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.
Don’t hold that fact against him though because believe me, the guy has balls. Originally purchasing the VN from Ebay, it went from being plain white to flat orange, to rolling on 20’s. However due to the car attempting suicide on more than one occasion, Mark decided for something a little newer that would handle a corner (without the turning circle of the Queen Mary II).
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.