Whats wrong with S12 Silvias?? - Drifting forum

docwra · 20-02-2007, 15:57

Started posting on another thread, and then thought I may as well start one from scratch.

A lot of folk come on here asking what a good first drift car is, and get the usual (totally valid BTW) answers - E30 BMW, Twin Cam Sierra, Ovlov 340 etc.

Now I may have a vested interested in this (my drift car is an S12 and Ive got another modded one as well) but for me the 12 seems a much more obvious choice - they are turboed for a start so easier to modify, the suspension as standard is stiffer than those mentioned above (they are sporty 2+2's rather than family cars as well), S13/S14 parts generally slot straight in, they have jap reliability (

) and they can look fcuking nice - a damn sight better than the Ovlov or Sierra anyway. My drift car owes me £300 in total and is more than capable of 3rd in the dry

Granted, you cant fit coilovers on the back without major work, and they arent quite as pretty as an AE86, but I cant think of anything else thats a problem ......... the engines are probably as good if not better than the SR, CA18DET for drifting as the power and torque is there lower down and they dont tend to blow up as often ..........

Bearing in mind Im about to sell an immaculate 200+ bhp one for £600 odd that just needs the diff welding to make it a decent drifter, why arent they reckoned to be a good starter car??

steerfromtherear · 20-02-2007, 16:00

They are a good starter car. There isn't enough of them though is there?
How often do you see them for sale? Well ones that aren't rotten anyway.

MJG · 20-02-2007, 16:04

Yeah just a lot rarer and I have never seen one in the scrapyard.

Generally also, old turbocharged cars have large margins for expensive error.

Turbo/head gasket/big ends go, you have to find replacements... HG/big ends go on a BMW or sierra, you get a new engine for £30 - 100 piece of piss from ebay or scrapyard etc.

Also, personally, I really don't like the s12 - I have no justification, I just think they are horrible crusty cars that give me a bad feeling inside.

lil ben · 20-02-2007, 16:07

Damn you, I'm trying to get the cash together for one now.....let them stay rare

Copying what MJG said ^ It's probably because they're a lot rarer than the Volvo's. Been keeping my eye out for one and decent ones don't come up that often (although saying that, there were a few around in the middle of January...)
Whereas Volvos, BMWs, Sierras etc are always available

**Mitch** · 20-02-2007, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by docwra

......... the engines are probably as good if not better than the SR, CA18DET for drifting as the power and torque is there lower down and they dont tend to blow up as often ..........

You think?? I must say Doc- I reckon your love of the S12 has clouded your views somewhat there, mate.

Back to your question, I think it's because you don't see them all that often so they aren't the first car that springs to mind.

pitbull turbo · 20-02-2007, 16:20

i will put that to my bro.im a massive nissan fan and i do think that s12's would be good but as you say there rare which makes them hard to get hold of and the ones i do see are autos so how hard are they to swap to manual?

docwra · 20-02-2007, 16:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitch

You think?? I must say Doc- I reckon your love of the S12 has clouded your views somewhat there, mate.

Bear in mind Ive got two CA18ET's, a CA18DET and an SR20 (sadly the SR is standard) and power/torque wise Id say the ET's characteristics are better for drift

The fact I drive an S13 daily should tell you that my love hasnt clouded my judgement that much mate

Point taken from all on the rarity of them, but theres generally at least one for sale on SXOC, and Im sure S12OC is the same as well

H · 20-02-2007, 16:25

I think it's cos they smell, just like the owner

H

superclarkey · 20-02-2007, 16:28

S12 have shit engines, they are worse then CA18DET out ofthe RS and they have no steering lock out of the factory.... and they are very old now

robbs · 20-02-2007, 16:28

they pop up on autotrader every now and then

and this one's very reasonably priced

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www...earch_full.y=4

wtf

i dont care how mint it is no s12 is worth £3k

pmsl

superclarkey · 20-02-2007, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbs

wtf

i dont care how mint it is no s12 is worht £3k pmsl

yeah anything over £500 you've been ripped off

docwra · 20-02-2007, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by superclarkey

S12 have shit engines, they are worse then CA18DET out ofthe RS and they have no steering lock out of the factory.... and they are very old now

Worse than a twin cam sierra/BMW E30/ Ovlov 1.8?? I doubt that somehow .........

I dunno about the steering lock either, but again, is it worse than those three above?? Im not talking about comparing it to an AE86, but compared to family saloons surely its a better bet

pitbull turbo · 20-02-2007, 16:44

3k!il get him a nice r32 skyline for that.

docwra · 20-02-2007, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbs

wtf

i dont care how mint it is no s12 is worth £3k

pmsl

Thats mental.

I know of an S12 that is worth £3K, but thats got 500hp and a whole lot more going on too

cookwibble · 20-02-2007, 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by superclarkey

they are very old now

Quote:

Originally Posted by steerfromtherear

How often do you see them for sale? Well ones that aren't rotten anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by docwra

you cant fit coilovers on the back without major work,

lol, sounds like we should be charging £4k for em and shipping em all off to ireland

docwra · 20-02-2007, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookwibble

lol, sounds like we should be charging £4k for em and shipping em all off to ireland

Now *I* couldnt say that ..........

They bear a resemblance lookswise as well you know

superclarkey · 20-02-2007, 17:03

[quote=docwra]Worse than a twin cam sierra/BMW E30/ Ovlov 1.8?? I doubt that somehow .........

QUOTE]

ER yes! pmsl, i would have a E30 over a silvia turd any day !

lil ben · 20-02-2007, 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by docwra

They bear a resemblance lookswise as well you know

They both look like they were designed by 6 year olds

docwra · 20-02-2007, 17:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by superclarkey

ER yes! pmsl, i would have a E30 over a silvia turd any day !

Youd take a £500 E30 (gotta be a 316/318 for that money) over a turboed S12?? For drifting?? Each to his own and all that but thats the point Im making - youd be struggling to get the back end out in 2nd in the dry

superclarkey · 20-02-2007, 17:08

Haha pmsl, please mate i went to look at a E30 323 yesterday for £200... which was a cool car...

Everything about the silvia sucks balls..

Silvia vs e30 i know what i would get !

£3k i would get a skyline mate

or a nice s14

20-02-2007, 15:57	#1 (permalink)
docwra dorifto kingu! Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2,144	Whats wrong with S12 Silvias?? Started posting on another thread, and then thought I may as well start one from scratch. A lot of folk come on here asking what a good first drift car is, and get the usual (totally valid BTW) answers - E30 BMW, Twin Cam Sierra, Ovlov 340 etc. Now I may have a vested interested in this (my drift car is an S12 and Ive got another modded one as well) but for me the 12 seems a much more obvious choice - they are turboed for a start so easier to modify, the suspension as standard is stiffer than those mentioned above (they are sporty 2+2's rather than family cars as well), S13/S14 parts generally slot straight in, they have jap reliability ( ) and they can look fcuking nice - a damn sight better than the Ovlov or Sierra anyway. My drift car owes me £300 in total and is more than capable of 3rd in the dry Granted, you cant fit coilovers on the back without major work, and they arent quite as pretty as an AE86, but I cant think of anything else thats a problem ......... the engines are probably as good if not better than the SR, CA18DET for drifting as the power and torque is there lower down and they dont tend to blow up as often .......... Bearing in mind Im about to sell an immaculate 200+ bhp one for £600 odd that just needs the diff welding to make it a decent drifter, why arent they reckoned to be a good starter car??

20-02-2007, 16:07	#4 (permalink)
lil ben Lurker Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 593	Damn you, I'm trying to get the cash together for one now.....let them stay rare Copying what MJG said ^ It's probably because they're a lot rarer than the Volvo's. Been keeping my eye out for one and decent ones don't come up that often (although saying that, there were a few around in the middle of January...) Whereas Volvos, BMWs, Sierras etc are always available Last edited by lil ben : 20-02-2007 at 16:09.

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20-02-2007, 16:00	#2 (permalink)
steerfromtherear dorifto kingu! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Somerset Posts: 3,080	They are a good starter car. There isn't enough of them though is there? How often do you see them for sale? Well ones that aren't rotten anyway.

20-02-2007, 16:04	#3 (permalink)
MJG Most wanted Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Derby, England Posts: 9,463	Yeah just a lot rarer and I have never seen one in the scrapyard. Generally also, old turbocharged cars have large margins for expensive error. Turbo/head gasket/big ends go, you have to find replacements... HG/big ends go on a BMW or sierra, you get a new engine for £30 - 100 piece of piss from ebay or scrapyard etc. Also, personally, I really don't like the s12 - I have no justification, I just think they are horrible crusty cars that give me a bad feeling inside.

20-02-2007, 16:20	#6 (permalink)
pitbull turbo spl dori master Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 318	i will put that to my bro.im a massive nissan fan and i do think that s12's would be good but as you say there rare which makes them hard to get hold of and the ones i do see are autos so how hard are they to swap to manual?

20-02-2007, 16:25	#8 (permalink)
H dorifto kingu! Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 558	I think it's cos they smell, just like the owner H

20-02-2007, 16:28	#9 (permalink)
superclarkey Mood=Amazing Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: West Midlands Posts: 7,968	S12 have shit engines, they are worse then CA18DET out ofthe RS and they have no steering lock out of the factory.... and they are very old now

20-02-2007, 16:28	#10 (permalink)
robbs DUR-BRAIN Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: FAREHAM (Almost-Portsmouth-ish) Posts: 3,197	they pop up on autotrader every now and then and this one's very reasonably priced http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www...earch_full.y=4 wtf i dont care how mint it is no s12 is worth £3k pmsl

20-02-2007, 16:44	#13 (permalink)
pitbull turbo spl dori master Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 318	3k!il get him a nice r32 skyline for that.

20-02-2007, 17:03	#17 (permalink)
superclarkey Mood=Amazing Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: West Midlands Posts: 7,968	[quote=docwra]Worse than a twin cam sierra/BMW E30/ Ovlov 1.8?? I doubt that somehow ......... QUOTE] ER yes! pmsl, i would have a E30 over a silvia turd any day !

20-02-2007, 17:08	#20 (permalink)
superclarkey Mood=Amazing Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: West Midlands Posts: 7,968	Haha pmsl, please mate i went to look at a E30 323 yesterday for £200... which was a cool car... Everything about the silvia sucks balls.. Silvia vs e30 i know what i would get ! £3k i would get a skyline mate or a nice s14