Pressure Cooker

Angelo "Geelow" Foreman is serving our country in the Army; he can thank Kuwait for his pressurized KA24DE-powered 240SX. Geelow's story starts as a familiar tale of an addiction to power and the struggle to satisfy it. For Geelow, it all began in 1996 when he bought his Nissan 240SX. While it was a love at first drive, Foreman was satisfied for merely a year. Then, he realized he lacked power under the hood; family sedans were pulling him hard from stoplights. He ran through the typical bolt-ons, buying him another year.

Geelow needed real power, but before he could research his situation and take action, he was transferred to Kuwait. This was a blessing in disguise; he was making bank serving abroad, plenty for all of the modifications he'd been dreaming about. With nothing to do with his limited free time, he surfed the Web. The night he came upon www.240sx.org changed everything.

"They had cars on that site that put mine to shame. There was a guy named Chris May that had a 240SX with 309 hp. I said, 'that's the kind of power I need.' I contacted Chris and he gave me some good ideas. I was making good money, so buying parts was no problem. I scored my turbo parts in Texas, my GReddy body kit from Modacar in California and my OZ Racing F1s from the Tire Rack. Once stateside, I had the turbo kit installed and damn, that's power," says Foreman.

Unfortunately for him, the thrills only lasted a few months; the Nissan found itself with a blow-by problem. Apparently, the engine was tuned too lean and his right foot was too heavy, too often. Things would get worse before they got better.

Foreman got involved with a disreputable shop, resulting in a year of downtime where he paid for work that was never completed. His savior was Tuned Performance out of Marietta, Ga. Tuned Performance's Mike Kamalian and John Walton handled the complete build-up of the KA24 and reconfigured the turbo system to supply loads of reliable power. This was a great arrangement--Foreman was stationed at Ft. Gordon and lived in nearby Evans, Ga.

Delta Force

The DOHC 2.4-liter four-cylinder has a solid foundation, consisting of a race-proven reciprocating assembly. The stock crankshaft swings Carrillo connecting rods and 8.2:1-compression JE Piston slugs. The head and valvetrain remain factory spec. The 240's Delta Force, or more precisely, Delta Pressure, is generated by a Garrett T3/T04 hybrid turbo perched atop a Rev-Hard custom header. The turbo is corralled to 25 psi by a Turbonetics Deltagate and a Blitz Dual SBC boost controller.

Once compressed, the charge air is funneled through a GReddy air-to-air intercooler nestled behind the GRacer chin spoiler. From there, highly polished intercooler piping leads the charge air into the intake system, which consists of factory-spec parts. On the hot side, exhaust gases exit a ceramic coated custom downpipe and 3-inch custom system. The system features a GReddy turbo-tuned muffler with a big polished tip.

Lock 'n' Load

Fuel for the fire is provided by a rough 'n' ready system, featuring a 300ZX fuel pump and big 50 lb/hr injectors. The injectors are positioned via a TPI-fabricated rail and flow is controlled by a Mallory regulator. Fueling strategies are instigated by a Jim Wolf Technology-tuned ECU piggybacked with an APEXi Super-AFC.

Spark energy is generated by an MSD 6BTM box, Nology wires and NGK plugs. An APEXi engine monitor keeps tabs on vital engine functions.

There is a lot to keep track of, too. The Nissan was strapped to Dynolab's Dynojet chassis dyno, where it screamed to 365 hp and 378 lb-ft of torque. Geelow had the physical proof that his power quest had been successful indeed, but it was time to take it to the street.

Attack The Road

Because this is a street-driven machine, the suspension has been augmented to handle the maximum firepower. The suspension system and the car's rear-drive configuration are two of the 240SX's strong suits. Geelow made these attributes stronger still by grafting on Koni five-position adjustable struts and Eibach Sportline springs. The Eibach coils provide 2-inches of drop all around, while the Konis allow quick tuning of damping rates to match Geelow's expectations. For long commutes, he may dial in the softer setting; when he foresees a spirited driving session, more firmness can be brought into the picture.

Wanting a total package, Geelow addressed the braking system by upgrading to drilled and slotted 300ZX rotors in the back and 300ZX calipers up front. The final link to the pavement is provided by 18-inch Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 tires, mounted to 18x7-inch OZ Racing F1 Racing aluminum.

Power is put to the pavement by a five-speed manual transmission, fortified with a lightened flywheel and a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch. The axles, driveshaft and rearend are all factory Nissan.

Inside & Out

The interior has not made a clean getaway. Geelow has added a trio of pillar-mounted gauges. The GReddy meters monitor boost, oil pressure and exhaust gas temperature and Geelow was smart to get white-faced dials to match the factory white-faced gauge pod. He also employed a 10-piece red carbon fiber dash trim kit to further liven things inside.

Outside, the 240's sleek bodylines have been accented with a complete GRacer aero kit. The kit consists of a lip spoiler, side skirts and a rear treatment. The car has retained its stock black hue.

Foreman has done well; by serving in Kuwait, he saved enough money to transform his 240 into a boosted highway prowler. At 365 hp, has his thirst for thrust been fulfilled once and for all? Or will this 240 be a full-race proposition in 12 months? If it's the latter, he'd better be transferred again really soon. Racing ain't cheap