Feature: Five Star Rating
Ah yes, the Rps13….. a chassis know to pretty much any person who has an interest in Japanese cars, otherwise referred to as the 180sx or the 200sx/240 depending on where you are reading this from. This chassis was made for ten years and has dominated the drift scene for pretty much the same amount of time. I have no doubts that the RPs13 will have as much of a cult following for the next thirty years as the AE86 following has shaped into at the minute, both cars are perfect mascots for the activity we love so much…. The s13 chassis is easily one of the best FR platforms to ever come out of Japan.
Ireland managed to scavenge a large portion of these over the last few years when times were good, importing all sorts of amazing examples in from Japan… They were snatched up quickly by the masses and then drifted, crashed, smashed but most of all enjoyed until the recession came along and said hello, suddenly one by one these cars started to vanish off of Irish roads…. Someday, restoration projects on the 180sx chassis will be a common sight just like we see now with the likes of the AE86 community. The example you are staring at here is already ahead of its time for a so called Irish car….
This is what happens when a true Nissan enthusiast gets builds what he felt is the perfect 180sx, in Ireland these cars have been given a serious thrashing over the years and usually look a little rough around the edges, which believe me is nice, but to see an RPs13 done to this kind of degree on our little green island…. is something you don’t come across too often. No short cuts, no cheap parts, Keith spared no expense when building his vision. I can’t emphasise enough how incredible this car looks in the flesh, it’s literally a work of art.
Keith is on a different planet when it comes to the bodywork of a car, as someone who spends a lot of time with body panels this car was going to receive maximum attention. The paint choice was Audi Brilliant Red, on top of this were twelve coats of Lacquer, yes that’s right, twelve coats of lacquer. To say the owner is nothing short of a perfectionist would be an understatement. This kind of attention towards an RPs13 is unheard of.
Up front the car received an Origin front bumper and vented bonnet with aero catches. The car has an insane presence from any angle; the original wings were swapped for a set of Origin vented replacements. Keith decided to mix the body kit and went for a set of Uras side skirts and back bumper, the rear quarters were covered with a set of very awesome GP sports 50mm rear over fenders which keep the original lines of the Nissan but create just the right amount of puff. Keith added the classic Ganador mirrors and a set of wind deflectors which were painted to match the body work.
An Origin Lab roof spoiler was added and the infamous 326 power spoiler at the rear along with D-max crystal tail lights. Two skid plates have also been installed, one for the sump and one for the bumpers. Up front a sleepy eye conversion with a set of fresh Raybrig clear front headlights. The car just oozes Japanese flavour, everything looks right. I had to pull myself away from taking the same picture about fifteen times in awe at just how impressive this Nissan looked, such an uncommon sight for our country.
Inside things got even better; this car has been planned out perfectly. Nothing has been unnecessarily hacked up or pulled out. For driving the Nardi Classic in black was the Keith’s choice. A Cusco dash dodge cage finished in blue wraps around the interior of the Nissan.
A Bee*R limiter sits perfectly on the dashboard while a set of Greddy water, oil and boost pressure gauges sit in a clean surround replacing the original top two vents next to an Apex’i Power FC Commander. The layout and planning of gauges and extras is very tasty and only adds to the overall look of the interior.
The original interior trimmings have been swapped out. Keith sourced some Bride material and went about reupholstering the door cards, glove box and gear gaiter.
It’s all the small things that I constantly go on about in these features, they all add up, that attention to detail which has always been overlooked by a large portion of 180sx owners over the years even when parts are plentiful for this chassis. I really can’t imagine any true Japanese car enthusiasts getting tired of that classic interior, The Bride Zeta and Bride Brix seat combo, the Razo Gear knob and Nismo short shifter, right down to the Carrozeria Pioneer double din head unit.
If you were under any illusion this car is just for looks and never gets driven you are sadly mistaken…. Keith daily drives this car, and at this ride height one some the most rubbish roads a car this low will ever have to endure… Under the bonnet that incredible attention to detail is instantly visible, the SR20 has been fully rebuild, Keith has gone about wire tucking the engine bay and has strapped a HKS GT2540 turbo to the side of this 4 cylinder. To accompany the turbo is a set of Tomei 256 cams and TDP adjustable cam pulleys.
The spec does not end there, how about a HKS manifold, Sard 550cc injectors, a z32 air flow meter, metal head gasket and a full port and polish treatment, A Sard fuel pump aids the injectors and Nismo engine mounts keep this creation in its place. A look around some more and you are greeted with a Tomei turbo elbow. Rare goodies and aesthetically awesome looks, the attention to components like having a Silk Road engine damper, or even the amazing Tomei Plug cover….
The biggest factor in any car build looks wise is wheels, it’s the secret to having the best looking car or the worst, if you don’t believe this well… there is no hope for you. Wheels can make the worst looking car a winner with the correct fitment and ride height. This car used to wear a set of SSR Viennas but Keith wanted to push the boundaries and go that little bit bigger, He decided to order an almost brand new set of SSR SP3 wheels, possibly the only set in Ireland at the minute; the wheels are jaw dropping in real life…
The perfect stance was achieved, another very uncommon site for Ireland, just in-case you are reading this from a foreign land where this is a dime a dozen, to see this type of execution in this country is amazing and hopefully inspiring for others. Braided Good ridge Hoses replaced the standard setup, the hubs were converted to five stud and Skyline brakes and callipers replaced the original. Up front Keith went with a set of 18 x 9 ET 6 to achieve a flawless poke and at the back a set of 18 x 11 ET- 8 wheels gave the perfect stance. Looking down the side of this car should make anyone smile!
Handling wise the list goes on: RSR bushing kit, R.Y.O. Hi max coilovers, cusco front tie rods, Cusco rear Upper arms… Power heads to the back wheels with the help of a Lightened flywheel and ORC Triple plated clutch… This is pretty much the most complete perfect packaged 180sx I have ever seen in real life, this car would be at home in Japan.
I’m intimidated to talk about this car, it’s that amazing and no matter what I try to say or how I say it the pictures do not even begin to do this car Justice. Both me and Paddy shot this car on the same day, his feature was posted on Speedhunters, and this one you are reading right now.
We grabbed some food after the shoot and literally could not stop talking about how amazing this car looked. Keith is truly ahead of his time with this build, and I do not mean that because of his taste in parts. Full restorations and super rare parts, this type of build is common place amongst the Honda or AE86 scenes of the world. But not a whole lot common amongst the 180 chassis. Countries like Ireland, Japan and America primarily use the 180sx for using and abusing purposes and it’s highly uncommon to see a build take this form. Most of them have a pretty tough life these days, especially with the fact that drifting is on the increase and the s13 chassis being on of the most popular.
The combination of lots of power, fancy wheels and immaculate body work is an uncommon sight when you speak about cars from the S chassis family. S13’s going down this meticulous route is an uncommon sight for sure, especially in Ireland. Keith is undoubtedly in a different league with this 13, it’s simply flawless. If this was some kind of cheesy review, it would be stupid to give this car anything less than five out of five…. Its cars like this that made building this website worthwhile……
Wheels/Tires/Suspension/Handling
SSR SP3 – F: 18×9 ET6 R: 18×11.5 ET-8
RSR Bushing Kit
R.Y.O. Hi-Max Coilovers
Cusco Rear Upper Arms
Cusco Front Tie Rods
Driftworks Camber Arms
Driftworks Toe Rods
Nismo Lower Arms
Cusco Rear Suspension Rods
Driftworks Subframe Bushes
Quick Rack Steering Adaptor
Front & Rear Strut Braces
Skyline Calipers & Discs
Five Stud Hub Conversion
Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Aftermarket Brake Pads
Nismo Short Shifter
ORC Triple Plated Clutch
Lightened Flywheel
Cusco 1.5 way LSD
Exterior
Audi Brilliant Red
12 Coats of Lacquer
Running Gear Painted
Origin Front Wings
50mm GP Sport Rear Arches
Fiberglass Vented Bonnet
Uras Rear Bumper
Uras Side Skirts
Origin Front Bumper
Two Skid Plates – Bumper & Sump
326 Power Rear Wing
Origin Roof Spoiler
Ganador Mirrors
Wind Deflectors
Aero Catches
D-Max 50/50 rear lights
Raybrig Clear Front Lights
Sleepy Eye Conversion
Tow Hook
Interior
Bride Zeta
Bride Brix
Bride Door Cards, Glove Box & Gear Gaitor
Battery Relocated to Boot
Razo Gearknob
Nardi Steering Wheel
Greddy Boost, Oil Pressure & Water Temperature Gauges
Blitz Turbo Timer
Pioneer Double Din & Vibe 6x9s
Engine
SR20DET Rebuild
Wire Tuck
HKS GT2540 Turbo
Tomei 256 Cams
TDP Adjustable Pulleys
HKS Manifold
Sard 555cc Injectors
Z32 AFM
Metal Head Gasket
Ported & Polished
Sard Fuel Pump
Tomei Turbo Elbow
Nismo Engine Mounts
Nismo Fuel Pressure Gauge
Blitz BOV
Nismo Decat
Nismo Exhaust
Greddy Intercooler
Greddy Front Pipe
Three Layer Radiator with dual Calsonic Fans
Nismo Low Temperature Thermostat
Apex’i Power Fc & Commander
Bee*R Rev Limiter
MoCal Oil Cooler & Relocation Kit
Greddy Boost Controller
Silk Road Engine Damper
HKS Mushroom Filter
Iridium Plugs
Cusco Oil Catch Can
Tomei Plug Cover