As many of you know, I have a car problem. I blame the Internet for that. If it wasn't for Recycler.com and AutoTrader.com, I'd probably own fewer cars than I do now.
One hot item in the online used-car market is the second-generation 240SX; much of its popularity is due to last year's D1 Grand Prix event. Since the downfall of many Japanese rear-wheel-drive sports cars in the late 1990s, we've seen a steady rise in the used-car market for many of these vehicles. And with the ever-growing popularity of drifting in the States, the prices of these performance used cars are rising, too.
If you're lucky enough to have your hands on a second-gen 240SX, the popular modification is the Japan-spec SR20DET swap. Although the SR20DET swap is a direct bolt-on, we've also seen the prices of the swap increase due to overwhelming demand.
Now there's an alternative for 240SX owners. GReddy released its long-awaited KA24DE turbo kit for the second-gen 240SX. The heart of the bolt-on turbo kit is a Mitsubishi TD06S 20G 8cm2 turbocharger capable of producing enough airflow to generate 450-plus hp.
A heavy-duty cast-iron turbo manifold is used because it's less likely to crack than a tubular-steel manifold design. From the turbo, the exhaust gases are routed back into the factory catalytic converter via a steel downpipe adaptor. Fuel enrichment is handled by a pre-programmed GReddy e-Manage piggyback ECU that powers four new 370cc top-feed RC Engineering injectors. A billet GReddy fuel rail with an adaptor for the factory (or Nismo) fuel regulator is also supplied to convert the factory side-feed design to top-feed orientation.
The bolt-on turbo kit also comes with an Airinx AY-MB air intake with aluminum intercooler piping. The base kit, which retails for $3,590, doesn't come with an intercooler, but GReddy does offer a front-mount intercooler option for an additional $990.
On the dyno, the bolt-on turbo kit generated 194.6 hp and 194.9 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels at 0.4 kg of boost pressure (5.7 psi). With the front-mount intercooler option, the GReddy turbo kit produced 219.5 hp and 250.6 lb-ft of torque at 0.55 kg of boost pressure (7.8 psi). An SR20DET engine makes only about 170 whp at 7.0 psi of boost pressure.
Maximum boost pressure is reached very early in the powerband at about 3400 rpm. This is mostly due to the large displacement of the 2.4-liter engine. Power delivery is extremely smooth and linear, increasing everyday driveability. Since all smog devices are still intact there are no "check engine" lights or hiccups.
More importantly, there's still tons of room for "value-added" tuning. The Mitsubishi TD06S turbocharger can still produce additional airflow for more power. With the modified top-feed injectors, swapping injectors is a snap and reprogramming for larger injectors is equally as easy on the e-Manage piggyback computer.
For all you second-gen 240SX owners looking to turbocharge your Nissan without performing a SR20DET swap, the GReddy turbo kit might be what you're looking for. The kit delivers the thrust to get you sideways in a hurry. Now, if you can only land a tire sponsor.