I really lucked into this car, and I still regret selling it, even several years later! I had a Datsun 510 that I had swapped a nice, fuel-injected motor into. It was pretty quick, but that was the only pretty thing about it! Through the grapevine, I learned that somebody wanted a 510 and was willing to trade a Nissan 240sx for it... just a few days later, and a deal was made!
The car actually didn't look quite like this when I got it. It's an '89, and it had the US-spec "Zenki" front end with pop-up headlights. The suspension was mostly stock, but with cut coil springs, but the magic was under the hood and inside the interior:
Somebody, somewhere along the line, went to considerable effort to swap this car over to right-hand drive, and changed the stock KA24 engine over to the coveted SR20DET (a 2.0 liter, turbocharged engine never offered in the States)! The work performed was really top-notch- the entire firewall was swapped out, so everything from the Japanese donor car was present and working as it should: air conditioning, windshield wipers that swept the correct direction, digital climate control, and everything else that usually doesn't get done right!
With a solid foundation to work from, I spent more money than I care to recall on building this car up. I set the suspension up with Apex'i coil-overs, rear subframe collars, urethane steering rack bushings, and heim jointed suspension and steering arms. With the stance set low, I added a little bit more power under the hood with a larger downpipe and exhaust system and a manual boost controller. The car already had a front-mount intercooler in place, so it took to the extra boost just fine.
With the particulars underneath addressed, I moved my focus to the exterior. I converted the front end to the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Silvia front end, which in my opinion gives the car a much sportier and more modern look. The panels weren't a perfect paint match to the original two-tone, but they were close enough that it never bothered me much! Out back, I replaced the factory tail lights with clear/red ones from eBay, and I ditched the stock whip antenna for a short polished aluminum piece. The biggest change for the outside, though, was the wheels. Those are 17x8 and 17x9 Impul Silhouettes. Impul has worked with Nissan for years in the racing world, and is a very respected manufacturer of aftermarket parts. These wheels looked right at home on my little 240- after I added 25mm spacers behind them to give that super-flush look I was after.
Inside the car, I gave some much-needed attention to the seating. The factory 240sx seats from 1989 weren't great to begin with, and years of use hadn't done them any favors! I scored a set of 1996 S14 240sx seats in MUCH nicer condition and bolted them into place up front. I also installed the back seats to match- they weren't a perfect fit, but they matched the fronts and looked far better than the stock parts they replaced. My lovely wife got me a set of JDM Silvia floor mats- aside from saying "Silvia" on them instead of "240sx", they have the pad for the driver's feet on the proper side of the car! I also swapped the stock steering wheel for a Nardi with a quick-release hub, and installed a basic Pioneer stereo and some door speakers.
I enjoyed the heck out of this car while I had it- I did some light drifting (nothing to risk damaging the car!), lots of donuts outside of my old shop, and even took it out to Sacramento Raceway for some drag racing:
Unfortunately, owning a car like this in a state like California means that it's only a matter of time before the Long Arm of the Law catches up with you... and it did. In a big way.
I won't go into all of the gory details, but the end result is that I ended up trading the car away to avoid about $1500 in fines...
In all honesty, it wasn't the most practical car for a father of three, but I had an absolute blast owning it, and I was very proud of the modifications I made while I had it! Maybe I'll give a 240 another go after we move to a different state...
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