There is just something alluring about ladies going topless and this 1993 Nissan Silvia is no exception. While the Nissan 240SX has exploded in popularity in recent years this Tampa, Fla., based beauty from Fever Racing stands out from the masses.
As with most show-worthy cars, this S13 Silvia came from humble beginnings. The 240 was originally a neglected second car of a customer of Doug Mitchell's Z-Fever/Fever Racing shop. Mitchell was working on the customer's primary car and being short on cash, the customer struck a deal with Mitchell to trade him the 240SX for some parts. (We've all been down that road. It's what I love about our industry-bartering at its finest!) Mitchell planned to just throw an engine in it, stick on a body kit and sell the puppy. However, a glimmer in the 240's headlight must have convinced him otherwise because as the car progressed, he saw the potential for this lovely lady.
Having been in the automotive business for 12 years, Mitchell has owned too many cars to name, and has earned his stripes at Fever Racing as a race- and street-car builder. Mitchell's current stable of beauties includes an Acura NSX, Datsun 240Z, and a Nissan 300ZX twin turbo. He wasn't interested in expanding his family to include the Silvia, but something about her changed his mind.
When asked why he ultimately built the car, he said, with true Mitchell humor, to "attract women [and] run drugs across the border." Hey, isn't that why we all build cars? I guess we'll never know what exactly possessed the guys at Z-Fever to take a modest 240 and convert it into a wild right-hand drive monster. But we do know they did an outstanding job and we're glad they undertook the project.
Most impressive is that it took only one month (yes, month, not year) to build. Now there's an advantage to owning your own shop. Mitchell says the car in such poor shape to begin with they stripped it completely bare. After it was stripped nekkid it was converted to right-hand drive by Taylor Mahony of Durden Prefabrication using components from a JDM Silvia front clip. This conversion involved a lot of hand fabrication and improvising.
After the fabrication and JDM-conversion was complete it was off to House of Kolor for new coat of candy tangerine over metallic red. With the shiny new paint job complete Mitchell says, "the entire rest of the project was done in one shot." I think we might have to start shipping our project cars out to Fever Racing in Tampa to gets these kind of results.
As if the gorgeous paint and RHD conversion isn't enough, this lady packs a Silvia SR20DET engine under the hood hanging off Nismo mounts. Fever Racing completed the basic swap and then added some performance products as well including a Fever Racing polished intake manifold, custom downpipe, cat bypass pipe, titanium exhaust, and polished oil pan.
A Garrett GT-25R turbo paired with a Wasabe Garage exhaust manifold and TurboSmart wastegate brings the power. A mammoth Blitz LM intercooler chills the air intake, aided by DEI CryO2 intercooler sprayer and custom coolant reservoir tank. A GReddy Type-R blow-off valve and catch can were thrown into the mix as well.
Engine management is handled through a combination of a ROM-tuned ECU and is backed up with a GReddy Profec B Spec-II, Turbo Timer and gauges. An A'PEXi S-AFC II and wideband O2 monitor also join the party.
To keep things properly lubed are twin, relocated oil filters and custom front-mount oil and power steering coolers. Also under the hood is a Koyo radiator, custom electric water pump kit, and Power Enterprise radiator hoses. Managing air/fuel ratios falls to the combination of a Z32 air flow meter, dual FAL fans, Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator and a Border fuel rail with 850cc injectors.
For internal modifications, Mitchell selected HKS 264 cams, ARP head studs and a Cometic head gasket. The GReddy parts were tapped for valve springs and rocketstoppers.
Contrasting nicely with the orange-red exterior are the candy blue powder coated engine components and polished parts. This properly shows off the clean look under hood as well as showcasing the impressive array of performance products.
The stock differential was swapped out for a Nismo two-way LSD. A one-piece driveshaft and an OS Giken twin-plate clutch with flywheel help put the power to the pavement.
For proper handling of all of this power, JIC-Magic FLT A1 coil-overs and a rear strut brace are enlisted as well as Tension Techniques sway bars. A grip of Fever Racing's components were also added to remove any remaining slop from the suspension: lower tie bar, custom front power brace, front tension rods, rear camber arms and rear traction rods. Gold powder coating embellishes throughout.
Bringing this car to a stop on a dime are Nissan 350Z Brembo calipers with EBC pads squeezing 13-inch cross-drilled Brembo rotors, which required custom mounting. Nissan 300ZX rear hubs and parking brake assemblies and stainless steel braided lines were added out back.
Caged around the Brembo brakes are Racing Hart J5 wheels with a hyper black center, 19x8.5 inchers in the front and 19x10.5 inchers in the rear. Hankook Ventus Sport K104s grip the road, sizes 235/35/19 front and 235/30/19 rear.
Holding you steady while taking turns at break-neck speeds are Nissan 350Z front seats covered in onyx suede with custom red stitching and embroidery. Even backseat passengers are safe with Fever Racing harnesses. The rest of the interior is layered in two-tone carbon fiber.
The driver pilots this machine with a Momo steering wheel and Nismo shift knob on a Fever Racing short shifter. Finally, everyone rides with audio enjoyment from a JVC Digifine head unit, a Viper 5-channel amp and MB quart speakers.
While all of the modifications thus far are impressive, we must say that what first grabs your attention with this S13 is that it is convertible. Convertible 240s are a rare sight indeed. They were made in limited production from 1993 to 1994. Chicks also dig convertibles so that's additional bonus points.
Also competing for first-notice is the Silvia front-end conversion. It gives the car a depth its stateside-sisters don't have, a Chargespeed 50mm widebody Silvia aero kit with a vented hood was chosen. A Do-Luck carbon fiber wing handles downforce, while matching carbon fiber side mirrors and a GTR front grille give the ensemble coherence. A custom tonneau cover and custom stitching on the rag top complete the exterior modifications.
What was supposed to be a quick fix-it-and-sell-it vehicle turned into the unstoppable specimen you see here. Judges and fans alike agreed at Hot Import Nights in Miami (Dec., 2004) as it picked up 2nd in the JDM category. At HIN, Orlando this past April it placed 1st in the Nissan slot.
As a consequence, Z-Fever has certainly raised the bar when it comes to our expectations of our own Turbo Project 240SX. They've stepped up the game for what you can produce from the Silvia platform so now it is our turn to head into the garage and get wrenching.