1993 Nissan 240SX Part 4: The 240SS Is Born! (With the Help of an LS3) – Ignition Ep. 120
It’s happening! On this episode of Ignition, Carlos Lago and Mark Lenardon finally do what they’ve been talking about for so long: Install a Chevy E-Rod LS3 and T56 Super Magnum into our 240SX. Our CARB legal setup (that’s right, it’s street legal) makes 430 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft. of torque. What’s even better is that it doesn’t change the weight balance of the car. This episode starts with the install of the driveline, continues with a drive on the road and a visit to the test track so we can see the improvements, and ends with a shakedown run by Randy Pobst at Streets of Willow race track. How will the car perform? Watch and find out!
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It’s happening! On this episode of Ignition, Carlos Lago and Mark Lenardon finally do what they’ve been talking about for so long: Install a Chevy E-Rod LS3 and T56 Super Magnum into our 240SX. Our CARB legal setup (that’s right, it’s street legal) makes 430 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft. of torque. What’s even better is that it doesn’t change the weight balance of the car. This episode starts with the install of the driveline, continues with a drive on the road and a visit to the test track so we can see the improvements, and ends with a shakedown run by Randy Pobst at Streets of Willow race track. How will the car perform? Watch and find out!
Ignition appears every other Monday on the Motor Trend youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/motortrend
Subscribe now to make sure you’re in on all the action!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsAegdhiYLEoaFGuJFVrqFQ?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook – http://facebook.com/motortrendmag & https://www.facebook.com/mt.ignition
Twitter – http://twitter.com/motortrend & https://twitter.com/mt_ignition
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+motortrend/posts
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Website – http://www.motortrend.com
 – Ignition Ep. 120')){kind=link}
Would have been so much more interesting to watch if it was a japanese
motor.
I understand the concept of an LS in the s chassis ( more efficient power,
light, easy power gains with tons of torque ) but there is something so
much more attractive to me about a finely tuned turbo charged Japanese
motor. Sounds better too.
It’s been so long since the last one of these I’d forgotten it wasn’t going
to be worth watching.
However, as the car is awful, I thought I’d give it a bash.
You seem rather too fond of it though.
I mean ‘just as ridiculous and fun as you’d imagine’ equals pretty poor,
right?
Still can’t see the point in wrecking a decent chassis.
The swap doesn’t work well, due to the poor delivery of big crossplanes.
If you wanna put a Chevvy Veeeee 8 in your car, you’re gonna need a healthy
dose of insanity, etcetera.
Why even bother?
An SR is cheaper, goes straight in, the aftermarket support is much better,
all the aftermarket chassis upgrades (suspension etcetera) is made with the
SR in mind, so you get the right spring rates… and they’re plenty
reliable, even when modified to twice stock horsepower, so long as you do
the job properly in the first place.
It doesn’t even *sound* any good, like a muted, slightly off beat stock
CA18 with a blowing exhaust.
Yes, I know, he says a lot about ‘more fun no downsides’… however, that’s
on public roads, not actually doing any real driving.
All they’ve done is replace a small truck engine with a bigger truck
engine. The KA is hated for a reason.. Truck engine.
Maybe some people like an engine to smack them in the face then fall
asleep. I don’t. Never have, never will.
Poor show.
‘Wonderful engine’… Really? *REALLY?*
HOW!?!
The LS3 isn’t all that different from the LS1, and about the last ooh, 50
years of big, dopey, somewhat gutless V8s.
A broad power band does *nothing* on track… unless you can’t use a
gearbox. What’s the use of having gobs of torque and power at 3000 rpm,
when all your driving is done well above that?
Notice, always careful careful careful with the throttle. Yeah, loads of
fun.
It’s a sports coupe. That means you should be able to smash along, maximum
attack, all day, happy as larry. Not backwards, upside down in a ditch in a
haze of what used to be tyres.
That’s what muscle cars are for, and conveniently they already have big V8s
in them.
That axle tramp looks tiresome too.
SR20, go for it. They don’t overheat.
Finally, can someone please explain the appeal of the digi-dash. I’ve tried
them and loathe them.
Proper gauges are far more useful as you don’t have to read them, you can
just see where the needle is and know it’s in the right place, like
glancing at an analogue watch.
The expanding bar thing for revs is annoying, and I find constantly
flickering speed readings to be damn near impossible to accurately glance
at. Then there’s the cheap, laggy systems that have you doing 100 while
it’s still being confused about what 70 might look like.
And, of course, you don’t have a great big blob of blue (or green or
orange) in the middle of your vision at night with real gauges.
Anyone here like the things?
Are you guys considering more suspension tuning? Limited slip
diff/strengthening the rear end? Chassis bracing? Roll cage? Harnesses? I
for one would start at the brake bias, considering the rears keep locking
before the fronts.
Rocker bunny bodykit
Do any V8 LS swap on an 88 Fiero… It’s a semi common swap, and people
seeing it done here and on the track will finally give the Fiero some
needed respect!!! :)
I’m wondering for years already.. WHY do car companies not take their
original proven good chassis, like S13, S14, Supra, Celica etc.. and
install NEW engines (less emissions, less fuel consumption, etc.) and new
interior (USB player, Navi, etc.) with just some slight exterior updates /
or even better – offer few different body kits for a customer to choose
from when buying the car??
Paint it!!! ( Not to complain its cool but a rb26dett is lighter all
aluminium i6 2.6l ) parts are harder to find for it so the LS is a more
track reliable engine you can get part’s for it any were the next day its
broken !! Well in nort américa at least ! in japan and most of europe the
LS would be a waste its more expensive there and no parts or long wait
times the RB or SR is in ease of reach and parts are only a day away! Or in
japan in arms reach!!! I say what ever is easer to keep goin in relation to
your environment!
my mom and i need a car can i haz this one plz?
240SS vs (edit because I’m a dumbass and motortrends Camaro propaganda has
hit me) roadkill corvette.
*1993 Nissan 240SX Part 4: The 240SS Is Born! (With the Help of an LS3)* –
Ignition Episode 120
Watch +Carlos Lago, +Mark Lenardon, & Alex Ferreira install a Chevy E-Rod
LS3 and T56 Super Magnum into our 240SX, and see how the car performs at
the test track with a shakedown!
#Nissan +Nissan #240SX #Ignition #240SS #Chevy +Chevrolet #Chevrolet
#shakedown #drivelineswap +Randy Pobst +Randy Pobst
So the LS motor is really lighter than a SR, RB and JZ engine? So does it
mean its better? If its better id like to get an LS engine and swap out the
rotary in my RX7 cause maintaining the rotary is hell. But from where im
from its hard to get a LS motor so people here do the SR, RB and JZ swaps.
Id like to know if dropping a V8 in a light car is better than dropping in
a inline-6. So yeahh help me out guys!
Imho, a Japanese car needs a Japanese heart.
Let’s see some exterior and interior style upgrades and a new intake
I would like to see a head to head challenge between the 240ss and
Roadkill’s Rotsun. Or a part 5 including some paint and body work. Thank
you Motor Trend for bringing a 240 to the party :).
Water/alcohol/NOS injection and a one of those off block centrifugal
superchargers that look like turbochargers
They’ve just proven that they’re biased towards gm. This thing made it
around the track 8 hundredths of a second faster than a “track ready”
mustang. It, (240ss) beats Porsche, BMW and Ferrari in the figure 8 so it
basically out handles those brands. Yet those same 3 brands out handle the
camaro….
Oh how the fairies have been sprinkling their pixie dust on this magazine.
That Car needs STS Rear turbos.
I watched the video but I’m still wondering,why for the love of God would
you switch out a 240’s engine for a Chevy engine? I saw the benefits. Yeah
it’s still light and it even got a little faster but when you take out an
engine and replace it with an engine that’s not even from the same
company,is that car still what it is? It’s like on F&F Tokyo Drift. That
mustang stopped being a mustang and just became a Silvia. The engine as far
as I see it,is what gives a car its personality,only second to its body. To
take out the engine of a 240 and not replace it with AT LEAST another
Nissan engine,I’m not even a huge racer but,it’s just stupid. You aren’t
driving a 240 anymore. You’re driving a fucking shell .
instead of a v8 i would have done a 2JZ swap on that car twin turbos with
no weight to the car = better gas mileage and more speed you can crank more
power out of a 2JZ not dogging the chevy ls3 its a great engine i would put
one of those in an old school muscle car all day but i think that a
japanese engine should stay in a 240sx the rb26 would not be a bad idea but
its single turbo thats why i think a 2JZ would be better.
OK how are these guys smogging this shit? You roll to a smog station with
this and they won’t even look at it. I had a 77 chevy truck fail once
because the fucking warm up tube wasn’t connected to the intake. And these
guys say this is smog legal? Who the fuck dick are you suckin? Haha
I love this
Oh shiet i thought it was a drift build.
Anyway i wanna see it with a bodykit
Very cool. What’s the all-in cost on the project so far?
Cool build.Cut out roof panel – that car could pull it off.
Wider rear tyres, better shocks, cage, bigger/stronger diff + axles etc.
great build. I thought the 180sx was the better chassis?
I don’t care much for the 240sx. I have a 240z that I’d rather have an ls3
in. Also my car is listed at 2300lbs. ☺
I understand the build.. but why? Corvette > nissan 240SX
Get Matt Farah to drive it in the canyons.
Supercharger and rocket bunny bodykit
Dat wink during the figure 8.
I don’t care if your a muscle car guy or not. We can all agree that 240s
280s and 300z s all look stunning.
That inside view was perfect!!!
Not bad ;). Great deal of work done into it lol. I would not mind getting
something like this when I have time to build and want to spend time doing
fab work lol. Great times for sure !!!! Well worth the time and money!!!
an ls isnt lighter than an sr20 and mines been reliable for 7 years still
going strong without touching anything and it sees 7500 rpms all the time
so idk about the reliability thing either you do realise your talking about
a chevy motor right lol there not exactly the most reliable motors in the
world.i bet the car is fun to drive though and low 12s isnt bad either not
saying i wouldnt drive it just saying id rather have a sr or rb anyday
boost is more fun. everyone likes different stuff like if you like chevys
so much get a camaro oh yea they suck thats y noone keeps the motor in them
lol cool build though
JDM hood gap.
Put a 3.8L twin-turbocharged V6, from the 2015 Nisssan Gtr Nismo
Tick performance Magnum 6 speed transmission probably has a perfect fit for
the shift position….
Race it against the Roadkill Vette-kart or Rotsun once they fix it!
Sweet, all it needs are a couple of Flowmasters.
“The sound of it…you actually smile because it’s so silly”
I can only imagine the sound of that thing in person. Very nice job with
the swap guys!
Heavy use on the adjustable wrench… Great build I want.
Any info on the music used in this episode?
This is a great series, MT. Thanks.
I’ve watched 2/3 of the MT vids out there and I have NEVER seen Carlos
smile this much. Very cool to see someone who drives six figure super cars
for a living (and critiques them) appreciate such a straight forward
approach to going fast. Would love to see some clean paint on these panels
if the budget allows! Great vid overall.
Dude I am gonna build one with the same specs…. that car is sick but i am
getting an s13 hatchback lol
Please paint the damn thing thanks
how about you paint the damn car before anything else?!?!?!?!?!?
Fuck LS engine swappers! Defiling the classics with a BIG OL MERICAN MOTER
I want to see this versus Roadkill’s Vettebuggy!
wouldnt a solid axle hold up better in that chassis? in that slow motion
shot, there seemed to be alot of deflection… and some of those joints
looked like heims.