Buying an S14... Need some expertise! - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

WINTERS14 · 04-05-2011, 12:28 PM

Hello all,

I've been a long-time lurker on these forums, but just registered so this is my first post. I currently DD a Z32 300ZX, but because of gas prices will be looking to buy an S14 to DD. I found a 1997 Kouki shell that a guy is selling and am seriously considering buying it. Here's a link to the craigslist listing:

***1997 240sx s14***

So here's the deal. When he bought it, it had an SR20DET in it, hence the turbo mods... I, however, want a KA24DE that way I don't have to deal with under-the-table smogging or getting my car impounded should a cop ever get nosey. And besides, I'm looking for a clean DD to save gas at this point. Turbos will come later. I'm wondering about a few things:

1. Will the fuel pump (he doesn't know what it is, but after looking at many SR20 swaps is probably upgraded) work with a KA24DE? I just heard from him via text, and he said the fuel lines are still OEM if that helps.

2. How hard will it be to get the swap to pass smog? From what I understand all Kouki's are OBDII so does that mean I have to specifically find an OBDII KA24DE, just an OBDII ECU, or can I just go with OBDI?

3. And finally, do you guys think the car is worth it? He told me he would come down on the price a little bit, and I could sell the SR20DET harness, ECU, and turbo upgrades that come with it to fund my KA24DE swap. The shell just looks really clean (exactly what I'm looking for) so I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity if I could.

Thanks for all your help guys! (And before anyone suggests the search button, I used it

)

nikkisixx69 · 04-05-2011, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WINTERS14

Hello all,

I've been a long-time lurker on these forums, but just registered so this is my first post. I currently DD a Z32 300ZX, but because of gas prices will be looking to buy an S14 to DD. I found a 1997 Kouki shell that a guy is selling and am seriously considering buying it. Here's a link to the craigslist listing:

***1997 240sx s14***

So here's the deal. When he bought it, it had an SR20DET in it, hence the turbo mods... I, however, want a KA24DE that way I don't have to deal with under-the-table smogging or getting my car impounded should a cop ever get nosey. And besides, I'm looking for a clean DD to save gas at this point. Turbos will come later. I'm wondering about a few things:

1. Will the fuel pump (he doesn't know what it is, but after looking at many SR20 swaps is probably upgraded) work with a KA24DE? I just heard from him via text, and he said the fuel lines are still OEM if that helps.

2. How hard will it be to get the swap to pass smog? From what I understand all Kouki's are OBDII so does that mean I have to specifically find an OBDII KA24DE, just an OBDII ECU, or can I just go with OBDI?

3. And finally, do you guys think the car is worth it? He told me he would come down on the price a little bit, and I could sell the SR20DET harness, ECU, and turbo upgrades that come with it to fund my KA24DE swap. The shell just looks really clean (exactly what I'm looking for) so I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity if I could.

Thanks for all your help guys! (And before anyone suggests the search button, I used it

)

1. im pretty sure all fuel pumps on s-body if its uprated, like a walbro or gtr pump. a general easy way to tell if its uprated is that when you turn the key, there should be a whine coming from the behind the back seats(where the fuel pump is located)

2. cant help u on this as i dont know american laws

3. why bother buying an SR20'd car if your not gonna use the sr20. surely there are plenty of clean, cheaper ka24 240's out there, it would save you a lot of hassle of an engine swap

man up and drive the sr20

WINTERS14 · 04-05-2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikkisixx69

3. why bother buying an SR20'd car if your not gonna use the sr20. surely there are plenty of clean, cheaper ka24 240's out there, it would save you a lot of hassle of an engine swap

man up and drive the sr20

Thanks for the help! The car is SR20 ready but I don't know if I'd call it SR20'd since it's missing the... uhmm... SR20

And like I said, if I ever got caught with it they would impound the car, likely destroy/sell it, and I would face fines and charges. KA24DE's are widely available, cheap, and best of all legal. So I know the OBDI and OBDII computers are different (obviously) but are the engines different as well?

WINTERS14 · 04-05-2011, 05:47 PM

So apparently the OBDI and OBDII motors have some slight differences. According to this page:

ka24de OBDI to OBDII - Carolinanissans.com

(the third post down) says the only difference is in the manifold. Anyone else know anything about this??

nvmyS14 · 04-08-2011, 01:59 AM

I've seen this for sale as well. I considered buying it because it looked so clean. If you get it, just swap the sr20

WINTERS14 · 04-08-2011, 06:55 AM

Like I said before, not really interested in a SR20 because of legality. I currently have a KA24DE (OBDII) with 100XXX lined up in the area as well. Still having a hard time finding a 5-speed though... Anyone?

And for the sake of information should anyone else come across this thread:

OBDI and OBDII motors are almost identical. The only difference is the intake manifold and distributors. I spoke with a local BAR representative, and he said it would be perfectly legal to put in an OBDI KA24DE, swap the necessary OBDII parts, and drive it like it's OBDII. And I quote: "A block is a block is a block. As long as all the sensors work correctly when you go to get it smogged, they don't care (don't know or care to know) what year/OBD the block is."

I was also informed that this is not the case with referee stations. They will know the difference.

migzs14 · 04-27-2011, 01:26 AM

Hey the car looks clean and I think you should go for it. Worst of all the parts that don't fit the KA (if any) you could sell off. In my 95, I'm running a 97 ka on a obd1 harness and ecu. My local shop just did some minor adjustments and everything worked fine. No check engine light or anything which was really cool.

WINTERS14 · 04-27-2011, 12:22 PM

Well it turns out the guy didn't have the title... I called the guy the night before and he forgot to mention that he's waiting for the replacement title (he lost it) to come in. And I'm not confortable buying a car from a guy 5 hours away and trusting him that there aren't back fees owed or that it isn't a salvage etc... So I told him to call me when it comes in.

In the meantime I'm still looking for S14's! Check the sig!

Drift_86 · 04-30-2011, 01:00 AM

Omg don't put a Ka in that beutiful silvia

WINTERS14 · 04-30-2011, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drift_86

Omg don't put a Ka in that beutiful silvia

Like I said, I'm looking for a clean DD. That's it. Power can come later, but all I want right now is something reliable, legal, and fuel efficient.

WINTERS14 · 04-30-2011, 01:19 AM

Also, sell me your S14

I want that color...

Drift_86 · 04-30-2011, 03:23 AM

Ugh... It's not that hard to find a nice dd... Y r u gonna drop a motor in a shell for a daily and then try modifying it after u would try to get it pass smog and shit ur just getting urself into a deeper hole

WINTERS14 · 04-30-2011, 12:58 PM

I guess I'm missing the magical stockpile of good-looking/clean 240's...

Drift_86 · 04-30-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WINTERS14

I guess I'm missing the magical stockpile of good-looking/clean 240's...

http://zilvia.net/f/cars-sale/376604...-part-out.html

04-05-2011, 12:28 PM	#1
WINTERS14 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fresno, CA Age: 32 Posts: 29 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Buying an S14... Need some expertise! Hello all, I've been a long-time lurker on these forums, but just registered so this is my first post. I currently DD a Z32 300ZX, but because of gas prices will be looking to buy an S14 to DD. I found a 1997 Kouki shell that a guy is selling and am seriously considering buying it. Here's a link to the craigslist listing: *1997 240sx s14* So here's the deal. When he bought it, it had an SR20DET in it, hence the turbo mods... I, however, want a KA24DE that way I don't have to deal with under-the-table smogging or getting my car impounded should a cop ever get nosey. And besides, I'm looking for a clean DD to save gas at this point. Turbos will come later. I'm wondering about a few things: 1. Will the fuel pump (he doesn't know what it is, but after looking at many SR20 swaps is probably upgraded) work with a KA24DE? I just heard from him via text, and he said the fuel lines are still OEM if that helps. 2. How hard will it be to get the swap to pass smog? From what I understand all Kouki's are OBDII so does that mean I have to specifically find an OBDII KA24DE, just an OBDII ECU, or can I just go with OBDI? 3. And finally, do you guys think the car is worth it? He told me he would come down on the price a little bit, and I could sell the SR20DET harness, ECU, and turbo upgrades that come with it to fund my KA24DE swap. The shell just looks really clean (exactly what I'm looking for) so I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity if I could. Thanks for all your help guys! (And before anyone suggests the search button, I used it )

04-27-2011, 12:22 PM	#8
WINTERS14 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fresno, CA Age: 32 Posts: 29 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Well it turns out the guy didn't have the title... I called the guy the night before and he forgot to mention that he's waiting for the replacement title (he lost it) to come in. And I'm not confortable buying a car from a guy 5 hours away and trusting him that there aren't back fees owed or that it isn't a salvage etc... So I told him to call me when it comes in. In the meantime I'm still looking for S14's! Check the sig! __________________ Looking for a clean S14 in CA!!

04-30-2011, 01:00 AM	#9
Drift_86 Post Whore! Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Los Angeles, South Gate Age: 37 Posts: 3,682 Trader Rating: (60) Feedback Score: 60 reviews	Omg don't put a Ka in that beutiful silvia __________________ Want to roll fenders, custom gauge pod pm me

04-30-2011, 01:19 AM	#11
WINTERS14 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fresno, CA Age: 32 Posts: 29 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Also, sell me your S14 I want that color... __________________ Looking for a clean S14 in CA!!

04-30-2011, 03:23 AM	#12
Drift_86 Post Whore! Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Los Angeles, South Gate Age: 37 Posts: 3,682 Trader Rating: (60) Feedback Score: 60 reviews	Ugh... It's not that hard to find a nice dd... Y r u gonna drop a motor in a shell for a daily and then try modifying it after u would try to get it pass smog and shit ur just getting urself into a deeper hole __________________ Want to roll fenders, custom gauge pod pm me

04-05-2011, 05:47 PM	#4
WINTERS14 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fresno, CA Age: 32 Posts: 29 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	So apparently the OBDI and OBDII motors have some slight differences. According to this page: ka24de OBDI to OBDII - Carolinanissans.com (the third post down) says the only difference is in the manifold. Anyone else know anything about this??

04-08-2011, 01:59 AM	#5
nvmyS14 Zilvia Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 289 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	I've seen this for sale as well. I considered buying it because it looked so clean. If you get it, just swap the sr20

04-08-2011, 06:55 AM	#6
WINTERS14 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fresno, CA Age: 32 Posts: 29 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Like I said before, not really interested in a SR20 because of legality. I currently have a KA24DE (OBDII) with 100XXX lined up in the area as well. Still having a hard time finding a 5-speed though... Anyone? And for the sake of information should anyone else come across this thread: OBDI and OBDII motors are almost identical. The only difference is the intake manifold and distributors. I spoke with a local BAR representative, and he said it would be perfectly legal to put in an OBDI KA24DE, swap the necessary OBDII parts, and drive it like it's OBDII. And I quote: "A block is a block is a block. As long as all the sensors work correctly when you go to get it smogged, they don't care (don't know or care to know) what year/OBD the block is." I was also informed that this is not the case with referee stations. They will know the difference.

04-27-2011, 01:26 AM	#7
migzs14 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Garden Grove 714 Posts: 294 Trader Rating: (17) Feedback Score: 17 reviews	Hey the car looks clean and I think you should go for it. Worst of all the parts that don't fit the KA (if any) you could sell off. In my 95, I'm running a 97 ka on a obd1 harness and ecu. My local shop just did some minor adjustments and everything worked fine. No check engine light or anything which was really cool.

04-30-2011, 12:58 PM	#13
WINTERS14 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fresno, CA Age: 32 Posts: 29 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I guess I'm missing the magical stockpile of good-looking/clean 240's... __________________ Looking for a clean S14 in CA!!