Samurai S15
The S15 Silvia is one of the biggest icons in the Australian car import scene. Due to this it can be really hard to find one that stands out amongst the masses, let alone one that stands head and shoulders above all others in its proverbial pond. In Canberra, there exists an S15 that belongs to Andy Chen.
All too often as I’m driving along I spot a S15, take a quick glance and leave it at that. Andy has created something that makes me wish I could have that first sighting, over and over again.
Andy purchased the car three years ago in an almost stock state, only the usual bolt on mods consisting of a FMIC and exhaust. The build started off with small inexpensive bolt on items as Andy learned his way around the Silvia platform, gathering information from the forums and friends.
As many of us can probably relate Andy saved his money and spent most of it on his car, “pretty much every time I saved up some money I’d spend it on the car.” The car was used for daily driving purposes all throughout college whilst being slammed on stock wheels. Once college had concluded it came time for some body work and a new set of kicks. At this point Andy realised the car was no longer suitable for his daily duties. The car became a weekender and show car which made the rest of the build much easier.
Not having to rely on the Silvia being drivable all the time meant Andy could take his time and not have to rush the work. Small details to the exterior were finished off and a new turbo setup with supporting mods thrown in to make for one potent little package.
I’ll start this one off with the interior. When first looking at the car as a whole you see a very clean sleek silver Silvia, but as you continue to look your eyes are drawn towards all the little red details. The interior on the other hand is the complete opposite. You are hit in the face straight away by the pair of Red Bride Gias Low Max seats. Only after your attention has left the seats do you start to notice how clean and well presented the rest of the interior is.
The stock steering wheel has been retained giving the drivers position a very nice streetable feel, with the addition of the mandatory boost gauge to keep tabs on those pesky psi being forced into the cylinders. The audio system includes a 7inch touch screen head unit up in the front with aftermarket speakers all round and a pair of 12inch subs in custom boxes in the boot.
Exterior wise you are met with one of the best options for an s15 body kit going around, genuine OEM Aero. Consisting of the front bar, skirts, pods and rear wing it’s hard to beat the OEM Aero kit for that clean yet aggressive look putting it in my number one spot for S15 aero.
This kit is then finished off with a custom lip all the way round to get the S15 hugging the ground. To complement the kit Andy went with a set of Chromium Black XXR 527’s in 18×8.75 and 18×9.75 front and rear respectively.
Amber fog lights, Yashio style tail lights, carbon exhaust shield, weather strips, Origin carbon roof wing and a Blackworks Racing billet tow hook are a few of the small details that help round out this stunning exterior.
Now let’s move on to the performance side of things. Helping Andy’s Silvia stick to the ground are a set of HKS Hypermax Coilovers, front and rear strut braces and DBA slotted rotors front and rear to control her power.
The power plant, this is where the fun begins. Andy went with a high mounted custom 2871r with T04s compressor housing and anti-surge porting, Greddy drop in cams makes a perfect match for one responsive SR20DET. The exhaust gas is dispensed through as custom 3inch turbo back system featuring a screamer and A-Spec blast pipes.
With a list of supporting mods like 555cc Nismo injectors, Walbro 255l fuel pump, Sard fuel regulator, Turbosmart 38mm wastegate, steam pipe high mount manifold, K&N air filter, Gktech oil catch can and cooling panel, alloy radiator, Haltech platinum pro, Splitfire coilpacks and a Nismo thermostat it’s not surprising Andy has built himself such a fun and reliable weekender.
I have to make a special mention here and praise the noise that comes from this thing. This is one of the raspiest and full bodied sounding SR’s I have come across on the streets. This is often broken up by some of the best backfires and flame spits going around. During the shoot I had my head hanging out the window taking some rolling shots and managed to line myself up almost perfectly with the rear of the car only to fall back into the passenger’s seat of my car with my right ear ringing.
The figures you ask?
Andy’s car makes 261RWKW at a mild 16PSI on 98 octane pump fuel.
Andy has managed to build himself one of the best all round street packages rolling the streets of Canberra. I’m very glad that I got the chance to roll around the streets side by side with this stunning example of Nissan’s ever so famous S15 Silvia.
Words and photos – Tim Knights
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