Okay guys, I finally got the money together to purchase my first 1990 Nissan 240 sx, I'm doing some research as to what my first mod should be. I'm all about performance but I don't know where to start, so I'm asking for advice, what should be my first modification under the hood, think cheap? I don't know much since I'm new to the Nissan family so talk to me like I don't know what anything means.
That does sound nice and easy but what about a performance chip? What would be the first grade chip I can get and what other parts do I have to switch out to match the chip??
The chip is usually not all that cheap, but it is a good option. Usually you don't have to change anything since they are designed to work on stock cars.
brakes and suspension should be first. always. and with a KA, the only thing you're gonna benefit from is a header, exhaust, lightweight flywheel/pulleys, or clutch. intakes are a waste of money, if anything just put a cone air filter on.
WELL RIGHT KNOW PERFORMANCE!..I FOUND THE PERFORMANCE CHIP FOR $300 THATS A PLUS. IMA GET THAT!..ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD INPROVE ON THE ENGINE!..MORE HOUREPOWER?!?...
brakes and suspension should be first. always. and with a KA, the only thing you're gonna benefit from is a header, exhaust, lightweight flywheel/pulleys, or clutch. intakes are a waste of money, if anything just put a cone air filter on.
I'll agree here, one of the first things I'd recommend would be making sure that nasty little plastic timing chain guide has been replaced though.... I've got a lovely little trophy bolt with a couple nice grooves in it that saved my block.
I also agree on the brakes and suspension, the cars that I have the most fun in are the ones with the most control, in a low power car it's so fun to just be able to keep the pedal to the floor all the time
And during that process, change the oil! The first step to MORE POWER!!! is a healthy and well maintained car.
Mine runs on love, I lift the hood up and give the engine a hug every morning before I start it, makes it go faster!
i'd say cams are a good early mod as well. they will give the engine much better top end power, something KA's are sorely lacking. you may lose a little low end tq, but it shouldn't be enough to bother you. they are also a bit pricey ($400+), but combined with intake/header/exhaust and a chip/ecu tune you should have a pretty good NA setup. thats only in reference to the engine tho.
as mentioned by nismo240, brakes and susp are probably a better starting point. either new rotors (maybe slotted?) and good pads (hawk, ebc, etc.) or if you want a little better, Q45 brakes are quite good. if you use q45 brakes you can get away with the stock master cyl, but an upgrade is recommended (especially since the stock brake feel isn't that great to begin with). if you get 300zx or similar aftermarket brakes expect to require a bmc.
suspension is also a viable first mod, since 240's are a little soft in stock form and most are probably worn out by now. if you just want it to be better than stock, a quality spring shock combo is ok if set-up properly. 1st, don't lower it more than 1-1.5" without coilovers. 2nd, good shocks are a must, and adjustables are preferable. tokico makes a matched spring/shock kit that should be decent for ~$400. coilovers are obviously much better, but also cost much more. expect to pay ~$1K+ for a good set of coilovers. don't overlook sway bars, poly bushings, etc as fairly inexpensive ways to improve handling as well.
__________________
KA=Kick Ass
SR='S'all Right...
RB=Righteously Bitchin'
Might just be me, you can call me a skeptic if need be, but I would focus on maintenance before anything. You would be amazed at the performance that can be gained just from cleaning up electrical connectors and such.
As for this "Performance Chip", well, right now there is no need. Until you get the engine to breathe better, a chip is not going to help anything. And when installing such an upgrade, you want to make sure it is from a reputable source. Throwing some random crap in there will most likely net you less power, and more problems. Just my .02, enjoy your car!
Well if you want performance i suggest to make sure that all your gaskets are good motor mounts suspension make sure that all the basic things of the car are good, because if the engine isnt good enough to handle all your mods it will do more harm then good and it will be a waste of money. after that yeah cold intake then headers, spark plugs, the wires the cams injectors. but first make sure that the engine can handle it good luck with your 240
oh yeah i wouldnt do a chip it just something that doesnt sit right in my head but if you want to go for and post up the difference. a lot of people are skeptical about those things
Even a well engineered performance chip from JWT will net you maybe up to 8 HP for about $600. Money better spent for a first mod would be a custom CAT-back exhaust system which will give you much improved performance in the middle to upper RPM ranges.
Linear Mode
