Although most Japanese and European VIP luxury cars are sedans, enthusiasts agree that abiding by the VIP mindset is more important than whether you say coup or saloon.
As a certified Honda-head, he found his front-wheel-drive ethics challenged as he slowly gravitated more and more towards buying a-gasp!-rear-wheel-drive Nissan 240SX convertible. He sat on his decision for a year, and closed the deal when he wisely hit up an extremely intoxicated friend to sell his daily driver. A convertible, you ask? Jeez, whatever happened to priorities like torsional rigidity and keeping your pride as a man? "Negative," says Mr. Andrade, as 240SX convertibles are very rare, and have developed a cult following. Besides, who wants to drive a boring old coupe anyway? But, he didn't want his car to be a trailer queen; he intended to drive it frequently, whether for occasional track days or to visit his girlfriend's family.
Like a mail order bride, the new car wasn't pretty but she sure had a lot of sex potential. Nearly every gauge, knob and switch on the car was broken, but it had a straight, clean chassis. Lipstick red paint, an automatic transmission and plain Jane, four-spoke alloy wheels came standard. Andrade immediately began to modify the car for the track with basic, but much-needed improvements like a new exhaust system, bigger brakes, lighter wheels and new tires. It was also converted to a five-speed manual transmission. And that's when things really blew up, literally.
The stock KA24 motor blew up one day. Funny, we know a few other people that have gone through a similar experience. Bummed, but not defeated, Andrade called up former Nissan North America performance guru Steve Mitchell of M-Workz in Gardena, Calif. Mitchell provided fatherly counsel and helped Andrade obtain a new VQ35 motor and transmission. In a 240SX? Whoa.
A 240SX with a VQ35 motor is a unique project, and requires technical expertise that goes beyond high school auto shop. Since it is not a factory swap like an SR20DET conversion, it requires a considerable amount of extra work fabricating and designing custom engine components. So Andrade turned his project over to Gary Castillo and Design Craft Fabrication in Lake Forest, Calif. Castillo and his team spent three months performing surgery on the car. Before the engine could go in, they had to first create a new driveshaft, as well as a new wiring harness and transmission mounts. They spent three days designing a new shifter because of the differing driveshaft lengths between a 240SX and a 350Z. They used Peak Performance 240SX motor mounts and modified them to work with the new motor. They fabricated a custom exhaust system, with a 2 1/4-inch Y-pipe into a 3-inch stainless dual tip exhaust. All of the other moving parts in the engine were left alone. Even without major internal modifications, it made 229 hp at the wheels, which is better than stock
By the time this issue hits the newsstands, a new 4.1-liter overbored VQ race motor will have taken the place of the old one. The new powerplant has been completely rebuilt with new camshafts, rods, valves and valve springs by Brian Crower, 10.0:1 JE pistons and 440 cc RC Engineering fuel injectors. Bore and stroke have been punched out to 100mm x 88mm. The intake manifold remains stock, but Castillo created a custom adapter to work with the Edelbrock 70 mm throttle body. Okido Project coils and NGK spark plugs enhance ignition capabilities, especially with such a high compression ratio. Horsepower is expected to surpass 350.
Thanks to the bodywork assembling genius of M1 Autobody in El Monte, Calif., Andrade's vehicle now boasts an Origin Lab Stylish Aero Kit, 50 millimeter rear overfenders, 30 millimeter one-piece metal front overfenders, fiberglass door panels, a Seibon trunk and hood and a Supermade Instant Gentleman Wing; no, we're not making the last part up. M1 is also responsible for the car's current black paint job. They added stylish but practical touches such as Origin Lab side mirrors with integrated LED turn signals and Ignited Performance HID front and rear taillights. But the S14 front conversion? Andrade did that all by himself.
Underneath the aero styling kit is an enhanced suspension featuring A'PEXi DXV coilovers, which provides a nice firm suspension. An L*CON chassis brace helps to improve handling. Fine, but it's the deep offset wheels and tires that really make the car stand out. The S13 rocks AME Shallen CX wheels, which are the brand's most popular line of wheels for VIP vehicle applications. Sized 18x9.5 front and 18x10 in the rear, they are paired with Falken FK-452s sized 215/35/18 in front and 225/35-18 in back. And for those who live and die by negative offset, you can swoon over Andrade's wheel specs: -10 degrees in front and -26 in the rear. Need more proof that his car is cooler than yours? His Rotora six piston chrome brake calipers were so huge, he initially had trouble making his wheels spin. Castillo tried using 30mm spacers, but the wheel still stuck out a full inch and half from the lip of the rim to the fender. So, he pulled off the MacPherson strut bolts and replaced them with smaller ones for increased negative camber. Even so, the car is surprisingly comfortable and ride quality is decent even on the unforgiving Los Angeles highways.
The interior is a perfect blend of luxury and sport, with Sparco Evo seats wrapped in black suede. The roll cage, installed by L*CON, takes the place of backseats. But, taking cues from VIP styling, Andrade hides the roll cage with aluminum panels also covered in suede to create a subdued but very functional look. A Sparco steering wheel, as well as carbon-fiber pedals and safety harnesses, ensures that even if Mickey sees an untimely early finish on the track, he will still be well protected. Origin Lab fiberglass door panels and a C.A.I. VIP drink tray complete the auto luxury feel. What little extra weight he managed to shave off to tip the power-to-weight ratio is a moot point now thanks to his (removable) Eclipse Audio sound system in the trunk, complete with 5.25-inch speakers in front and 6.25-inches in back, two amps and a 12-inch subwoofer. All of his audio components were installed by Autofashion in San Diego, who also kindly designed a custom trunk closure to house his precious equipment. Surprisingly, he admits he may have gone a bit overboard with the showoff accessories, but in his defense, his car was in the Falken booth at SEMA last year.
In spite of his vast industry connections, don't be fooled into thinking that Andrade was able to write off the whole project. He estimates that he has spent well over $30,000 on upgrades and modifications. While others balk and argue that he could have just bought a new BMW or Lexus with that money, they are missing the point. The appeal of VIP style is that it allows you to purchase a relatively affordable vehicle, whether it costs $2000 or $20,000, and have that additional money for upgrades that you would never have in purchasing a car right off the lot. Look for more of Andrade as he continues to show the world what VIP style is all about, and how to make it your own.
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Sci i know you cant resist a challenge so here's your test /// show me a real authentic race car -(not a street car)- with rims and tires set exactly that way and you win///
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