1989 Nissan 180sx:NICOclub Ride of the Month | themadscientist

 

 

JDM 240sx – Owned by : themadscientists wife

Kaori’s 180SX is a 1989 model. It was originally maroon with an automatic transmission when it was purchased back in 1997. After the slushbox failed and two attempts by the car dealer to fix it failed, Mike, her husband (aka themadscientist) pulled it and swapped in a five speed. While doing this in Japan without changing the title as well is illegal they just can’t schedule the time to care. The first modification was a Christmas boost gauge, old-school Apexi. Well, now it’s old school. Soon after Kai bought the muffler, a Fujitsbo Legalis R evolution. This was teamed with a JIC front pipe and a “test pipe” in place of the catalytic converter. Unfortunately the car has been “testing” for roughly six years so inspections are an under the table affair. Next a birthday blowoff valve, a loud Blitz super sound. It can be heard at least a block away and rivals semi air brakes for noise, The stock CA18 T-2-small turbo soon began to exhibit signs of impending demise so it was chucked and replaced by a brand new S14 Silvia SR20 turbo. The engine is basically the same to this day, it has had a timing belt and water pump replacement but the motor has not been separated even to add a metal head gasket, still going strong after 16-years.

 
The car was hit in the driver’s door while sitting at a light. It was repaired but the motor mount failed during the sideways impact so all engine and transmission mounts were replaced with new OEM mounts.

Since then many gift-giving opportunities have come and gone and her husband is incapable of buying perfume or flowers so it has been car parts for years. Why give jewelry when you can give Defi gauges? The demise of Mike’s Silvia was a boon as well because Kai got all the parts off the fallen warrior. The 180 was the recipient of the Silvia’s six-point Safety21 roll cage, O.S. Giken twin plate clutch, Tomei A/F meter (the first gen that says “rich and “rean”), and the AFM was ditched for an HKS Vein Pressure Converter.

The car was later involved in the creation of a new sport, scooter launching. A scooter tried to cut in front of it and came up a bit short, the riders butt leaving a dent in the left headlight on the way over the hood. The scooter has gone on to it’s great reward.

The car was again attacked when at rest by a little old lady. It was sitting on the side of the road and she wiped out the driver’s side quarter panel. Viewing this as an opportunity, Mad’s body shop friend was brought in to make his idea a reality and a Honda CBR motorcycle donated it’s fuel tank. The gas door has been removed and replaced with the motorcycle flip-out gas cap. It really confuses the gas station attendants who think it is one of those ricer sticker treatments. The car was also shod with an SR20 type II bumper and full Bomex body kit slathered in basic Silvia black a mile deep.

With the body work complete a recently acquired HKS front mount intercooler was installed and the Blitz BOV shelved for a Trust type R. The Optima battery was moved to the trunk to leave clearance for the coldpipe. Tired of hearing guys ask his wife if she was driving “her husbands car” Mike fired up his home ec. skills and redid the interior in a Winnie the Pooh theme. It’s clear now this is no dudes car although Mad does look good when he drives it. He would have gone with something more manly for his own car, like Pokemon.

Future plans for the black widow include a full replacement of the suspension pieces with Cusco links and coilovers, the brakes and radiator from Mike’s old Skyline will supplant the pathetic OEM 180SX units. There is a complete engine worth of parts waiting in the wings as well. When time permits Kai will build her new engine herself with Toda forged pistons, a Tomei head gasket, HKS cams, trust gears, Sard injectors and a full HKS T04E turbo kit on a squirter-less CA18DE block donated by Mike’s last Silvia.