There are several reasons why people spend their hard-earned dough on modifying their cars. It can be for the personal enjoyment or wrenching or a basic need for speed or it might be an aesthetic dilemma of some sort where stock looks just don't cut it. For some it's a necessity to help promote the company's product line. Enkei for example wanted to debut its new wheel line but did not want to show them on a bland stock vehicle. So the next best thing was to create a show car to enhance the impact of the new wheel line's debut.
When Enkei Wheels set out to build a project Marketing Manager Chris Ditty wanted to build a car that was different and not just another lemming in the sea of Hondas. His platform of choice was a 1995 Nissan 240SX (S14). To make the Nissan standout Chris trandformed the 240SX to resemble GT Touring/Drift racing which is heavily popular in Japan. Although the S14 already incorporates some intoxicating bodylines from the factory, Chris wanted to change it up a bit. In 1999 Nissan released the S15 Silvia but even the usual watered down version was not imported into the States since Nissan axed the 240SX in 1998. Chris decided he wanted to convert the front-end of the S14 240SX to S15 Silvia specs. Fortunately for Chris VIS Racing Sports in Monterey Park, Calif. offered a S15 conversion for the S14. Complete Auto Body in Arlington, Texas was responsible for grafting the VIS front-end onto the S14 platform. To add more zing to the S14.5 the front fascia incorporates a Drift-style look with side skirts and a Nismo-style rear valence to match. To add a more race-appeal to the Nissan a carbon fiber hood, M3-style carbon fiber side view mirrors and C-West GT wing were added to round out the exterior amenities. Although the sheetmetal was to be sprayed with a Ferrari Yellow tone, Chris decided it would look best with the original black giving the Nissan a very dark horse look.
With the exterior of the car addressed it was now time to work on power production. Chris felt the horsepower department would best left to Kenny Tran and the Jotech Motorsports crew. Kenny decided that the factory engine would have to go to make way for the Japan-spec 1998 SR20DET engine. Knowing that keeping a SR20DET engine stock would be a sin, Kenny upgraded many of the stock components with HKS counterparts. The factory turbo was replaced with a quick spooling GT2530 ball-bearing unit. Ambient air is drawn through an HKS Super Mega Flow intake before entering the precious turbocharger. To cool the charge air to safer levels an HKS Silvia intercooler kit was modified to fit on the U.S.-spec 240SX. For quicker spool up between shifts an HKS Super SQV blow-off valve was fabricated into the intake tract. On the exhaust end spent gases from the turbine housing are evacuated through a Super Drager exhaust system.
Any active enthusiast knows a wheel and tire combo can make or break the look of any vehicle. Being one of the largest wheel distributors in the world Chris already knew from the beginning the wheel and tire combination that would find its way into the fenderwells of the S14.5. Chris chose Enkei's Japan-spec GTV racing aluminum wrapped with Falken performance rubber. The Nissan's fighting stance was attained with the use of HKS Hiper Damper racing coil-overs. Additional suspension tweaking also included Nismo front and rear strut bars and an Energy Suspension bushing kit.
The Nissan is an all around performer as the interior has also been upgraded for the racing vibe. A custom designed Katzkin leather interior utilizing a black and yellow accents add aura and comfort to the cabin. An A'PEXi tach and ITC ignition box is uniquely mounted in the driver's defroster vent. Tunes are provided by an Eclipse 7301 in-dash head unit capable of controlling a CD changer, DVD player as well as all the speaker outputs.
If you are trying to capture the "look" everyone is after, take some pointers from the Enkei S14.5 as Chris and the Enkei crew have left no stone unturned creating this masterpiece-a car that is further testament that Nissan should have been importing the Silvia all along.