Exploring the Legacy of the 1991 Nissan 240SX: A Classic Icon of the 90s

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Exploring the Legacy of the 1991 Nissan 240SX: A Classic Icon of the 90s

Garrett DeBlasi

Instagram: @issa_sil80

Photographer: Trey Coleman

Instagram: @Trey.coleman.photos

Performance Stats: 550-800+whp on an 8-position switch

I'm 29 years old from Louisville, Kentucky and have had a car addiction since I was 2 years old and saw my first Viper on vacation in Miami. I come from a car enthusiast family; between my uncles being involved in drag racing, my grandpa doing bodywork and my step-dad who was a master technician his entire life. 

My grandpa and uncles were a giant influence on my passion for cars. I vividly remember going to the drag strip on test and tune nights watching my uncles do passes. One of them had a forged nitrous-fed Camaro and the other had a basically max effort stock blower Lightning.

My grandpa always took me to car shows, rod runs or the drag strip growing up. We'd sit down and watch video after video after video of cars. Unfortunately, he never got to see me finish the car before he passed. He was my greatest supporter in life and was always the driving force behind everything I did.

Why did I choose this Car and Customise it?

I had a VMP E85 GT500 on CCWs/Airlift and met a guy at a meet (who is now a good friend of mine) that had a forged KA-T S13. He took me out in it and I immediately fell in love with the car. It was on a Haltech and made at the time around 650whp. He'd beat all sorts of cars that he shouldn't, mainly due to his weight. Shortly after, I sold my GT500 I was on the hunt for a S13. Specifically a white hatch. After about a month of searching, I got lucky and found a rust-free sleeved & forged SR swapped S13 hatch with the Silvia front on it. It was supposed to be a simple build, freshen up the paint, redo the interior and enjoy it.

About 3 months into owning it I decided I wanted big power and it's hard to argue against LS swaps when it comes to reliable power. Then the snowball effect happened; N/A wasn't going to cut it. The car went from a "simple" 450whp SR car to an 800whp single turbo, forged LS, widebody S13 with a T56 magnum and a Holley ECU.

What it feels like to drive this car?

It's an absolute handful, to say the least. It weighed in at 2690 lbs, so the power to weight is crazy. It doesn't have any creature comforts which can be sort of miserable sitting in traffic during the summer. There's no ABS, no traction control; it's a very raw driving experience. Being on Airlift does make it nice when it comes to speed bumps or steep incline transitions but it definitely doesn't help put the power down like IDS coilovers would.

What makes my car Unique?

It's not every day that you see a turbo sticking out of the hood of a car. Especially a S13. I think hatches are sort of the throwaway S13s for people. The majority of the people who build an S13 seem to want to do a coupe. Not to mention the Silvia front on a hatch isn't normally the go-to for most people, however, I enjoy being different from everyone else. 

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Build List: 

Engine:

• LS1 aluminum block
• Weisco pistons
• Eagle rods 
• ACL bearings 
• Ported heads
• BTR valve covers
• BTR springs/retainers 
• BTR stage 2 turbo cam 
• Fast 78mm intake manifold
• Fast 78mm throttle body
• LS3 coil packs 
• Holley fuel rails
• FIC1000 Fuel Injectors
• Radium fuel hanger
• Twin Walbro 450s
• Accel Ceramic plug wires
• Motion Raceworks Catch Can
• Sikky billet motor mounts w/ urethane bushings
• Sikky baffled oil pan 
• Sikky master cylinder 
• Sikky oil filter relocation kit
• Koyo LS swap radiator
• Twin spal fans with shroud
• Powermaster XS mini high torque starter
• VS 7875 Gen 3 billet turbo 
• 2x 44mm Tial wastegates (7psi springs)
• Tial 50mm bov
• 4” intercooler 

Transmission:

• T56 Magnum-F transmission
• McLeod RXT twin disc clutch 
• McLeod flywheel
• GM bell housing
• Sikky trans mount 

ECU:

• Holley Terminator X ECU
• Holley wiring harness
• Holley 6.86 Pro dash 
• 8 Position switch for boost levels 500-800whp

Exterior:

• Triple projector Silvia headlights
• Silvia big letter grill
• 2F performance front bumper 
• Dorkidori side skirts 
• Dorkidori rear valance 
• Origin +55mm front fenders 
• Origin +55mm rear over fenders
• Clear corner lights 
• Clear turn signals 
• JDM Type X rear taillight conversion 
• JDM RPS13 Carbon Kevlar center garnish
• GKtech mirrors 
• Seibon carbon fiber Silvia hood

Suspension:

• Airlift 3P management
• Custom FV bags
• Work Equip 05 18x10 F 18x11 R 

Interior:

• NRG Prisma seats
• Schroth Harnesses
• DND carbon steering wheel 
• Circuit Motorsports quick release
• Carbon cup holder 
• Carbon Kevlar armrest
• Flocked dash 
• Flocked centre console 
• Suede LRB door panels

The Work

Thankfully I had some help building the car along the way. I couldn't have done it without the help of my uncle and his friend; John. John was nice enough to let me keep it over in his garage for the 4 months we were building it. They're both LS gurus and being able to ask them questions helped tremendously. Wiring isn't my strong suit but luckily John is extremely good at wiring cars.

Without him it may still be in a garage somewhere with the fuse box laying next to it; we had to move it twice for the different turbo setups I had. Nick Sweeney (@precisionwelding.customfab) did all my fabrication work on the turbo kit. He does some insane work and is extremely fast at it. I can't recommend him enough to people.

Future Plans

I'm heavily debating on removing the Airlift and going with IDS coilovers for a more drag-oriented setup as well as removing the 6-speed to replace it with a TH400 or 4L80. Everyone loves the way it is now but I feel like I'm not doing the power of the car any justice. I really just want to see how fast I can push the car. But I do love how the car looks, I never get tired of looking at it.

Advice/Tips

Don't overbuild your cars. Sometimes we get so carried away with these builds that it becomes more work and more stress driving the car. I think I had just as much fun if not more fun when it was a simple SR car. Now I'm constantly looking at every gauge in the car, worrying heavily about getting stuck in the rain. I'm already wanting another 240sx so I can make it a simple KA-T car that can blast down backroads or be daily driven. 

Shout Outs

Trey Coleman (@trey.coleman.photos) for always shooting my cars. Michael and John for all the work they did on the car. My Fiancée Kenzie and my parents for putting up with my car addiction and always supporting me. Kyle Greer for always getting the car aligned.Chris Naujokas at SpeedParts.biz (@chnaujokas) for supplying most of the parts for the car. Cam Dedman at Cambobuilt Speed & Chassis (@cambo_built) for supplying my turbo and Holley system when the world was out of stock. Nick Sweeney (@precisionwelding.customfab) for all my fab work.

My brother Andrew (@andrewdeblasi) and my best friends; Zach (@zheitz413), Jake (@jake_evo8), Jason (@stpkenton), Nick and Caleb (@bippu.cal) for having a part in this car; whether it was helping me polish the wheels before a big show, staying up late with me diagnosing an issue or simply always being down for car shenanigans.

The Scene

I love being able to hang out with my friends and family. Occasionally we all travel together for bigger shows which is an absolute blast. If you have a build and aren't making lifelong friends & memories along the way; you're doing it wrong.

Dream Car

Gen 2+ Viper

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