about to buy a 240: need some advice

[tipota]

what things should i be looking for? i found a 92 240sx for $2600. Im going to check the undercarriage for rust, and check the usual things like making sure the exhaust isnt blue, seeing if the engine makes clicking sounds, looking for oil leaks anywhere in the engine compartment. how can you tell if a car has a blown head gasket? i dont really hear of this being a problem on these cars, but its always good to check. also, is there anything else i should look at? im going to check it out in a few days wiht a friend so any advice would be much appreciated. thanx

[nisco]

is this going to be a project car or a dialy driver?
mialage, ask for teh past history of teh car, accidents/ recalls/ stuff liek that (if and why its been iin the shop)
see how the clutch feels (if its a 5speed)
body condition.. etc etc etc

[SHIFT_KA24DE]

if you want to play it safe check the car history... via VIN number. Also if there's oil/moisture near the top of the block then that means the head gasket needs replacement. Check for oil below the engine... if there is then most likey there is a leak somewhere or someone just doesn't know how to change engine oil/filter. I think what you mentioned about the exhaust fumes (blue/white) is good... also the ticking noise. If it's a 92 then most likely it WILL be ticking anyway... but don't worry about too much if it comes from the head area. (it's just the timing chain... you can later remove the guides to stop the ticking noise)

If you want to try price negotiating.. which i higly recommend. Try looking for brake rotor wear/warping, worn clutch, tire tread, interior/exterior damage, spare?, etc...
if it's a fastback... check the hatch for leaks because most likely it will be there. If it rained recently check the spare wheel well for moisture/water. You can knock off some $$ with that complaint as well. g luck. sounds like a pretty decent deal.

[Hit_N_Run-player]

ask the seller if you can compression test it...

[Chuki_breath]

yea i think all s13's tick, no matter what!!!!! Its like a 240 characteristic. Timing chain.

[sidewayzS13]

i like the tick damnitt it adds character

[SHIFT_KA24DE]

yes.. it's almost like it's trying to communicate with me.... i know it.

[tipota]

shit! well what bad ticking versus good ticking? i bought an S13 about a month ago for $500, and i bought it as a project car. it had the ticking, but the ticking got louder as i brought the engine to higher rpm's and as i changed gears. the engine blew on the way home. the car only has 91k miles on it and the woman told me it has never been in an accident, but i havnt checked the VIN yet. i think i found the ideal situation. a woman driver who does not know the worth of the car and it selling it at book value. do S13's tick louder and faster as you rev the engine and switch to higher gears? I doubt the engine is going ot blow at 91k because the other one i bought had 167k on it. now as for the clutch, my friend taught me how to drive stick but ive never owned a stick car. how can you tell if a clutch is bad? also, thank you guys for all your help so far!

[SHIFT_KA24DE]

from a dead stop try and move starting with 2nd instead of first... if your clutch doesn't "catch" or you can feel it "slipping" that means your clutch is pretty worn out... replace it.

Other than that... check if you can do a small burnout... or actually just drop the clutch and see if your car jets forward w/ a lil' gas. these are all not-so-good ways but easy to check if your clutch is worn out.

[tipota]

im going to check the car tommorrow, so hopefully i can get a reply before then. about the ticking, does it get louder as you rev the engine and switch to higher gears, just as you rev the engine, or is it continuous?