I always find it interesting how drifting and drift cars have evolved. It may be the same discipline, but there are different ways of going about putting together a fun drift machine, not to mention driving style. Pro series around the world tell us that a drift car should be a purpose-built race machine with custom tubular front and rear chassis and subframes, sporting power levels that in some cases aren’t too far away from four figures. But then you hit up some mountain roads in Japan and you find a bunch of vehicles that couldn’t be more different.
There are no huge budgets here. Everything is pieced together by the owner, built up and perfected over years of trial and error. This is the real world of drifting, out on the touge in the middle of the night, practicing your favourite corners with your buddies, nailing the perfect pass, but every once in a while screwing up and hitting a barrier. This is the spirit of drifting – something I already touched on back in the summer when I went out one night in the mountains around Rokko.
Just in case you were wondering what one of those street drifting machines are all about, you’re in luck as I was able to feature a prime example at a pretty famous gas station in Kyoto late one night. I say ‘famous’ because this is the place that Miura-san heads to shoot his demo cars once they are complete – the same location I shot his Kanjo Civic back in the day. The owner of this particular S13 was kind enough to stick some temporary license plates on his car and take it out for some shots, seeing as it had just received an all-new aero kit and a very shiny coat of paint.
The official name of this car is the Halloween Racing with The☆BReaST Silvia – a 1990 Nissan S13 that has endured one hell of a tough life. That said, it’s still in one piece, probably due to the fact that its masked owner knows how to throw it around corners with precision. It’s a skill he’s perfected throughout the years, having pretty much dedicated his entire adult life to the art of drift.
This of course includes lots of practice sessions at local tracks, but just like all the other members of his team, nothing can quite match the thrill of drifting in the mountains. Aside from the danger and illegal nature of it, this is where drifting was born, so taking it back to its roots continues to feel like the right thing to be doing. Plus, as I was told, if you can’t drift bumper-to-bumper with your mates on the touge, you can’t really call yourself a drifter.
But let’s talk about the car.
The aero is undeniably of Kei Miura origin, but the full 6666 Customs kit has been upgraded with countless additions to not only bring it right up to date with current trends, but stand alone as a unique creation.
Continuing on from the bumper and splitter section, a custom set of overfenders screwed onto the body help give extra girth by boosting the S13’s width by 30mm on each side.
That’s a necessity too, because the trick drift-oriented suspension upgrades and geometry has really pushed the Work Equips outside of the of the factory body lines. The timeless five-spoke wheels measure 18×10-inch with a +10 offset up front.
The rear wheels have the same dimensions, but with a +5 offset to fill up the wells nicely. Look closely and you’ll see that some stacking has gone on at the back – fender flares mounted on top of overfenders. It’s a crazy fender widening party!
With the Megan Racing adjustable suspension set just right, the car nails the street drifter look to perfection. It’s low, but not slammed. Of course, the real important bits are those that you can’t see though. First up, the front runs a visible amount of negative camber, and joined with MOZE shortened knuckles and extended lower arms our masked drifter has all the steering lock he could ever need.
Putting the power down and developing a lot of grip might sound counterintuitive in a drift car, but it’s a necessity. To get things to feel just right the S13’s rear end runs toe control arms, traction rods and a reinforced subframe along with carefully dialed-in geometry.
It’s hard to ignore what is happening at the rear of the car, the owner loving the bumper-less look that all of Miura’s cars have been sporting as of late. Its removal has freed up space to custom fit a Rocket Bunny 180SX rear diffuser, which looks menacing when you tail the car up the mountains, as I had to do!
Looking Good Is ImportantMiura also fitted a custom set of side skirts and topped it all off with the best touch of them all – his signature ducktail spoiler.
Seeing the sort of driving this car is subjected to, its owner is a brave man running such a low-sitting lip spoiler. But as he put it, driving is half of the job, looking good while doing it is the other 50 per cent!
He’s certainly nailed the look, dotting it with little details like the removal of the grille, the upgraded headlights, the Craft Square side mirrors, and in true JDM style a hefty dose of team and sponsor stickers.
So what makes the perfect SR20DET street drift setup?
A far lot less than you probably think. Believe it or not, but street drifters hardly ever run silly amounts of power. They can’t afford to, most of the time, but I’m not necessarily referring to the costs of an expensive setup. You see, running 500hp-plus on an SR20 would require you to loose low-end response. When you are out on the mountains, this can come in handy on some corners – especially when you need the response and instant surge of power to get you out of trouble. Plus, if the police show up you don’t want to be struggling with massive lag when trying to casually drive back home, if you know what I mean.
So the SR in the Halloween Racing S13 has predominately been built with reliability in mind. The piping is all custom bent and fabricated aluminium, there’s a big Trust intercooler up front, and a direct intake with upgraded an airflow meter and a custom-made exhaust system.
The main upgrade is the Trust TD06 turbo, mounted low on a Trust exhaust manifold and running a Trust external wastagate vented separately to get that dirty, rough, SR growl that is so hard not to love. An A’PEXi Power FC engine management system takes control of the upgraded fuel system and ignition, and all of this is good for close to 400hp with a very useable dose of torque through most of the rev range.
Keep It SafeIt all makes this S13 quite the chuckable machine out on the street or track.
Step inside the cabin and there are no frills here. It’s all geared towards creating the perfect environment for driving.
While the passenger has to make do with an R32 GT-R stock seat, the our masked driver needs all the support he can get through the corners, so he picked up a used Bride seat at his local secondhand parts store and threw on a Megan Racing 5-point harness.
You have to love all the details, but the coolest one has to be the rare digital speedo instrumentation – a dealer option that was available for the S13 when it was new.
The fluffy dice are a must!
The Friday The 13th ‘Jason’ mask is kept within arms reach at all times – just in case the driver runs into some trouble. Keeping your identity hidden can be the difference between getting caught and getting lucky again.
When you turn drifting into a way of life, the car you slowly build and create is what gets you noticed. It quickly becomes an extension of your own self in a way that may be hard for others to understand.
I witnessed some of the most incredible driving that night on Rokko, but what really surprised me was the underlying message of safety that these guys keep close to their hearts. They may well be doing things that the law doesn’t approve of, but never would they risk putting the lives of others in danger. Think about that next time you are out driving. Safety first!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com
This car is featured like crazy! I love it but damn it's everywhere.
Love it.
About the only time I don't mind camber on a ride but the stretched tires...Do they help with getting sideways or contact with the road???
Just curious.
kphillips9936 They are just for the show, losing tire wall support and it doesnt act like it should anymore
I've noticed a lot of photo shoots for 6666 have been done at that petrol station. Does Miura-San have a friendship with the owner, or do you just randomly show up and get your photos before being chased off by an angry attendant with a broom.
MEGAN RAEING
Loving the classic street approach with modern touches on this rocket bunny equipped S13.
It'd be a real treat to see a followup down the road after it gets some drift scars.
Does anyone know if the diffuser mount/fins that attach to the old bumper area also count as a bumper in the U.S. (similar to cal look beetles)?
markivdx I somehow doubt it
hypergroover Uh?
James1010 Haha no they have been buddies for decades. Plus since half the cars we shoot from his aren't registered it makes things easy. Oh and it's 5 min away fro TRA
kurko kphillips9936 They are not for show, and I mean the type of stretch you see in drift not the "stance" scene. Some drivers like the sharper feel through the steering, it eliminates sidewall flex
speedhunters_dino kurko kphillips9936 then use a lower profile tire? if you want sharper feeling in your steering adjust your suspension, dont make your tires work against you...
still wondering about the license plate. Is it a kind of special mask or something?
Noob question: Why is all the aero for drifting. Especially the rear diffuser.
speedhunters_dino hypergroover
Hes talking about the sticker in the last photo Chapter 1, just behind the rear wheel
@n00b Sorry, but where is the question? If you are wondering why drift cars need aero, they don't, it looks cool lol
muhammadilham it's a temp plate, I edited out the numbers
MichaelBruce speedhunters_dino hypergroover ah...still don't get it?
speedhunters_dino Sorry I mistyped and could not edit. thank you. you managed to answer the question I had in mind. Is the front stuff also useless?
B89D لو سمحت ممكن ارسلك صور للقوائم باناسونيك lx100 وترجم لي معانيها
speedhunters_dino MichaelBruce hypergroover the decal reads MEGAN RAEING instead of raCing is what he means
@n00b speedhunters_dino "Seeing the sort of driving this car is subjected to, its owner is a brave man running such a low-sitting lip spoiler. But as he put it, driving is half of the job, looking good while doing it is the other 50 per cent!"
Great article, brb going to hack up my bumper to make a rear diffuser
This is an awesome car! I would hate to drive this car and make one of those little accidents!
Yeah, I saw that as well
Completely correct. Stretch on a tire will make it make the sidewall stiffer therefore less flex on the tire.
pffff Not ever legit. The guy is running around with temp tags might as well call it a circuit car.
@Markivdx, take a look at the inner fender wells in the engine photos, there are some serious scars there. Part of the history of the car, no doubt.
Strangely, that has not been said that on the SpeedHunters already had an article about this car in its previous incarnation)
http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/08/highway-to-the-danger-zone-the-tomcat-s13/
And to be honest, I personally like her previous appearance, very sorry that her amazing NAVY paint work were covered in red.
I apologize for Google transliteration)
Well what about "The BREAST"?? Is it Japlish for BEST or his favourite part of the chicken, Pamela Anderson fan perhaps?
Beast?
kurko speedhunters_dino kphillips9936 Yea then potholes and small kerbs an road edges go straight onto the rim, Get the picture?
B_Sides speedhunters_dino i thought that part referred to driving anywhere else than a racetrack, not drift vs grip.
That beings said, my nick is there for a reason
Megarastik Whoa I didn't know that was the same car. I agree, I like the old style more too.
I doubt that i have seen a tire with a profile lower than 30
kurko speedhunters_dino kphillips9936 Consider the fact that drift cars exert more sidewall tension for much longer periods of time, compared to "grip" driving cars. In order to be able to have sharper, more rigid and direct response from their tires, they apply varying degrees of stretch, according to their respective preferences. Think about the geometry of how a tire beads to the rim. With a flush fitment of the tire, the tire (sidewall) has more room to be able to flex outward of the rim lip. With a stretched tire, the sidewall either requires considerable more force to flex the sidewall or if the stretch is substantial enough, sidewall flex is eliminated.
Lower sidewall profile doesn't stop a sidewall from flexing while being flush on the rim.
That being said, that would be the functional side of things and depends greatly on driver skill, driver preferences and car specifications.
Beyond that it can also be a thing of style. Some people just like the look of a stretched tire fitment. If done correctly, there's no harm to be worried about; to each his own.
Megarastik I think they wrote off the other car and this one is a different car running all his old gear, not sure though. Engine is completely different but the interior shares all the same gear and location for sure.
This is a much more refined car, maybe he is getting older and wants a more finished exterior? Nah he just hasn't tortured this new paint yet. I like this set up.
Where is this gas station/what is it called. I have my first trip to Japan in less then a week now and I'm dying to get pictures here. I am hopefully bringing back a car with me as long as I find what I'm looking for.
ChrisDavy kurko speedhunters_dino kphillips9936 dont take my other posts or this one as hateful, but I just don't see it as a valid excuse. If they wanted a more responsive setup, you could always run solid tubes instead of shocks...? Thats how absurb this sounds to me.
@_gat29 why you don't call SPEEDHUNTERS to review your THe☆BReaST CAMEL on desert ! Fucking Dickhead Arabs !
@Whoshot Megarastik Those two cars are different, built by the same person, the Tomcat was sold to his buddy and this one was built up.
Love the wheels! Cool car..
Dutch 1960 I tend to agree with you, that makes me think it is the same car. Looks like it get a pretty bad front end crunch and got straightened back out. But the guy above says it's a different car... who knows.
KylePearson Dutch 1960 The two are very similar in many aspects, the builder of these cars is a friend of mine and while in Japan I shot the Navy inspired one and he had this red one just being finished up in paint at that time. I am unsure why he sold the Navy one to build another one so similar. Although I am glad the Navy one still exists in it's original form and wasn't changed as it is such an amazing car.
WHAT A BLOWHARD
A MASK? HAHAHAHHA
VintageDrGonzo Wut? Just go to any Esso station....as if a specific one matters......it may be nowhere near where you'll be.
I like it, but it could do with a taller front tyre or more lows. The stretch and wheel gap look silly....especially seeing the Japanese are usually so good and getting it right.
@DOUCHEBAG Doesn't want to be identified/recognised? Of course then you have to ask why be in the photo's.
Purpose built. Nice build and beautifully executed.
Good read Dino, Thanks. Keep the Japanese street / grassroots world articles coming.
Dutch 1960 ill bet it will have been "Clearanced" due to increased castor / wheel size. That is a fucking horrendous "repair" job if thats what it is.
BuddyDavies If you wanna see more underground drifting in japan, please check out my project! http://www.drifthunter.net
This is freaking awesome and such an inspiration Dino. I really want to make my way down to Kansai and document the drifting scene over there as well. Right now, I'm just working on documenting the underground drifting scene here in Kanto region (Initial D yeahh!). Seriously, absolutely loved this article.
Quick plug because it feels appropriate for this thread..If anyone wants to see more underground drifting in Japan, please check out my project at http://www.drifthunter.net
Still needs shock to compensate road imperfection or the car to be able to correctly shift the weight point/center of gravity when going sideways or changing direction, or just some things that only a highly professional car tuner understand..
Why so many damn stickers?!?! "Breast", Megan "Raeing" (Racing?), Hlloween?!? What the hell is a "Technical Car Office". Hard to take it seriously. Maybe I just don't "get it"
( . Y . )
No 'hella flush' hella dumb fender arches here.
@night Some kind of style trend, etc. Never been a fan of stickers and vinyl.
@DOUCHEBAG CAAAAAAPPPPPSSSSSS!!!!!
@night I read a 1980's magazine article about Japanese car culture and it said that they just like random English words on their cars. The writer considered it quite ridiculous and there was some pictures of wheels as an example. i think there was a picture of SSR wheel with that weird "Racing machine supports the creative room to develop the goods"
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@night its like how we like japanese words on our cars, they like english on theirs. its mainly because its a foreign language that is different from what your used to, and it also catches eyes.
CharlesChris15 I grew up in Japan and I never understood why their weird English ever existed. In America there might be weird Japanese on cars but they can't speak Japanese or read it. Japanese take English from kindergarten through college?!?! Every grade. Yet you got this Japa-English that makes no sense crap.
AaronMai
Oh, that's great news!) Then I worry)
Dutch 1960 Agh please ignore my first reply - I didn't see that mess underneath first time round - I wonder how I missed it.