Mini Feature :: The Unlikely Coupe

Grant — Thu, 26 May 2016 01:42:17 +0000

From an unwanted shell to racecar in less than a year, when Michael tried to sell the Datsun SSS 200b coupe shell he had no bites! Rather than have a rolling shell taking up space in the garage it was time to inject some life into this old girl.

Being no stranger to race fabrication Michael dreamed of a setup that could take a corner instead of acting like a brick on wheels, wanting a responsive setup Michael decided to adapt the S14 suspension setup to the front and rear of the 200b. This was no easy task, the design of the 200b suspension setup had to sit a lot higher in the back end of body than the original suspension. This helped to give the car an aggressive new stance with a slight squat in the rear.

I didn’t stop there Michael had to make some serious cuts to the guards of the car to fit the huge 16×8 -4 wide wheels under the arches. Making the 200b sit super low with a large wide stance meant an extreme commitment to fitment!

The Modifications kept getting more complicated with a custom tunnel having to be fabricated to accommodate the RB gearbox that was attached to a very healthy Nissan SR20det engine.

If you have ever driven a Datsun 200b you will know that the steering is heavy and sloppy! Michael decided to fix that problem with a full steering rack from a S14 Nissan Silvia. The rack had to be slightly modified to fit the Datsun SSS plus a full roll cage was installed! With a good balance of power and handling this package makes the car a hell of a weapon.

The sound of this car is truly amazing! hearing the sr20 scream around the Haunted Hills race track was a pleasure. This Retro build is an absolute masterpiece! Michael has some real skill! make sure you check out Large Automotive Industries if you need some custom automotive fabrication. Michael’s Datsun makes a huge impact to those who catch a glimpse of it! A classic with a new lease on life, This is one of our favorite Datsun Builds of the year.
– Grant

Nic Wilson's Drift JZX 100 Build :: Part 1

Grant — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:04:50 +0000

Nic Wilson is no stranger to professional drifting, nor to the ever capable Toyota JZX chassis. Competing both locally in Australia and abroad in Japan year in-year out, Nic has built a reputation for throwing these sleek Japanese sedans sideways with his trademark aggressive Australian style. Now with the clock ticking Nic is in the midst of a brand new drift build of exceptional quality.

Competing in the next Australian Drifting GP season Nic is set to raise the bar with his new rig. This particular JZX100 chassis has sat on Nic’s property for years, waiting for an opportune moment to be rebuilt and driven hard. With the build well and truly under way now, he’s on track to debut the car at ADGP round 1 this September.

We’ve been granted exclusive access during all stages of the build , we’ll be updating you frequently as Nic and his sponsors charge towards that first blast around the dome at Calder Park, Melbourne on September 5th.

To kick things off, Nic and his team of sponsors and supporters started with the handling package. The car was stripped to a bare shell and fully seam-welded, a race-spec cage was installed by Black Spade Fabrication Co.

Further stiffening the body you’ll find a Cusco underbody triangle brace and Tom’s underbody rear brace.

The suspension comprises a set of Arogosta coilovers set to 22kg at the Front and 10kg at the Rear along with some Kazama auto rear arms.

In the back you’ll find an unmistakeable ATL 15 gallon fuel cell featuring a Bosch 044 pump and an inbult surge tank, this was test fitted in its own custom mount before being removed before painting takes place.

For the super-wide steering angle that we’ve come to know Nic for, we’ll be seeing him utilise a Heyman products 800ps knuckle lock kit. Between Nic and the road are these impressive 18×10.5 ET+12 Gaia wheels on all four corners.

Rounding out the current wave of installations is a Bride racing seat & rail…

A requisite for all serious drift cars!

This weekend the car will be sent to Rusty’s Restorations for a bold new paint scheme. Stay tuned for our next update to see what Nic has chosen. We can’t wait to see it in the flesh!

As for the drive line… We’re staying tight-lipped for now, until a later update.

Nic would like to thank his Sponsors and Supporters:
PowerVehicles.com
Japanese Parts and Performance Gold Coast
Black Spade Fabrication Co.
Rusty’s Restorations
Jaustech Automotive
Imajess Photography

We would like to thank Nic for sharing his build with us, it’s shaping up to be an amazing machine with some very skilled people behind it. Keep your eyes out for part 2!!
Thanks for reading,
Leigh.
Photos courtesy of : http://whereisleigh.com/

Build – Gripshiftslide

Mini Feature :: The Unlikely Coupe

Nic Wilson's Drift JZX 100 Build :: Part 1