in search of another sentra

[bigdaddygnar]

i got the damage report and my sentra is totaled. the insurance company gave me a check for $5,625 and i have $2,300 of my own. so obviously i have $7,925 to put towards a sentra. since i couldn't do much with my GXE, which model should i keep an eye out for?

[nismo_pilot]

i would highly reccomend a 04-05 spec v, only use about half of your money on the down payment and you have some money to make a serious monster out of that car. you could also go with one of the se's since they have the sr20 motor which has alot of aftermarket for it

[fugiot]

I'd keep any eye out for these:

91-94 Sentra SE-R(SR20) - $1000-$3000
95-98 200SX SE-R(SR20) - $2500-$6000
00-01 Sentra SE 2.0(SR20) $4500-$7000
03-05 Sentra Spec-V(QR25)$9000-$16000

The Spec-V is the fastest followed by the Sentra SE-R, then the 200SX, and then the Sentra SE.


Also, keep an eye out for the extremely rare 1999 Sentra SE-L(SR20). And if you're interested, a 92-94 Maxima SE twin-cam with a 5-spd, those things are FAAASSSTT!

[bigdaddygnar]

any idea how much insurance might for the 03 spec V?

[fugiot]

Shit, not much at all. Insurance companies see it as no more than a FWD economy compact. And since they come in nothing but manual, that'll help you're rates too. Any FWD Nissan will be pretty easy on insurance.

[bigdaddygnar]

how about the price range for a used 03 Spec-V? the old man wants me to pay off as much as i can as soon as i can, and i'd reeeeeeeeeally like a Spec-V

[nismo_pilot]

my insurance is 145 a month for a brand new 2005 spec v with full coverage blah blah blah....four doors and 4 cylinders= grocery-getter to insurance companies, just dont let them hear your exhaust!

[fugiot]

I'd say average for an 03 Spec-V is about $13,000.

With $7,000 to spend, I'd go for a 200SX SE-R. Nice peppy SR20, and nice late-90's good looks. Plus it'd be better if you decide to go turbo later on. The Spec-V has a hard time with boost, as of now anyway.

[nismo_pilot]

265hp to the wheels at 7.5 psi dynoed.....

[nismo_pilot]

the sr20 does handle boost WAY better than the qr25, i just had to get my 2 cents in....lol

[fugiot]

Yeah, that's nice power and all, but it's much more unreliable than a boosted SR20. Especially at 7.5. I heard it has major problems at levels above 8.5psi. Just saying, the SR20 is built for boost. You can crank out boost in the high 20's(psi) without changing bottom end internals. Not that you'd wanna do that in a FWD Sentra, but just knowing that it can handle it means it's much safer and more reliable at medium boost levels.

[nismo_pilot]

yeah you have to overhaul a qr25 to get reliability, but i have seen one hit 400whp after 20k miles no prob, but very expensive

[bigdaddygnar]

good news, my dad came home from vegas after winning 3K. he split it between my brother and i so i have 9K. not a lot, but still better than before. the Spec-V is lookin good

[nismo_pilot]

id go spec if your looking non turbo, if you want to boost at all grab something with the sr20, from what i understand the 90s model ser sr20s can be made really fast really cheap, but then if you get the spec and take good care of it you can trade it in later on something nicer....im looking at a STI or 350z after i pay mine off a bit more

[JerodKing]

I must say after driving my friends 200SX with only I/H/E and a suspension upgrade, I like it much more than the Spec-V's. It was faster and handled better than my other friends 04 Spec-V with only an intake. I would personally try to find a nice 200SX for about 6K, and put the rest into either suspension and bolt ons, or throw the 3k towards a turbo kit and put down some serious numbers that most Spec-V's could only dream about. And all you Spec-V owners, don't think I am hating, it's still a good car stock with exceptional handling.