It is an excellent point you make that no one jumps the SR ship to hop up their KA. You cite serious drifters, though, and they (For the most part being Japanese) don't go KA becuase their car comes with the SR stock; making the cost of modifying much less. I don't even think that the KA series motors are used in Japan at all. Most domestic tuners disregard the idea of working from what they have because many of them likely expect that there is far too little domestic product support to warrent the investment. The catch 22 of that is that it makes modifying the KA even cheaper!! For all those people who tear out their KA for the SR, many try to recoupe money by parting with a fine motor. Second hand KA's are in no short supply, as well as the fact that they are abundant in model years. The KA has been around for a while (Rleatively) long enough to have won some popularity, and aftermarket performance product manufacturers have taken note of this. America is the land of the consumer, and so free enterprise gives way to some pretty fierce product competition. Although still not cheap, many of the products available domestically rival the quality and value of the JDM counterparts used for similiar results in JDM engines. Hands down I believe that the bragging rights go to the people with the ingenuity to overcome the obstacles that make owning a JDM spec vehicle converted from a USDM car fun or worth while. The thing to remember is that if someone has done it, it is worth while to them. There is no limit, even if some say that they would never go so far, some would undoubtedly go even further. That is where respect must be payed to the people who can afford to do those things, and have the knowledge to do it right. At the same time, I feel that a comparable level of knowledge and ingenuity must be had to go so far with a USDM vehicle with US made or available aftermarket products. My truck is HIGHLY unique, even from other modded nissan trucks. I have a very beautiful blend of US and J-spec stuff rounding out my ride, and I think it gets all the respect it deserves from either side of the fence. Ideally I would love to have a Silvia conversion from a 240SX. A totally complete S15 ride, upgraded with JDM aftermarket body kit, engine work, suspension, the works. I fell in love with Signal Auto's 600+hp S15, and can remember even the most faint smell of the thing as it rolled up on the trailer. I love the way it looked, sounded, and felt. I want one, and would stop at no expense to build my own. The best I can do right now is a 2001 Nissan pickup truck with about 2/3rd's the power. All in all, it is a REALLY good start, though; and a hell of a deal by comparission!
John
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Wood/Anderson Racing Development: j.anderson@wardev.com
for a newbie, you certainly do not talk as one. i say this for the better: you make very astute comments. and i appreciate them very much. you have made me think very long and hard about my KA and what i could do with it. it only has about 26K miles on it. my goals are to go turbo. and i am aware that the KA can be done up that way, as it's bottom end is nearly bullet-proof and a host of products abound for it. of concern is the factory N/A compression of the KA. it seems too high for added boost. and the long stroke of the KA cannot spin like the SR, limiting the powerband. but this can be overcome:
my aim is to build the engine inside and out. i would replace nearly everything. in this scenario, then, the engine will not be what it was to begin with anyway. it will have become something else. (not to mention it having a solid crank girdle nonexistent in the SR). as you said, if someone has taken the expense of time and money to do something, then it was worth it to them and that alone is a statement. especially if the result is a highly-tuned, balanced, streetable yet stout as hell, perhaps intimidating, example.
Originally posted by bonzelite my aim is to build the engine inside and out. i would replace nearly everything. in this scenario, then, the engine will not be what it was to begin with anyway. it will have become something else. (not to mention it having a solid crank girdle nonexistent in the SR). as you said, if someone has taken the expense of time and money to do something, then it was worth it to them and that alone is a statement. especially if the result is a highly-tuned, balanced, streetable yet stout as hell, perhaps intimidating, example.
I like to hear things like this. I think you will find, too, that by using a KA for this job, you will reach a level of performance unattainable by the same price tag on an SR. It is my opinion that the KA is a torqueier motor than the SR, giving peak torque at lowwer RPM's, as well. The compression ration is to some degree adjustable through the choice of pistons, and I have heard of some rods being made to length. The latter being quite expensive, I would imagine, but ordering the pistons the way you want has become something of a norm. At any rate, I know that you are at least aware of the options open to you. The path you take could very well end you up in the same spot, but the end result could be percieved in so many ways. No matter what the cost, or origin of the parts, if it is done right you will get the respect and performance you were after to begin with. I don't push the KA as an end all, just as a start for some. I enjoy excellent performance from mine, and am very happy that I stuck with it.
John
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Wood/Anderson Racing Development: j.anderson@wardev.com
Man you guys are soooo lucky to have a S14/5 ..... I trying to find one right now ..... MMMM ..... Anyways was reading a turner mag Option Fans and there was an article bout Tomei doing a complete engine do over either get "Derive" or "Genesis" and basically it rises it from a 2.0 to a 2.2 doing all the cams and stuff ... looks cool !! Check it out at www.gpmotors.com ..... if you guys know bout this already then sorry .... I was excited ......
thanks. yes. i found as i searched for mine that they are not so easy to obtain. there are not many S14's on the road, actually. the S13 is far more common, albeit not so so common. but it is more frequently seen. the S13 coupe is less seen. the hatch is common. S15 is never seen. ever. one is more likely to see a skyline gtr in the states than an S15.
i know this might be a dead subject but also look at the sr as arleady having a turbo on it ( most tuners go turbo as they seem to make more power in the long run) meaning that you can upgrade the turbo with out replacing the manifold ( to a cetian degree) also it has a more turbo friendly compression ( yes i know ANYTHING can be obtained but how many of us want to go digging through our motors?!? ) so in the long run if you are looking for only like 200 to 250 whp with reliablity then go sr or ka but the sr will get there cheaper ( look at what a mani, pistions gasket turbo intertcooler fuel upgrades etc etc would cost for the ka compared to the Sr's price of a clip and drop..) anyways i just thought i'd throw that in cuz not everyone wants 500hp, as sports compact car said, "its good for the ego, but not wholy streetable or realistic" me.. i'ma go rb25det in my kouki s-14 now wont that be a treat?
i have gone back and forth in my head over the ka or sr or even the rb issue. i have not done any of them. yet. my ka has low miles. only about 29k. and it seems senseless to toss out a perfectly good engine. i drove the son of a b*tch from new york to LA in the snow last february to pick the car up and give it a new home (it came from LA originally). it runs great.
as far as modding, i am now leaning back, as i have vascillated from this and that, etc, to the SR20DET. if you want 350 - 400 hp at the crank, the SR can go there. you get ego and tuning balance and muscle. the S14 chassis is meant for turbo and is designed specifically for the SR.
now wont that be a treat?
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