Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 21

Thread: Thinking about buying, any advice?

  1. #1
    Guest
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Crawley, West Sussex
    Posts
    21
    Rides
    0

    Thinking about buying, any advice?

    Hi all,

    Been a fan of the S14 for a long time - i had a mate who owned one and they are awesome cars!

    Im looking for something that can drive me 55 motorway miles each way to work and back every day for the next 18 months or so.

    I sold my RX7 back in May which was my dream car for 5 or so years before finally being able to afford to buy and insure one and now I'm currently in an MX5 - the rx7 was comfortable on the motorway but not a car ready to do this sort of mileage; the MX5 is no good for motorway driving..

    I was considering a honda accord but i know that after 2 months i would get bored with it so I'm thinking of buying an S14a with a budget of 5K. not highly modified as i can't afford for the fuel to be ridiculous. i need something that will get me excited about driving but isn't too uncomfortable on the motorway

    What are owners opinions of these cars on the motorway, lightly modified cosmetically and minor engine mods (better cooling, exhaust, induction etc). Is it realistic? or is it a ridiculous ambition?

    Thanks in advance!
    Daniel

  2. #2
    Member xR33's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Fareham
    Posts
    8,290
    Rides
    0
    Save yourself some cash and move straight onto a 330d

  3. #3
    Guest
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Crawley, West Sussex
    Posts
    21
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by xR33 View Post
    Save yourself some cash and move straight onto a 330d
    haha i do appreciate that BMW's are good cars, well built, reliable etc etc, quite good looking but i personally have no interest in them unfortunately. Heart lies with Jap cars

  4. #4
    Dorset & Hants Rep pointz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    southampton
    Posts
    7,892
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by xR33 View Post
    Save yourself some cash and move straight onto a 330d
    Not the kind of negativity the club needs at the mo! We need to attract members not point them towards bmw's

  5. #5
    Dorset & Hants Rep pointz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    southampton
    Posts
    7,892
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by morgandan View Post
    haha i do appreciate that BMW's are good cars, well built, reliable etc etc, quite good looking but i personally have no interest in them unfortunately. Heart lies with Jap cars
    Good man that's the attitude we like oh btw welcome to sxoc good luck on your hunt!

  6. #6
    Guest
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Crawley, West Sussex
    Posts
    21
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by pointz View Post
    Good man that's the attitude we like oh btw welcome to sxoc good luck on your hunt!
    Cheers mate - One on here i have my eye on..

  7. #7
    Guest snops's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Bristol
    Posts
    1,631
    Rides
    0
    I used mine every day for a 40 mile drive to work on motorway. Absolutely fine. Just go for standard suspension.

  8. #8
    Guest
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Crawley, West Sussex
    Posts
    21
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by snops View Post
    I used mine every day for a 40 mile drive to work on motorway. Absolutely fine. Just go for standard suspension.
    Cheers dude, In your opinion would 100K miles be high to buy at if ill be doing 20K a year?

    Personally I'm no put off by 100K to buy the car at

  9. #9
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    If you've any sense, you'll buy a standard or close to standard car with fairly low mileage that's been looked after.

    Keep it standard and sell it two years from now for a profit as standard ones are actually going up in value.

    200SX's were made to do the sort of journey you are talking about and at 200ish bhp with standard suspension they munch miles incredibly well.

    I had a 99 plate 14a from new and put 35K miles on it bombing round the M25. I was still like new when I sold it.

    If the suspension is a bit sad, replace the struts with OEM KYBs for less than 200 quid and the suspension bushes with powerflex.
    If the arm bushes are gone go for an Apex rubber-bushed adjustable arm set as they are even better than OEM.

    Other than that, leave it as standard. An exhaust, induction kit and lowering it will fcuk it up for commuting by making it a droning bore with a harsh ride and you won't get your money back when you sell.

    A year ago 5K would have got you a mint 25K mile standard 14a.

    Now you'll have to look hard for something with < 75K and mildly modified for that sort of money.

  10. #10
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by morgandan View Post
    Cheers mate - One on here i have my eye on..
    Link to it ?

  11. #11
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    I know this is out of budget, but this is what you should be looking out for...

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...-grade/4992061

    2 years ago, you'd have got it for 5,500.

  12. #12
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    Or what about this and argue the price to 3,300 and keep 1700 quid in your back pocket for maintenance.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Nissa...oAAOSwqu9VDdrv

    I know its an auto but its VERY competitively priced.

    Unless there is something seriously wrong with it, you would make money on that when you came to sell it.

  13. #13
    Guest snops's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Bristol
    Posts
    1,631
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by morgandan View Post
    Cheers dude, In your opinion would 100K miles be high to buy at if ill be doing 20K a year?

    Personally I'm no put off by 100K to buy the car at
    It'll be fine. You'll obviously need to maintain it more than a modern motor. Mines on 170k now. Engines going strong still. Body's now needing some work.

  14. #14
    Guest auz200sx's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    796
    Rides
    0
    Personally i have found my Zenki to be very capable of daily commutes and going half way round Australia. Love it. Not much has gone wrong with it in the last few years central locking minor coolent leak and a clutch.

  15. #15
    Guest
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Crawley, West Sussex
    Posts
    21
    Rides
    0
    Cheers for all the advice

    I'd ideally like something with cooling mods and a few cosmetics. Suspension, wheels etc but standard (ish) power up to 250 bhp to maintain reliability.

    Or if i bought standard my budget would be around 3.5k hiving me 1.5 for coilovers and wheels

    Ill be on the m25 most of the time so average speed expected to be about 6 mph lol

  16. #16
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    The viscous fan is more efficient than any electric fan.
    Coilovers are too hard for road work unless you get 4/3s or 5/4s which you won't because they are
    Big wheels adversely affect comfort because they reduce the tyre sidewall and make them stiffer.
    I've no doubt you'll lower it too which will adversely affect comfort, handling and tyre life.

    I don't get why people say they want a good commuter then sacrifice all of the great things about driving a 200 in the name of making it "look sick"

    Please don't deprive the world of another decent standard 200. Buy one that someone else has already fcuked up. It will cost you less and leave another 200 in the dwindling pool of future classics.

  17. #17
    Now with 400bhp....
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    South west
    Posts
    36,381
    Rides
    1
    I used to drive mine daily for three years and it was great on the motorway. Only thing that spoilt mine was worn ball joints and bushes which is much the same with any car. Lower it too much and you'll induce bump steer but again this can be fixed and won't be noticeable if only lowered on springs and dampers rather than coilovers.

    Have a good look for rust everywhere is my main tip
    1998 Nissan 200sx s14a , 2000 std 5 speed with nismo supercoppermix clutch bn6 Sapphire Blue

  18. #18
    Guest
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Crawley, West Sussex
    Posts
    21
    Rides
    0
    Cheers for the advice, I bought Chunky Tits S14a last night.

    Its lowered with 18" alloys and (slightly) stretched tyres but for the 150 mile drive home it wasn't uncomfortable. Depending on how i get on in the next few weeks i may swap out for 17" and raise it a bit but it really isn't too bad, all the bushes feel solid and compared to my MX5 which has a few knocks and work bushes its like driving down the road on a king sized bed in a posh hotel room.

    I didn't fancy a standard one mainly because i know it would be a matter of hours before i started ordering parts for it if i did lol, this one is at the stage i would have liked to take one too so i'm quite chuffed so far, hopefully it holds out for the next couple of years, although i can't find any signs to say that it won't from the viewing and drive home last night.

    Ill be keeping onto of maintenance as i can't afford to be without the car so all wear and tear items will be replaced as soon as it needs to be to keep the ride as good as possible with the mods and the drive train in as good a condition as possible to

  19. #19
    Now with 400bhp....
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    South west
    Posts
    36,381
    Rides
    1
    Good work. Pics needed now
    1998 Nissan 200sx s14a , 2000 std 5 speed with nismo supercoppermix clutch bn6 Sapphire Blue

  20. #20
    Guest Zeldoz's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastbourne - East Sussex
    Posts
    1,696
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by morgandan View Post
    Cheers for the advice, I bought Chunky Tits S14a last night.

    Its lowered with 18" alloys and (slightly) stretched tyres but for the 150 mile drive home it wasn't uncomfortable. Depending on how i get on in the next few weeks i may swap out for 17" and raise it a bit but it really isn't too bad, all the bushes feel solid and compared to my MX5 which has a few knocks and work bushes its like driving down the road on a king sized bed in a posh hotel room.

    I didn't fancy a standard one mainly because i know it would be a matter of hours before i started ordering parts for it if i did lol, this one is at the stage i would have liked to take one too so i'm quite chuffed so far, hopefully it holds out for the next couple of years, although i can't find any signs to say that it won't from the viewing and drive home last night.

    Ill be keeping onto of maintenance as i can't afford to be without the car so all wear and tear items will be replaced as soon as it needs to be to keep the ride as good as possible with the mods and the drive train in as good a condition as possible to
    Welcome to the club! Get yourself over to our area. Im the local rep for Sussex & Surrey!
    http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/forumdisplay...sex-amp-Surrey

    We have a christmas meal being held in Gunwharf keys comming on December 13th! Be there!

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •