R33 To 180sx?

[shaun123]

hey guys, i own a r33 non turbo and im thinking about switching to a 180sx, main reason i want to sell the r33 is fuel, and power. my question is, would the 180sx save much fuel and would it be much quicker? or should i save up and get a 2000 model WRX thanks

Edited August 31, 2008 by shaun123

[Johnny]

Hey mate, always think long and hard about your choice and buy whichever one makes you happy.

My first car was an r33 NA and second car was a 200sx; definitely similar on fuel consumption and the 180sx will feel worlds quicker than the r33.

The 180sx is also much more fun to drive as you can kick the tail end out a little which you cant do with the rex. Plus rexy's are the anti-christ in the nissan world.

[shaun123]

i hear the gearboxes are bad on the classic shape wrx's, are there any major trouble with the 180sx's?

[DLOOOK]

The 180 and Rexy would be round the same on fuel compared to your NA R33. In terms of performance both would be quicker than your NA R33. The gearboxes in SR's are pretty reliable. The MY00 Rex had stronger syncros than previous models.

Depends what you want it for. If you want some dori dori the 180 of course. Having owned several S13 SR Turbos, i would say I prefer the handling of my AWD car, especially in the wet.

[Julz89]

yer like they say wrx boxs r made out of glass lol, but ive heard alot of bad things about the s15 6spd boxes ppl i no convert there 6spd to the s14 5 spd

[shaun123]

im also after a car with abit of after-market support cos i'd like to get into modding

does the 180 and WRX have much aftermarket support?

[baron25]

If you're changing based on fuel consumption, is going to a more powerful car a great idea? I know i'd be well tempted with the knowledge of what's waiting underneath my right boot.....

[shaun123]

If you're changing based on fuel consumption, is going to a more powerful car a great idea? I know i'd be well tempted with the knowledge of what's waiting underneath my right boot.....

well i was thinking the 180sx if driven normally would use less petrol than my r33 purely because its a 4cylinder and lighter, that said.. i hope i don't end up booting it around everywhere and using more fuel than with my r33

priority 1: power, 2: fuel

r33 turbo use heaps more fuel than r33 non turbo i gather?

Edited September 1, 2008 by shaun123

[gts-4 dreamer]

The 180 and Rexy would be round the same on fuel compared to your NA R33. In terms of performance both would be quicker than your NA R33. The gearboxes in SR's are pretty reliable. The MY00 Rex had stronger syncros than previous models.

Depends what you want it for. If you want some dori dori the 180 of course. Having owned several S13 SR Turbos, i would say I prefer the handling of my AWD car, especially in the wet.

Your looking at the wrong cars if you want fuel consumption... some old toyo 16v rolla or more so pretty much any honda will do better in this area until you get an R and flaw it everywhere like you probably will since your young.

Wrx's got an extra syncro every gear from 96-97 onwards until 00 hence they dealt with teenagers smashing gears + anyone else in continous high rpm use. the first gear in wrx's get called weak because people dumping the clutch after they've gotten more powaaaaaaa and a new harder clutch installed twist them apart. Hard to think why that's happening with 4 3-4 wheels putting power down. Wrx's are far more common than many other AWD's so their nuisances are definetly better known. STI models were better at dealing with the power delivery but they had their limits also.

Out of the options given the 6sp 200sx would be the best for cruising. The 6sp isnt as weak as some claim they just have been noted to fail at over 400hp... It is also the most expensive out of you selections.

[kessian]

My s13s and s15 were heaps better than my gtr on fuel. Then again, a 747 would have better fuel economy than my gtr.

[Liquidity]

Though I own a 180sx and love it, i'd have to say the WRX is a better performer and a more practical car.

Also, you can have some fun with it more "year around", and the 4wd is a hell of a lot "safer".'

that said, RWD can be a lot of fun. More economical for cruising in (less drivetrain loss).

I can also fit two people in the 180sx (fold down rear seats, fold forward fronts, practically a double bed, or a car full of camping/dj gear.

We can't really recommend one as "superior" as they are totally different vehicles, so it comes down to PERSONAL preference.

Also, though you thirst for power now there will come a time when you have a 180sx needing new bushes, tyres, brakes, and interior clips/screws because you keep taking out panels, that you f**king wished you just bought a "newer" car to start with. har har.

Edited September 1, 2008 by Liquidity

[shaun123]

hey guys, thanks for the replys & opinions i appreciate it

I was looking to buy the s13 180sx with 5speed gearbox not s14/s15 with 6speed

im leaning more towards the 180sx atm just because i don't want to be replacing gearboxes etc. with a WRX and there seems to be more aftermarket support for the SR20DET

are the 1997-2000 model WRX's gearboxes pretty solid? i was reading some posts on rexnet.com.au and there seems to be quite a few ppl posting about gearbox troubles with these model WRX's :|

Edited September 1, 2008 by shaun123

[Kranker]

I dont think any 'rex gearboxes have ever been solid compared to RB25/26 boxes.

They arent complete rubbish, they just dont stand up to harsh launches and changes very well. If you drive reasonably carefully shouldn't break without some abuse.

If you're looking for fuel consumpiton, then none of the above, but who really cares about fuel consumption

If it was me, id get the WRX, ive normally got 3 or 4 people in my car regularly, so a 2 door is out of the question.

If ur looking for a good value car, that is heaps of fun, pretty quick and relativley easy to modify...get the 180!

[baron25]

I don't think the rex gearbox is weak by anymeans, it's just that those who bought them assumed WRX = WRC car, and drove them accordingly, and ten years of full hektik driving has taken its toll as you would expect. If you manage to find one that's been cared for and unmolested, i doubt that you'd have a problem.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that the majority of cars with gearbox issues all have uprated clutches - The clutch is designed as the weak link in the drivetrain, and when it gets broken, people tend to replace it with heavy duty, million plate replacements. This just shifts the weakness onwards, to the synchros or other parts. And when they go bang 'it must have a weak gearbox'. No, it's just being mistreated, and fettled inappropriately.

[shaun123]

is the sr20 and its gearbox in the 180sx ok? i'd rather get opinions here than on nissansilvia.com because the opinions would be very bias

[bozodos]

hmm well everyone I've known who's owned a modded WRX has had to change gearboxes due to them breaking, one guy i know went through 3 and ended up with a dogbox to cope with the power it was making and his driving, ended up selling it and getting a stock STi to save the hassles and regain driveability!

the other thing with the WRX is well have a look in the engine bay of the damn thing! not exactly the most user friendly area of the car! Another issue I noticed with them was that the interiors seem to be kinda cheap looking.

I havent heard of anyone i know having trouble with their 180's/Silvias apart from drift damage lol.

IMO, if you're after a hoonmobile get a 180/Silvia, if you just want a quick stocker get the WRX (mind you you'll also have to deal with people calling you habib hahaha)

[shaun123]

lol... hoonmobile or habib... hmmmmmm

[dmr]

i would go with a 180sx SR20. full exhaust, fmic and some boost will pull you back in your seat. it's amazing how much torque they produce in stock form for a small 4cyl. they have plenty of aftermarket support for engine and body, and they have also dropped a bit in price over the last 2 years.

as bozodos said, everyone i know with a WRX is blowing gearboxes. commonly caused by heavy duty clutches ripping the gears apart. and these are only cars with exhaust, fmic and boost. i wouldn't bother touching one as there's alot more aftermarket availability for nissan turbo cars, and more know how. if you were wanting a 4WD, i would go with a GTR.

Edited September 3, 2008 by dmr

[shaun123]

yea, i think i will get the 180sx... dont think i'd touch the classic wrx's with a 10ft pole after reading rexnet and gotta be faithful to nissan

Edited September 3, 2008 by shaun123

[bozodos]

could always go a GTS-4 if mad keen on 4wd