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Pics of the 240's Progress from 89-98 in the United States: 
89-90 240sx---Look at front end 
91-94 240sx -See the difference between the 89-90? 
95-96 S14 look at the headlights and compare to the next pic 
97-98 S14 with "evil eyes" |
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The 240sx could be bought here in the states from 89-98. Unfortunantly, Nissan has stopped selling the 240sx (along with the 300z) in the United States.
Here is a description of the 240sx's you will see over here:
89-90 had a KA24E which was a 2.4L single over head cam 12 valve engine with 140hp.
91-98 had a KA24DE which was a 2.4L dual over head cam 16 valve with 155hp.
The body style from 89-94 is called a S13. 89-90 had a different front bumper than the 91-94, but everything else on the body is the same (the engines are NOT the same). They made a Coupe and a Hatchback (called a Fastback) these years. 91 had the hottest cams (pulled the best in the top end) and are therefore often sought after.
The body Style from 95-98 is called S14. These were only available in a coupe. 97-98 have different headlights often called evil eyes where they get thinner as they approach the center grill.
The body Style from 99-??? is called a S15. The S15 is only available in Japan and comes with a 250hp SR20DET motor. In my opinion, if Japan would have never deprived us from the SR20DET motor then their sales would have been much like Honda's. Except The 240 would be waxing all the Hondas asses (not to mention many other vehicles of which i will describe later).
The 240sx is a phenomenally well balanced vehicle: A great platform for what ever automotive goals you may have. Even in stock form they look good and have awesome handling characteristics. The weight distribution (in the US) is quoted to be 53/47 %. With a little work it can kick a lot of ass in SCCA and many other racing events. In upgrading the suspension with a set of quality springs (Eibach, RS*R, Whiteline, H & R, etc), nice struts (KYB, Tokico, Koni, etc), and adding larger wheels with lower profile tires you not only improve the handling but you also improve the looks of the vehicle: a much more aggressive stance. Now, looks are an individuals opinion but handling/being fast can be proven through numbers on many different types of race tracks.
The handling aspect of our cars has been addressed, but the fast aspect has not:
In stock trim our vehicles are slow, sad but true:
(stats taken from a June issue of a 1991 sports car Magazine)
Power155bhp @5600rpm
Transmission5spd
Curb Weight (SE).2964
Zero to 60 mph..8.1 sec (as tested)
Zero to 100 mph.25.0 sec
Standing mile.16.3 sec @84 mph
EPA fual economy (city)22 mpg
If you want to fix this problem there are many ways to go about it- here are a few
1. Bolt-ons intake, header, exhaust, CPU, etc.-- not entirely too expensive
2. Internal engine work---port and polish head, cc the chambers, radius valve job, cams, higher compression pistons, etc---a few thousand
3. Turbo charge your KA (factory motor) for around $6K and up depending on what you go with
4. Swap to the Jap spec SR20DET---with Labor on install and all some boltons around $5K
5. NOS---around $700 (including install) but goes hand in hand with other mods
6. Put in a diff manufacturers motor---really big $$$ and wieght could throw off the 240sx well balanced state.
After looking at these options and weighing cost with benefit, i decided to switch to the Japanese Spec Motor: SR20DET. This motor has 205hp stock. Unfortunantly, Nissan big wigs didnt think that the US residents should be blessed with such a nice motor. There for, we were stuck with the "truck engine" instead (KA24DE). Being that the SR is turbocharged from the factory, it is easy to up the HP with a few bolt ons.
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