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AshRS

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Hello Guys/ Girls,

Just looking for a bit of info on these cars so thought this would be the best place to ask.....

Basically, im looking at buying one for a track car only.... so,

Are they good as a track car? i.e. handle well, not going to overheat during a 30min sessions etc?

are they easy to get the power up?

am i being reasionable thinking i could get one for £5-£6k?

as its going to be a track car, i expect it to get the odd dink and scratch etc, are panels cheap to replace or not?

What are the main things i should look out for when buying one?

CheeRS,
Ash :thumbs:
 

Jay

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hey welcome to the club...
yes they make great track cars if set up correctly, again if set up right should be fine on the overheating front

yes power is easy and relativly cheap to increase, depending of course how far you want to go. over 400bhp and its probably more economical to do a swap to bigger engine

i doubt you could find a spec r for £5-6k, but look hard enough and who knows? they seem to be dropping in price all the time....

as for panels, they are on a par with most other jap performance cars with regard to cost, but its finding a reliable source as not many companys keep on the shelf stock

there are a few guides on-site with regard to buying an S15. have a look around and feel free to ask questions, this lot are a pretty helpful bunch!
 
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AshRS

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Thanks for the welcome and info...

well first off id start off standard, should be fairly nippy with it srtipped out (not sure if there is much i will be able to take out to save weight? maybe you can shed some light?) and then if i get bored of the car like that maybe up to power to around 300bhp.... depending on what sort of costs will be involved.... again, maybe you could shed some light on what would be needed and costs involved for 300bhp?

as i havnt looked into them an awfull lot just yet, im not sure what different versions their are so sorry for any stupid questions i may ask.... i take it the Spec-R is the top range? i take it theres no GTR like with skylines? ALso what other models are there available?

Would i maybe be better off looking into an S14 then if i could get a "higher spec" one for similar price to the "Base model" S15?
 

meddler

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Hi AshRS,

The standard car is a very good starting point, obviously the spec R is the better of the two options. If you didn't know the JDM spec S is non turbo and the spec R is turbo'ed. There are also other differences too such as the spec R has extra bracing in the chassis, different gearboxes, different diffs, etc.

As for weight saving a thread has been started here: http://forum.s15oc.com/showthread.php?8982-GUIDE-Weight-Saving&highlight=weight

The SR20DET is relatively cheap to tune as there is many go fast bits around. It doesn't need to be that expensive either. I got an extra 30rwkw from an exhaust, a free flowing air filter and a short piece of pipe (search for FBU). This cost me a grand total of $250. Here is a link to a thread on recommended first mods to the engine: http://forum.s15oc.com/showthread.php?4536-First-mods&highlight=engine+stage

There is really only 2 versions of the S15. A spec S and a spec R. Spec R being turbo and the spec S being non turbo. Now before anyone jumps in to argue, there is an exception to the rule. In Australia, the spec S was actually a spec R and the difference between the two cars here was cosmetic. There is also a varietta which was the convertable which came in non turbo and there was also the Autech which was a tuned spec S. There was also a few different levels of trim and the coverted aero bodykit. There is no GTR as such. There are tuned spec R's but there were done by other companies.

The S14 is a good car, but the S15 is better. IMHO, If you can afford the extra, get a spec R S15.

DISCLAIMER: There is a sh!tload more info I could give you and I am sure that someone will complain that I left something out :), but my wife will get angry if I sit infront of the computer all night. This forum is an invaluable resource. I am sure that you will find all your answers to you S15 quesitons on here.
 
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AshRS

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Thanks for your reply, so it sounds like the S15 is the one to go for then, i guess it will be better for tuneing aswell due to the ability of bolting on a bigger turbo!

What sort of price should i be looking at for a spec R?

Have any of you guys owned/driven an R33 skyline? if so how do they compare? whats the pros and cons of each car etc?

thansk for the links, will have a read through them now!

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to make sure i buy the right car......
 

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ok ash, if you know about the s14(a) then you will already know alot about the s15. they share the same platform and have the same engine. the version of the sr20det in the s15 differs in things like bigger injectors and different ecu mapping, giving you a base of around 250bhp from factory. as meddler said, achieving 300bhp is cheapish, all that is needed is a front mount intercooler, free flowing exhaust, ecu chip (nistune is the cheap effective option here) and a mapping session. most of these mods can be brought already installed on a car for £7,500 (car included obviously!) or there abouts. have a look at the cars for sale section on here to get some ideas about what you can get for your money.

i have driven several r33's and have mates who own them now, and its difficult to compare the two cars as they are vastly different. the skyline is a much larger and heavier car, but as for the track potential of each car then i guess its down to personal preference. imho the s15 would make a much better base for the track than the 2wd version of the skybarge. the r33gtst (2wd) is capeable of bigger power, easier, but my s15@ 300bhp can out accelerate my mates r33@ 365bhp, and the s15 also wins hands down in terms of cost of building, BUT the skyline can be bought for far less so choices choices.....
 

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Welcome dude...

Think about the overall long-term game plan etc :) The SR engine is smaller capacity so you'll get a different driving experience from the RB which is obviosuly 2.5 displacement... the torque delivery is different throughout the rev range between both.

As Jase has already pointed out the weight and balance of both cars are pretty different. The S15 is so popular with drifters because it has near 50/50 weight balance. The Skyline does not - this affects performance/handling. There is also the Skyline 'tax' which is why my project ended up being an S14a... you'll pay more to tune up the Skyline for no other reason than 'it's a Skyline' lol :wack:

Each bhp you add to the S15, because it started off lighter than the R33 means you can expect a bigger change in power to weight... which is why 300 bhp and more importantly 300+ ft lbs is already a very noticeable figure. My former S15, I went from bone stock to 300 bhp & 327 ft lbs... my what a difference!!! :D
 
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AshRS

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ok ash, if you know about the s14(a) then you will already know alot about the s15. they share the same platform and have the same engine. the version of the sr20det in the s15 differs in things like bigger injectors and different ecu mapping, giving you a base of around 250bhp from factory. as meddler said, achieving 300bhp is cheapish, all that is needed is a front mount intercooler, free flowing exhaust, ecu chip (nistune is the cheap effective option here) and a mapping session. most of these mods can be brought already installed on a car for £7,500 (car included obviously!) or there abouts. have a look at the cars for sale section on here to get some ideas about what you can get for your money.

i have driven several r33's and have mates who own them now, and its difficult to compare the two cars as they are vastly different. the skyline is a much larger and heavier car, but as for the track potential of each car then i guess its down to personal preference. imho the s15 would make a much better base for the track than the 2wd version of the skybarge. the r33gtst (2wd) is capeable of bigger power, easier, but my s15@ 300bhp can out accelerate my mates r33@ 365bhp, and the s15 also wins hands down in terms of cost of building, BUT the skyline can be bought for far less so choices choices.....
Thanks for your input mate, think it will probaby be a S14 or more likley a S15 i go for then, i think id prefer the skyline just cause its one of those cars id really like to own, but i think it would be more sensible/cost effective for what im planning to go for the S15.......:thumbs:

Welcome dude...

Think about the overall long-term game plan etc :) The SR engine is smaller capacity so you'll get a different driving experience from the RB which is obviosuly 2.5 displacement... the torque delivery is different throughout the rev range between both.

As Jase has already pointed out the weight and balance of both cars are pretty different. The S15 is so popular with drifters because it has near 50/50 weight balance. The Skyline does not - this affects performance/handling. There is also the Skyline 'tax' which is why my project ended up being an S14a... you'll pay more to tune up the Skyline for no other reason than 'it's a Skyline' lol :wack:

Each bhp you add to the S15, because it started off lighter than the R33 means you can expect a bigger change in power to weight... which is why 300 bhp and more importantly 300+ ft lbs is already a very noticeable figure. My former S15, I went from bone stock to 300 bhp & 327 ft lbs... my what a difference!!! :D
Thanks alot mate, yeah know all about the skyline "tax" i have the same problem on the FRS..... the other week i went to ford for a water pump......£155 because its for the FRS, its exactly the same as on the ST170, but the ST one doesnt have RS embedded on the cap which i can live without as its £115 cheaper! lol
 

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if you want something purely for the track that is cheap to buy/build, capable of good power, has good availability for parts/panels then go for an s14a. LuPix (James) has gone down this exact route and can offer advice im sure. skylines are horrendously expensive to fix and upgrade, and the s15 is expensive to buy.

for the money you will pay for the s15, you could buy an s14a and have £4k to tune it. this would be the route i would take, particularly as an inexperienced track driver.
 
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