Building project cars is rarely a smooth process, as there are inevitable bumps in the road, unexpected errors and stages of the build that simply don't go according to plan. Even well-thought-out builds can encounter hardships and adversity. But the reward for perseverance can make it all worth while.

Mike Sullivan, the president of Mishimoto Automotive, wanted to build a "show stopper" for the 2008 SEMA Show. In his search for a suitable booth car, he found a JDM Nissan Silvia S13. Mike's original plan was to build the car simply for show. This plan took a radical turn when Mike decided that this Silvia would also compete in both drift and time-attack events. Raising the goals of the build to a competition level pushed the project over budget and suddenly short of time. Even so, the project had to be completed before the SEMA Show.

Gutted For Glory

Mike recruited the assistance of Kenny Strickler at Turbochargers.com to get the ball rolling quickly. Kenny's technicians stripped the S13 down to a bare shell and prepared the chassis for paint. While the prep work was being completed, an AutoPower 6-point cage was test fitted in the cabin. Since this chassis is a right-hand drive variant of the 240SX, the Autopower 240SX cage needed modification to fit the right-hand-drive chassis. Both the cross and diagonal bars under the hoop needed to be modified to fit the cage.

Getting Wide

Seeking an aggressive Japanese aerodynamics package to allow for wider tires on aggressively-offset wheels, Mike selected components from Origin Lab. The Origin Lab front and rear bumpers blend seamlessly with the +40mm wide front fenders and the +50mm wide rear fenders. A Seibon vented hood completes the front-end aero tuning while APR Performance's low-mount carbon-fiber wing finishes the rear. With the body tuning components in place, the shell received a few coats of BASF paint in Mishimoto's trademark orange and black graphics scheme.

Once the shell returned from the paint shop, the cabin was fitted with a pair of Sparco Circuit Pro race buckets and 6-point harnesses. The factory dash went back to its factory position, complemented by a custom carbon-fiber center console that has been cut to accommodate the Ksport hydraulic handbrake assembly. A set of AEM gauges mount neatly to an aluminum switch panel that accents the center console.

Stroked 'N Poked For Big Power

The SR20DET engine was removed during the exterior build to be upgraded for significant power increases. Late Model Engines (LME) began by boring out the sleeves to 87mm in preparation for the 8.5:1 compression JE Pistons and Total Seal piston rings. The JE Pistons join the 91mm stroke BC Brian Crower (BC) 4340 billet-steel crankshaft by way of BC forged-steel connecting rods. The crankshaft and connecting rods rely on Clevite bearings to ensure proper bearing tolerance. The stroked-and-poked rotating assembly results in a new displacement of 2,164cc.

Since the shortblock was capable of moving more air, upgrading the top end was essential. While the SR20 engine is factory equipped with self-adjusting hydraulic lifters for maintenance-free valve adjustment, there is a sacrifice. These hydraulic lifters can limit high-rpm operation. To address this obstacle, TOMEI POWERED solid lifters replaced the factory hydraulic units to enable the use of higher-lift, solid-lifter camshafts. The bumpsticks selected were a pair of BC 272-degree solid-lifter camshafts. These cams are ground to work with the BC dual valve springs and titanium retainers that prevent the valves from floating up to the 9,500 RPM redline. The increased lift and extended duration of these cams allow increased flow in and out of the cylinders. The result is more power at a given boost pressure. To properly position the power curve, HKS adjustable camshaft gears permit even greater fine tuning of the valvetrain timing. Since high horsepower levels require high cylinder pressures, ARP head studs and an A'PEXi head gasket were chosen to provide a good seal.

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