Tashi Simmons makes a return appearance on the cover of Turbo magazine and his weapon of choice remains the SR20DET-powered 240SX. The last time around, December 2003, he rolled a yellow Silvia. The buildup was so intoxicating he elected to pull a total recall and buildup another 2-4-0.
The second coming is a 1995 edition (S14) upon which Simmons unleashed a barrage of hard-hitting S15 components; both stock and leading-edge tuner upgrades. This attack was an all-out assault on every square inch of the car.
The sheetmetal was massaged to perfection and fitted with a full complement of C-West tuning gear. Namely, a full kit consisting of front and rear bumpers, rocker panels, eyelids, aggressive fender flares, canards and carbon fiber mirrors. An added side benefit was the kit upgraded the nose of the car to S15 specs. The body was painted Honda S2000 Grand Prix White. To finish things off, an unpainted Seibon carbon fiber hood was bolted in place.
Under that hood resides an S15-vintage SR20DET engine, complete with six-speed transmission swap and a prized S15 helical differential. Boost is provided by a GT25R ball-bearing turbo with a .86 A/R on the hot side. The hyper-quick spooling unit pressurizes a GReddy V-Spec chiller and big GReddy SR20DET intake manifold. The remainder of the system consists of a TurboXS blow-off valve, GReddy wastegate, A'PEXi Super S-AFC tuning computer and an A'PEXi turbo timer. A Z32-series 300ZX MAF sensor is employed to deliver the boost signal to the Silvia ECU.
The underpinnings were upgraded to provide a tunable suspension setup capable of rolling on the street, drifting or gripping on a closed circuit. A set of Tein Type HE coil-overs are employed along with a Nissan 300ZX brake upgrade that allows the use of 300ZX TT four-piston calipers. The 240's contact patch is provided by Toyo Proxes T1-S rubber wrapped around golden-hued Volk Racing GT-7 aluminum.
Simmons then focused on the interior and the plan called for a number of style, safety and audiophile mods that would add to the overall driving experience. Recaro Wildcat buckets, a Nismo steering wheel and shifter along with Project Mu pedals enhance feedback while Takata harnesses provide added protection. Next, Simmons attacked the Rockford Fosgate catalog and dropped a heavy-hitting audio setup on the Nissan so the screaming can come from more than the exhaust pipe.
When you stand back and look at Simmons' Silvia the color change is about the only discernable difference between this and his 2003-era creation. In his eyes it is a totally different beast born of a totally individual set of circumstances. When you have "the fever" the end result is not the reward, the road traveled getting there is. The challenges and small nuances along the way imprint somewhere in the cerebral cortex and soon an addiction is formed and this is one addiction that should be fed to the fullest.