Which one 240sx, Lexus SC300, RX-7? and Confused!

[SamuraiX26]

I been a big fan of Imports since 1997 and I now about drifting and watched them on option videos alot too. I'm getting a new car well not new but used car under $6,000 or less. I'm having tough time which one to decide because all three cars are great for drifting and rearwheel drive to with LSD. Also all three have alot of parts out there too. I'm big fan of all three but my most is Lexus SC300 (aka Soarer). Why? because I saw Ueno's car and it just blew me away what a FANCY car can do with performancing parts and I've seen other Soarers that look awsome so. If I do get this, next year I'm going to do a swap of 2jzgett and or any of the other cars as well like sr20det, but thats next year.

My question is to the pro's which one should I pick or that you love to get and Why?
Another question is that when I get this car what is first 3 major things to get for this car? wheels or bodykit or interior or suspension or maybe engine!?

P.S. This car is going to dailydriver, show, d1 drifting spec, autocross, roadracing. Also this car is JDM all the way even I have to say more money to get the best parts from Japan!

Thanks SamuraiX26

Samurai Warrior live by the sword die by the sword!

[cfrost]

This car is going to dailydriver, show, d1 drifting spec, autocross, roadracing.

what do you mean when you say "d1 drifting spec?"

[SamuraiX26]

I want this car to have d1 drifting specs or certified in it even though I'm not a pro. Im still a novice at this still learning but I want the car to have parts and safety to go in the pro's in the future.

[raging panda]

ok, we got the wrong ideas going on here. You watch options right? You realize those guys are sponsored right? You arent with 6000 dollars right?

You REALLY want to drift? Or do you want to look like you drift?

The second one is easy. Get a sc300, corolla, 240, whatever, add a jdm body kit, some wheels with close to 0 offset, and coilovers and slam it. Done, you look like some pimp drifter like most everyone does when they say they want to drift.

If its the first one, get the idea of show out of your head. With 6000 dollars, I would buy the first running s13 240sx you could find. Add 2 way LSD, bucket seat for driver, coilovers, and whatever 2 set of wheels you want. Yes, 2 sets, you need to be able to drive home on a good set, then burn up the other two pairs. The rest of the money should be spent on a helmet, and then entry fees to drift events, and then tires when you burn the ones you have. Don't forget to save a little bit for repair that will occur when you crash, you break something, or you just need to change your oil or diff fluid. If youre lucky, that should put you at around 6000 dollars, and you are now drifting. You can substitute the 240 with whatever car you like, but i find that there is enough power to last any beginner for a while, and parts are easy enough to find and the cost is low enough to fit budgets.

No D1 style, no show car, daily driver if you have the balls to deal with it.

[Tuner]

I'm with Panda. $6000 will barely get you a drift car. Barely, as in it won't be pretty. You will not find a SC300 with a manual for $6000.

Once you do get a car, you should flush all the fluids, replace brake pads, change plugs and wires, and do any other maintanence it requires. And it will. After that, you'll need a second set of wheels and tires. Then a helmet.

So you got the basics, now you need seat time. That's $50-$100 an event. And you'll burn through your second set of tires. So you buy more tires. Once you get some time under your belt, you'll get a seat and harness. You'll need a harness bar or full cage for your harness. More money.

Recap:


Car: $4000
Maint: $200
Wheels/Tires: $400
Helmet: $250
Seat: $300
Harness: $120

That's $5270 without entrance fees or more tires.


Now, your forgetting..... What tools do you have? Do you have a jack? jackstands? torque wrench? brake bleeder? etc.

More money, and you haven't even started modding your car yet!!!!!

As for "D1 spec" as you put it.....not going to happen. You will not drive the car on the street. I doubt you'll pull all the carpet, pax seat, glass windows, and put a fuel cell in-cabin.

I can go on and on with prices, but everyone's heard it. What you posted WILL NOT happen as easy as you think. Period.



Buy a cheap car and buy seat time. That's it.

[raging panda]

i like that recap thing let me try with my old car

s13 3000
seat 100 (gotta get good at finding deals)
wheels 150 w/ tires (and i had my steeles for my extra set)
coilovers 600 (apex ws, sucky, but got the job done)

never got any further before i sold it, now im sad

so im at 3850 if I had kept going

LSD 1000
helmet 100 (my buddy got one for this price)
fluids 200

now im at 5150, and now i can still afford to pay for events and tires when i need them.

[SamuraiX26]

I know what you guys are saying ya it won't be easy task and yes there is more money to be invloved. I'm still a beginner and still wanting to learn that's why I asked you guys the pros for help! For the car I'm getting whether its a 240sx or SC300 Why I said under 6000 for a car is that I need the car with either high mileage or low mileage and 6000 obo to last me a year then next year throw in a swap with low miles. I do have extra money set to the side for this car for moding and don't think that I'm rich or poor Im just person who's pretty good saving money so. Anyways Why I'm looking for a low budget car is that rest of the money is to for moding. There is a article in Import Racer couple months ago about a Sinful Swaps I don't know if you guys saw this issue or not had alot of 240's in it with big swaps like RB26 or 25.The article I read and yes this company and the kid had some help with sponsors but what got me reading about this article is that the kid bought the 240 for only $300 bucks and the car has RB26 in it like said he had some help. That's why I'm doing it this way and for the record I'm not going to get a RB motor, around here nobody doesn't know how to put one in and the parts are expensive to so.

Samuraix26

P.S. Thanks for your guys info and help I really mean it so if there is somethng I missed or if you got any more tips let me know thanks!!!

[Tuner]

Honestly, get all that crap out of your head and concentrate on buying a car first. Then enjoy actually driving it before you even think about mods.

[SamuraiX26]

Yes I know I hear that alot get the car first I know I know and yes I agree with you. Like people say talk is cheap yes first thing is to get the car and try out the factory settings and also see if anything is wrong with the car. But what I was saying is that the article had a good idea that I was coming from buy car for less money and mod it later on. I wasn't going to mod right away if thats what you mean. Heres another question my friend bought a 1995 miata for about $5000 guessing to and it has which it suprised me that it had only 35000 miles on it and he said maybe think about a miata its lightweight, rearwheel drive, and many things to do with it so what do you think? Also does any of you have a website that I can see your cars or your club that you belong to?Thanks!!!

Samuraix26

Like I said your the pro's not me just in need of help to get started!!

[DomLee]

I've owned a S13 and now a SC300 (manual).

Look at it from a cost perspective.

S13
Cheap car. Can be had for $2000. Sometimes less, sometimes more.
Lots of aftermarket parts available.
Lots of other S13s on the road (and in junkyards). This makes stock replacement parts easy to come by.
SR or RB engine swap option.

SC300
Cost of a manual tranny SC300 can be had for $5000 (pretty much the cheapest price). Any cheaper...and odds are...this is not a running car...or it is a salvage title. (And these are EXTREMELY rare)
You can do a manual tranny swap, but this costs money. (Assuming you bought a SC300 automatic).
There are a number of these cars on the road...so parts are not that hard to find...nor are they that easy to find as well.
Aftermarket support is nowhere near as plentiful as the 240sx. You can adapt some items from the Supra...but to some extent...it is experimental or even a custom job.
2JZ-GTE swap is not as cheap as you think it is.

The right car for you..based on your needs/wants...would be a 240sx (S13). The car is relatively easy to work on, parts support is excellent, and you have a ton of resources to look up info.

[raging panda]

i wouldnt worry about engine swaps, just keep the one you have running. If you are serious about drifting, you dont want to have to deal with repairing an engine that doesnt exist in the US, and paying for it. You don't need to worry about additional power for a while until you feel you are at the limits of what the stock engine and chassis have for you.

For the sc300, i was going to buy one, but can't afford insuarance first of all 350+ a month, and i have a clean record. I was going to get a 5 spd, impossible to find up here in the NW, i was going to use supra coilovers, supra n/a trd 2 way diff, and get a racing seat. The cost was just too much, and i hadnt even thought about getting an engine swap, maybe just turboing the stock engine, but seriously, you are talking about some crazy stuff when you want to swap engines. It doesnt seem like you want to drift, you just want a drift car.

[SamuraiX26]

I know what you mean and yes I do want to drift and also that's why starting in the basics first. Yes, it takes years and practice to become a d1 driver and Im not a pro Im still beginner and still learning how to become a better driver and a drifter. That's why I post this question up to see who would help me or to give me info on how to get start in drifting. You guys have more experience then me and I consider you guys pros at this. I been around and know alot about hotrods and classics because my family has been around with drag racing and all kinds of racing and cars. My very first car was a 1955 Mercury Monterey 4dr auto and did little mods here an there made into rat rod. Ive help my friends put in and build a small block 350 pushing out 400hp.I learned from them to and they knew more then I did so. How I got started in imports it was a mistake a friend of mine had a honda hatchback 92 jdm all over and show me some option videos and magazines took me ride in it and he said these cars can beat and are lighter then V8's and I laughed but it was true so and this was in 1997. Then I started looking a Superstreet mags and more so. When I saw drifting for the first time I was in ah ya this is cool because everybody has beat records and have gone over 200mph in dragracing it was getting boring no offense to anyone so that's why choose drifting because it's open to alot of things to and to have fun.

Im just asking for help that's all and I'm happy that I getting a response back I thank you to! Also ha ha I do want a good looking drift car too sorry Im sucker for big wide bodykits.

Thanks again keep more info coming thanks!!
SamuraiX26

[DomLee]

Get a 240sx. It is a tried and trusted formula. That is why you see so many of them at the track. Especially since you are learning...you want a vehicle that you can have a commonality w/ other people.

Case in point: If you owned a 240sx, and there are other owners/drivers that have the same car. And assuming that you got to drive other cars or even got feedback about their mods...you can better decide how it affects the car...and more importantly...whether a mod is suitable for what you want to do.

Getting a SC300 would not be worthwhile for you because there are not that many drifting...if at all (not including the famous Vertex/T&E Soarer). And especially since you are a beginner...it would only make your learning curve much harder. Given the lack of SC300s that are out drifting...you would receive very little (REAL) feedback in regards to how that specific car/chassis responds to a given mod.

The cost of the 240sx may have gone up a bit due to demand...but the amount of support that you receive (in terms of replacement parts, aftermarket parts, and feedback from other people)...is far more desireable than that of the SC300.

I'm not trying to steer you away from your desired car. It is just that you're in the learning stage...and it is better to learn on a vehicle that is trusted/proven. With the SC300...given the rarity alone...you're kinda going in uncharted territory. Know what I mean? I would recommend learning on the 240sx and once you refine your technique...then get a SC300.

[SamuraiX26]

When I do get my car and I know first thing is to start practing with the stock settings so I can get a feel of the car and what kind of trouble I'm in. Now once I'm doing that, what is the first thing I should do to the car? Whether it be wheels, bodykit, interior, safetyequip, suspension, or performance, but remeber I'm not getting the engine until next year so.

Thanks
SamuraiX26

[Tuner]

When I do get my car and I know first thing is to start practing with the stock settings so I can get a feel of the car and what kind of trouble I'm in. Now once I'm doing that, what is the first thing I should do to the car? Whether it be wheels, bodykit, interior, safetyequip, suspension, or performance, but remeber I'm not getting the engine until next year so.

Thanks
SamuraiX26

Drive the car for at least one full year before you do anything.