2002 Nissan Silvia Spec R (S15)

[Richard2211]

Purchased early this year from the S15 owners club is my 2002 Nissan Silvia Spec R (S15). This was the last year of production for the Silvia and having wanted one for some time, finding a 2002 model, with great service history, in my favourite colour, made it a bit of a no-brainer. I had actually been bidding on S15's in Japan back in 2014 but nothing had come of it, so when this came around I was pretty excited!

When purchased she was on 63K miles, had 1 mature owner since import (who was brilliant I may add), came with a plethora of original parts, had full Japanese and UK service history, had a brilliant spec with some good quality parts fitted and generally ticked all the boxes I could ever ask for.

Without going into the full spec I'll just add that it has been re-mapped with a programmable ECU for UK fuel and with a few basic modifications is putting out a responsive ~300BHP in a car weighing a shade over 1200KG equipped with no traction control and a helical LSD as standard.

The first picture when she was home.

Edited by Richard2211 on Monday 24th October 23:43

[Richard2211]

Thanks for the comments. So many of them have been thrashed within an inch of their life that I decided it must be quite rare to find a genuine one that has been looked after like this has. Prices are steadily on the up at the moment too (although I suspect that is fueled by the GBP dropping against the JPY).

Anyway, I took it around Europe a few months into ownership. Four cars, three Supras and my Silvia, did around 3000 miles covering France (Dijon), Monaco, Italy (Lake Como), Switzerland (St. Gotthards Pass, Susten Pass, Furka Pass), Germany (Nurburgring) and Belgium (Spa). The Swiss passes were amazing - seriously something I would urge anybody to do once in their life. I also managed a lap of the ring! The whole trip deserves a thread of it's own, but for now I'll post just a few of the many amazing photos we have.

[Richard2211]

[Richard2211]

[Richard2211]

[Richard2211]

Annoyingly, this is the one and only shot of the car on the famed Green Hell!

[Richard2211]

Alongside the road trip I ensured the car got a chance to stretch it's legs around the "Evo Triangle" and the roads on route. The Silvia handles days like this so well. It is relatively light weight, nimble, quick spooling and makes all the right noises - I'm bias, but I love it!

Sorry for the picture spamming.

[Richard2211]

themanwithnoname said:

Lovely. Great to see one that hasn't been tapped off every wall ever by the drifters.

Would love one myself at some point.

Thank you. I have zero intention of drifting the car but I will endeavor to do the odd track taster session.

They're great cars. Overlooked by many as solely a drift car when they actually perform brilliantly across the board. I achieved 42MPG out of this on the run to Folkestone!

[Richard2211]

themanwithnoname said:

Good stuff! Though it would be remiss of you to not occasionally explore the boundaries of grip and handling in such a great chassis!

They've always been a spot on tourer, and I'm still trying to convince Mrs Noname she needs a Varietta (the folding hard top variant)

The chassis is brilliant. I had a previous Silvia (S14A) before this one, which was also good, but the S15 has various brace-work fitted at the factory to increase rigidity. I have also had a four wheel alignment to a custom spec which has changed the feel of the car for the better. The only limitation at the moment is the eccentric bolts for the rear camber arms as I can't quite dial out enough negative camber - but I'm looking at options for that as I type.

Now the Varietta really is a rarity over here from what I gather. I've only ever seen one in person but that was at a car show.

[Richard2211]

Following on from the previous posts, which seem to have had a great reception (thanks all), I thought I would bring the thread a little more up to date.

So, last month I took the car to Santapod Raceway in Northampton to see what it would run down the 1/4 mile. I only did one run, to satisfy my curiosity, and managed a 13.02 @ 107MPH. I would say this is a good time considering it only has basic modifications and is very much a road car. No preparation to the car was made, just showed up, showed my licence, signed the disclaimer and prayed I didn't brake anything.

Here's an in-car video. Give it a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcShPjc_PRs

Also, along with de-tarting the engine bay and a few new items to keep it up to par (new OEM gear-knob etc), I purchased a set of new wheels and tyres. Rota RT5, 18", staggered and in sizes that allow 225s up front and 255's in the rear. They may not be to everybody's taste but I personally think they transform the car. Also, I shod them with some decent rubber, as recommended by Demon Tweeks - Yokohama Advan AD08R. Below is a picture taken whilst at Japshow Finale this year.

[Richard2211]

The picture above may not show them off the best. Here's another picture the night they were fitted.

[Richard2211]

cerb4.5lee said:

Enjoyed the video thanks and it made me really miss my S14, yours looks proper nice.

The reason I ended up ultimately buying the car was because I missed my S14A so much! Thanks for the comments.

Edited by Richard2211 on Thursday 27th October 19:09

[Richard2211]

Ahbefive said:

Very nice car. The brakes look a little lost though.

They're tiny behind these wheels. I definitely plan on some form of brake upgrade and as the posted above has pointed out, 350Z Brembos are almost a direct fit!

[Richard2211]

So, another road trip has been confirmed for this year although the amendments will now include stopping over in Switzerland for a few days and excluding Monaco. I cannot wait!

One of the things that let the car down last time was the lack of bolster support from the standard seats. There are drawbacks to going for fixed back bucket seats yet I still wanted to retain that feel. Anyway, the solution was the Corbeau RRB's purchased from Autosport International 2017 and fitted with Bride rails. This allows an OEM style fit and retains the stock seat belts.

I also think it helps modernize the cabin somewhat.

[Richard2211]

Nunga said:

Jealousy ensues; I've always wanted an S15, and I did own an RB25 S13 for three years and loved the car to death, but it was old and modified well past the point of it being a liveable car. Trouble is justifying ownership of a second coupe...

I suppose with 300HP you haven't yet had any issues with the gearbox, but if you have plans to ramp it up, would you consider going to an S14 or R33 5sp? 6sp failures happen often enough for me to ask the question.

I'm fortunate as I have the use of a Honda Accord Tourer as a day to day car and, although it's considerably less economical than the Silvia (K24 powered automatic), it's a great all rounder.

I wouldn't use the Silvia as an every day car anymore as it just takes the shine off the ownership and I would constantly be disappointed watching the miles rack up travelling to work, shopping and such like. I guess ownership is easier to justify when you consider that values aren't dropping and that there will always be a market for clean examples. Also, as far as performance coupes go, running and ownership costs of these are very little.

Gearbox considerations have been the Nismo item that comes in around £3K shipped, but is still a six speed, or converting to the later 350Z gearbox as Mazworx do an off-the-shelf kit now, apparently. This is of course "if" I up the power

[Richard2211]

Bdevo3 said:

Beautiful s15 you have their. So sick of lookin at drift spec monstrosities here with rippled fibreglass body kits sporting every possible shade of a colour held together with cable ties and tecscrews. advan rg2s would amazing on it

Thanks for the comments. This is still a car I'm determined to use for it's intended purpose, and that will include track days, road trips and hoons out with friends - but there's no reason it needs any naff body kits or stretched tyres fitting to it etc. For me, it's pretty much there as it is. I will just concentrate on little bits to keep it up to date and in good condition (I would like a big brake kit and to carry out a light underbody restoration to keep it rust free).

I Googled the Advans and I have to agree, they would look great!

[Richard2211]

Sillyhatday said:

Great car, real timeless design. Good to see it being used on, what sounds like, bloody excellent road trips

Thank you! The road trips have been really fun. I would strongly recommend getting some friends together and embarking on a trip as it can be done very cheaply if you're willing to put in the time planning.

Bradley1500 said:

Beautiful car in a beautiful colour too.

How are you finding the Corbeau seats? I was considering them for my Supra so was wondering what they were like.

The colour is Brilliant Blue Pearl and is relatively uncommon for S15's. Infact, 16.6% of S15's sold were painted in this colour but the majority still reside in Japan/Aus I suspect. I'm bias but, I think it's probably the best colour. Pearl white is nice in photos but invariably looks cream in person.

The seats are excellent but I haven't actually driven the car with them fitted yet as the car is stored in the garage over winter. I will say that if you're in the market for a set then buy direct and haggle with them as there are discounts to be had.

Are you on MKIVSupra? I've owned way too many Supras but still fancy another in the future (alongside the S15 if I win the lottery, haha).

James Junior said:

Wow - what a stunner. Love the wheels and seats you have added too. 13 seconds is a very quick time on the quartermile.

Do you have an Instagram channel I could follow for more pics?

I regularly go on tour in Europe and drive the passes you mentioned. They are spectacular, especially Grimsel and Furka.

Thank you. That was my first and only run on the 1/4 mile. The car is definitely capable of a 12 second pass in its current form, although I wouldn't want to ruin the factory clutch just yet.

My Instagram is r.d.stanley - but I'm afraid it isn't full of the awesome pictures you're hoping for. There are a few good ones on there though so please give me a follow! We will be doing both those passes again this year and taking a few videos.

[Richard2211]

WolvesWill said:

Fantastic example, liking the subtle bodykit (front lip...thats not a standard 'Spec R' item is it?) and the seats look great.

Nice to see one being properly looked after as well as being driven the way it was intended

The exterior is standard bar the front splitter which is also an under-tray/diffuser. It is a carbon ABFlug item from Japan and I believe it to be the only one in the country that I'm aware of.

Thanks. This car has a full service history in the UK and from what I can make out, full service history in Japan also - which is uncommon to say the least.

[Richard2211]

So, around June time last year the Silvia started burning oil after a prolonged idle period (5mins+, as noticed whilst queuing for the Channel Tunnel crossing). I took some advice from a few reputable sources and concluded that it was most likely the factory turbo that has been subject to circa 30K miles of raised boost pressure.

Through Torque GT, who originally imported the car, I have purchased a Garret GT2871R 52 trim, 0.64 A/R. This has also had some porting work done by Protuner on the exhaust housing wastegate port to increase flow, which will in-turn increase the ability to control boost when it gets mapped. The actuator supplied with the new turbo has been tested and is set to open at 10psi, which is too low, however it does appear adjustable - so I'll have to play with that in due course or purchase a HKS adjustable item.



To match the new turbo, I opted to get my Tomei Expreme manifold and Tomei turbo elbow coated in Performance 1's Volcanic satin black ceramic coating. I'll just say if anyone is looking for similar work then go through a company/website called Fastfoxperformance as you will get it for around half the price of going direct, yet ironically Fastfox is just an eCommerce solution for Performance 1 Coatings and you ship it directly anyway. Overall experience was very good and hopefully this will help to keep under-bonnet temps down along with keeping internal exhaust temperatures hot, and as such improving the speed of the exhaust gases exiting the engine.

You will also notice in the first picture a small crack that I had spotted when inspecting the manifold. This has been repaired and should hopefully last for another few years. If it cracks again then I shall purchase a different manifold.





I have also sourced a set of Nismo 740cc injectors from RHDJapan as they came in over £100 cheaper than anywhere in the UK could supply them for. These should be good for 400bhp and will be controllable by the Nistune ECU board that is already fitted.



Now, it's clear that I'm going to go for a little more power by this point. On the stock turbo it had been estimated to be running around 300bhp. At Santapod it ran a 13.01 at 107mph which is probably a better indicator of power. I have decided that I will be happy with 350bhp, but being honest I would like to hit 400bhp. The new turbo will be at its limits by that stage but I have decided to add Tomei 256 Poncams to help it get there (and also because they sound awesome!). These were also sourced through Torque GT at a competitive price.



And, of course, a clutch to handle the extra power. The stock S15 item was on it's very last legs at 70'900 miles (it did around 30K of upped power though!). I did my research and went for the ACT Heavy Duty Organic clutch kit that is very well rated by everyone that uses it. They do an "extreme" version that has a higher clamping force but I don't want a ridiculously heavy clutch pedal and I would rather the clutch remain a sacrificial part of the drive-train in hopes of prolonging the life of the gearbox and diff.

So, it was at around this point that I had decided to order a full Nissan gasket set, Cosworth metal 1.1mm head gasket and ARP head studs to provide some reliability with the extra power than the car will hopefully have when mapped. The parts arrived, I stripped the head off the car, which was relatively simple given there are in-depth guides available online, and sent the head off for inspection/machining. It came back having had some repair work to the number one exhaust cam journal which was scored (unknown how that occurred), new exhaust valve guides (worn beyond tolerance and possibly a cause of the smoke) and the usual acid dip, valves re-cut, surface faces skimmed 4 thou, brand new Nissan OEM exhaust manifold studs and a paint job in silver.








I also picked up a new knock sensor loom from Wiring Specialties in the States for a great price. Love the sticker!



Everything was put back together, the refreshed cylinder head was on and I was just using my freshly made tool for measuring the valve shim heights... This is when DISASTER struck!

One of the tiny screws from the back of my brand new dial gauge fell out of the back and into oblivion. I could only assume it had fell into the head, hopefully one of the oil ways, and could be flushed into the sump. I poured a few litres of oil through the head and whipped the sump off hoping to find it - no success. What I did find was a partially blocked oil pick-up that had the remains of some flaky cam cover paint (a modification done before my ownership).

Offending screw can be seen missing in action below.



It was at the this point that I decided to just pull the engine out, strip it down completely and rebuild. The paranoia would have got to me otherwise as I couldn't risk starting the engine knowing.



I took the engine down to DY Engine Services in Bristol as they come very highly recommended and seeing on their Facebook that they have built an engine for Josh Cook (touring car driver), I can only imagine that they do a very good job, So far, I'm very impressed anyway. The rough spec that I've gone for will be;

- Complete engine refresh
- CP forged pistons
- Manley forged con rods
- ACL bearings
- Tomei Poncams
- Tomei rocker arm stoppers
- Brian Crower valve springs
- Brian Crower valve guides
- Candy blue cam cover
- All new stainless bolts throughout
- Metal head gasket
- Squish pads removed from the cylinder head (to help prevent detonation)
- Valves re-cut etc
- Cylinder head and block painted siliver

The build is in-progress at the moment and comments so far are that the engine was actually in excellent condition and one of the best SR's they have seen. The only damage reported was that two intake valve guides were damaged (I question whether this was done by the previous machine shop, and seen as they were asked to fully inspect the head and never reported that damage, and that the car hasn't been run since, I think it may be a fair assumption).

Here are some current pics:

Edited by Richard2211 on Saturday 15th April 15:41

Edited by Richard2211 on Saturday 15th April 15:46

[Richard2211]

Butter Face said:

Sounds expensive! Awesome, but expensive!!

The rebuild and new parts aren't cheap, but I would rather spend the money now and hope for reliability as oppose to spend it later after it went pop. That's how I'm trying to justify it anyway