200sx, auto? Is it worth it?

ShadowHearth

Hey lads, i am looking for a new toy . I checked carzone and found a beutifull 200sx for briliant price. I had a phone in mine hand, but then i checked ather picture and: auto...

I cant describe that dissapointment that i had... (specially, when i missed a great deal on mazda mx5 10 AE 2 days ago )

but still... Is it worth it? How would car behave with turbo and auto? Is it still possible to have some fun in it? ( it is 200sx :d )

I would like auto car, but only when i hit 40 and when ill become boring and laizy :d.

Any bad reputation on these auto gear boxes on 200sx?

Thx for all info in lads!

Atomic Pineapple

being short and blunt the answer is no

Ferris

Its a reasonably easy job to change to a manual box, you'd need to get the car cheap tho.

Also if you're getting one make sure it runs smoothly (boost leaks, usually from a cracked intercooler) and has had regular oil changes with fully synthetic oil.

ShadowHearth

So hmmm... prices are not that different on manual and auto... so buying auto, then putting in manual will cost alot more then just buing manual in the first place.

How can i check intercooler( i guess just look at it and check for mud/liquid?) and boost leak?

Even if ill be looking at manual, what should i check at 200sx? Weak spots?

I called today on one advertisment, but it has no nct... And i am kind of afraid to take such type carwithout it.

Sorry for such noobish question, i just newer had a turbo car . Ty for your understanding.

Ferris

An auto to manual conversion would be expensive so the price of the car would have to be lower than that of a manual one.

Other choice is to try the car and and see if you like it, auto and all.

The intercooler is mounted in the left wing in front of the wheel, you have to take out the wheelarch liner to get to it. Check for cracks in it. Boost leaks sound like a 'whoosh' of air but should not be confused with the turbo wail.

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=140464

One on changing an auto to a manual:
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?p=880780#post880780

Also check rear arches and boot floor for rust and visually inspect the rear subframe mounting bolts. Rear dampers fail at 70-80k also but I replaced mine for 200quid, simply bounce the rear corners of the car and it should bounce once.

They're a lovely car to drive, and are quite comfortable despite being a sports car. The manual gearbox is one of the best bits about the car, although I have never driven an auto one.

ShadowHearth

Okay, allready thx for alot of info m8. But like i said i am prety newby with turbo beasts, i actually newer even drove one.... i know i am a saaaad panda

so heres a few more questions:

I found a pictures where to find a stock intercooler, and yes its in a crapy spot. So i check it self for cracks, and check all the piping around it, right?

Do i better look for s14 which has non-stock intercooler? Are they more reliable?

About that boost leak, that "woosh" being hear when? And how do i not mistaken it for dump valve, or just turbo noise?

Anything to check on turbo itself?

What about those allready tuned 200sx? Do i better stay away from them? Some of them really look nice, engines look clean enought, and non stock intercoolers and stuff...

Or as stock as possible is the way to go. And change stuff your self then?

forgot. About turbo gasket, how does it look, and what to check.

p.s. sorry again for such questions... . And again thx for patients and help so far!

colm_mcm

Don't go for auto.

ShadowHearth

Was looking at this aswell, what you think lads?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/200-SX/turbo/200925194357102/advert?channel=CARS

Barr

A 200 sx auto would nearly be impossible to resell afterwards. Vey limited market for an sx auto.

ShadowHearth

Yeah, i have noticed, they are really cheap aswell now...

But whats the point of tuning theyr engines, its still an automatic....

Ferris

The done thing is to replace the stock intercooler with a front mount, but you will have to tell insurance etc. Its one of the first mods people do and will cost £200-250 to buy.

As for checking for a boost leak, the symptoms include an uneven idle. To be honest they will idle a little uneven anyway (mine does) as there will be some sort of boost leak, its a 10+ yr old car ffs! The intercooler is the only expensive bit that leaks here.

As for buying a modded car, personally I wouldn't. Any modded 200sx will have been driven hard/drifted/crashed. Mods basically add up to increasing the boost pressure which puts pressure on the turbo. Only if the turbo was new/uprated would I consider buying a modded car.

Oh and turbo gasket failure apparently makes a very loud noise. Work wise its a nightmare and most will need replacement by 100k.

Hope this helps, sxoc.com is a great sourse of info.

Ferris

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Was looking at this aswell, what you think lads?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/200-SX/turbo/200925194357102/advert?channel=CARS

Thats a nice car alright and it looks to be done well but I paid half that for a '98 car with 73k mls.

JimmyCrackCorn!

Cheaper cars on sxoc.com

DaveVs old car has one up there for less than that with bits done

With the current market and a budget of 6k you can do allot better. look at Uk cars aswell

Boxtyeater

For Sale: The dream car....Jaguar X Type complete with all the luxurious you would expect. 2005 model with 60k. miles. 2.0Turbo Diesel giving 60 mpg on medium travel. Full winter pack (heated leather seats - climate control) alloys, serviced, the full works.....
In a magnificent(unblemished pacific blue with grey leather seating) unmarked and NCT till 03/11.
The dream machine, but redundancy has given me the Company car...so?..

ShadowHearth

I dont know if they let here doing such for sale things m8.

But still, no thanks, i am looking for something with less comfort, and more power.


btw lads, if you know poeple selling 200sx on 6keu mark ( outside carzone.ie etc), give me a shout!

JimmyCrackCorn!

Try here
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=340409

And then here

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?f=116


also read here as the car your looking at is discussed
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=415260

ShadowHearth

JimmyCrackCorn! wrote: »

Try here
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=340409

And then here

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?f=116


also read here as the car your looking at is discussed
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=415260

Well its discussed, but not much info they said....

Btw is it me, or 231hp is really low with all those mods on? It comes 220hp as standart, no?

thats the only one manual that looks decent thought, and he dropped price to 6k aswell....

Atomic Pineapple

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well its discussed, but not much info they said....

Btw is it me, or 231hp is really low with all those mods on? It comes 220hp as standart, no?

thats the only one manual that looks decent thought, and he dropped price to 6k aswell....

nope they just about make 200bhp standard if i remember correctly, all that one has is a FMIC

if you want a fast 200 you'd need to be looking at least a stage II one pushing 300bhp + or budget to do that yourself.

This one is owned by a guy over on dtd and is lovely - http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/200-SX/303bhp-3/200923193001260/advert?channel=CARS

hi_im_fil

They come with 197bhp standard, and it will have lost a few due to age anyway

Ferris

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well its discussed, but not much info they said....

Btw is it me, or 231hp is really low with all those mods on? It comes 220hp as standart, no?

thats the only one manual that looks decent thought, and he dropped price to 6k aswell....

Mate if you're not used to rwd, 200hp and no traction control I wouldn't worry about power for the moment. I'm certainly still learning.

ShadowHearth

I drive clk200 atm, its not that powerfull, but it gives me a taste of RWD, and honestly i cant even look at anything with FWD now!

But 230hp would be enought i guess? for daily driving, and for messing around time from time?

ShadowHearth

draffodx wrote: »

nope they just about make 200bhp standard if i remember correctly, all that one has is a FMIC

if you want a fast 200 you'd need to be looking at least a stage II one pushing 300bhp + or budget to do that yourself.

This one is owned by a guy over on dtd and is lovely - http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/200-SX/303bhp-3/200923193001260/advert?channel=CARS

It is, and price is not that bad. Just wondering if it has nct, and cat for nct later on...

JimmyCrackCorn!

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I drive clk200 atm, its not that powerfull, but it gives me a taste of RWD, and honestly i cant even look at anything with FWD now!

But 230hp would be enought i guess? for daily driving, and for messing around time from time?

Yes, yes it is.

Very different animal to a clk a clk wont threaten to kill you leaving a roundabout because you were a little too early feeding in power


If you have 8k and want more power
http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=415616


Otherwise watch the for sale section an absolutely immaculate car appears in there about once a month of the above standard

Ferris

+1, just been out in my car and the road are a little bit greasy and I really had to take it easy. In a clk any rear slip will cause the tracton control to kick in and you get that pretty flashing light on the dash to tell you to take it easy. The nissan will just go sideways, instantly. Once you get used to it (I'm not yet) its good fun, but its not a car you can relax and just blast it. Defo a two hands on the wheel car.

Atomic Pineapple

ShadowHearth wrote: »

It is, and price is not that bad. Just wondering if it has nct, and cat for nct later on...

It doesn't have nct no but the cat does come with it

ShadowHearth

draffodx wrote: »

It doesn't have nct no but the cat does come with it

you know that car? or is it yours?

If it would be with NCT, i would think about it more seriuosly.

I am afraid to take any modified car withouth nct to be honest...

I know about traction control, i turn it off sometimes, but it only flashes for me when i start of quicker then ussually.

A few times i got mines arse flying in raundabout, but i didnt paniced and putted it back together prety fast .

Now i DO whant to buy a car which is fun! I would even love it to be more noisy and rough. If i will need some auto pilot and sofa to sleep in ill take merc back from misses when i need ( Yes, i am giving it to her, and getting myself something more crazy , finnaly )

And 200hp++ is more then enought for me.It will be mine first proper sport car. Really not chasing some 350hp monsters at this stage.

Still any thoughts on that 230hp on carzone.ie?

It does look nice, alot of love putted in to it. And that 140k milles not scaring me much, when theres new intercooler and bits in.

Atomic Pineapple

ShadowHearth wrote: »

you know that car? or is it yours?

If it would be with NCT, i would think about it more seriuosly.

I am afraid to take any modified car withouth nct to be honest...

No its not mine, its a guy who is over on dtdirl.com, His name is Ross and its a lovely car, the lack of NCT is a bit off putting especially with the current wait but he is selling cos hi G/f is expecting and the car is lovely and its been built by Norris Designs in England.

if you contacted him, you could either ask him to put it through the NCT or use it as a bargaining tool.

The car also has racelogic traction control built into it meaning that you can adjust how much you want the traction control to kick in or not so it makes it easy to learn the limits of the car.

I would love the car for myself but its taking me longer to get a job than I expected after college and Rx7's have taken my fancy for when I do get a job. I just know the car is a genuinely good example, it used to be owned by an sxoc member, just ask about gsi_ire's car over on the Ireland section of sxoc.co.uk, so I thought I'd bring it to your attention as its a genuine bargain.

The one on Carzone is nice too but I dont know anything about it

ShadowHearth

Well mine searches of 200 are over, i bought something else, that i had in mine mind .

Its not that powerfull, but still FUN . I am going to pick it up on thursday

Its and mazda mx5 1.8 1999, 10 annyversery edition

copeyhagen

http://www.donedeal.ie/find/all/all/Ireland/s14

have a look at some of them

Ferris

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well mine searches of 200 are over, i bought something else, that i had in mine mind .

Its not that powerfull, but still FUN . I am going to pick it up on thursday

Its and mazda mx5 1.8 1999, 10 annyversery edition

Lovely car lad, well wear.

Graham_B18C

Well done, post up a pic or two

ShadowHearth

Thx lads, i will. i am picking it up on thursday, so ill make some fresh pics!

I just cant wait for thursday... its draging like crazy! i can bet as soon as ill get all nice weather will be gone