Over the previous decade, the inflow of collectible JDM automobiles into the US has steadily elevated, thanks to varied fashions from the golden period of Japanese tuning changing into eligible for US registration underneath the 25-year import rule. 2024 marks a major milestone with the arrival of the primary 1999 BNR34 Skyline GT-Rs, and lots of extra GT-Rs will discover new houses within the US over the subsequent couple of years.
Whereas many American fans have lengthy coveted right-hand drive, Japanese home fashions, the curiosity isn’t fully one-sided. In Japan, there’s a area of interest however passionate group of fans who crave left-hand drive USDM automobiles. A decade in the past, we featured a Nissan 240SX in Japan – a uncommon prevalence contemplating that the JDM equal in its highest-performing spec, the zenki Nissan S14 Silvia Okay’s, might be seen as much more fascinating. Nevertheless, this explicit 240SX stood out due to who constructed it: Tomei Powered Inc.
For this week’s throwback, we’re revisiting Dino’s story on one of many coolest 240SXs round on the time.
2014 Function
We like the weird right here at Speedhunters. It’s what we crave. It retains us from losing interest. So when somebody occurs to do one thing totally different from the norm, we take discover. If that somebody occurs to be one of many greatest names within the Japanese aftermarket tuning world, then we actually wish to discover out extra. It was in the course of the 2013 Nismo Competition that I first laid eyes on Tomei’s new demo automotive, and such as you is perhaps doing proper now, puzzled what the hell the large deal was.
What I used to be seeing was an S14, however then there was a relentless crowd of individuals round it all through the day. Granted the automotive regarded very recent fitted with Rocket Bunny’s unmistakable aero and sporting a customized pearl white with tons of purple and inexperienced metallic reflections. But it surely was only a Silvia. So what?
It wasn’t till the little crowd of individuals let me by that I noticed what aspect the steering wheel was on; okay so it’s no Silvia, it’s a USDM-market 240SX. Tomei USA despatched it over to Japan to get tuned up by the HQ in Machida within the outskirts of Tokyo. However not simply tune it up as they may do some other S14, slightly develop and create a brand new bunch of prototype elements.
Now issues are positively getting attention-grabbing. As Sasaki-san, the Basic Supervisor of Tomei informed me after he drove throughout the Tokyo Bay to satisfy me in somewhat abandoned fishing port in Chiba, it is a automotive they’ve been interested by for some time. With the necessity to promote their soon-to-be-released engine elements, step one was to get the automotive trying excellent and I’m glad they caught with the zenki mannequin of the 240SX – one thing that’s simply identifiable from the extra rounded-off headlight form. Why? Effectively it’s typically uncared for, as everybody prefers the extra S15-like angular lights of the kouki.
Miura-san was known as in to provide the S14 aero equipment, which was one of many first few kits he created again within the day underneath the 6666 Customs branding. It’s fairly loopy to suppose how previous these aero additions truly are and it’s because of the quantity of publicity and recognition his newer work has had that has reignited a method that was in all probability somewhat too forward-thinking when it was truly launched. So together with the clear and lip-less entrance bumper, the one-piece entrance fenders and the rear overfenders, the previous Nissan is actually reworked. In fact these kits simply wouldn’t be full with out the compulsory ducktail lip to signal all of it off. Moreover you possibly can see above how the paint comes alive when the solar hits it excellent. I name it ‘chromatic aberration pearl white’!
Now no equipment is ever fairly full with out the appropriate wheel, chosen within the appropriate kind of fitment to visibly replenish the new-found house contained in the fenders. No issues right here both: the timeless Work Meister S1 18-inch, three-piece rims have been chosen with an abundance of polished lip and are fitted in 9.5-inch widths up entrance and barely wider 10.5-inch on the rear. Seeing the automotive is constructed with a kind of street-oriented drifter really feel, the appropriate kind of tyres had been wanted too: the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08s stepping as much as the problem with an outstanding mixture of grip and management in moist or dry.
As soon as the fitment field was ticked, it was over to the precise dealing with, which additionally clearly impacts the best way the automotive sits. Right here Tomei known as within the assist of Countless who equipped their Zeal Perform X adjustable dampers, set to provide a reasonably aggressive, but purposeful trip peak and enhance dealing with traits tenfold. Plus, like every high-end suspension set-up, compliance is one high quality that’s all the time current, making the automotive a pleasure to drive each on or off the observe. Countless was additionally known as on to enhance the automotive’s braking set-up, and that was simply achieved with one in every of their most elementary kits comprising of entrance four-pot calipers and one-piece grooved rotors. To stability out the rear, Tomei sourced some ECR33 Skyline calipers and fitted these together with matching Countless rotors.
It was on to the efficiency from there and Tomei took their time right here to strategy an engine they’ve by no means actually labored on earlier than: the KA24DE. Now when you comply with Japanese automobiles and the tuning tradition that revolves round them, be it in grip or drifting, the NA KA24 that was used on export fashions of the S14 has by no means been a sought-after powerplant by fans. SR20DET swaps have all the time been widespread because the JDM-spec motor permits for top energy ranges to be reached and with it comes an nearly limitless line of tune-up elements of each form. However Tomei, seeing that no Japanese elements maker had ever created upgraded elements for this motor, determined to give you one thing that may permit these with a 240SX to efficiently increase it and get respectable numbers out of it.
However hold on a second – why now? That’s what I requested Eiji Mihara at Tomei USA and he informed me straight and easy that they don’t care about getting cash on these elements, they simply need to have the ability to provide an honest degree of help to their US clients that aren’t up for doing engine swaps. Truthful sufficient I suppose, however what do the modifications entail? Effectively to begin off, they’ve developed upgraded solid aluminium pistons in addition to stronger connecting rods. A lot of the elements are nonetheless in testing, due to this fact labeled as prototypes, however they’re getting good outcomes already and are nearing correct manufacturing. On the demo automotive, the inventory crank has been balanced and fitted together with the aforementioned pistons and rods to permit the motor to simply take an honest dose of increase.
They’ve simply completed testing a particular Procam set-up with 270-degree length and 9.5mm carry which has had an superior consequence on their engine dyno, making respectable energy over 4,000rpm – a very good 500rpm decrease than competitor cams on the market. The KA24 runs Tomei’s Arms M8270 turbo equipment which is identical they provide for the SR20DET, so even when fairly giant size-wise, the engine’s additional 400cc of capability helps it spool up, with good increase being produced from as little as 1,500rpm. The turbo is fitted onto a chrome steel exhaust manifold however they’re engaged on making a one-piece solid merchandise which shall be a bulletproof ‘match and neglect about it’ kind of mod.
Gasses are dumped by way of an Expreme turbo outlet pipe into the titanium Expreme Ti exhaust. There are many cool touches within the engine bay like a one-off titanium hand-welded lobster-tail intercooler pipe on the consumption aspect of the KA in addition to a neatly positioned paper cone filter.
Supporting the modifications are fairly fundamental mods to the fuelling, beginning off within the gas tank with a Tomei 255lph pump, 555cc/min injectors and their adjustable gas strain regulator. The automotive depends on a Haltech Platinum Sport 1000 ECU, which makes essentially the most out of all of the upgrades. Because the automotive continues to be in growth, energy figures aren’t remaining however with a couple of bar of increase, they’re operating round 350hp proper now with a really broad unfold of torque which peaks at approx 540Nm (398lb-ft).
With the primary intention of this automotive being set round ample energy and drivability by the rpm vary, we are able to positively say they’re heading in the right direction. Seeing their automotive got here with an automated transmission, that was clearly not going to be of a lot use. It was shortly and swiftly swapped out for a manufacturing facility 5-speed gearbox and to get all that twist effectively to the bottom, a Tomei Technical Trax LSD has been thrown onto the S14’s rear finish.
Tomei has even gone as far as to suit RYO steering knuckles, which kind of hints on the use the automotive will get as soon as the engine internals and ECU tune are finalized. With that a lot torque on faucet, it is going to all make for an easy drift set-up, which is exactly what they had been taking pictures for.
Tomei actually made certain to pick out one of the best merchandise when addressing the cabin and with the bottom automotive being a low mileage, seldom-used every day in its earlier life, it seems to be prefer it has stood as much as the check of time rattling nicely. Minus the inventory ’90s cloth trim on the rear seats and the door playing cards that’s!
The motive force and passenger get to take a seat on barely totally different seats: the Bride Gias II on the left a extra highly-bolstered reclinable merchandise, whereas the Stradia II on the appropriate nonetheless providing greater than sufficient help however with out sacrificing an excessive amount of consolation.
Relating to the seats, it’s laborious to inform the distinction, particularly trying solely on the prime sections. That’s a very good factor as one pet peeve of mine is seeing unmatched seats run by so many automobiles in Japan.
This works out nicely as you might by no means inform from trying by the entrance or aspect glass. Takata harnesses full the seating preparations – there just for the driving force.
The dated Nissan inventory meters are nowhere to be seen, which is nice as a result of they’re somewhat surpassed at the moment. Plus seeing because the Racepak is a straight plug-and-play for the Haltech ECU, this cool little sprint unit slash information logger was a no brainer kind of mod.
It’s joined by a PLX AFR gauge – a much-needed device whereas the KA24 upgrades are underneath growth. The electroluminescent show can be the same shade of blue to the Racepak’s back-lit show. Man, don’t you simply like it when little issues like this match and are available collectively?
So there you’ve it. It may not be the quickest, it may not be essentially the most ground-breaking, however this 240SX represents a very good transfer by an necessary identify within the Japanese tuning world.
With the easy aim to open up extra choices to high quality and dependable merchandise for fans that crave them, Tomei has got down to do one thing that a number of elements makers wouldn’t even have thought-about. With a scramble to get as many upgrades for the 86’s FA20 and the GT-R’s VR38DETT, it’s cool to see that there are some firms on the market that care in regards to the automobiles and engines a number of us nonetheless love and look after. With guys like this in our midst, we’re good to go for years to return.
The Speedhunters
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Dino Dalle Carbonare
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dino@speedhunters.com
