Last time I found an unmolested tuner car, someone in the commentariat mentioned that something that would be even harder to find stock would be a Nissan 240SX. Challenge. Accepted.
Yes folks, some of the Americanized S13 Nissan Silvias haven’t been converted into F&F replicas or wannabe drifter cars or actual drifter cars. I’ll be writing more about how these movies basically killed this generation of cars later this week. but in the meantime we still have this, just a cheap to run, economical and fun to drive rear-wheel drive car that will run until the sun goes cold with little fuzz. The same qualities that make it so desirable to the import tuner crowd also mean that when you do find one that isn’t burdened by the horrendous drifter tax you can get a very nice daily driver that doesn’t need to be horrendously dull, even if it is painted dishwasher white.
This 1991 model has 157,627 miles, those weird always-on seatbelt, a sunroof and had one previous owner. There’s not a lot of info besides that. Still, the body seems to be in quite good nick for something that has been pootling around New Jersey since Bush Sr. was still in office. And the interior is also in excellent condition. Good marks all round and it’s all once again for a one reason.
Yup, the automatic transmission once again saving a car from a life of tacky neon underglows and an interior only the finest minds at Autozone customer service can come up with. I’ll admit that a 4 speed auto in a car like this is not precisely a marriage made in heaven but it’s still a car that will add some joie de vivre to a dull commute. Priced at $4200 O.B.O, it’s also drift tax exempt, although this could be a bit of a problem since it means that it’s gathering a lot of attention from cash strapped aspiring Ken Blocks ready to snap it and then start ripping things off the poor thing. Anyone up for a rescue?
I would love to own one of those, preferably with a manual transmission.
If I did, I’d drive it around with signs in the back side windows.
“BONE STOCK
and
NOT FOR SALE”
It’d be worth it just to frustrate the tuners.
“Rescue” sums it up quite nicely.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a member of the anti-modification brigade.
What typically happens to these cars is devaluing and eventual destruction, not modifying.
Actually, I’ve got no problems with the modifications . . . . . . . as long as a significant number of survivors (say, 15-20%) are left stock so people in the future can see where all those cars started from.
My main worry about the automotive hobby nowadays is that its getting too narrow. Everyone wants a muscle car, supercar, high school dream car, etc.; and almost nobody wants the relatively plain-jane model that 95% of the populous drove when said cars were new. 50-100 years from now, nobody is ever going to believe that there was such a thing as a moderately powered, modestly outfitted, four door sedan.
These were such attractive cars. Backseat was laughable. I was always glad Canada was spared those awful seatbelts.
On German TV the commercial for that car featured Jock Cocker´s song “You are so beautiful” as soundtrack.
My experience with an Integra of this vintage tells me the automatic is like a boat anchor, it slows progress but is nearly unbreakable.
I’m very tempted to “rescue” this as a replacement for my 17 year old Civic but when I tried to get behind the wheel of a 96 240SX se, I just barely fit under the closed sunroof.
Isn’t this a “repeat” story? I seem to remember a similar story that ended with a relative or acquaintance of the author getting the car.
Howard, Son, this is a Nissan and not a Honda, heck Acura Integra as you meant to say.
Rare are they? wish you’d said I saw two while doing junkmail last weekend its quite amazing what grows on lawns over here.
I personally thing modified “tuner” cars are just plain silly. But that is the opinion of an American hot rodder. With the exception of the Datsun Z cars through ’77, and all Mazda Miatas, I do not really care for Japanese cars in general. So it really doesn’t matter to me how many get destroyed. The new thing with Japanese cars is “stanced” There is a Honda Civic parked on the street several blocks away from my house that has been lowered, and has a LOT of negative camber on all 4 wheels. I thought it might be bagged, but i have seen it being driven that way. Must go through tires like crazy.
Tuners CAN be done tastefully. Im not a fan of most Japanese cars myself. Part of it is the appliance like nature of them, and the timid ‘don’t look at me’ style. Tuners usually take it way too far in the other direction with goofy crap. But taking a clean light 2 door and making the necessary upgrades to improve its performance and appearance is THE definition of hotrodding. A few mods on a Civic Si coupe done with an eye for style isn’t something I can hate on too much. However more likely some teenager got handed down his mom’s beige civic 4 door with slushbox and hung a fart can, erector set wing and all the wonky stick on crap that $99 at Schucks will buy is NOT a hotrod. And the pathetic drone of a stock Honda 4 cyl breathing thru a fart can while hooked to a slushbox is so awful I don’t know whether to laugh or just pity that foo!
I saw one of these in CC college in 1992. It had a head up display. I thought then that this was the coolest thing ever! I didn’t foretell the future much as a young one.
Pretty impressive tech for the early 1990’s! when I was driving my second hand 1984 Plymouth Reliant with the 2.6 L Mitsubishi engine. In 1990. Reliant, what a joke! As it spent more time in the shop than driving it. The car that steered me away from all Chrysler products ever!
That slushbox kills any appeal this car had. When I see a slusher on most any sporty car, especially with a 4 cyl engine its a total WTF moment for me. At that point, just get an Altima and call it a day.
I cant say Ive ever found these cars particularly attractive back in the day. Now, with 2 doors disappearing at a rapid rate it does have some appeal.
Nissan fanboi here; very unusual to find an unmolested SX/Silvia here now, and very nice to see the odd original one still exists! They’re still very common here, but as noted, they all seem to have been turned into F&F or drift cars. I like the exterior modifications of a lot of them, but it always bugs me when the interiors get hacked around. Nice find Gerardo!
“This 1991 model has 157,627 miles, those weird always-on seatbelt, a sunroof and had one previous owner. There’s not a lot of info besides that. Still, the body seems to be in quite good nick for something that has been pootling around New Jersey since Bush Sr. was still in office. And the interior is also in excellent condition. Good marks all round and it’s all once again for a one reason.”
Thats less then 7000 a year over 23 years so it might have been garaged kept for summer use. I am pretty sure the thing was never out in the winter elements.
I like the looks of the 240SX. There are a couple ones driving around my area. One is red and the other is blue. The red one has that 1980’s/1990’s affliction called red paint fade to pink syndrome. I think most cars painted that red color and which have been out in the elements have now faded to that pink Canada Mint like color.
Always liked the 240zx even though I liked the notchback better than the hatch. Is one of the few cars that I ever thought looked best in champagne.
Not too many unmolested ones in Canada now; those not in F&F drag have a bad case of the rusties if they are still on the road at all.
These were the sweetest handling cars ever. This ’91 has the facelift. I have a slight preference for the Coupe of this generation but only with the Sport Pack. I believe the sunroof on the Fastback was the pop-up kind.
I thought the S14 was a wee bit prettier but only the pre-facelift years. For some reason I’ve never been a fan of the S15.
Oh, I like this car. I like this car a lot. I’m wondering how easy/expensive a 3rd pedal transplant/slushboxectomy would be.
Easy-peasy to slot in the manual trans, as evidenced by myriad young men over here. The manual SX/Silvia box is the same 5-speed as in the Skyline/A31 Cefiro/Laurel. The floorpans of all four cars are fairly much the same, so the any one will provide the parts required. But…the hard part is actually finding such a gearbox that isn’t worn out (there’re fairly bullet proof, but the thrust bearings wear out). A good conversion set is around NZ$1,000 here due to demand and rarity. It’s hard enough to get a gearbox in NZ, where there’s a large supply of Skyline/Cefiro/Laurels to pick from; I imagine it’d be even more difficult in the US.
I had a ’90 and a ’91 240SX -the latter had the Super HICAS 4-wheel steering.
That was my COAL -never should have sold it.
As such, I shop them online frequently, and yes, you CAN find an unmolested car about once a year.
Ahh, the Datsun / Nissan SEX car, err, SX car. The best hidden subliminal reference to sex ever.
These were quite popular in during the 80’s in Datsun 200 SX and early 240 SX trim, and were everywhere, even the U.S. Midwest when I was close to the target demographic.
But, wow, this underpowered rental car white, grey cloth interior, cut rate seat belted, organic bloat bodied anonymous car explains everything we need to know about the popularity of the 2014 240 SX.
Even the 1995 update fell on its face after one year. The reason unmolested examples are hard to find largely a product of dismal sales. Nissan really had its back against the wall for a while there.
I guess I do have to give credit for the 2 door aspect of it, Japanese or not. I also have to say that I would rather drive a Japanese 2 door than any 4 door. But I would keep it stock or nearly stock. Maybe a tasteful set of wheels in the stock size. But some of these tuner guys just go crazy, and it is not always cheap. Many have way more invested than the car will ever be worth, and it still looks like junk to me. Oh well, to each their own. I have around $20K into a 1993 Chevy S10, not counting the truck, which I bought new back in ’93, and took care of. But there is really nothing left of the original truck but the body, starting with the well built 383 V8 under the hood. It runs in the mid 10s, and still holds together.
Front engine, rear wheel drive, independent suspension…. what more could you want? Three pedals and a stick naturally. When these were new I only had a passing interest in them and never actually test drove one and to this day still have never driven one. I think it was the price that put me off as well as my preference for the Hardbody truck and all the utility it provided.
I love to see these on the street in original unmolested condition rather than lowered, fart-canned, body kitted and smashed in wrecking yards. Either way these are few and far between in the great white north.
I didn’t realize they were RWD. That is another major positive.
They were impressive to drive. Excellent transmission(the stick shift version), excellent steering, excellent handling. Needed a little more power though, but that wasn’t hard to do. Seems like they had a fairly large 4cylinder detuned engine borrowed from the Nissan minitruck.
I had the opportunity to rent a brand new 1990 model (identical in color) in Yuma, AZ. I told the counterperson that I wanted something “two door/fast/sporty”. She told me that she’d driven the car when it came in, and said that it was available! Oh, well, 2 out of the three parameters wasn’t bad! It was an auto, and was reasonably quick. I did/and still DESPISE the “mechanical mouse” seatbelts! The car proved to be an enjoyable ride, and a revelation to some younger cohorts who’d only experiened FWD cars. 🙂
Always thought these were great-looking cars, in hatchback form. The notchback just didn’t do it for me for some reason, though they’re the ones preferred by the drift guys due to a stiffer structure. Still, this one is pretty. I like the facelifted ’91-’93 models since they got rid of the two “mail slots” just above the bumper, which always reminded me of a mustache, though the ’89-’90 cars had a more aggressive air dam under the bumper.
I have to confess to being a part of the modification of one of these, if only as a facilitator. A friend had a ’90 240SX notch, 5-speed manual, on which the engine died at somewhere around 160K. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with that car–good straight body, good interior, good trans with newer clutch, so he didn’t want to scrap it, but he had already bought a new car and didn’t want to mess around with replacing the engine only to sell it. A poster on a local message board was looking for a 240SX project car. I put the two of them in touch, and the car was sold.
The new owner arranged import of an SR20DET “redtop” engine from Japan, the 2.0 turbo that powered the JDM Silvia K’s, and embarked on building an autocross/track car that he could also daily drive. And for a short while, after the transplant was successful, that’s what he did. No external mods, which was refreshing. Until the new engine died of oil starvation within a month or so–he claimed that the postmortem revealed a huge dent in the oil pan. Not sure what happened to the car after that, it may have ended up scrapped or modded by another owner down the line.
I briefly drove one of these…a non-fastback version with a stickshift. That was a very nice driving car. It belonged to my buddy’s girlfriend and she let me borrow it for a week. I was impressed by it.