WORDS : CHARLTON OCHOA//PHOTOS : STEVE CUCINOTTA & CHARLTON OCHOA
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While having the opportunity to see countless amazing builds, the freedom to travel and experience the smell of race fuel from Formula Drift to Lemans cars in Daytona, the most valuable asset to what we do are the relationships we establish.
This car belongs to a friend I met while doing just that, and I am honored to have witnessed the growth to achieve what at one time seemed so far away. This is a story about making your vision come true and building a car for yourself. Whenever I’m asked about a favorite build or why we do this, I answer with the question: 'If social media wasn’t around, would you still be building a car?'
I met Ping the way we have met many of our friends during the age of cars and the internet. We took a photo of his car, he found it online, and ever since then, we have kept in touch. Ping has been building his S13 for several years now with a specific goal in mind: to build a fun street car that can go to shows, see the road daily, and potentially see a drift track in the future.
With the help of Enjuku Racing, that goal was met, surpassed and will continue to grow. There isn’t a concrete ending to putting this type of build together. The car has seen many stages before getting to this point, from no paint job to being wrapped to looking like it would never be finishing rolling around in full primer. By nature, we focus on the outcome but forget about the road that gets us there.
Ping expressed to us the appreciation in the role enjuku has played throughout his build. There is no doubt when the right people are involved it makes even the most difficult times easy to handle.
The countless hours spent in a garage investing money into a machine can make the average person delusional; however, as Ping has told me, you just can’t look back .
You have to keep pushing forward and never put aside the high that achieving every milestone provides. Many accomplishments have been met in this garage, from a one man engine removal, to custom reinforced ABS plastic being molded into side skirts.
With that being said, I don't want to turn this into a 'built v. bought' debate. When emphasizing on a garage build, I hear that battle fought many times, and in my opinion, there is no real winner. There should be respect, not shame, and unless you are a rocket scientist fabricating and engineering custom pieces for your car from the ground up, there's always a bump in the road where something in your build occurred beyond your powers. Let's not forget the bigger picture.
The fact that Ping has been able to build this car to meet his standards is something we can all respect. Even if the style does not meet your personal criteria, quality and attention to detail is a universal language within the car culture.
Finding the power plant wasn’t too difficult. Considering how many V8s have invaded the 240 engine bay as of late, keeping it within the Nissan family was a no brainer. An S13 with an OEM track look and an RB25DET, that's what he wanted and never lost sight of.
The engine just barely fits into the bay, giving the rather small 240 a larger than life persona. With a straight pipe that accentuates the deep raspy sound that an RB provides, it sounds just as good as it looks.
The purpose of the build was to have something fun he could drive whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted, and not have to worry about damage to any of the lower panels. In a world of extremely aggressive suspension and wheel setups that make for great photography but can raise driving 'complications,' this falls right in the middle.
The interior has subtle but high quality touches, which is what attracted me to the build. Red Bride racing seats are a visual stamp in achieving the JDM race look. Add on a Corbeau 5pt camlock harness, a Sparco champion steering wheel with a quick release, and that feeling becomes a reality. Throw in a rollcage, some AEM gauges (boost, water temp, oil pressure and wideband), and it all contributes to the 'race' inspired experience while having an actual use for safety and monitoring all of your vital signals.
It's always pleasing to see when someone does not forget the suspension aspect of their build. It may seem like an obvious choice, but I have seen many builds leave brakes for last when they play an important role in your car, you know, stopping and all. An ISIS 5 lug hub conversion front and rear allowed for a classic wheel choice with the VOLK TE37SL and a Wilwood big brake conversion up front to increase stopping performance and looked great!
From Godspeed to ISIS just about every aspect about the suspension of this 240 is touched up. With no intention on going back, Ping tells me the upgrades are going to keep on stacking.
Not everyone is up to the task of building a race inspired street car as a daily driver, let alone actually driving it day in and day out. The tight space can make some feel claustrophobic, but for Ping, it really is a match made in heaven. While utilizing high end brands to fill in his surroundings, the simplicity and cleanliness of the interior keeps him happy and does not lose its 240 spirit.
The only unfortunate and temporary aspect of this build, is the fact it currently is without air conditioning. For that, I commend you Ping because driving without A/C in the Florida heat is not a task many are up to just to daily their pride and joy.
There are so many things that make this build solid, big and small. However, one of my favorite pieces was the ABS plastic cut to make the sideskirts. It's easy to find a pair of aftermarket sideskirts that look great, so when someone goes out of their way to make something unique, it's worth paying attention to. The reinforced plastic looks great and provides a sturdy styling piece you don't have to worry about smashing into pieces while driving around in comparison to carbon fiber.
Considering nobody made what Ping was looking for as far as details go, he had to get creative. The canards up front are also unique - made from sheet metal cut to shape and held in place by L brackets.
For now, the engine bay will remain simple. An aftermarket intake manifold keeps things clean for now. A long list of upgrades are in order, and the goal will be a solid 500+rwhp, and that will come with the summer of 2016.
He has no intentions of building a high horsepower monster so that 500 range seems to be the perfect touch, considering the S13 is a light chassis and makes for a lot of fun-spirited driving.
Ping made sure to let us know that this is only the beginning. The car is a testament to patience and creativity. Your build will reflect who you are, never forget that!
If you are interested in this build, follow our good friend on Instagram! @pingisasian_.