If any of you could do it again and had a '98 240sx with only 42,000miles, a $5-6,000 budget what enging would you install? perhaps an rb25det? or is that getting out of the price range?
I would like something a little different and have big hp potential. you know, to make the car stand out in a group of 240’s.
or is the best way to go with the s13 sr20det type x and upgrade to a big turbo?
CA18DET
it’s just like an RB but missing two cyl. It can and will take anything you throw at it.
and what is a sr20det type x ? type x was just a name that was given the later 180sx bodies with the “type X” factory aero kit.
as far as i knew the type x s13’s did have a slightly differnt sr20. im unsure of what tho.
and really… for 5 grand… id do the suspension, buy a diff, buy a seat, and go have fun.
thats if you want to track it.
if you just want to go fast… save another 2 grand so you 8,000 buy some coils, do a basic 230hp sr20 and go have some fun. 8 grand will easily do that.
BUT with only 42,000 miles on it… it seems dumb to pull the motor.
so id do option A regardless
GT
if my kouki only had 42k miles i would most likely fuck spending 5 grand on a nice swap and spend 4 grand on a nice kat project… but if your not happy with the ka i would go rb26 with rb25 tranny… but thats a wack of money…
if your looking for speed and power i would go kat, but if you want a swap to be like everyone else or have that “stand out 240” save and go rb26:p haha i donno it all depends on what your looking for out of your motor…
think about it this way, if you only spend 4 grand going ka-t… you would have approx 1.5 to 2grand left for other things, suspension, brakes etc
I beleave the type x came out in the 180 sx in 97-98, had a s14 tranny and some s14 components.
I have put some thought into the rb26dett, sounds like a lot of fun
http://www.9secondracing.com/partnum/13397/1997-240SX-w-RB26DETT-show-car.html
its been nicely done here but im sure it would be way over budget.
Has anyone done an rb25det here? I wonder how much that installation would be worth if you had a clip?
rb25 isnt a shit load of work to do like install wise, just mounts, ecu, one piece driveshaft etc, you can do rb20 same shit, but older you know… but rb25 is a nice swap my buddie patrick will be bringing his out in the summer and making mikey jizz his pants 
To be honest, I’d sell it and save up for a civic and drop in a b18 and turbo it. It’d be much cheaper and you’d have more money for suspension and other things.
ka turbo
The shit part about having an RB is that there will always be someone out there with an sr20 thats set up right, that has good suspension and good traction that will give u a spanking in the 1/4 mile…
like happy240sx, his s14 with s13 sr20 will still lay a beating on 9/10 s-chassis with an RB series motor…
its not always about power:weight, once ure over 400hp its about power:floor to see whos faster …
everyone has a difference in opinion, so your question is kind of like spitting down a bottomless pit.
do some research and come up with your own. every setup has its pros and cons - find out what would work best for you and do what you like.
ka-t…the torque curve is phenomenal and they are reliable when built properly.
If your tracking ur 240 like autocross an sr has the higher revs for track times but i wont do autocross…
RB’s are too expensive even if i could afford them and not worth the money IMO…CA’s are bullet proof but arent my thing
Since i have DD and you to have a fun on the street then a ka-t is best because of the torque…The streets just need some great torque for lots of fun…Plus i live in the boonies so lots of fun out here 
This is what i like and my personal opinions about other engines…I am not arguing which engine is better but simply, but simply stating what works best for me
A 240 with 5-6 grand into it, will not stand out in a group of 240s. You can kinda forget about that. But I’d spend it on good coilovers, sways, wheels & tires, seat, steering wheel. If you buy quality stuff, you shouldn’t have any money left over after all that.
in actuality now that i think about it. I wouldnt have done it differently at all. Im doing it the perfect way
Ive bought my shell, rust proofed it, done all the suspension, sways, multi link, rims/tires, in the end if i did a budget ka-t build not including the car or extras like my steering wheel etc, i would probably have spend 5-6g’s
but ill actually spend around 3500 on the rebuild of the ka-t then another 3000 on turbo manifolds, exhaust, gauges, computer tuning etc
Well I was goin to spend $5-6,000 on the engine only probably another $5-6,000 on some other goodies. I would put it all into the engine and hp gains but I want to look good too, and I need something to do next year too.
yeah, any 240 will look like a 240, only if you get like the body kits in D1 or something.
first i will get a coupe instead of a hatch, then i will use the 5-6g’s on suspension, multilink, lots of rims to play around with, a set of good rims to go baller on, stiffy up the chassis. then after a few track events, figure out what you need more to give you that extra excitment. because if you just want to go fast. just go dump a sr20 and smile. if not. move up step by step, making sure what you’re doing is going to improve your driving style. but i would go KA-t, just because that i would like to turbo an engine that was originaly NA, just to get that extra expereience.
Word…
thats exactly my view on things except the coupe thing upgrade YOUR car to YOUR likings and needs as you go along and improve your skill
I love how everyone wants adjustible multi link, but no one knows what to do with it. Adam doesn’t have adjustible multi link. He wins his class every time against some scary ass cars. There’s such better things to spend your money on. Trackdays aren’t free, and neither is gas to get there. Just go to the track a lot. I can bet you that ONE trackday will give you a better improvement in your times than full SPL multi link all around, with adjustible LCAs and everything.
It depends on what you want to do with your car. If you want a street/daily driver, then power is king. Can’t argue that. If you want a track car though, focusing on power will get your butt kicked at every track day you attend.
i think multi link is great…i have 17’s i want some camber…plus i spent very little on it hehe
leave it stock and put underglows, a nice kit, paint and wheels, that should almost take up a nice part of $5000
^this would be different, everybody around here is all; coilovers oohh, Z32 brakes ohhh, nazi-offset wheels, uber-fantastic, what turbo have you got ohhh…