Mike

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Your pal,
Meat.

And the enjoy the pictures

Your pal,
Meat.

In Japan the Silvia is the name of the car we call the 240SX, the Skyline is a different model, but then again the Skyline and Maximas are different models too.

But the kids, my son included, have been buying the Maximas and dressing them up with the Skyline body kits, performance enhancing devices etc... rather than the other Nissan models.

Let me explain why the Market place has gone to the Maxima over the 240SX:

Why the Maxima? The main issues in this "Skyline" market are price & performance. The 240SX is a 10 sec 0-60 mph performing car with very poor traction. This hurts their reputation with the kids, who are the main consumers of the "Skyline look" products. Second is price, the RB26DETT Skyline engine is a very expensive swap with the 240SX and nearly impossible on the Maxima. I have seen reports of it costing $5000 - $8000 just for an engine and about another $3000 in other components, unless you need new turbos then add another $6000 plus. This has priced the transformation out of the reach of most kids. The Skyline market is predominantly teenagers, the Kitcar world is more adults - Cobra, Lambo and Ferra*i etc... consumers.

So the kids have gone with the Maxima, a good performing 7 sec range 0- 60 car, that is affordable and there are lots of parts to make it look similar to the Skyline. Stillen, and just recently Custom Maxima have both come out with Turbo kits and Supercharger Kits for the Maxima to help get the power into the 300+ hp range. So for the price of an engine swap the kids can have a total car.

Even with the similarities to the 240SX the market is gone the Maxima route here in the USA. There may be a new market opportunity here for 240SX conversions, it has only been recently that the Skyline has started to gain favor with the 30+ crowd.

I will agree that in the Kitcar world visual similarity is number one and performance is a lesser priority, look at all the Fiero V6 Diablos out there - I own one.

Bottom line, if you want the closest visual similarity then do as swoodard23 suggests and get a 95 - 98 240SX, find a body kit and an engine from a Skyline. After the overall price is tallied it might be less expensive to find and buy a real R32 or R33 Skyline, R34s are still pricy.

PS. My apologies to all those who have emailed me about the Skyline's drive system, the Skyline is not a rear wheel drive, it is a 4WD car.

I own a 93 240sx hatchback... for one it has EXCELLENT traction, is shares almost the exact same suspension as a skyline and 300ZX, don't believe me? ask someone who has swapped an Rb engine it.. almost every suspension component can be replaced by the skyline suspension right outta the clip!

Second, skylines are based of a maxima chasis code I believe.. though not positive... but thats where it ends. The engine bay of a 240 accomodates the R33 skyline crossmember, and can easily fit the RB seriies engines with very little modification.. I'd know I'm putting an RB25 in as soon as it arrives sometime this month!

Skylines and 240sx, are much more similar than a Maxima and a Skyline.. and the 240 is an awesome car in its own rights!

Excellent Handling, A VERY POWERFUL engine ( The KA is an amazing engine built from the factory with forged internals and an Iron block ) it just needs to be tuned a little before it becomes apparent.

Make sure you know what your talking about before you start making your accusations.

Sincerely,
Bryson

NICO forum member.. 240sx Owner who is SWAPPING! an Rb25DET engine in..

also if you want to see the closest to skyline looking 240sx.. go to

mckinneymotorsports.com and find the pictures page of "Gary's" car... has an R33 bumper and R32 tail lights.. with a Silvia front end conversion.

I like the 240, always have. I think it's a pretty trick little machine.

A better link to this Gary person's pictures - a very cool conversion in MY book, BTW - is:

www.mckinneymotorsports.com/cars/gary/photo/index.php" target="_blank">http://www.mckinneymotorsports.com/cars/gary/photo/index.php

Please feel free to come back any time whoever you are. That was some good - if emotional - information!

If anyone was to put out a Skyline kit like this car, that would be GOOD thing!

Your pal,
Meat.

The Skyline is it own model, as it is a flagship model, and doesn't share it's platform with the maxima. The GTR skyline is the only 4WD model except the rare GTS-4. An RB26DETT can be shoe horned into the engine bay of a Silvia pretty easily and the conversion is very popular in Japan. The new R35 skyline shares the 350Z engine but is twin turboed.

As to building one, easy!! Try and find an R33 GTS-4. They cost about as much as the standand GTS, but is also 4WD. Next find a body kit (very easy to find!!). You will also need to find all the quarter fenders from a GTR or have the standard ones pumped out. Next go and find an RB26DETT with a gearbox and it should slot straight in without too much drama. This has been done a few times and you can't tell the difference from a real one. (don't forget the emblems!!!)

Hope this helps

Your mate in OZ

Dave

Since the S12 200SX/180SX/Silvia/Gazelle stopped production in '88 the USA 200SX has become a sad FWD B13/14 Sentra based POS. The USA 240SX M(H)S13 and S14 got a 2.4L N/A KA24(D)E motor which puts out about 155bhp and has a peaky torque curve. The 1809cc CA18DET in the Japan Silvia S13 and Japan 180SX (<'91) or UK (89-94) 200SX RS13 fastback puts out 169bhp and has a near flat torque curve. The UK 200SX S14 (94-98) Japan Siliva and Japan RPS13 ('91>98 180SX) have a SR20DET which puts out 205bhp. Both engines can be modded to give well over 500bhp and 280/330 bhp to match the Skyline, 350Z or 300ZX is fairly cheap.

The S14 Silvia/200SX may look like a Skyline but when you park them next to each other it becomes apparent that the 200SX is about 4" LOWER and hence a lot better looking. Basically the 180/200/240SX is a sports car and not an oversize hot 2 door saloon.

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skyshack wrote:
240SX What's going on is that the USA market has a sad obsesion with heavy overwieght cars with big lazy cubic capacity engines and not light cars with high specific power output.

Since the S12 200SX/180SX/Silvia/Gazelle stopped production in '88 the USA 200SX has become a sad FWD B13/14 Sentra based POS. The USA 240SX M(H)S13 and S14 got a 2.4L N/A KA24(D)E motor which puts out about 155bhp and has a peaky torque curve. The 1809cc CA18DET in the Japan Silvia S13 and Japan 180SX (<'91) or UK (89-94) 200SX RS13 fastback puts out 169bhp and has a near flat torque curve. The UK 200SX S14 (94-98) Japan Siliva and Japan RPS13 ('91>98 180SX) have a SR20DET which puts out 205bhp. Both engines can be modded to give well over 500bhp and 280/330 bhp to match the Skyline, 350Z or 300ZX is fairly cheap.

The S14 Silvia/200SX may look like a Skyline but when you park them next to each other it becomes apparent that the 200SX is about 4" LOWER and hence a lot better looking. Basically the 180/200/240SX is a sports car and not an oversize hot 2 door saloon.

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All these cars have there critics including your mustangs, vettes and even the cobras, and we all have a difference in opinion about something. So instead of going around in circles with these debates, lets just use our knowledge to helps people in all car pursuits!!!

Hope this helps

Your mate in OZ

Dave

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dave114 wrote:
It's not often I disagree with you, meat, but this time I do. We have all those "Hot" big sedans and coupes (actually the Pontiac GTO is an australian car!!! Called the Monaro) Even they will back down when a supra or skyline GTR lines up beside them!!! You never underestimate Real Japanese sports cars.

All these cars have there critics including your mustangs, vettes and even the cobras, and we all have a difference in opinion about something. So instead of going around in circles with these debates, lets just use our knowledge to helps people in all car pursuits!!!

Hope this helps

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there is no cheap way about it. you can find one over here ( in the usa) like i said before you just have to wait for one to pop up

skrat daddy dollars

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