Feature: Blister Fit
Some of the stuff over the last two decades to come out of Japan has left far more of an impact than others. For instance the s13 itself has had such a powerful following pretty much anywhere around the globe that people could get their hands on one. I’ve always been a massive fan of the late 90’s early 00’s drift style, personally I felt that drift car style peaked around this era.. big wheels, over fenders and the perfect stance, if you don’t believe me Google the BN s13 or the 326 power FC that Haraguchi drove or even the works 9 auto salon 13, or even take a look at any of the old D1 option videos on you tube from the turn of the millennium The BN Defend kit was one of those ideas that to quite a few, didn’t sound good on paper, but somehow it ended up being easily one of the best wide body kits for any of the Drift super star cars we know today.
From a side profile, its pure aggression, I’ve always loved that about the BN Defend kits, the bottom half is so simple yet functional to allow for big camber whilst the kit itself is just a puffed out version of the original lines of the body of the car, there is no possible way you could hate on such a wide body kit, many people are well used to the idea of a wide arched car, on this side of the planet, we’ve seen them all over the years, anything from a so called “one off” Renault Clio right down to a “one off” Opel Corsa.
What all of these one off and off the shelf body kits lacked time and time again was flow, none of these kits ever flowed with the original lines of the car, for years glancing the pages of so called “tuning magazines” you would be left face palming as you glanced at a Ford Focus that looked like it was dipped in a volcano and painted green….. The first time I came across the BN kit I was in love, it was through looking at auction pictures back in the day or stumbling upon auto salon pictures of the infamous blue show car.
The pure simplicity of exaggeration the original shapes and then adding the fattest wheels of all time, it was a super winning combo that gets better with age, somehow you can have the most subtle and aggressive s13 all at the same time. The owner of this example David, has an awesome eye for cars, one you don’t come across in stockpiles around Ireland, In fact this car was built here in Ireland, once upon a time it was a more modest looking 13 that was gifted the blister defend kit and painted iconic Midnight purple with a micro flake. 5050 back D-max T012 tail lights are another addition that just can’t go wrong.
With the days of the so called stance scene upon us, I’ve always loved the fact the defebd kit could run the most insane wheels. The best option for this kit is a nice fat set of shiny or chrome wheels. It works a treat every single time. Looking down the side profile of this car all you can see is dish and it always makes me smile. David has nailed a perfect stance on this car, a necessity if you’re going to run this kit. The wheel choice for the car is a set of SSR Vienna’s, up front 18 x 9.5 et + 1 and at the rear 18 x 11 et – 8. The red caps are such a nice touch against the midnight purple.
Inside things have been kept very simple and to the point, the white Cusco Dash dodge cage is a nice but functional touch with a drivers X bar, a Bride Zeta II graduation for the driver a Cusco flyoff handbrake button and a Blitz steering wheel.
For control and monitoring an Apexi Power FC commander and a Blitz boost controller and boost gauge. The car has all the classic Japanese parts that make up a great street drift car, nothing is overdone, and everything in the right place, David used a winning combination that’s pretty much timeless inside the Silvia.
Under the bonnet lurks the one and only, David has big plans for this car and we caught him during its work in progress stage! He told us the engine has a modest enough spec at the minute but gets the job done. When he started to list of the spec it I couldn’t help but laugh as this “modest spec” would be something many other owners would brag about! The engine is an SR20DET. attached to it is a t28 ball bearing turbo, Trust manifold, Trust Exhaust manifold, downpipe and elbow, at the back a Buddy Club Spec II cat back exhaust, A Greddy front mount intercooler, HKS air filter, Actuator and oil catch tank, a Walbro 255 fuel pump and Sard 550cc injectors all controlled by the Apexi Power FC & Commander!
Handling wise the car sits on a set of Cusco coilovers with Cusco Camber plates, Driftworks Camber arms, sub frame bushes and Tein toe arms. Helping trusty old SR20 do his thing is an OS Giken Triple Plate clutch, OS Giken Flywheel and a Cusco two way differential. It’s the perfect package for a road going s13.
David’s car is a fantastic example of an s13, if you’re into your Japanese cars and drift culture you will respect this build on many levels, I absolutely love the fact this car is daily driven, in Ireland most of the s13’s were snatched up in the boom and turned into drift cars and these machines have become quite scarce, this BN blister defend kit is one of the only wide body kits to ever work, it’s simply stunning in real life and gives the Silvia such an amazing road presence.
David’s car reminded what a wide body kit looks like when it has been designed to almost perfection, the fact the puffed quarter panels flushed make the Silvia look like it’s on steroids, such an amazing piece of design from BN at just gets better with age…. The car brings me back when getting your hands on images of proper Japanese cars was next to impossible, before this flood of car blogs/media sites…. you would almost forget how good fibreglass can work…. I could go on forever about drifting, this kit, and Ireland but I’ll leave it here… Another one of Ireland’s finest Nissan’s and at the time of writing this, the car is already going through another transformation… Make sure to watch this space!
Wheels/Tires/Suspension
SSR Vienna Red Caps – Front: 18×9.5 +1ET with 30mm Spacer;
Rear: 18×11 -8ET with 10mm Spacer;
Cusco Coilovers
Cusco Camber plates
Driftworks Camber Arms
Driftworks Subframe bushes
Tein toe arms
Exterior
Full BN Blister Defend kit
Resprayed Midnight Purple with micro flake
Rear Blister over fenders flushed into car
Triple Projectors
Clear sidelights
D-Max T012 5050 rear lights
Interior
Bride Zeta II Drivers seat and rail
Blitz Steering wheel
Cusco Flyoff handbrake button
Cusco Dash Dodge roll cage with Drivers X Bar.
Greddy Turbo Timer
Blitz Dual Solenoid Boost controller
Blitz Boost Gauge
Engine
SR20DET
T28 Ball Bearing Turbo
Trust Exhaust Manifold
Trust Downpipe & Elbow
Buddyclub Spec II Cat-Back Exhaust
Greddy Front Mount Intercooler
HKS Air filter
HKS Actuator
HKS Oil Catch Tank
Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
Sard 555cc Injectors
Apex’i Power FC & Commander