Nissan 240SX Review!

The time is here. Time for me to scrutinize the RWD Nissan everybody loves. Just kidding I love these also. The S13 pictured above is what I am reviewing, it us a USDM 1989 240SX that has a KA24DE swap from a USDM S14. 89 and 90 in the US had KA24E’s a SOHC variant of the engine.

This car belongs to my friend Rowdy. Now in Rowdy’s defense, this car used to be one color. He was parked at school one day, a massive diesel “Brodozer” parked next to him. The Brodozer left and took out his front bumper and fender. This was all caught on camera. The Brodozer parked his truck at his parents place, locked the keys in it and fled the state. He was later arrested out of state but has a large laundry list of other crimes he commit beforehe gets to repaying Rowdy. I think I have done an exemplary job of explaining why it has two colors. MOVING ON.

Modifications consist of wheels, coilovers, swaybars, a half cage, Blitz catback exhaust and Bride seats. The interior was also stripped out by the previous owner. The car rode pretty rough and was noisy. Interior bits were falling apart due to the age and all the vibrations the car created. No AC meant I was drenched as well.

The car was slow in a straight line, but it wasn’t painful. Have you ever driven a car that is slow and you really have to rip through the rpms to get anywhere? As if the car wasn’t propelling its self but the climbing rpms were the only thing to allow the car to move? This car is not like that, it still feels like the car propels itself, just in a slow manor.

The chassis, the chassis is where this car shines. Now I am not going to talk about the drift potential of this vehicle. The internet will tell 1000 times its great for drifting and it will tell you a 1000 more times. The car is tossable into corners. It can really carry a lot of speed through sweepers and tight twisties. The steering is fast, transmission is tight, pedals in the perfect spot and a chassis that communicates really makes this a fun car to carve in. Its somewhat light weight so it makes it harder to overwhelm the front tires, the car has a lot of camber making it so when the car is loaded up it has plenty of tire to fall onto. There is a little bit of bumpsteer, but it isn’t unnerving.

I think the biggest drawback is the fact that the car still has an open differential. Getting on the power, even on high speed sweepers, you could feel the rear of the car want to wander. It felt like putting the gas pedal down would make the rear end wander away (not in a sense of drifting), rather than push the car through the corner. Personally, I would put a good LSD in this car ASAP. The good news is the owner is making efforts towards this. Lucky as well, the aftermarket for these cars are almost at levels of the Honda aftermarket. It is easy to configure your S-chassis how ever you want it.

I genuinely feel like people who buy this JUST for drifting are missing out. Not that doing that is a bad thing but SO many people look at this vehicle like its god given talent was drifting that they miss out on the other great things this car can achieve. You S-chassis owners that don’t, try some canyon carving, autocross or track, you guys are really missing out. This car has plenty more on its resume than its drifting career.

Here is my video review for more thoughts and some video action of the car! I’d suggest watching it, around the 5:00 mark I totally lose my mind because of traffic in the canyon. I also curse like a sailor, its hilarious! Thanks for checking this out!