200SX in Scumball rally

[Vaughn]

Hi,

I am lucky enough to get a place in next years scumball rally. The rally has few rules:

1: Raise as much money as you can for charity, I am doing it for Kent Air Ambulance. I aim to raise £5,000
2: The car must cost less than £1,000
3: Have Fun

It starts with a track day at Donnington, Then drive to Dover, France, Belgium, Germany then 2 days going round the nurburgring. Then on to the French GP circuit in Riems for a photoshoot. Then back to the UK.

The whole thing is being covered by a TV film crew and will probably go out as 5 one hour programs.

I have spent quite some time thinking what car I should do it in. I think a 200SX would be great fun. I had a S13 when they very first come out and loved it. If it makes it I would keep it and use it for some track days and RWYBs.

I have had a look around and I have seen quite a few S13s for under £1,000 What is your advice and what should I be looking for? Rust, engine problems, etc etc.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Vaughn

[Davie]

Welcome.

I don't know anything about S13s, but someone who does will be along shortly.

[Jon-s14a]

Welcome mate , im sure someone will be along soon to point you in the right direction in regards to s13 ownership.

Just make sure you take out european breakdown cover when you depart for the rally....

[jones]

Hello.
big ends if you are going to do that amount off miles

[thenickos]

does the 1k mean you could get a 1k shitter and count donated parts (suspension, brakes, etc) as 0 cost ?

[shortcut]

Welcome
rust wise rear of sills and tops of front struts, and boot lid, wheelarches but that shouldnt affect you too much.

Good luck

[Vaughn]

The £1,000 rule works like this: When you turn up at the start you have to bring your V5. If the organisers think you are pulling a fast one the will give you £1,000 and you have to sign over the car to them, if you don't you go home.

However, I am looking at a couple of cars on ebay and might have a few hundred left over to get some extra bits :-)

I can weld well so I can do any of that.

What do I look for as far as telling if the crank is on the way out?

Vaughn

[ian_t]

If your getting one and expecting to do high milage, I would recomend you get one with a duff looking chassis, renew the engine, bigends, compression etc, swap the transmission for a lower milage s14 unit and check the turbo. Also get some good tyres and rear locking bushes.

[Sibbers]

rev up to 3000 or just above and let the revs fall, if you hear a clacking noise (sounds like top end, but isn't and sounds very knocky rather than tappy if that makes sense ) then you have big end problems.

if its just for the charity event, then don't worry so much about rust but get one with the big ends already done?

Inlet valves can go too, they make the engine flood easily when cold, hard to start and shaky too - like its missing, but not. Makes a good scooby sound out the exhaust too and runs fine when warmed up, but you might find the next time to try and start your car from cold it'll never fire unless you crank for aaaaaaaages. Or just never.

They rust badly on the sills, turrets and rear arches. Oh the tailgate and boot too, but they're no so bad come MOT time they just look a bit crap (and you can weld them up too)

All the rest is standard RWD turbo car buying, look for the smoke, rear end 'drift' damage etc...

Perhaps you should take a compression tester with you, cold tests can discover inlet valve problems and you should probably do a search for big end noise - someone will have a sample for you to hear. Infact - allow me :

Originally Posted by RichardB a few months ago

Engine Noise Vid (4.5mb)

[McRearout]

What do I look for as far as telling if the crank is on the way out?

Vaughn

Short of taking the sump and shells off, not a lot.
You can hear them if they're on their way, but by then its to late.
Try and get one thats had a recent engine and/or a good home for the last few years and it should be alright.
Get/make some cheapo strut braces if its going to be going round all them twisty bits as the chassis flex quite a bit.

Learn how to check an S13 dipstick too

[Vaughn]

OK I'll go for it

How do I check the dip stick?

Vaughn

[Vaughn]

What should the compresions be?

Vaughn

[Sibbers]

11 bar or better each cylinder I would say, important that they all read the same too.

dipstick is a pain in the arse, basically park on level ground and remove the dipstick, then wipe it dry and dunk it, then check the lowest part it reads and don't bother trying again as you will have dragged oil up the tube and it'll annoy you.

BTW I'm well chuffed you're doing this mate - you should let us know where you are - the locals will probably help you out. This place is one of the best things about owning an S13, very helpful this lot

[McRearout]

or park it on level ground leave it overnight and check for an accurate reading.
Failing that the dip -1" 10 wiping times method works too
Put the dipstick all the way in apart from the last inch, pull out and wipe.
Repeat 10 times and then put it all the way in for an accurate reading

[Kiz]

as said fella well done for doing it in a 200 , i watched this years scumball, looked like a good crack and for good causes, if you need any parts for the body , i know someone who;s about to break an s13 and can get most body parts for you.

just pm me and i'll see what i can do, sadly the engine is gone so cant help there.

[docwra]

Christ sake you bunch of Pansys S13's arent that bad.

I know of a vgc Auto that has had the shells done that will be going up for about £700 with no rust anywhere on it - mine only cost a grand and Ive done the best part of 10K without any probs either


Go for it mate - just check the car out before buying it, same as if you were going to keep it yourself

[Sibbers]

No Doc, they're not - but about all the problems they tend to have are listed so he can get a good 'un.

[playworker]

Don't forget to weld the diff

[Sibbers]

Don't forget to weld the diff

lol

[Paul_S13]

Just do a big end check and fit an oil cooler and you should be o.k.!