We also elected to swap our 17-inch wheels for 17-inch RH Evolution CP-10s from DAZZ Motorsport. While the 17-inchers impact the effective gear ratio due to greater circumference, we can't do a lot about it since we're swapping 17s for 17s with the same size tire. But weight is also a factor and it is a factor we can address.
The CP-10s weigh in at 35 lbs each with tire, while our originals tipped the scales at 44 lbs.
In a future project update, we'll dyno test the Sentra with both wheel/tire combos to illustrate how much of a difference weight alone makes. Beyond the weight, we also like the bronze powdercoat, a welcome departure from the typical silver or chrome approach. The SE-R has a decidedly J-spec aura to it. The RH Evolution CP-10s are wrapped with 205/40ZR-17 Pirelli P7000 SuperSports.
Keeping to this issue's "Body and Soul" theme, the SE-R's sheetmetal was revitalized with the addition of a Stillen aero kit. The body kit previously on the car was custom built around a front-mount intercooler and its Big Mouth aura looks like overkill without a chiller in there. Stillen's kit is much more composed and its urethane construction ensures it's in the game for the long term. The four-piece kit was installed by Derek and Wally Teklak of Body Pros in Garden Grove, Calif. It was painted veil white and customized with a purple pearl clearcoat.
We began our power infusion with an intake system. The SE-R is a deserving car, but unlike Honda offerings from the same period, the Nissan doesn't have many aftermarket parts available.
AEM stepped to the plate with one of its cold-air systems for the 1991-'94 SE-R. This product was dyno tested in our "Dyno Cell" section in the April issue. However, since there was a hiccup with the car as outlined in the May issue's "Backpressure" column, we will re-test the intake in a future installment.
For added visual appeal, the AEM intake pipes and a used valve cover, scavenged from a dismantling yard, were sent to High Performance Coatings Inc. (HPC) for image therapy. These pieces were subjected to HPC's HiPerColor coatings, which is an appearance coating designed to add color and improve corrosion resistance. It offers thermal protection to 350 degrees, which is overkill for this application.
For headers and exhaust pipes, HPC's HiPerCoat is good to 1,300 degress Fahrenheit. When temperatures really climb, HPC's HiPerCoat Extreme is ready to fend off 2,000 degrees for use on turbo manifolds, turbine housings and other exhaust components. This particular coating is only available in gray and semi-gloss black. For our SE-R, we went with yellow and detailed our valve cover with blue to match the plug wires.
In the future, we'll go for more power from the SR20, but are unsure of how extreme we'll get. One of the items on our list is a set of underdrive pulleys from Unorthodox Racing. Stay tuned.
Sentra SE-R Worksheet
Compression Test
Check timing belt
Install AAC (idle air control)
Check seals
Swap in stock cams
Check spark plugs
Replace cap & rotor
Check CV joints
Install stock exhaust manifold
Install HKS gasket on exhaust system
Re-attach EGR system, be sure it works
Check all smog equipment
Re-set ECU, read codes
Fix injector harness