We like the unusual here at Speedhunters. It’s what we crave – it keeps us from getting bored, so when someone happens to do something different from the norm, we take notice. If that someone happens to be one of the biggest names in the Japanese aftermarket tuning world, then we really want to find out more. It was at last year’s Nismo Festival that I first laid eyes on Tomei’s new demo car, and like you might be doing right now, wondered what the hell the big deal was.
What I was seeing was an S14, but then there was a constant crowd of people around it throughout the day. Granted the car looked very fresh fitted with Rocket Bunny’s unmistakable aero and sporting a custom pearl white with tons of purple and green metallic reflections. But it was just a Silvia. So what?
It wasn’t until the little crowd of people let me through that I spotted what side the steering wheel was on; ok so it’s no Silvia, it’s a USDM-market 240SX. Tomei USA sent it over to Japan to get tuned up by the HQ in Machida in the outskirts of Tokyo – but not just tune it up as they might do any other S14, rather develop and create a new bunch of prototype parts.
Now things are definitely getting interesting. As Sasaki-san, the General Manager of Tomei told me after he drove across the Tokyo Bay to meet me in a little deserted fishing port in Chiba, this is a car they have been thinking about for a while. With the need to promote their soon-to-be-released engine parts, the first step was to get the car looking just right and I’m glad they stuck with the zenki model of the 240SX – something that’s easily identifiable from the more rounded-off headlight shape. Why? Well it’s often neglected, as everyone prefers the more S15-like angular lights of the kouki.
Miura-san was called in to supply the S14 aero kit, which was one of the first few kits he created back in the day under the 6666 Customs branding. It’s pretty crazy to think how old these aero additions actually are and it’s thanks to the amount of exposure and popularity his more recent work has had that has reignited a style that was probably a little too forward-thinking when it was actually released. So along with the clean and lip-less front bumper, the one-piece front fenders and the rear overfenders, the old Nissan is truly transformed. Of course these kits just wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory ducktail lip to sign it all off. Furthermore you can see above how the paint comes alive when the sun hits it just right. I call it ‘chromatic aberration pearl white’!
Now no kit is ever quite complete without the right wheel, chosen in the correct sort of fitment to visibly fill up the new-found space inside the fenders. No problems here either: the timeless Work Meister S1 18-inch three-piece rims have been selected with an abundance of polished lip and are fitted in 9.5″ widths up front and slightly wider 10.5″ at the rear. Seeing the car is built with a sort of street-oriented drifter feel, the right sort of tyres were needed too: the Neova AD08s stepping up to the challenge with a superb mix of grip and control in wet or dry.
Once the fitment box was ticked, it was over to the actual handling, which also obviously affects the way the car sits. Here Tomei called in the help of Endless who supplied their Zeal Function X adjustable dampers, set to give a pretty aggressive, yet functional ride height and improve handling characteristics tenfold. Plus, like any high-end suspension set-up, compliance is one quality that’s always present, making the car a pleasure to drive both on or off the track. Endless was also called on to improve the car’s braking set-up, and that was easily done with one of their most basic kits comprising of front four-pot calipers and one-piece grooved rotors. To balance out the rear, Tomei sourced some ECR33 Skyline calipers and fitted those along with matching Endless rotors.
Embracing the KA24DEIt was on to the performance from there and Tomei took their time here to approach an engine they have never really worked on before: the KA24DE. Now if you follow Japanese cars and the tuning culture that revolves around them, be it in grip or drifting, the NA KA24 that was used on export models of the S14 has never been a sought-after powerplant by enthusiasts. SR20DET swaps have always been common as the JDM-spec motor allows for high power levels to be reached and with it comes an almost limitless line of tune-up parts of every kind. But Tomei, seeing that no Japanese parts maker had ever created upgraded parts for this motor, decided to come up with something that will allow those with a 240SX to successfully boost it and get decent numbers out of it.
But hang on a second – why now? That’s what I asked Eiji Mihara at Tomei USA and he told me straight and simple that they don’t care about making money on these parts, they just want to be able to offer a decent level of support to their US customers that aren’t up for doing engine swaps. Fair enough I suppose, but what do the modifications entail? Well to start off, they’ve developed upgraded forged aluminium pistons as well as stronger connecting rods. Most of the parts are still in testing, therefore labeled as prototypes, but they’re getting good results already and are nearing proper production. On the demo car, the stock crank has been balanced and fitted along with the aforementioned pistons and rods to allow the motor to easily take a decent dose of boost.
They have just finished testing a special Procam set-up with 270º duration and 9.5mm lift which has had an awesome result on their engine dyno, making decent power over 4,000rpm – a good 500rpm lower than competitor cams out there. The KA24 runs their Arms M8270 turbo kit which is the same they offer for the SR20DET, so even if quite large size-wise, the engine’s extra 400cc of capacity helps it spool up, with good boost being produced from as low as 1.500rpm. The turbo is fitted onto a stainless steel exhaust manifold but they’re working on creating a one-piece cast item which will be a bulletproof ‘fit and forget about it’ sort of mod.
Gasses are dumped via an Expreme turbo outlet pipe into the titanium Expreme Ti exhaust. There are lots of cool touches in the engine bay like a one-off titanium hand-welded lobster-tail intercooler pipe on the intake side of the KA as well as a neatly located paper cone filter.
Supporting the modifications are pretty basic mods to the fuelling, starting off in the fuel tank with a Tomei 255L/h pump, 555cc/min injectors and their adjustable fuel pressure regulator. The car relies on a Haltech Platinum Sport 1000 ECU, which truly makes the most out of all the upgrades. As the car is still in development, power figures aren’t final but with about a bar of boost, they’re running around 350hp right now with a very broad spread of torque which peaks at approx 540Nm (398lb-ft).
With the main aim of this car being set around ample power and drivability through the rpm range, we can definitely say they’re on the right track. Seeing their car came with an automatic transmission, that was obviously not going to be of much use. It was quickly and swiftly swapped out for a factory five-speed box and to get all that twist efficiently to the ground, a Tomei Technical Trax LSD has been thrown onto the S14’s rear end.
Tomei has even gone so far as to fit RYO steering knuckles, which sort of hints at the use the car will get once the engine internals and ECU tune are finalized. With that much torque on tap, it will all make for a very easy drift set-up, which is precisely what they were shooting for.
Interior redecoratingTomei really made sure to select the best products when addressing the cabin and with the base car being a low mileage, seldom-used daily in its previous life, it looks like it has stood up to the test of time damn well. Minus the stock ’90s fabric trim on the rear seats and the door cards that is!
The driver and passenger get to sit on slightly different seats: the Bride Gias II on the left a more highly-bolstered reclinable item, while the Stradia II on the right still offering more than enough support but without sacrificing too much comfort.
Regarding the seats, it’s hard to tell the difference, especially looking only at the top sections. That’s a good thing as one pet peeve of mine is seeing unmatched seats run by so many cars in Japan.
This works out well as you could never tell from looking through the front or side glass. Takata harnesses complete the seating arrangements – there only for the driver.
The dated Nissan stock meters are nowhere to be seen, which is great because they are a little surpassed in this day and age. Plus seeing as the Racepak is a straight plug-and-play for the Haltech ECU, this cool little dash unit slash data logger was a no-brainer sort of mod.
It’s joined by a PLX AFR gauge – a much-needed tool while the KA24 upgrades are under development. The electroluminescent display is also a similar shade of blue to the Racepak’s back-lit display. Man, don’t you just love it when little things like this match and come together?
So there you have it. It might not be the fastest, it might not be the most ground-breaking, but this 240SX represents a good move by an important name in the Japanese tuning world.
With the simple goal to open up more options to quality and reliable products for enthusiasts that crave them, Tomei has set out to do something that a lot of parts makers wouldn’t even have considered. With a scramble to get as many upgrades for the 86’s FA20 and the GT-R’s VR38DETT, it’s cool to see that there are some companies out there that care about the cars and engines a lot of us still love and care for. With guys like this in our midst, we’re good to go for years to come!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com
Having owned 3 s chassis cars, I appreciate how a company that is so capable and notorious of building one of the best JDM drivetrains decided to keep it USDM and proper and for the street above all. Awesome car, just the right things are done to it.
Are they running a Tomei SR20 shifter kit?
wheatgod Agreed. My exact same thoughts.
Besides, I would love to see the torque and power curves for this particular setup the day it is finalized.
nice, only one thing bothering me. The fender and light fitment...
Sorry Tomei, but you are a tad late to the party. "they just want to
be able to offer a decent level of support to their US customers that
aren’t up for doing engine swaps". Lol, there are numerous KA24DE-T
240sx's in the US currently, so this "support" you speak of just seems like a marketing ploy. Why would I pay
double for a Tomei setup, when I can do the same if not more with what
has already been developed, and proven to be reliable? If Tomei really
wants to really show support to USDM customers, try developing parts
when vehicles come out, instead of turn your nose up at them for almost
15 years.
why are there 2 head units?
it would make sense if one was an EQ, but they both look to be individual head units.
JoeyBranum and there are just as many companies that used to make things for these cars that aren't even in business anymore. So you're snubbing your nose at a company with the reputation of quality along the level of Tomei that are willing to toss their hat, and considerable resources, into the ring to make parts for an old car. Marketing ploy? Everything in business is a marketing ploy....marketing is an integral part of business. Spoken like someone who isn't in business, let alone is aware of what is involved in producing automotive parts on this level. Double for a Tomei product? Example? When the S14 came out, Tomei didn't even have a US office, and thus, had no market justification to create parts. Companies that did have a US market presence at the time, aren't here anymore in a formalized way.
Thanks for the great article Dino! I still appreciate that Tomei has invested the time and money to ship that s14 over to develop parts for it. They could have completely ignored this platform like many others but still have taken the time to create more options for the KA24DE.
@Mike one has got to be a JDM spec unit so radio and/or satellite can be used, the other perhaps a US spec unit for cd playback? Just a guess. Dino?
jah1mon exactly!
@revtill9 Good point, i didn't even think of the carrier differences between Japan and the US
my word thats a clean silvia!!
pardon me, 240sx!
One word to the title picture: PERFETTO!!!! I need a huge print of this one....
My favorite car of all times being loved :D... Grat car all the modifications are very unique, the only thing that i don´t like are the fender and bumppers =(... But so far this Silvia is a great piece of art <3
Thanks Dino grat job bro
This S14 is imo is a great S14 Tomei has built. I like the ride height of it and how's still aggressive and street legal. I love the way how Tomei went their modifications. I'm loving the engine bay.
Thanks Dino. You done a great job mate.
that is spot on
I always liked the zenki model rather than the kouki, with those rounded headlights. Reminds me of GT4 playing with the black Nismo 270R all day hahaha
Love it. I prefer the pre-facelift model as well, which we had no damn clue was called the "zenki" at the time, and this one is a great reason for me to heckle my buddy who sold his '95 some years back. We had Crower cut cams for the KA because nobody made anything for it at the time, and here in CA we always have to pass smog. We ended up doing an SR swap, but if this stuff had been around then we never would have, so good on Tomei for making it happen. Makes me want to pick one up & give the KA some love. Too bad you can't find a clean one in CA that hasn't been used as a missile car anymore.
EvolveWRC I have fond memories of the 270R in GT as well! Ah, to be young & have time for video games...
JoeyBranum Broke-ass corner-cutting Zilvians like you are why the 240 scene in the US is pure shit. Your cobbled-together KAT.org build isn't the same as a 20+-year-old professional tuner's fully R&D'd kit. You should be counting yourself lucky Tomei's even developing parts for an antiquated dog-ass motor no one but a few cheap-ass Americans are even interested in.
Round headlights FTW. I like this S14 better than the later variant.
Mismatched seats are awesome dino
EthanGuzzi If the top part looks the same or similar yes then it's fine if now, nope, I don't like
meal stub
KRaZyAmmo Cheers mate
JoseFickert Thanks!
Gianluca FairladyZ Haha grazie Gianluca
FunctionFirst JoeyBranum I don't think they are late at all Better now than never!
kurko Yeah I know what you mean, I think he Border bonnet needs to be spaced out more up front
wheatgod I always do when companies/shops/owners supply accurate power figures. This is still a work in progress so I just mentioned the approx power level in the text:) Hope that makes sense
FunctionFirst JoeyBranum
I'll never understand why people insist on dogging the KA, it's a DOHC 2.4l lump that'll run forever! Sure they were never designed for maximum hp or boost but it's just one set of rods and pistons away from keeping up with any SR.
Coryislost FunctionFirst JoeyBranum An interesting and constructive reply. Who knows maybe they will get to those parts too, they do some good pumps for the RB for example
wheatgod speedhunters_dino Yeah I know what you mean and I always try to add figures in there but Tomei here at least are mainly shooting for a solid and reliable package. I'm sure 400+ would be doable but maybe not what their goal is
You need to do another Tokyo tour... I love pictures from that city.
Pretty much perfect as far as i'm concerned. No gimmicks, not stupidly low, no tat, just clean and classy.
EthanGuzzi...I have one planned soon
JohanesKris lol
Lol... typical 240sx owner response, immature.
Looks like the KA parts will be going up in price needlessly because a jdm company decided to produce "jdm" parts for the usdm car.
Zenki>kouki...front reminds me of r32,r33. Another great post dino, stealing these wheel specs for my rb zenki haha.
I really wish more 240 owners would go back to this kind of fitment instead of ridiculously stretched tires.
This blows my mind that they are developing parts for a 20 year old motor. I think Tomei has been spending too much time on KA-t.org.
I'm a little late to the party but I think I have 2 cents I can chime in here with. This is mainly directed to the comments of why would Tomei waste their time developing parts for that motor.
I was recently in Japan and was blown away by the automotive scene. The style, the craftsmanship, attention to detail, etc. I even saw this 240SX at Tomei in person and Dino did an excellent job capturing it. It's flawless. With that aside, I did notice an interesting trend.
The owners of these modified cars that we've all come to know and love were either owned by shops or older people (late 30s, 40s, 50s, etc). Seldom did I see a nicely modified car that was owned by someone of youth like I've come accustomed to seeing here in America. Obviously these older folks would have the budgets to support these flawless cars sporting fully built motors, titanium pie cut everything, $5,000 big brake kits to fit behind their $4000 wheels, custom suspension parts, custom metal worked fenders, etc. From what I took in, the youth in Japan were more about fashion, video games and being trendy then they were about cars. Now an argument can be made that the youth may not have the budgets to support a car hobby but being some what (stressing some what) into fashion, I noticed that some of the outfits being worn cost more than a built motor. Even in the arcades of Akihabara and Odaiba, the automotive arcade machines would always be empty and available as opposed to a DJ game or a game where you would load up your characters using trading cards and battle. You couldn't even fit yourself in between people to watch those games, that's how crowded they would be.
So a theory I have is that eventually in time, this older clientele will fade. JDM tuning companies need our type of market. Markets where people are still interested in modding their cars. Maybe this is what pushed Toyota to design the 86? Who knows. From what I took in, it looks like cars are slowly being faded out. Here in America, the 240SX is a massive platform. The KA24DE actually makes pretty solid numbers when modified. Seeing a company such as Tomei put R&D into such a platform is actually kind of awesome. It means that our market has significance. Maybe in a sense, we're keeping the scene alive.
Then again, I can be completely off my wagon.
CP9A Will yay
My two cents: I'm still working on my powerhouse KA-T engine. It might take a couple more years to complete. Not because of lack of funds, but because of lack of time. I work 2/3rds of my life away from home. When I am home, my son, wife, and house upgrades/repairs come first.
I've spent about $12,000 into my car, and found that its not that easy to make a non-turbo car fit a turbo. Especially when those that make parts all make them a little bit differently. No two downpipes are the same, nor are the turbos, and nothing matches up easy at all. Not to mention you are going to spend a few hundred dollars on plumbing everything. To be honest, I used to be the guy that "If you don't do it yourself, you are weak" type of guy. I am a jack of all Trades, and usually fixing things myself comes in really cheap..
My KA-T project isn't the case anymore. Its mostly because of the time involved. I can probably finish the car in a few weeks if I could hammer it down, but where I am at in my life. aka, part of the 'more money than brains', and 'time is money' generation. ...Tomei building this makes sense.
It would be nice to have a 500hp 400tq turn key engine I could just buy, where I know everything is going to work and fit.
Ignorance is bliss. I've been working on my engine for nearly 5 years now, and made some helpful tech videos on youtube to help some of you guys as well... but I've had to read text books, buy thousands of dollars of extra stuff and tools to get the job done. Done countless math to realize a bigger turbo doesn't mean better. (aka, don't buy a GT3582R for a 4 cylinder, stick with a 3076-ish).
If you kiddies out there that are 17-18 years old and looking into modifying a car, you are almost further ahead to seek out the professionals, and have it built for you. The guys that have done it countless times. Doing it yourself is going to take forever, and probably leave you with a rats nest of wires you won't understand.
I now know the entire wire harness of the S13 chassis because of this project. I'd much rather just go out and drive at this point in time.
Luckily I own 5 other vehicles.
Cheers. Hope to see products soon!
-Walperstyle
Note: along the development of Cams and such, I was one of the few that had to 'file down my head' to fit the Crower V8 280 Cams. It seems Tomei is on the right path with the cams they built. Would like to know more technical data on clearances and such.
...Sorry, I'm way too technical for my own good.
There's a typo - you meant to credit Kenji Yamanaka (pro driver in japan and previously a formula d driver) for the paint.
Built mine back in 2005. This makes me want to build another one
Built mine back in 2005. This makes me want to build another one