Why is this car illegal in the United States: This particular vehicle was declared illegal because it did not meet federal safety and pollution standards and it had a right-hand steering column, similar to cars in England.
The platform may not skyrocket in price in the near future, but it will steadily increase as the demand for analog, reliable sports cars with tons of value are scooped up.
Summary. I think the reason that the Nissan S13 240SX is so popular for drifting is mostly because of its chassis dynamics. It's a super easy car to learn to drift on because of its wheelbase, size, and balance. It also helps that they're dirt cheap to buy, and modify.
The Nissan 240SX is a sports car that was introduced to the North American market by Nissan in 1989 for the following model year. The 240SX is closely related to other S platform based vehicles, such as the Japanese-market Silvia and 180SX, and the European-market 200SX.
The S14s are perfectly legal; Nissan sold them in the US. Yes, S14 240SXs are perfectly legal, but not real Silvias, not totally the same car.
Both the S13 and the S14 are typically used for the same thing, drifting. But, the S14 has a stiffer chassis and better suspension. This makes it a better platform to start with. If you like to tinker with suspension and chassis stuff an S13 is great, you'll also save couple hundred pounds by picking the S13.
S13 is to 240sx as AE86 is to Corolla GTS, or as E30 is to a 1989 325i. Or as JZA80 is to the last generation Supra. The S13 and S14 are two different chassis in the same line that were made by Nissan.
Foreign Models of The S13 and S14Another version of the S13 was sold under the Silva name. The Silva S13 was almost identical to the 240SX coupe, although the headlights and engine differed slightly. The 240SX had a 2.4L engine, while the 180SX used a 1.8L engine.
How many are left in the US? I copied the numbers below from a 240sx website. starting out with around 39,000 S14s, maybe 20% are still on the road, so 7 to 8,000.
240SX Trims
| Coupe | Original MSRP / Price | City MPG / Hwy MPG |
|---|
| 240SX 2dr Coupe XE 5-Spd | $13,249 / N/A | N/A |
| 240SX 2dr Coupe XE Auto | $14,079 / N/A | N/A |
the SX in 240sx stands for 'sucks'.
In 1999 Nissan released the S15 Silvia but even the usual watered down version was not imported into the States since Nissan axed the 240SX in 1998. Chris decided he wanted to convert the front-end of the S14 240SX to S15 Silvia specs.
The name Nissan originated in Japan, when founder Yoshisuke Aikawa became president of Nihon Sangyo in 1928. Nissan expanded beyond its Japanese roots from there, and officially came to the U.S. as Datsun in 1958.
3,068 Almighty were built.
If you are buying it to get into learning about cars, and furthermore, modifying and working on cars, then yes, it is a very, very good car to start with. If you need a car to commute to school or work, and need something reliable, and don't have much time to work on and maintain it, then not as much.
$4-6.5K. Assuming you don't want a salvage title or any type of huge fix project.
^ the stock motor can handle 509whp ( Not proven by Back Yark Productions) but dyno proven somewhere in the 440whp. Reliably your looking at around 300-350whp. Personally i wouldnt go over 280whp or over 10-11psi on a medium sized turbo. SAFCII is fine as long as its tuned properly and your timing is setup correctly.
The 91-94 S13's are the best though because the front end isn't ugly as garbage. OK, the 89-90's aren't that bad, but seriously the 91-94 looks much better. 1989 Nissan 240SX Coupe: For Sale: $1750 obo, Silvia TwoTone "Mint" Green paint, perfect body and interior, NOT running..
The previous owner didn't really take care of it, and neglected oil changes. A well maintained KA can last up to 250k-300k miles from what I have seen, which means that one is most likely on its last legs. I bought a single cam at 180k, almost to 220k with no maintenance besides oil and a set of plugs.
As Wa-chiss says, the S14, 1995-1998 240SX is pretty much a regular 20 year old car, nothing magical or mysterious about it. It's as reliable as any 20 year old car. Modified cars tend to loose reliability. Cars driven hard tend to wear faster.
Yeah they are generally reliable. The engine does need looking after though, and can have severe problems if not maintained. Avoid anything with loud top end rattles after the initial start up.
The Nissan 240SX S13 is one of the most legendary Japanese cars of all time. It combined all the elements that make up a great car into one fun and exciting package. Today, the Nissan 240SX S13 has become somewhat of a classic with clean, unmolested models becoming harder and harder to find.
they aer very reliable as long as you take car of your car.
1990 Nissan 240SX Value - $723-$6,614 | Edmunds.
Today the 240SX doesn't carry the gravitas of a flagship model like hte Skyline GT-R, Supra, or NSX, yet it's still difficult to find one in great shape. Even the tired-out cars command honest money.
depends on your skill level and guts on how much you want to work on it. its 'easy' in the sense that its pretty straightforward for most of the stuff and a good support by fellow 240sx.
10 Cheap JDM Cars That Will Skyrocket In Value
- 8 Acura RSX Type-S.
- 7 Infiniti G35.
- 6 Mazda Miata NB.
- 5 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.
- 4 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Spec. B.
- 3 Lexus SC 300.
- 2 Datsun/Nissan 300ZX.
- 1 Honda Civic.
In the Japanese market the coupe series Nissan Silvia were introduced since the mid-1970s at the side of the larger Nissan Skyline coupe to the classic sports models of the vehicle manufacturer Nissan. After the year 1998, the Silvia in Europe was to be had for just over four years as import vehicle.
Go to and the Kellely Blue Book website, for a review and to see the market price for the particular year and model Nissan 240sx you wish to purchase. Once you establish the price you are willing to pay for your Nissan 240sx, it is time to find the car of your dreams.
From the S13-S15, a 200SX is a CA18/SR20 powered S-chassis in the European and Australiasian markets. A 240SX is a KA24 powered S13/S14 in the North American market. A 180SX is an S13 hatchback (pop-ups and all that) in the Japanese market.
A lot are set up for various levels of competition from drags and tarmac rally events to drifting; these cars reflecting the cost of development and modification in asking prices up to $50,000. Most aren't anywhere near that expensive and older 180SXs sit currently at around $10,000.
Definitely a good beginner project car. My 240sx is the third project project car that I've had and it's very very reliable. With that being said I of course take care of my cars so keep in mind reliability is relative to the work you put in.
