By Rawle Francis
Photography by Rawle Francis
Owner: James Hadeed

If rear-wheel-drive performance coupes are your thing, then you're gonna be impressed with James Hadeed’s Silvia S14.

Nissan had been the undisputed leader in low-cost sports cars for a long time, with their turbo-charged 4's and 6's. The Japanese spec Silvia aka. 200sx is one of the most popular front engined/rear wheel drive vehicles. The 2-litre single turbo motor in the Silvia is an enduring one, used by Nissan for many years, and as a consequence, go-faster parts are easy to come by. Even more important, there's a wealth of information on the exact tuneability of the ever popular SR20DET. James told me that stage one tuning results in about 300bhp, not bad in a car that runs around 1200kg/2600lbs. The rear wheel drive configuration also allows for large tire/wheel upgrades, something that's much harder to do on the current crop of FWD and AWD vehicles.

I had a lot of questions for James when I set out to test drive his Silvia S14. Were all the rumors true?
How is the car so fast? Is it really a SR20DET engine or some thing bigger? Did you install a nitrous system? Is there really a Haltech installed?
Well it is indeed a car for the street. James’s S14 is powered by a Bolt-on modified SR20DET sporting a state of the art stock T28 turbine that spools up with relative ease and seems to beg for more air. The injectors are at 380cc. One of the nice.phpects though is that the SR20DET can easily be modified to push almost 300PS with only an upgraded Intercooler, Radiator, EVC, Intake and Exhaust! This is definitely one of the most well rounded cars to ever come out on the Japanese market. You can go from the drag strip to the Lady Young and then chill with the big boys in the same night.

The SR20DET in this form is a beauty - a classic engine holding its head high even amongst younger and more technologically sophisticated newcomers. Never underestimate the engine's flat torque curve. There is never any harsh feeling of coming on boost - you just go faster and faster. Nought to 100 k’s comes up in the high sixes, while more importantly for normal driving, a massive wheel-spinning launch isn't needed for the car still to be quick. Talking about traction, the helical LSD does a good job (for a two-wheel drive car) in gripping the pitch.
It is therefore no surprise to me why there are so many SR20 transplants happening in Trinidad. The SR20DET is simply an awesome engine. The throttle response is particularly good with plenty of torque even off-boost. Combined with the relatively light weight of the car this means you're rarely troubled by lag. This not only aids acceleration, but also gives the car a more nimble feel.

The suspension in James’s Silvia is also quite impressive, providing a suprising degree of comfort in dealing with bumps both large and small. Turn-in shows minimal understeer and the car can easily be driven on the throttle provided you're in the right gear. About the only critism I could find with the handling is that high-speed corners made the car feel a little unstable, but I could blame that on the slicks. Aerodynamic aids would probably improve matters, as would lower ride height, but of course this may sacrifice the ride comfort.

James' Mods Include:

Engine: sr20det
Turbo: stock T25
Injectors: stock 380cc
Fuel Pump: Bosch
Plugs: bcpr7es
ECU: Haltech e6k
Ignition: MSD dis4
Nitrous single fogger.
Tyres 225x50x16 toyo.
Intercooler: Supra.
Turbo XS blow off valve.
turbo xs boost controler