the BuilD iSSue

Stripping Your Car
Down to Bare Metal
HOW &
WHY p.74
ELECTRONICALLY REPRINTED FROM JULY 2011
The Build Issue
This Is Not
a Paint Job.
Vinyl Wrap
Done Right
Quick & Easy
Track Prep
GM’s E-Rod LS3
Crate Engine
430 hp + 424 tq
Is the 240sx
Worthy?
Make More Power With
Your Stock Turbo SR20
Titanium Bliss EVO X
Exhaust + 29 whp
K20 Camshaft
Upgrade
Story & Photos Peter Tarach
The interior is
going to need
some serious
work. It has seen
better days.
Project S13
Forget 4-cylinders, we’re going V-8!
O
ur recent V-8 engine swaps issue received
as much praise as it did hatred. You’re either
on board for domestic V-8 engine swaps into
Japanese chassis, or you’re downright against
them. Personally, I don’t care what logo an engine wears or
its country of origin. If it’s a well built, powerful and reliable,
then why not swap it?
My old S14 240SX was a great car, with a 380-whp SR20
setup, but what I didn’t like was the constant tinkering and
odds and ends I had to fix to keep it running. That’s why I’m
about to see if a V-8 engine, which should make roughly the
same power, will be as good or better this time around. And
there’s only one way to find out: build it!
This time, though, I’ll be working with a S13 chassis, a ’91
model year that I picked up for $2,500; the paint is rough,
but the body is straight. The goal of this project is to build a
legitimate street car that will be more than capable to drive to
and from work and possibly do some track excursions. I want
to focus first and foremost on getting this car to be streetable,
so there are no bucket seats or cage going into it, and it won’t
be getting any crazy aero treatment or anything like that. I
want this S13 to blend in with most cars on the street, until
they hear the sound of it.
GM’s newest V-8 LS3 E-Rod crate engine has been chosen
for the swap. The package from GM is supposed to include
everything needed to drop into almost any chassis and be
CARB legal.
Sikky Manufacturing has graciously decided to help with
almost all the components for the V-8 swap to make it as
painless as possible. After receiving the parts, I was relieved
to see that the craftsmanship is superb and I can’t wait to see
how it all works with the new engine.
Exterior-wise, I plan for full JDM aero for the S13. If you
know me, I can’t deal with ill-fitting and cracking fiberglass,
Here’s a sneak peak at the shiny new paint job in store for the 240SX
in a future issue.
A big, burly GM LS3 V-8 will soon reside in the engine bay alongside
some Sikky swap parts. Both are sitting at our tech center awaiting
installation.
so the OEM JDM aero was my only
choice. A set of Enkei NT03+M wheels
should really set off the S13’s looks
while still keeping it low-key, no flashy
colors on this car. But before I dive into
the drivetrain and suspension work,
I’m going to have the S13 painted then
park it on our garage here at work and
bolt everything up before it moves
an inch. It will be a ground-up build,
where all the parts will come together
and I should end up with a completely
new car (in a sense, of course). I’m very
eager to get working on it and my office
is just about full of boxes with parts
ready to be installed.
Posted with permission from the July 2011 issue of Modified® Copyright 2012, Source Interlink Media. All rights reserved.
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