It’s Really Not a 240SX: Erik’s 180SX
In a world full of real and fake, mislabeled things, and people trying to fake the funk, it’s rare we find someone with a real, correctly labeled, funky ass thing on their hands. Sometimes it’s a guy with a rad, rare camera. Other times it’s somebody with a copy of that movie you loved as a kid, but could never find in adulthood. In this case, it’s Erik with a legitimate 180SX. Right hand drive and all.
You can’t really see it, but the ID plate lists this car as a 180SX that came with an SR20DET. And this car ran an SR for a very long time, then Erik got an itch, and BH Motorsports got crafty, and it has an RB25DET Neo under the hood. It’s not crazily built, the only internal modifications are a set of Tomei Pon cams. Everything else is a bolt on. On the intake side is a Freddy intake manifold (Fake Greddy, keep up) with a set of R35 GTR fuel injectors and a Tomei fuel pressure regulator.
On the fun side is a Garrett 3076r snail, bolted to a CX Racing manifold. Cooling the compressed air before it gets to the Freddy manifold is a PBM intercooler. Watching over this whole ordeal is a Haltech Platinum Pro Series ECU, which gets and sends information via a Wiring Specialties harness. Tuning services were provided by D-Wreck.
Getting that power to the driven wheels is an RB20 transmission, loving stuffed with an ACT 6 puck unsprung clutch. In the back, between the driven wheels, is a NISMO two way limited slip differential.
Doing the stopping is a set of S14 brake calipers up front, and the stock calipers in the rear. Both have Project Mu pads in them, which seem to be doing the job.
Helping Erik get that sweet, sweet steering angle (which, as I’m told, translates to sweet, sweet street cred) is a whole mess of stuff that my feeble brain barely has a grasp of: PBM knuckles front and rear, lengthened and boxed lower control arms, Driftworks offset and bent tension rods, an GK Tech offset steering rack spacers.
Helping to maximize grip, something a drift car actually needs) are a set of Gecko street coilovers. Strut tower bars provided by JIC (front) and Cusco (rear), and a Godspeed full rear suspension arm kit in the back help keep things planted. Also some Stance subframe risers raise a subframe… Not sure which, but one of them is raised!
The front and rear wheels and tires are different, for reasons. Up front the 18×9 Rota G Forces are wrapped in 205/40 Federal 595s, and out back the 18×10.5 Vordovens turn 265/35 Achilles ATR Sports into white smoke.
Ok, now that we’ve covered what makes this car go, we can get on to the miles of style this thing has. In the back it has a set of JDM kouki tail lights, over which is a custom drag wing made by Team Orange. Who is Team Orange? They’re the drift team that ran RWD Evos and WRXs in D1GP.
The car sports a replica Vertex body kit, and a real D Max hood vent. It also has a one of ten Godai Elements: Earth windshield banner from Super Wow Factory. The gray and deceptively purple two tone was done by Brandon over at D-Spare.
Inside, on the driver’s side, is a Bride Vios Low Maxx 3 seat, on Planted seat rails. The limited edition Jimmy Up steering wheel is mounted on a Works Bell quick release, and a NISMO shift knob tops the shifter.
On the passenger side is a Bride Zeta seat, also on Planted rails, and a set of Defi gauges mounted in the dash. No such thing as too much information.
And in the back, opposite the Sard surge tank, is a .50 caliber ammo box. Inside that box is not ammunition, but his battery.
This isn’t a 240SX with 180SX tail lights and center section. This is the real deal. It also hasn’t been dipped and deep fried in America either. This is about as JDM as you’re gonna get until you hit the home islands. It’s really authentic, and really a 180SX
