Feature: Plain and Simple
For Ireland, a car like this is somewhat ahead of its time… It’s almost a vision of what someone will do in twenty years from now, when there won’t be a whole amount of these Nissans on the road… Everything about this car is not the ordinary guise for an s14 Silvia… The car is not covered in cable ties, doesn’t have ropey panels and isn’t what you would call a drift slag, which by all means is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but what is awesome about this car is how it was planned out and built, everything is super subtle and looks almost factory.
I’ve always had an incredible soft spot for the Zenki s14; it’s a front that most people have opted away from in this country over the years in exchange for the newer more aggressive facelift front end. Both front ends are arguably awesome in their own ways but Luke being a huge fan of the original front end sourced a car to start his project.
What Luke managed to do was source the Navan aero kit. In the 90’s Nissan released an OEM body extra kit known as the Navan aero. It has to be said that this kit is easily one of the nicest collection of aero parts to ever exist for the Zenki s14.
The kit flows incredibly with the lines of the car and subtly enhances the overall shape of the car. This kit is highly sought after especially in the United States. Ireland has seen its fair share of these come in through auction over the years and most were more than likely taken off for something more drift looking. This is a similar story as to how Luke acquired the kit this car wears today.
The idea that less is more is undeniably something that works wonders for this Nissan. The front end received some clear indicators, the arches were rolled and the car was treated to a one off white pearl paint job. The back end was treated to the Navan aero rear spoiler and back spats.
The car is the total opposite as to what one would expect an s14 Silvia to look like. OEM rear lights were sourced also and a pressed mashed up plate in respect to the early 90’s styling on cars from the Japanese scene which Luke has had a huge soft spot for over the years.
Luke decided to go a very different route with the interior. The car is daily driven and he wanted to play off of the original interior and decided to swap out the seats for suede full standard interior. Standard seats were even retained and to work around the standard interior a Nardi deep corn was added with the assistance of a Works Bell Snap off hub.
Small subtle extras from Japan were added and what makes this car very special is the very rare optional extra Heads up display unit which was one of the reasons Luke chose this chassis to build his dream s14. Inside things have been kept super stealth, aside from the Apexi power FC and a Blitz turbo timer.
Luke also added a Cusco fly off handbrake button, carbon fibre wrapping to the centre console a trust gear knob, some gauges to assist for temperature water and a Blitz boost gauge. Also as he was just back from a visit to Japan, a Mind Control sticker paying respects to one of the most infamous street/street legal drifting teams in Japan and a Lucky charm he picked up on his travels.
Under the bonnet things are relatively clean and simple, just like the exterior and interior styling. The SR20DET has been upgraded with an ARC T Sump. ARC catch tank, HKS 256 cams, Tomei rocker arm stoppers, a metal head gasket, Nismo 740cc injectors and a Walbro fuel pump.
The car has also been equipped with a fuel pressure regulator, HKS mushroom kit, z32 air flow metre, larger SR20de throttle body, Greddy front mount intercooler and pipework, stainless manifold and exhaust system with no cat with a five inch tip. Oh and helping things along nicely is an Owens development gt2871r turbo.
Luke wanted the car to look perfect but also have something a little bit different to the norm so he had a custom set of SSR SP1’s custom made from Speed Star in Japan, something not often heard of on our little green isle…
The SSR SP1’s are an amazing looking wheel and in these delicious offsets of 18x 9 + 6 up front and 18 x 10 – 1 on the back they really do take this Silvia to another level of awesome.
The standard arches on the back had to be pulled to account for the wheel but the standard looking rear quarters look amazing with such a beefy set of shiny shoes all wrapped in Falken tyres. Up front is 215/35’s and at the back 225/40’s which give such an aesthetically perfect poke… The car sits comfortably on a set of Tein type flex coilovers.
Drift works tension rods, camber arms toe rods and traction rods have helped help to adjust and create the perfect stance for this car, Cusco struts in both front and back aid in chassis rigidity and when the 14 goes sideways.
Helping that power get to the ground is an ACT/Exedy mixed clutch set-up a Fidanza flywheel and a Cusco 2 Way differential. For braking Stoptech grooved front discs with DS2500 pads and Brembo grooved and dimpled back discs replace the originals.
It’s tough to not like this car… What can you say that hasn’t been quite obvious already? From an Irish stand point this car is certainly out there on its own. It has been styled with a mentality quite different to the usual. The Nissan s14 is easily one of the nicest looking coupés to ever come out of Japan, the Zenki front end is a lot more humble looking and the Navan OEM aero combination is a match made in heaven, something I see more and more people reverting back to as this car world progresses into the future…
The styling old styling choices of the Japanese Euro and Honda scene are making their way into the drift world at quite a rapid pace, it has been going on forever in Japan, simple OEM aero and a delicious set of wheels + the right ride height and you have a timeless classic. I have no doubt that this car will look just as good if not better in twenty years from now, nothing is out of place or part of a trend, it’s a classic formula which has been applied to these cars for over a decade now and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the drift chassis take this route. I’m glad I could share this example of s14 beauty with you and be sure to check out the little video we put together!
Wheels/Tires/Suspension/Handling
Act/Exeedy mix clutch
Findanza flywheel
2 way diff
Stoptech grooved front disks
DS2500 pads
Brembo grooved and dimpled back disks
Tein type flex coilovers
Cusco strut braces front/rear
Driftworks tension rods camber arms toe rods & traction rods
SSR sp1’s custom made for from SSR Japan
18×9 +6 215/35 Falkens (f)
18×10 -1 225/40 Falkens (f)
Exterior
Navan spec aero all round
Rolled flared pulled arches up back
Rolled fronts
Clear indicators
Respray in custom off white pearl
Interior
Nardi deep corn
Works bell snap off hub
Trust gearknob
Cusco fly off handbrake button
Carbon fiber wraping
Factory H.U.D.
Apexi power fc
Apexi avcr
Blitz boost gauge
Blitz turbo timer
Engine
SR20ET
ARC T sump
ARCcatch tank
HKS 256 cams (in/ex)
Tomei rocker arm stoppers
Metal head gasket
Nismo 740cc injecters
Walbro fuel pump
Fuel pressure reg
HKS mushroom suction kit
z32 maf
SR20DE (larger) throttle body
Greddy front mount interccoler & pipework
Owens devlopment gt2871r turbo
Greddy stainless manifold
Greddy 3inch elbow, downpipe,
DE-CAT
Greddy 5inch tip exhaust
Buddy club earthing kit
1 Comment