noob! has a few questions regarding the 240 and a sr20DET swap

[claytonsmith]

hey guys.. i recently started contemplating the idea that i need a car w/ some more balls. i currently drive a saturn sc2, and i have a friend that is giving me an 87 rx-7( minus motor and tranny.). now... i NEED a car that is quicker ect.. than the saturn. the requirements are the following. MUST be RWD, 5 speed, and handle well, and be fairly inexpensive. looks like the only 2 options are an s4 RX-7 or a 240.

my question is this: what kind of money am i looking at if i pick up a running 240 and slowly motor swap it (as i drive it)?

just FYI.. i have automobile knowledge/ mechanical skills and i'm not incompetent so the actual engine swap problem shouldnt be to much trouble.

thanks to all

[misnomer]

Just to prevent future flames, I'll clarify here that you can't swap a motor slowly while driving the car :P I know you know this, you know you know this. Anyhow, SR engines seem to average about two grand. I'd have another grand set aside for upgrades and "oh ****" parts. If you're good and aren't putting that many upgrades in up front, you won't spend all of that extra grand. Keep it available just in case. If you are swapping it yourself, things go wrong, parts ship broken, etc, etc.

Also, don't underestimate the engine that comes with the car. The OMG WTF SR20DET!!! is not the end-all option for a 240sx. Hell, the more I drive my car, the more I am satisfied with it's mostly stock performance :-)

If you have a friend giving you an RX-7 shell, why not check into that as well for a new engine?

[claytonsmith]

yeah.. i know.. i meant accumulating parts ect.. while i drove the car.. and then swapping the motor. as far as the RX goes... one word.. if this is gonna be a daily driver i need RELIABILITY.. and an RX is far from reliable.. and no it's actually not the wankel engine thats un-reliable ( is that a word) its the electrical gremlins that the snd gen RX has.. they suck.. anyway... what kind of performace parts are available for the 2.4L engine? how would a turbo'd 2.4L compare to the SR20DET if they were running the same boost? i assume that the 2.4L would make more torque?

thanks

[claytonsmith]

anyone???????

[claytonsmith]

yes indeed however they tend to handle like crap

[Yoshi]

wow man.
I think you need to do some research before spouting off... you're lucky there are so few rex and domestic types here. Pretty EVERY manufacturer has a decent handling car, it comes down to your style of driving and what you hold most important.

rex's with TURBOs are unreliable, apex seals under pressure and what's sketchy, NA rotaries are the complete opposite of their turbo'ed big brothers in the reliability field... and domestics not handling well? Seriously man, what kind of ignorant broad sweeping statement is that?

check google and some message boards of some of the vehicles you're dissing. Your vast generalizations sound like someone who just got some ideas of of Import Racer or SS... but hey, maybe I've got you pegged all wrong, show us.

[DuffMan]

There are tons of nicely modded TII's for sale out there for like 6 grand. I know it will take a lot more than that to get my 240 up to that level of performance, and asthetics.

Anyway you need to be more specific. Some people consider a 280hp 240sx fast and some people consider a 400hp 240sx fast, but the difference is a ton of cash. So tell us what kind of hp you want, and we can give you a rough dollar figure.

Same with handling. Its how fast do you want to spend.

[claytonsmith]

Ok… first off.. I am not saying that domestic cars don't handle well. I am saying that I can't afford a domestic car that fits what I want. I'd love to have a fox body mustang that ran 11's with a t-5, a 302 roller motor , pulled 1G on a skidpad and got 20mpg.. but I cant afford anything like that

Yoshi: Take your own advice.. there's nothing unreliable about a rotary on boost. There's nothing unreliable about a rotary engine period. Boost or no boost. The problem with the REX is the actual car its self. The 2nd gen rx were cheaply manufactured cars. The plastic interior parts constantly break and the electrical problems are plentiful. All of the problems associated the the rotary engine are caused by the user.

Duffman: thanks for not being a jerk J

I can see that you guys tend not to welcome newcomers. So I'm out..

thanks

[uiuc240]

Dude, relax. You came on here sounding like a hyper-newb...hence the glowing reaction.

search a bit for SR20 costs. My total car right now (swap/suspension/stereo/tires/wheels/brakes/etc.) is probably pushing somewhere near the 8-10k range...but I've done all this stuff over a 3 year period. So really, it's pretty cheap. The major cost was the swap...set me back nearly $5 grand to get it on the road. That was with:

engine
install (yeah, i know...shoulda done it myself)
clutch
fuel pump
radiator
intercooler (SMIC)
downpipe
gauges
misc

Some of the prices have gone down now, and the swaps are even more documented. I only had it done because I needed fast turn around, and I didn't have a garage...still don't.

Anyway, just get a 240 and start going to town.

Eric