240sx Popularity: How did it happen?

[180sxmaniac]

So my friend recently bought a 350z and I assisted him in finding the right Z to his liking.One thing I noticed was man there are quite a bit of Z's available and for reasonable prices considering it's one of the few Japanese FR layout cars that was released here in the states in large quantities. Right now would be the perfect time to buy a Z because eventually it will end up like the 240sx as far as it being difficult to find a clean one. So I began to think and I wanna now from everyone out there when did the 240sx become "THAT CAR" that everyone had to have. Specifics would be great. Like what type of people owned most of the 240sx say a decade ago? Was it easy to find an S14 as it was an S13? How much did it cost to buy a 240sx from a private party about a decade ago? Did people selling there 240sx realize the potential of the car? Really interested to hear feedback from everyone!!

[Felipe]

your going to have to ask some one that is 50+

[The Dude]

Honda tech members stumbled upon drifting, realized they couldn't do it with their civics, then immediately bought 240s and ruined all of them. Now they have taken over zilvia.

I bought mine a decade ago for 2700ish (1995 SE with abs/vlsd that still works).

[Oakville]

cheap FR with parts a plenty, very easily swap-able. I assume the Z33s will come down...but not as much, I think its still holding its value because its considered a more expensive car (when new) than the 240 was. V6 vs 4 banger right

[180sxmaniac]

Originally Posted by The Dude

Honda tech members stumbled upon drifting, realized they couldn't do it with their civics, then immediately bought 240s and ruined all of them. Now they have taken over zilvia.

I bought mine a decade ago for 2700ish (1995 SE with abs/vlsd that still works).

Lucky you,was the car still in mint condition as far as paint and interior etc

[EDacIouSX]

Originally Posted by The Dude

Honda tech members stumbled upon drifting, realized they couldn't do it with their civics, then immediately bought 240s and ruined all of them. Now they have taken over zilvia.

I bought mine a decade ago for 2700ish (1995 SE with abs/vlsd that still works).

I got mine in 2004 for 5600. 107,xxx miles clean chasis bone stock minus 4 blown struts mod (har har), and an apexi exhaust.



Basically yes, Honda people discovered what drifting was/is and that's about it. community went to shit when honda buddies from the 90s bought up 240s.... you can also thank tokyo drift.

[OrangeVirus1]

Most likely it was a normal everyday car, that car enthusiasts found out how to swap and then watching touge drifting thought " wow I wanna do that" and started the craze.

It's like any other car man.

What made people wanna turbo Chevy Cavaliers? people figure out how to mod what they have..

[180sxmaniac]

Originally Posted by OrangeVirus1

Most likely it was a normal everyday car, that car enthusiasts found out how to swap and then watching touge drifting thought " wow I wanna do that" and started the craze.

It's like any other car man.

What made people wanna turbo Chevy Cavaliers? people figure out how to mod what they have..

Yea I get that,just curious how easy/cheap they were to buy and like around what year did they really become popular here in the states

[OrangeVirus1]

Originally Posted by 180sxmaniac

Yea I get that,just curious how easy/cheap they were to buy and like around what year did they really become popular here in the states

Well my car new ( as per the DMV ) was only 14k$.. so some of these cars sell for more then a brand new one with zero miles.

I'd just take a wild guess and say around the same time the TT supra came out. The cheap teens found an "equivalent" to the TT supra with their budget... RWD 240sx. lol

[180sxmaniac]

Originally Posted by Oakville

cheap FR with parts a plenty, very easily swap-able. I assume the Z33s will come down...but not as much, I think its still holding its value because its considered a more expensive car (when new) than the 240 was. V6 vs 4 banger right

Yea ur right the z33 ain't gonna be as cheap as a 240sx anytime soon but if I recall sticker price on a z was 30k+ now you can find a nice one for less than 14k so they're quickly losing value every year

[xoxide]

Originally Posted by OrangeVirus1

I'd just take a wild guess and say around the same time the TT supra came out. The cheap teens found an "equivalent" to the TT supra with their budget... RWD 240sx. lol

What?

240sx is the budget supra.. said no one ever.

[OrangeVirus1]

Originally Posted by xoxide

What?

240sx is the budget supra.. said no one ever.

I actually know a dude from high school who had a 240sx and called it a supras little brother.. that's what gave me that idea.

[180sxmaniac]

Originally Posted by OrangeVirus1

I actually know a dude from high school who had a 240sx and called it a supras little brother.. that's what gave me that idea.

Is it just me or do supras feel like 1 seaters with how the entire console is slanted towards the driver

[OrangeVirus1]

Originally Posted by 180sxmaniac

Is it just me or do supras feel like 1 seaters with how the entire console is slanted towards the driver

I love cars like that. Like an eclipse / talon too. I don't like a huge stupid nothingness between the driver and passenger.

[KiLLeR2001]

S-chassis is the little brother to the Z-chassis, not the Supra.

And you can thank Tokyo Drift (2006) for the drifting craze.

[holemilk00]

I bought a 97 SE brand new two years after graduating high school. It was $23k after tags and shit. The 240 scene has gone way down hill since, it started as soon as people in the states started to learn about drifting and applied their "I want to do that, but I work at McDonald's" mindset to our cars. I remember when I had my 97 people didn't know what the hell it was, I had someone ask me almost daily what kind of car it was.

[holemilk00]

Oh and hack job kids were ruining s-chassis' for drifting state side way before Tokyo drift. Initial-D had some of the Honda kids into drifting.

[OrangeVirus1]

Originally Posted by holemilk00

Oh and hack job kids were ruining s-chassis' for drifting state side way before Tokyo drift. Initial-D had some of the Honda kids into drifting.

I never even knew what drifting was until my friend with a 240 ( mr 240 is a supra's little brother dude ) showed me Initial-D videos.

And that was back when "drifting" was doing donuts in a parking lot.

[xoxide]

Originally Posted by holemilk00

I had someone ask me almost daily what kind of car it was.

I still have that problem today. That or is it a skyline.

[holemilk00]

What do you mean "back when"?? 70% of the drifting videos posted on YouTube today are still 1st and 2nd gear donuts.

[Agent S14]

I loved the car back in 1996 when my parents were looking at a 1996 pathfinder to replace our sentra I was still in elementary school when I saw it. Years later when I was 16 I was looking for a mr2 turbo but it was out of my budget. I looked for similar RWD Japanese car found a 96 se reminded me of how much i loved the car as a kid and I bought it in 2004. Still drive it everyday never regretted buying it, the car makes me happy.

[holemilk00]

Originally Posted by xoxide

I still have that problem today. That or is it a skyline.

True, my 97 was bone stock. My black car now is far from it. So I still get those questions, but it's understandable.

[OrangeVirus1]

Originally Posted by holemilk00

What do you mean "back when"?? 70% of the drifting videos posted on YouTube today are still 1st and 2nd gear donuts.

I just mean back When I was first starting to get into cars.

[xoxide]

Originally Posted by holemilk00

True, my 97 was bone stock. My black car now is far from it. So I still get those questions, but it's understandable.

Sometimes I wish I didnt drive such a "clean" 98, because I cant really go anywhere without someone approaching me about the car.. Sometimes its a little sketchy if you know what I mean.

[180sxmaniac]

Does anybody know the sticker price from Nissan for the S13 and S14 USDM?

[OrangeVirus1]

1992 S13 original tax value was 14.5k.. that's what it says on my registration.

[180sxmaniac]

Originally Posted by OrangeVirus1

1992 S13 original tax value was 14.5k.. that's what it says on my registration.

That's unbelievably reasonable,Nissan should re release this car with or without SR20 it would be a line outside of people waiting to buy one

[DJ-of-E]

Originally Posted by The Dude

Honda tech members stumbled upon drifting, realized they couldn't do it with their civics, then immediately bought 240s and ruined all of them. Now they have taken over zilvia.

I bought mine a decade ago for 2700ish (1995 SE with abs/vlsd that still works).

This is very much true. I bought my first 240sx in 2003 when people were still a Honda craze and high school people looked at my car and said "why you buy a Ford Phobe." Then drifting and initial D happened and people then asked "do you drift your car?"

I bought my car because I wanted a nice looking and fairly simple RWD car because my dad has Nissan 280zx turbo and he had me daily drive a 1985 Toyota Celica GT-S (also RWD). I "was" looking for Honda Civics, but they were around $3000 range and I found a Nissan 240sx (was looking at 300zx) for $2300 1 owner 110,000 miles. Drove it, felt like the Celica GT-S, loved it.

Production numbers In the United States

All models (including convertibles):
1989 - 68118
1990 - 60582
1991 - 34534
1992 - 27033
1993 - 21471
1994 - 1391
1995 - 25114
1996 - 7334
1997 - 3655
1998 - 2178

I remember doing a report about sales numbers for 240sx as a Statistics project

Judging by the numbers, I say it sold pretty damn well in 1989 to 1992 "only' because of the following conditions:
1) 1982 to 1991 was the generation were demand for "coupe" vehicles were very high.
2) car was pretty cheap brand new, but I do know the S14 . I actually found previous owner's sales receipt of my 1991 Nissan 240sx was $16K OTD...bought by a college age lady (also found 1992 Santa Monica college booklet).
3) 1989 to 1991 models look better than its competition (Honda Civic and Honda Prelude)

Then the numbers went down because of the introduction the 4th gen Honda Civic and 4th gen Honda prelude due the following:
1) Honda's incredibly aggressive sales and marketing to compete with Toyota. You would get cars via invoice price without haggles. While MSRP existed, people would get these cars at almost 20% off of MSRP.
2) Nicer curves to fit the "demand."
3) Growing trend of buyers no longer looking for a "sport coupe" as a vehicle.

One of the questions my professor asked me was "Would a new version of 240sx be successful in today's market." I replied "no way, not possible (see 350z sales numbers over the years)"

[daftcon]

edit: i severely misunderstood what op was asking. thats what i get for strolling around hammered on a sunday nite


i first started noticing s14s when i was a junior in high school (2003) and knew it was the first car that i would get and spend copious amounts of money on. picked up a '97, in 2007 for $5500 and didn't really do too much with it. small cosmetic things, but nothing near what i wanted to. mainly because i was uneducated and therefore lacked the drive. sold it and got a bike. regretted that decision very quickly and knew i had to get another one.

that didn't happen until 2011. only this time i had done my research, research, and a bit more research and knew exactly what i wanted to do and what i was getting myself into. picked up a bone stock, fully running and driveable '95 for $1800. the lady i bought it from got it in 1996 from a dealership lease. she paid nearly 14 or 15k for it. it was auto, SE, power windows, sunroof, typical goodies. i've since done a few minor things. coil suspension (needed something quick and fairly cheap cause rear struts were beyond blown), radiator and fans, exhaust, and it's completely primed and ready for some paint. i've got a ka completely torn down in my garage waiting for some parts that should be coming soon. it's moving along slowly but i'm making sure to do things the right way so i'm not covering up shotty work with patchy fixes. i absolutely love what i'm getting myself into and the culture that comes along with it.

[OrangeVirus1]

Originally Posted by 180sxmaniac

That's unbelievably reasonable,Nissan should re release this car with or without SR20 it would be a line outside of people waiting to buy one

car manufacturers nowadays are all about MPG. and maybe 1 of their entire line up is for enthusiasts.

They should release something completely new.
not a 240sx.
not a 350/370z


they should make a 200ZSXT!

a RWD ( or awd option ) 2.0 Turbo that has a completely new engine.
and should also come with other options like AWD, NA or turbo, and A turbo diesel. and it should be tuned for high boost high compression direct injection and get around 35MPG off boost