Here are some more details,

I am a 23 year old college student. My budget is as high as $6000. The car is going to be my daily driver, but I want something that I can also have a little fun (learning to drift, drive well, etc.) in and maybe work on building a bit over the next few years. I don't really have any knowledge of cars, but I want to learn on this car.

So my main question is, all other things being equal, would it be better to buy a stock (ka24de), see if I am really about the [driving/tuning] life, and if I am, try to build it up myself (eventually doing the sr20det swap), or just find one that already has the swap?

From what my car friends tell me, price wise, I would be better off just buying one already swapped, but that comes with a larger initial investment, and I might find out that I really don't want to race/build my car, and look like a jackass with a built car who has no business with one.

Would appreciate anybody's thoughts or advice,
Thanks!

 

Let us know how that works out.

 

See if you're "about the auto life"? What does that even mean? We gonna blood in blood out or some shit?

 

yeah am i missing something? wtf is the auto life? are we talking auto transmissions, because i'd have to just regurgitate this sentiment here. you will be disappointed.

a couple things come to mind. if you're not already a "car guy", i imagine no better car/motor combination could turn you into one than an sr20-swapped 240. to this day one of my biggest regrets is selling the one i had. fantastic car, possibly the best value platform out there for all around enthusiast interests. some guys may pitch in singing the praise of a boosted ka, but to me i can't see anything being BETTER than an sr20 (porsche 944 turbo aside; not really in the $6k budget range).

however, finding one with a $6000 budget that isn't a ratted out, beat-to-shit example will be a tall task. sure, you can find one for that money, but there's a high likelihood you may just be buying someone else's problem. and this goes for non-swapped cars too; solid, unmolested 240s in general are hard to find. that said, if you have some spare cashflow after the initial purchase to make it right, you'll have a better chance of reclaiming your expenditures if you can put together a decent product. the nicer, cleaner 240s (s13s included) i've seen are fetching upwards of $12-15k. but these are "done" cars; clean, s15- or 180sx-seated interiors, working a/c, impeccable work on the swap, perfect body/paint, etc. if you've got the resources then you might even be able to make some money on the resale once (if) you get bored with it.

 

If you're actually going to drive and drift your car like its creators intended it to be then definitely get one with an sr20, its a bulletproof motor swap. If you buy an s-chassis without an sr swap you'll end up wishing you had the extra power anyways.. fuck an automatic though haha..

 

OP is faggot.

 

I'm assuming you've never had a car that is considered a "tuner" car.

So if your goal is a fun little DD then a SR20 is fun. I had one in a hatch years back and they are fun little cars. The ka24de will get you to point a and b. They are easy to swap as well. I would go for whatever deal you can find and make sure the car is in good working condition.

 

 

if ur gonna drift go for a not so good looking body ull be disappointed when u dent it up learning

 

I really feel like putting the 2 of these together is just asking for trouble. Why are you going to learn to drift and potentially wreck, or at least break parts on, the car that you need to get you from point a to b?