|
The S12 200SX was an amazing car, and I cannot figure out why Nissan never really made it a priority towards selling. Not only was it a stout rear-wheel drive platform, but it came with a good assortment of powerplants; CA18ET, CA20E, VG30E, and the infamous FJ20ET and FJ24ET (if you are fortunate enough to EVER find one here in the United States). The 200SX had a good rear end in it, and was a great little car to have fun in. Unfortunately, aftermarket and reliability just seemed to kill the little S12 dream; that and the infamous S13 (240SX / Silvia).
Let us find out how good of shape your S12 is in. How many miles are on the engine? I know you have the CA20E powerplant, which is the worst of the available engines. The worst in terms of power, but the best in terms of parts. If you have over 200,000 miles on the vehicle, I suggest an engine rebuild first. New rod bearings, new main bearings, new gaskets, chemical-dipped cylinder head and manifolds. Altogether, you should spend a good $500+ on the deal if you want to pull real power from it. You can, however, always go for a used running engine with less miles. A good website to find them is Car-Parts.com; they sell running salvaged engines via junkyards and engine dealers. How about the body? Have the suspension checked, especially ball-joints and control arm bushings, those are killers in turns. In what shape is the transmission? If it is a manual, I suggest you change the gear oil immediately and check the drain plug for metal filings. A few filings is not bad, it happens sometimes. If the whole drain plug is covered with them, then you might be looking at bad synchro's, or possibly a bigger problem in need of a complete tranny rebuild. From what I know, CA-series trannies are pretty stout. Also check the rear differential; drain the gear oil and inspect the diff itself.
Here are some engine options available for you. The first is the most obvious; rebuild your CA20E. Like I said before, do not spend less than $500 doing it, or you will have a crap job done. The next is also a pretty easy option; swap in a CA18ET. It is basically a CA20E but with a turbo and 200cc less displacement; but it puts out a good deal more power, I believe 15-20 hp over the stock CA20E. You will need a different engine wiring harness, but there is an option around that as well. That option; use a CA20E cylinder head on a CA18ET block. You would use the CA20E intake manifold and and connectors, but the turbo manifold and injector rail from the CA18ET. This combination should give you roughly 20-30 hp over the stock CA20E. You could also do the unthinkable; swap in a VG30E or SR20DET. Both of which will kill you trying to find the harness, engine mounts, and transmissions.
__________________
NISSAN:shift_
|
My virgin 200sx..
Linear Mode
