Which project would you pick?

[Caedmon7777]

I have been thinking about getting another car to play with and I have narrowed it down to 3 cars. They are the '89-'94 240SX, '03-'04 350Z, or the '08 Mazdaspeed3. If I went the 240 route, I am going to do the Skyline engine swap. If I went with the 350 route, then I am going to add a twin turbo setup. If I went with the MS3 then I was going upgrade the turbo, intercooler, ECU, etc. Which would you pick?

[jeffmsp]

I would take the 240 over the 350 for sure. then you are stuck with rwd vs fwd.

[justinlansdale]

definitly 240 over the 350, but i LOVE the new MS3's... hard choice between the MS3 and the 240.

[mazdaspeedwerx]

240. cheaper than both which would leave you with more money to mod with. which will = faster than both. I keep thinking of selling my car and buying a 95 up 240. Im constantly on auto trader looking a them

[FunkyBuddha]

240. Like ^ what he said

[MsP155]

ya but a skyline motor is like what? worth 5x the cars worth

[blueprotegelx]

240 with skyline motor for sure and the s15 conversion! now that my car is paid off i thought about a 240 as well to play with. u can get them for cheap especially if you just find one with a blown motor or just find a shell, sell what parts you won't need seats, motor if it has one, front end if you do conversion, get the skyline motor or w/e. i'll prolly swap to sr20 if i go that route. but not sure what i'm doing yet. just saving.

conclusion is go with 240 w/ skyline swap!

[mazdaspeedwerx]

thought this was helpful for me. http://www.nicoclub.com/articles.php?id=37526 .just started looking around today and I was confused over all the black top red top stuff.

[6262MS3]

For a toy I'd definitely go for the 240. They're known as the "japanese mustang" because they're cheap to buy and have a million modding options. Even if you don't want to drop the coin on an RB26 you can get plenty of power from an SR20DET swap. The mazdaspeed3 is better as a practical daily driver that's still a crapload of fun to drive.

[sleeper3]

if you want to pony up, get a silvia. I used to own a 350. they are super nice cars, but very expensive to modify. a 240 will just turn into a fake silvia. I love my speed3 but for a toy, I'd without a doubt buy an imported silvia. RHD FTW.

[TurbomanProtege]

^^ thats what I was gonna say get a silvia

[clos561]

240 with the awd skyline drivetrain/engine swap (first)

[CantCMe]

240, "the Japanese Mustang", like everybody else said...

[JamJam]

I would take the 240 over the 350 for sure. then you are stuck with rwd vs fwd.


Arent they both RWD?

[Sierra117]

240SX, scrap the Skyline idea, and just boost the KA24DE.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Kind of time and money you're talking about for a toy, just build a kit. It'll end up lighter, faster, and better handling.

[clos561]

or you could get a true red ms3 and be truly pimped out :)

[fourthmeal]

I've owned two 240's so far:

a 1991 black Hatchback manual

a 1995 red manual

Both were "project cars", and interestingly both cars were destroyed by collision, without me in them!

On the 91, I let a friend borrow the car to get lunch, and he got rear-ended at 40mph by an SUV, turning the back end of the car into lunch meat. I got $3800 from the insurance company on my total loss (bought the car for $1500 but they couldn't find a replacement car for less then $4000 that looked like mine...

On the 95, it gets weirder. After the 91 was killed, I searched 6 states for a newer 240, even flew across the country twice looking at cars (to be disappointed both times), finally I found a decent red '95. I had this car about two weeks, and then it got hit too! A lady was backing her HUGE pickup into a parking spot, and literally plowed the entire left rear of my car into oblivion. My 240 was stuck to her bumper and tow hitch, and had to be separated mechanically. This strike destroyed the rear fender, totaling the car. Insurance paid about $3800 again (thank God both of these incidents were not on MY insurance), and I bought the car back for $400, then turned around and sold the car for parts to a nice guy for $1500.

After that, I bought a friggin' bike, because I felt 240's were cursed for me.

They're great cars, but I'd be more excited about an LS swap with an old RX7. That would be one of the most exciting projects these days, or maybe a Daytona kit car. I've also owned two project MkIII Supras, and while they are money pits, they can be very, very fast.

[Aaron2112]

MS3, or 240 (save the money over the z) the skyline swap is insanely hard. i know three people with 240s who have looked into it 2 of them went with the turboed engine(SR20DET i believe is what its called) from japan and are beating tuned up 350whp EVOs and STis on 7psi its a direct bolt in and pretty easy and cost only 2000 to do completely. the skyline swap is pretty close to impossible unless you have a lot of money and a very very very good shop. (and im not kidding.)

[fourthmeal]

Its true. My goal was to build a KA24DE Turbo car. The long stroke of the KA24 loves boost, and will put out 500+HP with the right internals and support mods, no problem. Certainly more then you need to stress on the trans, which is very robust.

[Sierra117]

Its true. My goal was to build a KA24DE Turbo car. The long stroke of the KA24 loves boost, and will put out 500+HP with the right internals and support mods, no problem. Certainly more then you need to stress on the trans, which is very robust.

On another forum I post on, one of the posters has a bad ass S13 240SX, TO4, on a crappy ass basic running tune, he made 500 wheel on stock internals with a Cometic headgasket. He's going with an AEM EMS and hoping to get a good bit more power out of it. Maybe its just me, but I don't get this whole SR20DET/JDM Motor craze.*Shrug*

[Aaron2112]

i talked to the my friend Eliot who has a s14 with the sr20det swap. i didnt understand either until then. Now im taking his word for it but the JDM engines are considered better built and such. they also came stock with a turbo and were very strong, cause i was like why not just turbo the old motor? he said that that would have cost him more to get the internals right and such and all the other crap. so for 2k he now has a sleeper since there is only the BOV(sound) and intercooler on the car that is not stock looking no wings or anything. I dont know how many mustangs hes destroyed but its nearing the hundred mark lol why do they always want to race?