as said before, $3500 won't go anywhere with an SR swap. You need about double that to really do it right. Just have some fun, buy some suspension and wheels/tires, and then just drive it the way it is. Save the rest for parties and late night food and stuff. you'll need it, trust me. After 6 years of college (undergrad and grad), I've got over $40,000 in student loans. If you can avoid that...do it.

Eric

[aznpoopy]

agreed with everyone above. 3.5k is NOT enough for a proper sr-swap. on top of that, reconsider why you want a SR anyway? drag racing is gay... and a ka24 is more then good enough for entry level auto-x and drift. i remember what it was like to be 18 so i understand the urge to just go spend it all at once. my advice is think ahead... do you have a job? is that all your savings? what about when your car needs new brake pads? tires? mechanical problems? u need money on hand for all of that. spending what you right away is a good way to put yourself in the hell hole of debt... trust me, i know.

i basically partied and fucked around all through college, had my car totalled while parked on the street and had to buy a new one ASAP. insurance didn't pay much so i had to shell out most of the $$$. i had no savings and lots of debt; and i further indebted myself when i had to buy a cheap used car senior year... (my current pos s14); 9 months after graudation i'm JUST barely starting to have some savings, trying to keep up with 240sx maintenance, insurance, utilities, rent, traveling expenses... real life costs alot. you just don't realize it when your parents are helping you out.

so yeah, start being fiscally responsible now.

[jess14]

Yea, I have a job now... but in August I'm going to have to quit because I'm leaving. I make a decent 200 bucks a week, its not bad. Plus, my KA is falling apart and it has 110,000 miles on it. There is an oil leak some where, my belts squeak for about 30 seconds when I start my car, there is some bar in the back of my car that grinds nasty when I back up, an alternator bolt keeps popping out no matter how many times I fix it, and there is a light clanging sound on my passener side wheel when I drive. I'm not an expert on cars so I don't think I can fix all of it! Ahhhh!!!!

[mk20116]

use the money to fix what you can on your car. buying a new car will put you into more debt besides any college loans.
3500 will not cover the cost of problem occured along with the install and maintenance.

most of the suggestions you see are probably from first hand experience.

btw the problems with your car don't seem too extreme. if you can bear with it just leave it alone, you'd be wasting money for every annoying noise your car makes. my car has tranny problems, but you don't see me changing anything. i'd rather spend on something nicer.

[Pepperoni]

I say learn your car first; get some experience fixing things on your car. Like mk20116 said, the problems you listed arent big problems..tighten your belts a bit so they dont squeak, or replace em. Add brake fluid cuz u may be low, causing the grinding sound when you're backing up...check for leaks etc.. Do a search on these forums...you'll learn everything there is to know about the 240, and how to fix it. Im in community college right now, i have money for my car but i also have money saved up for school. Thats the difference. Hell, even community college eats up my wallet. Are you going to a university? Id say go to college for a semester or two so u can get a feel for how much you're going to spend/need. If you're going to be living there, it's going to be hard to work on your car.

[aznpoopy]

Originally Posted by jess14

Yea, I have a job now... but in August I'm going to have to quit because I'm leaving. I make a decent 200 bucks a week, its not bad. Plus, my KA is falling apart and it has 110,000 miles on it. There is an oil leak some where, my belts squeak for about 30 seconds when I start my car, there is some bar in the back of my car that grinds nasty when I back up, an alternator bolt keeps popping out no matter how many times I fix it, and there is a light clanging sound on my passener side wheel when I drive. I'm not an expert on cars so I don't think I can fix all of it! Ahhhh!!!!

problem #1 : you have a leaky timing cover/valve cover/(most likely)front main seal, leaking oil down the front side of your engine. the oil collects on your belts when the car is off causing it to squeal when you start the car as the belts burn off the bit of oil. the oil also seeps out and gets into your alternator, giving you your recurring alternator problem.

solution : replace front main seal, re-seal valve cover, re-seal timing cover. estimated cost = $20 dollars + 1-2hours labor + 1 day gasket curing.

problem #2 : clanging noise from the rear sounds like a
noisy differential.

solution : drive on it, get LSD in future.

problem #3 : depending on what the noise sounds like... could be worn bushings, broken rod, worn bearing or something as simple as worn pads (thin pad warning)

solution : get under there and check, fix whatever it is... very common problem, will run u anywhere from new pads to new (upgraded w00t) suspension components depending on what it is...

[jess14]

aznpoopy, you are the man. You guys are all awesome. I've decided to save my money.

Well, th enoise in the back was from a different problem in the past. On night I was backing up out of a parking spot and I heard a pop, thought nothing of it because my springs are cut . So as I'm driving I realize that my whole steering wheel is off center and it's extremely hard to steer my car. So the next day I put it in the shop and they said my "link" bar broke and they had to get another one. I've never heard of a link bar before. So ever since they put in the other "link" bar the squeaky noise from the back is always there.

I'm getting a new idea as we speak. I'm almost done paying off the car I have now. When I do that, I sell it and by a 98 240 se with low miles, stock. I love the 95 model but the 97 model is growing on me. I would go for another car but I can't see myself driving anything but a Nissan. What do you guys think.

Thanks for all your help, you guys rock!