Against The Grain :: Stanced NX Coupe
Building a car for your own taste is hard these days, trying to build it to someone else’s taste is probably even harder.
Considering the majority of the import scene at the moment has gone down the path of ‘stance’ and ‘road-presence’, makes the task of standing-out that little bit harder too.
Having said this, JDMST meets and the like are attracting cars on such a huge scale now that the law of odds clearly states you are going to see something that catches your eye.
I guess in this instance from my own personal taste, this little NX had 100% of my attention.
The NX was purchased in November 2010 and a week later Mark blew the bottom end. But within a few weeks he and friend Ben replaced the blown SR20 with a new unit (I think they’ve done over 3 or 4 SR swaps between them inclusive of Ben’s boosted Pulsar). From here it was a back and forth battle between appearance and power, and needless to say, appearance won for now.
A few wheel choices were given the go-ahead yet eventually Mark settled for what you currently see, Toyparts Steel Wheels in 15×8 +0 wrapped in Firenza ST-05A 195/50’s.
Now, you look at the ride height of this NX and you’d think coilovers obviously. Yeah…………. No!
It’s lowered thanks to a very crude suspension setup consisting of modified bump stops on re-set standard springs!
I’ve ridden in this car and it’s not a setup you want for Queensland’s roads. The jilting and thumping would make any man cower. Which also speaks to Mark’s nature, he drove this car from Brisbane to Mildura (north-west of Melbourne) in the exact same setup, big balls I must say.
The rear seats and everything else in that compartment have been completely removed from the little NX, well all bar the spare wheel that is.
The front interior is very simple. Drift seats hug you in the best way possible and there is a fire extinguisher in case it decides to blow up. There are Saas gauges for oil pressure, temperature and air/fuel to help keep an eye on the veins of the NX.
The cabin is full of charm thanks to some reupholstered details including a carbon wrapped center console.
Yeah, I could stare at that all day as well. ‘Oh gawd’ indeed.
Sitting perfectly.
Nice to see another supporter!
The iPhone gives a good indication of the current ride height. Oh and you can also see some of Mark’s ‘other’ personal preferences here.
I live by a simple rule, don’t mix red & black, but I think he’s hit a winner in this instance.
All in all this car has grown on me in a big way, at first I was not fan but after spending some time writing this article I found the car has a certain element or a soul if you will.
It’s not about spending big $$$ or changing everything because you can, a car is a blank canvas and your imagination is the paintbrush.
Unfortunately as we speak, Mark has had to return the car to stock setup due to running ‘the gauntlet’ too many times. However, in saying that, it’s given him the time to focus his efforts on the new engine setup. This little red roller’s Sr20 shall be fluttering in no time. 
Thanks for reading,
- David.
Very good!
nice photos and write up. Against the grain is a good way to put it.
[...] Thought i'd throw the link up to my mates NX over here in Australia. Build is nowhere near finished yet. Just had a 4 point cage built and installed, NOS is being hooked up next week and will be boosting the NA sr20de bottom end shortly to see what it holds before it goes pop and then a built DET bottom end is fitted. Against The Grain :: Stanced NX Coupe | gripshiftslide.com – Australian Motorsport Car Culture [...]
I m desperately looking for these wheels, any ideas where i can get some ?