There are two common approaches to modifying a car - for show or for go. Nick
Karagiannis of Sydney is one of the few enthusiasts who have recently gone
down both paths with his Nissan S15 200SX.
"Before the 200SX I wasn't driving anything special - just some ol' 1985
Holden Astra," says Nick. "I'd always liked 200s and I'm a big fan of real wheel
drive - I guess I always knew I'd get a S15." Nick's first impression of his
then-new S15 S-spec was that it was very responsive. "And, mate, the shape is so
sleek..."
Continuing on the cosmetic theme, Nick first treated his 200SX to some
mega-buck 19-inch wheels and a leather interior trim loaded with everything.
And, yes, that includes a television! "After a while, though, I got a bit tired
of the show scene and I started wanting more and more power," Nick says.
Sydney's R & G Mechanical Repairs (aka TRP) have a wealth of experience
achieving amazing things with turbomotors and were handed the task of morphing
the car to a very healthy 480hp at the wheels. That happens to be about
triple the factory power output!
Internally, the SR20DET spins the standard crankshaft teamed with custom TRP
conrods, which are considerably thicker than the stock parts. Bearing the brunt
of combustion pressure are Aries forged pistons that provide a static
compression ratio of 7.5:1. Turning attention a little higher, there's a copper
head gasket sandwiched between an O-ringed block and head. ARP studs have also
been employed. The DOHC, 16-valve alloy head remains standard, including the
factory variable inlet cam timing system. A custom catchcan receives blow-by from
the top of the motor.
R & G Mechanical Repairs fabricated an intricate pipe arrangement -
otherwise known as an exhaust manifold! - to channel exhaust gasses into a giant
'700 horsepower' Garrett ball-bearing turbocharger. Preventing that enormous
turboccharger from blowing the SR20's mind is a 38mm Trial external wastegate.
Gasses from the wastegate escape through a short 'screamer pipe', while gasses
from the turbine are jostled through a 3-inch mandrel exhaust with a Japanese
muffler.
Rob Rigoli (the 'R' in R & G Mechanical Repairs) has recently tuned the
car for up to 35 psi of boost and, needless to say, there's a plenty serious
intercooling arrangement. A Mood Motorsport bar-and-plate core sucks up all
available space in the standard S15 nosecone and does a great job of chilling
induction air. A Blitz blow-off valve can be seen in the pipework between the
intercooler and engine. Oh, and a K&N pod filter can also be found on the
end of a large diameter induction pipe.
Increased fuel pressure is a great way of upping the fuel flow to cope with
mild engine tweaks, but in this instance the stock injectors would've bust their guts trying to
pass the necessary amount of fuel. So there's now a set of
four 750cc injectors in place. The rest of the fuel system comprises
a Malpassi rising rate regulator, a Bosch motorsport pump and a surge tank.
Controlling the big squirters is a MicroTech LT8 programmable stand-alone
system with an in-built MAP sensor. The MicroTech unit also controls the
ignition side of things; four high-energy Bosch coils and a MSD DIS4 booster
serve to keep spark energy to the required level. Turbo boost isn't controlled
by the MicoTech system, but by a TurboSmart dual stage bleed arrangement. Max
boost on the street is around 17 psi, but up to 35 psi can be selected when the
fuel tank is filled with 'the good stuff'.
At the time of our pics, the car had only j-u-s-t been put together so 'xcuse
any wires or hoses that look like they need a tidy up. Rest assured, though,
there's nothing gnarly about the way this SX pushes out ponies. With just
everyday Optimax in the belly, there's 349hp at the wheels on 17 psi boost (as
measured on a Dyno Dynamics chassis dyno). With C16 race fuel in the tank,
however, Nick can run 35 psi to achieve a momentous 480hp at the wheels. That
equates to more than 600hp at the flywheel...
The standard clutch would've lasted barely 'til out of the workshop
driveway, so torque is now channelled through a solid-centre brass button clutch
working with a lightened steel flywheel and heavy-duty pressure plate. At the
time of writing, the factory 6-speeed 'box and factory LSD are lasting fine - but
only 2000km have been covered since the engine build.
The suspension department is pretty basic at present. The only chassis mod is
the fitment of lowered springs; we're told extra revision would help keep the
car more stable under power.
Stand on the brake pedal and the ABS brakes bite quite nicely thanks to DBA
drilled and slotted replacement discs working with 4-pot Brembo calipers.
Enough techno analysis, though, how damn fast does this sucker
go?
Well, we've been taken for a fling around the block and we can tell you it's
insane. Wind up that massive Garrett turbo and it feels like you're
strapped into the latest space shuttle - try not to black out! You wanna talk
numbers? Okay. Consider Nick has run a first-time-out 11.1-second ET at a very
strong 125 mph and you'll start to appreciate the speed of this
machine.
Nick isn't one to let his car go 'stale', however - he sold his monster SX
just after running the 11.1-second quarter mile time. His next ride? "Hmmm, I
think I might go for a luxury car next time 'round..."
This man has sampled it all!
Contact:
R & G Mechanical Repairs (aka Tony Rigoli Performance)
+61 2 9726 6662
