jgadson93

Hey guys I'm new here and would just like some general direction/advice. So I'm looking at a project car for the spring to start building. My main focus for the car is for backroad/weekend/tracking/road racing NOT drag racing although I may be open to taking it to the strip in the future but for immediate purposes i would like to focus on tracking the car. As the title states, Im debating between an integra either LS or GSR or a 240sx s14. Now i know they both have their pros and cons and i have researched the topic but would like some more in depth info regarding them. One of the reasons I'm interested in the teggy is that the parts are cheap and its a great platform to start with and my brother and one of my friends have both built GSRs so i know people with experience messing around with tegs on the flip side I have always wanted a 240 since i could start driving but I couldn't afford afford, working at mcdonalds at the time lol but now i can afford one but i don't know anyone with experience working on nissans that could be of help with my build. Now I'm not looking to spend anything crazy on the car itself about a 4k budget. If I were to go with the integra (which is most likely what will end up happening), it brings up the GSR vs LS question. If i get the LS that would leave more money leftover for mods like suspension and the like whereas if I get the GSR that will most likely be all of my budget and i will have no money for any immediate mods. That would also be the case with any 240 that I get, no money left for mods. Also at some point I want to turbo any car that i do get but not over 300whp. any thoughts from the experts lol

NewCarScent

Advice from another noob here, a biased one at that, so take this with a grain of salt.

I started with an S13 as my first car, and it was an absolute shitbox. In the midwest you can't find any 240's worth driving for under $4-5k, and most of those will still have the KA24 powerplant in them. There's nothing wrong with the KA, it's a stout little engine with good bottom end and will be more than enough if all you're looking to do is auto-x and road course. The problem with 240's (at least in my area) is that 99% of the people that have them are "f*ckboys" for lack of a better term. They don't care for maintenance, build and part quality, and would much rather spend their money on a set of shiny wheels or aero than fix what is blatantly wrong with their vehicles. The scene is very saturated with them. I have owned about 5 of these and don't ever wish to go back.
On the other hand, there is the fwd "king" in my eyes, and that is Honda/Acura. While there are still many careless Honda owners just about anywhere, it is much easier (again, at least in my area) to find a clean, well taken care of Honda for $2-3k. Your best bet will always be to find a car that is as close to stock as possible, bring it up to date on maintenance, and then go out and drive. As you drive events you'll start to learn the car and see where it could use improvement. Don't worry about power, there's people running stock D series out there having a blast. As far as LS vs GSR, I'd say that it depends on what's available at the time of purchase. You can always do an LSV setup or swap the engine down the road if you really see it fit, but the transmission is where the real difference is. I much prefer the GSR gearing over the LS gearing. But even then, a good used GSR trans goes for about $350 here, so it's not the end of the world.

jgadson93

And that the problem that I'm having with the 240 haha finding a decent one in the price range is hard and a stock one at that is even harder not including the fact that most are beat to **** and have rust issues. And that's part of the reason I'm leaning towards the integra. And going back to the LS vs GSR ,with thoughts on turbocharging either one, I'm leaning more towards the LS for the torque advantage over the GSR but stock for stock obviously the GSR would be the clear choice and I probably wouldn't turbo it for a while.

20CiviC02Si

iTrader: (3)

So switch it up, you can find a clean EJ1 or EJ8 for roughly $2500. Take care of the basic maintenance ensuring it has good brakes (as in working properly), not leaking fluids, and has decent tires. Then take it to the track. It's pretty simple to start off. My one bit of advice would be to not build a car to start off with especially with no knowledge as to what the car needs. The closer to stock the car is, the harder it'll be to drive the car fast, however you'll learn a TON!

As for a 240, well they're tough to find as previously mentioned. Now if all you're looking for a good RWD all arounder on a tight budget but still fast in the right hands, well that would mean you should probably find a decent Miata. Probably the cheapest track day car you'll find, so many are raced you'll find used components for your car on just about any forum.

jgadson93

I'm curious as to why you'd suggest the ej1 or ej8. My reasoning behind the integra was because apparently it's handling is like second to none when it comes to FWD cars so obviously I was like well then yeah that's what would be best for tracking purposes lol and the 240 isn't so much because I want a RWD car more so because it's something that I couldn't have years ago but now it's kinda within reach haha

NewCarScent

I think it all depends on what you can find. I like the DC chassis because it already comes with 4 wheel disc brakes, a DOHC engine, front and rear sway bars, and OBD1 doesn't have to have emissions testing in my area. As previously mentioned, the closer to stock the better. Go out and drive, and see what you need from there.
If power is really your end goal, one of my favorite setups to screw around on the street with was a boosted LS with a small responsive turbo. It had good bottom end, impressively fast spool up, ls gears were nice and long to keep the boost going, and it was still tame when I wasn't beating on it. But that setup wouldn't be any good for track, you kind of have to pick one or the other.

jgadson93

Thats what my brother was suggesting and I'm sure it would be a fun little road car but idk about anything for track use. I was highly considering doing that with an LS but then again idk how well that set up would hold up for track purposes

20CiviC02Si

iTrader: (3)

I was merely suggesting any those cars because you can find some clean examples all over for a reasonable price. If they ever get wrecked you can find another to swap parts over to. Not to say that you can't find a good DC2, they just seem to charge a bit more for them. I would not suggest boosting it right away. Take it N/A to the track and learn how to handle it. Work on skills such as heel-toe in the meanwhile so you're prepped for the track. After you get the basics down and start picking up speed you'll soon become good enough to handle the extra power.

Also, majority of boosted setups I have seen on the tracks typically have over heating issues. So you'll only get a few laps if it's poorly setup, then you'll have to bring it in to let it cool down. Which will limit your track time.

90civichbsi

iTrader: (1)

I second waiting to turbo the car. You will be chasing overheating issues for a while and on top of that theres just more things to break and more money to spend. A large, preferably dual pass radiator and oil cooler are a must along with good airflow in and out of them.

Also with all that extra heat from the turbo and vibrations from track driving, exhaust bolts like to come undone. If you want it to be reliable and not come loose you will need quality vbands (ClampCO) where you can and safety wire everywhere else.


Just simplify it and worry about your basic consumables like brakes and tires for now. Focus on improving skill and awareness.

lhracer05

Pics of what you ended up getting?

Tim2179

iTrader: (2)

p sure OP never bought anything.