Twin-Turbo LS-Swapped Nissan 240SX: Drew King

Drew King

1995 Nissan 240SX 

Instagram: @drewking96

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Photographer/Author - Donnie Rochin

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"Do things right the first time. Don't half-ass something just to get minuscule satisfaction. If you go through the effort of doing something, do it right so you do not have to spend precious time doing it again in the future." ~ Drew King

Craftsmanship and Engineering: A Labor of Love

I'm currently 27 years old. I sell valves for the oil and gas industry for a living. I am a huge Houston Astros fan, and I like to tinker with things, hence the car. I am a simple man... I like things that start with B. Baseball, beer, things that go boom (anti-lag, guns, jet engines), and boobies!!! Haha, that probably won't make it into the article.

The Love for Exotics and Imports

I have always liked exotic cars from a young age. Lamborghinis, Ferraris, etc.. Not only did they look great, but the sheer awe I got when seeing them was a different feeling. Maybe it was the exclusivity or rarity of seeing them? Not entirely sure. I did not care much for imports until I got my driver's license at 16. I saw the classic TX2K videos on YouTube and slowly fell in love with the tuner scene. Supras, RX7s, WRXs, etc. Anything that was a "cheap" (at the time) 90's Japanese car was the only thing I could dream of.

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To this day, my dream car is an MKIV Supra. Funny enough, my dad had an old Firebird in the garage when I was growing up. It was a 12:1 compression NA monster on the spray. It had a chute in the back, too. It was a dedicated race car that sure ran 112-octane race gas. This was back in the early 2000s, though, and he ended up selling it as he never drove it. It's funny because I didn't get into cars until that car had already been sold off. I never went to any shows or meets until I got my license. Back in the day, meets were a lot of fun, but sadly, those days are gone. I am getting older and do not care as much about it anymore, nor do I care for the takeover culture. It's a mixture of both.

Why the Nissan 240SX?

Why this Car? Why not? It's cheap, rear-wheel drive, and has a ton of aftermarket support. Of course, when I say "cheap," I mean "was cheap," as today's prices are ridiculous. I only paid $3500 for the car back in 2017! Not to mention, the front end of these cars just looks aggressive. The "pissed off" design of the headlights just looks so good.

The Build Process

I am the type of person who buys a car and turns it into what I envision. However long it takes before I get the actual vision. That being said, I have only ever had two project cars. One of them was this car, the 240, and my previous car, a 1996 Toyota Camry. I ended up 5SPD swapping it and building a turbo kit for it. The Camry was my first car. I also have a 2005 Duramax as a daily driver with a fair taste of mods, but it's mostly just the daily.

The Joy of Sharing the Build

Honestly, it makes me feel good. I enjoy talking about the car and the build. I love spilling my secrets about how I did certain things. That is the most enjoyable part for me. When trailering the car from show to show in different cities and states, I ALWAYS get thumbs-ups on the road! It's awesome! I built the car, and it has become what it is because I enjoy the engineering behind things. I enjoy designing wiring harnesses and turbo manifolds and keeping things clean and functional.

Tips for LS Swaps

Not a lot of tips to give, really; if you are planning on LS swapping a 240SX (an S14 specifically), you need to: 1. hammer the crap out of the transmission tunnel to get the transmission to fit. If you think you are done hammering, you are not, and you should keep going for another 30 minutes! 2. is to build your swap kit. I wouldn't buy from Sikky (not that they are a terrible company or anything) or some of the other swap kit companies. Do your research and figure out what you need. Measure twice cut once. If you want to swap a different motor into your vehicle, you should be smart enough to piece your kit together and save money to put into other things like turbos, superchargers, and other fun parts.

The Uniqueness of the Build

It is challenging to be unique with a car everyone has, including their mom. A few things make it unique: 1. It runs and drives and isn't on jack stands like most other 240s. Hahaha!! Another thing would be form AND function. I can air out at a show and then pull on 1000cc bikes on the way home. It is great to have the best of both worlds. The craftsmanship of this build is at the next level. Most other 240 owners tend to zip things together, while I use Rivnuts and other things. Plus, when do you see a mirror image of a twin-turbo S14 with a high RAM that is aired out at a show? Not very often...

I have done everything on this car, minus the paint job and the alignments. Of course, I have some friends who come by for assistance, and I pay them for pizza and beer. Those friends are Joel @joelblock6, Michael @tha0utlaw, and Nic @nicolasharper. Julio and his brother Joshua @vb_bodyshop did the paint.

The Niisan 240SX Custom Build List

Chassis -

• 1995 nissan 240sx w/ka24de, kouki front end

Engine block - 

• 2000 Silverado 2500hd 6.0l v8 "lq4" fully built 408ci stroker (6.6l)

• btr stage 4 n/a cam

• ls7 lifters/trays

• comp cams adjustable billet timing set (timing chain)

• Holley efi hi-ram intake manifold w/ fuel rails

• 102mm throttle body kyostar

Fuel setup -

• 4x Walbro 450lph fuel pump (1 in stock saddle tank, 3 in surge tank)

• Radium mpfst (multi-pump fuel surge tank)

• Radium s14 fuel pump hanger

• Bosch 210lb/hr fuel injectors - denso connector - ev14

• 10an ptfe feed lines

• 8an ptfe return lines

• Chase bays fuel pressure regulator

Turbo setup -

• (turbo 1) vsracing 68/62 dbb gen3 dual v-band turbo

• (turbo 2) vsracing 68/62 dbb gen3 dual v-band turbo (reverse)

• 2x vsracing 44mm wastegates

• Tial 2x 50mm bov

• ls turbo manifolds w/ 1-3/4 primaries

• On3 performance twin turbo intercooler

Transmission -

• Tremec t56 magnum-f upgraded by liberty gears, carbon sincros, cryo treatment, etc.

• McLeod original street twin disk clutch w/steel flywheel

Rear end -

• 96-01 Infiniti q45 differential (3.54 ratio)

• Z32 tt driver-side axle

• Q45 driver-side axle

• Q45 driver and passenger 5 lug hubs

Engine management -

• Holley dominator

• Holley efi 6.86" pro dash

• Holley active speed management

Exterior -

• 2f performance "super doof" kit

• Origin type 3 (+45mm) front overfenders

• Origin type 4 (+75mm) style rear over fenders (fineline aero)

• Vsaero rear tyco boss diffuser

• Nissan Kouki mesh grille

• Carbon fiber rhd rain blade windsheild cowl

• Custom kouki corner "jdm chasing" led lights

• Custom kouki bumper "jdm chasing" led lights

Suspension -

• Airtekk airbags

• Nitrous tanks (x2) (air tanks)

• Airlift 3p management

• Front adjustable lower control arms

• Front adjustable tension arms

• Front power brace

• Rear adjustable lower control arms

• Rear adjustable camber arms

• Rear adjustable traction arms

• Rear adjustable toe arms

• Solid subframe bushings

• Solid diff bushings

• 240sx rear toe arm brace

Chassis modifications -

• Drift Armor front bash bar

• tube front with removable couplers from hot metal-fab

• True focus fab rear bash bar w/ parachute mount

• Stroud Safety 430 pro stock dragster parachute

• S14 rear subframe reinforcement plates

Interior - 

• Cusco safety 21 7pt roll cage

• Bride Stradia low max carbon back racing seats

• Sabelt steel series 4-point harness

• Harness bar

Wheels -

• GMR evoke 19x11.5-3 (front) 19x13-25 (rear)

• Tires - greentrac quest-x 265/30/r19 (front) 295/30/r19 (rear)

Brakes - 

• CSTV 4 piston front brakes w/rotors, lines, pads, brackets

• Evo 8 drilled and slotted front brake rotors

• 240sx drilled and slotted rear brake rotors

• Chase bays single-piston brake booster delete

• Chase bays brake line relocation for single brake booster delete

• Chase bays caliper brake lines

Appearance -

• Paint (Deltron Prime) "night blue metallic" from 2023 Porsche Macan

The Future of the Build

The car is done at this point. There isn't anything else to do with it. It's capable of 1200+hp and looks insane. Now, I just want to make it reliable and enjoy the car. A few things might get purchased for the car, like 2pc rotors and a bigger brake kit, but other than that, that is really about it.

I'm not really in any groups. I have a Battlegang banner on the windshield, but it wouldn't necessarily be a group. I have a small handful of friends, and that is really about it. Car crews are kind of overrated and cringy, in my honest opinion.

The Declining Car Scene

The scene has been highly disappointing in the last couple of years. The car scene has undoubtedly been on a downward spiral. We can indeed thank the takeover culture for this. While I used to enjoy the car scene and taking it out to meets and stuff, it isn't worth it anymore. That being said, I have met a lot of super cool people in the scene who have become lifelong friends even if I rarely get to see them, but still, when I do end up going to a show or meet, I am constantly talking to good buddies of mine that I have not seen in a while.

My dream car has to be an LHD MKIV Toyota Supra (1993-1998). If you have one and want to trade it, shoot me a DM. I'll trade you! 

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