1996 Nissan 180SX - In Its Element
Seems The Pair From D2 Are Right At Home With Each Other.
When I was younger, I used to frequent clubs-not for the girls (you know you really don't have high standards if you're successful at picking them up), but rather for the music, the ambiance and really just to be amongst friends. Long story short, we saw a crowd gathered around a stretched Hummer limousine one night after clubbing. Curious, we joined to find inside that the lights were on, and some young, stripper-esque girl and her guy were getting it on for all to see! Not that I didn't enjoy the peek (she was definitely hawt), but the whole scene was really out of its element.
Which sort of parallels my thought behind the drifting phenomenon. Yeah, on occasion I enjoy going to a D1 or a Formula D event, but something was lost in the over-commercialization of the sport that I could never seem to put my finger on. Fast-forward to present day Japan. We're on a mountain pass, instructing D2 Motorworks mechanic, Fumiaki Komatsu, to drive back and forth on a section of the pass, busting U-turns at each end, so we could get a motion shot for our fine 2NR readers. Not only does Komatsu do that, he blows by us with glorious power-slides each time. Did I forget to mention that Komatsu is also D2's pro driver? It's at that moment it clicks for me: Drifting is best in its element, when done not for a trophy or heavy purse, but in its roots, through back mountain passes, by die-hards who couldn't care less if anyone's watching them do it. In my heart, what was lost was regained. My love for drifting had been restored.
The S13 before you is owned by the aforementioned Fumiaki Komatsu of D2 Motorworks of Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan, and started life in their stable as a street-class drift and time-attack vehicle. This is Fumiaki's tenth S13, and it shows in his driving. That's not to say he sucks, rather the opposite: mastering the skill he has takes practice, and if you're not wrecking cars along the way, you're never going to get there. When we asked Fumiaki his goals for this car, he replied very matter-of-factly, "To build a better car. To develop new parts." As if to say this is what he does with his life; just another day; no big deal. Some people spend their whole lives obsessing over one car. Komatsu crashes one, and then ponders what he can do better with the next. He doesn't get heart broken.
In its current state, this jolly green midget has outgrown the street class in time-attack and drift competition, and is currently undergoing further tuning and chassis reinforcement suitable for both. The SR20DET's muy gigante HKS GT3037 Pro S turbo should be the final modification before the S13 would compete as an all-out track slut. For engine build-up expertise, Fumiaki didn't have to look far. As is often done in Japanese hierarchical culture, the elder assists the protégé. Under Takeshi Minoyama's guidance (Komatsu's zen master and employer), he bored the SR block out to 87 mm, to ready it for HKS Stage 3 pistons and rings, the associated connecting rods, crank, and other miscellaneous rotating goods, and topped the bottom end off with a D2 original extra-capacity oil pan.
Our young "Grasshopper" and Master also collaborated on the upper architecture, using Naprec (Nagoya Precision) valves and HKS valve springs and retainers to let in the powerful high-octane air/fuel cocktail. An Ikeya Formula intake manifold and throttle were port matched to the head. Intake, intercooler and exhaust piping are all in-house, TIG-welded titanium. Even more impressive is the custom titanium D2 intake manifold that, taking a hint from RB26DETT power supremacy, houses Ikeya Formula individual throttle bodies.
Boosted charge meets engine management via 1,000cc injectors, controlled by a D2 proprietary HKS PFC F-Con ECU, tuned by Minoyama-sama. HKS fuel pumps pressurize the Auto Staff fuel rail and pressure regulator. Igniting the concoction are HKS race spark plugs, resulting in an "approximate" whopping 550 whp-the D2 crew knows the engine's true output; they simply see no reason to brag about it.
An HKS twin-plate clutch and lightened flywheel are bolted to the back end of the SR crankshaft, but what follows aft is even more impressive: An HKS six-speed sequential gearbox, allowing for incredibly fast mid-corner shifts, sustaining drifts or powering out onto straights. To transfer power to the rear diff in either scenario are an ATS two-way LSD and D2 carbon fiber propeller shaft.
However impressive a boosted, individual-throttled, 550whp SR and sequentially shifted drivetrain might seem, a closer look at the chassis shows it's only part of the equation for track dominance. Although the chassis prep starts with a modest store-bought Safety 21 (a division of Cusco) six-point bolt-in cage, the car's A and B pillars are gusseted in to further make the cage a structural part of the frame. Optional door bars and a rear cross bar add to chassis stiffening, as does stitch welding of the unibody. And with their signature attention to detail, the D2 crew rigged the S13 to a chassis straightener for this phase-believe it or not, vehicles do not come from factory perfectly straight, and hidden tension in the body can cause warping during the welding processes if such care isn't taken.
Drift suspension is addressed via Hyperco 10kg/mm springs up front and 8kg/mm in the rear (558 lb/in and 447 lb/in), HKS D-Dash shocks with adjustable height, rebound and compression settings that eliminate spring lash, and Cusco front and rear bars that further limit chassis flex. For time-attack, stiffer springs are swapped in, with the dampers adjusted accordingly. A set of staggered, black LE37s with chrome lips encase a set of R33 hubs and OEM GT-R four-pistons calipers. Larger, aftermarket brakes are in the works, but this setup did the team well throughout their street-class endeavors. Front tires come in the form of Toyo Proxes, with Achilles ATR Sports at the rear, again mis-matched only for street-class duty. With its significant power increase, expect the S13 to be rolling stickier rubbers at each corner by the time you read this.
By now, you're all wondering about the most stunning aspect of this 180SX. Saving the best for last, D2 collaborated with Kei Miura of TRA-Kyoto for this wide body kit sold exclusively via D2, featuring a fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) front and rear bumper, side skirt, duck tail, roof wing, front and rear wide fenders, and carbon fiber hood. Take notice of perhaps the two coolest features: the riveted rear bumper panel and minimalist aero mirrors.
Remember folks, Chicks dig infamy more than fame, and mastering the drift on back canyon roads in a gutted and caged S13 will drop them like flies. Just ask Komatsu.
'96 Nissan 180SX
Output 550 hp (approximate)
Output 550 hp (approximate)
Engine SR20DET; 87mm bore, 94mm stoke; HKS 2.2L kit (includes rods, pistons, rings, and crank), valve springs, Stage 3 camshafts, adjustable cam gears, 3037 Pro S turbocharger, six-row front-mount intercooler, wastegate, turbo manifold, PFC F-Con, spark plugs, fuel pump, 1,000cc injectors; Auto Staff fuel pressure regulator; Greddy Profec-B Spec 2; D2 Motorworks head porting, tuning, oil pan, titanium intake manifold, intercooler, turbo-back exhaust; Nagoya Precision (Naprec) valves; Ikeya Formula individual throttle bodies; Samco radiator hoses
Drivetrain HKS twin-plate clutch, lightened flywheel, six-speed sequential transmission; ATS two-way LSD
Wheels/Tires Volk Racing LE37 wheels (17X8.5 front,18X9.5 rear); 235/40-17 Toyo Proxes R1R front tires; Achilles ATR Sport 265/35-18 rear tires
Brakes OEM Nissan R33 GT-R 30mm calipers; Earl's stainless steel lines; Endless pads; Datsun pickup parking brake; D2 Motorworks hydraulic hand brake actuator.
Exterior Original D2 body kit, produced by TRA-Kyoto: FRP front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts, "ducktail" roof wing, front fenders, rear over fenders, carbon fiber hood
Interior Bride Zeta 3 seat; welded and gusseted Safety 21 eight-point cage; Cusco rear bar; Nardi steering wheel; Defi multi-display; Takata four-point harness; a very minimalist i-pod adapter with two small-ass speakers (for touge drifting, we're guessing).
Gratitude D2 Motorworks, Auto Staff, TRA Kyoto, Nagoya Precision, Car Make Kamidaira, Super Made,
Behind The Build
Name.
Fumiaki Komatsu
Fumiaki Komatsu
Age.
32
32
Hometown.
Takatsuki Osaka
Takatsuki Osaka
Occupation.
Mechanic FOR D2, Professional Driver For Hire, Ladies Man
Mechanic FOR D2, Professional Driver For Hire, Ladies Man
Hobbies.
Cruising clubs in stretched Hummers
Cruising clubs in stretched Hummers
Build time.
9 Previous S13s and 1.5 years
9 Previous S13s and 1.5 years
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