looking for a new ride

J · Post by J » Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:28 am

have been looking for a 2nd car for a month or two now that will start off as a daily then i'll take it off the road for track use. help me choose or recomend another.

MUST BE:
- RWD
- manual
- japanese
- have aftermarket support eg. suspension wise and engine performance wise... exterior isnt major as it will eventually be thrashed down the track)
- p plate legal for now

so far ive come to 3 options
1. AE86
goods: well balanced car, good aftermarket support, jdm nostalgia, off the shelf engine swap parts, market value is rising even for ones with high milage
cons: hard to find a good condition example, hidden rust if you dont look hard enough on expection, original parts may be hard to find
2. s13/14 SR20DE
pros: go for the price of chips (s13), good balance aswell, preety light, easy swap to rb20/25det or sr20det, sh*t loads of aftermarket gear + cheap
cons: ???
3. 180sx SR20DE
pros: same as the s13, better looking of the three,
cons: non turbos are preety rare.

what do you think? any suggestions?

zuihoujueding · Post by **zuihoujueding** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:50 am

Hey mate, just want to let you know about my overall views on these cars.

AE86 is too old, parts overpriced

180SX is the best looking of the 3 but it sgetting old as well. and beware of drift damages as they are one of the favourite drifting machines.

S14 would be my pick of the 3. Given that it is a nissan, so you have wide range of aftermarket parts and powerful engines to choose from.

But really.....i would hang on and wouldnt spend much on a P plater car. Wait till you r off Ps, then use your savings and buy a proper TC ride. But i know its hard.

J · Post by J » Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:03 pm

exterior isnt a major factor. more interested in the driving and getting something i can can learn to slide in. + ive got my greens and want a manual.

Supermini · Post by **Supermini** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:31 pm

for drifting S14 would be the pick

koolio1234 · Post by **koolio1234** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:24 pm

I'd go for a s13 sil...Good aftermarket support, lightweight...and while its old, that wont matter because your not looking for the newest safety features. It would need a LSD though, the sr20de is pretty underpowered but definitely good enough to last you on your p's.

180sx are pretty good as well but cost a bit more.

pete_gpx · Post by **pete_gpx** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:02 pm

I think you'd have a hard time finding a 180sx with an N/A SR20. I know, as I've looked for one in the past.

J · Post by J » Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:47 am

theres a na 180sx going for 8.5k ONO which is thrashed to hell for sale now, not really interested but its there.

my price range is under 15grand i can stretch 16-17k but i still want some extra cash for little mods and inurance. do you guys reckon a na 32 would be a better choice? seems more heavier then the 3 but then again its a easy swap to an rb25det when im on my fulls.

koolio1234 · Post by **koolio1234** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:05 am

J wrote:theres a na 180sx going for 8.5k ONO which is thrashed to hell for sale now, not really interested but its there.

my price range is under 15grand i can stretch 16-17k but i still want some extra cash for little mods and inurance. do you guys reckon a na 32 would be a better choice? seems more heavier then the 3 but then again its a easy swap to an rb25det when im on my fulls.

I was recently very tempted to spend my 'triton' money on a r32 gtst...lightweight and can easily get to 220rwkw with a bigger turbo on stock internals and a bit of aggresive tuning

I was kind of put off by the age and the usual condition their in. Definitely something to consider. They can be quite manageable to drive everyday as well, provided you don't go overboard with the boost and performance mods.

At the end of the day, it comes down to what you want out of the car.

Everyday usage: 180sx or s13 silvy

Everyday usage with some track: n/a R32 gts and later rb25/26 dropped in once you get your fulls

Track car: Godzilla r32

scrambles · Post by **scrambles** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:33 am

Could possibly grab yourself a mr2?

J · Post by J » Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:15 am

scrambles wrote:Could possibly grab yourself a mr2?

my cousin has owned 2 models of the mr2. don't really mind them but future power increase mods may be difficult to find, im not too sure - will do some research.

been looking at the mx5 aswell. quite nimble and decent aftermarket support in aus. dont think it would slide much.

bushido · Post by **bushido** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 11:09 am

S13 sr20de. My mate had one that put out 101 rwkw and it went hard. Drifted it every fortnight and it was heaps tough.

17x9 drifteks, ohlins suspension (all arms, swaybars done too) , wide fenders, extractors, intake, exhaust (flutes hehehe), Bee R rev limited, cam gears etc. Was looking to sell for 4-5 k as he picked up a 220rwkw sr20det S13 for cheap but unfortunealty its been stolen.

If you like J I can put you in contact with him. Lives in Glenwood so heaps close to you. Plus hes philo too

EDIT: for sliding, make sure whatever you buy has a locked diff or a 2 way.

J · Post by J » Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:52 am

bushido wrote:S13 sr20de. My mate had one that put out 101 rwkw and it went hard. Drifted it every fortnight and it was heaps tough.

17x9 drifteks, ohlins suspension (all arms, swaybars done too) , wide fenders, extractors, intake, exhaust (flutes hehehe), Bee R rev limited, cam gears etc. Was looking to sell for 4-5 k as he picked up a 220rwkw sr20det S13 for cheap but unfortunealty its been stolen.

If you like J I can put you in contact with him. Lives in Glenwood so heaps close to you. Plus hes philo too

EDIT: for sliding, make sure whatever you buy has a locked diff or a 2 way.

the s13 sounds awesome! exact same path i will be going down. with all suspension mods first, diff, cage, then the engine drop last.

if he gets the car back soon hit me up. sounds like a good buy seeing the trillions of auto s13's on carsales