Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? It takes a very special S13 to be able to grab attention in this day and age, being 20+ years old and popular with n00bs the world over. I could count on one hand the number of street Silvias of this generation that really grab my attention. The Sillbeer Spec B is one, as is Todd Waldon’s BN widebody 13.
While not strictly as clean as either of these examples, George Sandic’s copper coloured missile has a charm all of its own. It’s slammed on ridiculous Rota RBX wheels in 17×9.5″ with -19 offset. It has a GP sports and Final Konnexion kit, complemented by JJR flares. It has every conceivable adjustable suspension arm you can think of, by D-Project. It has an RB20 and twin pipes. More importantly than the parts, George has been driving “Monica” every day for nigh on 5 years. And almost every one of those days, he slides her too. What’s not to like?
George tells me he was sick of always breaking stuff on his previous car, a Subaru WRX with a glass gearbox. That frustration, combined with a love of sliding his brother’s car, pushed George towards a Nissan. Looking around for decent 13s, he eventually found a guy who was relocating to Tasmania, and wasn’t able to take his car with him on the trans-Tasman move.
So when he bought the car in 2008, George luckily started off with a few of the basics done, such as the adjustable arms, the RB20 and the Nismo GT 2-way LSD. He started going out to drift days at Queensland Raceway at least once a month, and occasionally on the street too.
But starting from a 1988 S13 Silvia base, building a drift car capable of being thrashed every single day is harder than it sounds. It takes a huge amount of patience, dedication and persistence to put up with things breaking, blowing up and getting bent all the time.
On the bright side, parts have been plentiful for quite a while, so he’s added quite a few choice driveline parts to the mix, which include a 3″ exhaust with twin pipes, RB25 turbo, alloy radiator and intercooler, Bosch fuel pumps, Nismo twin plate clutch and single piece tail shaft. The interior hasn’t missed out either, with a Cusco 6 point bolt-in cage, Recaro driver’s seat and nice little touches like a Bride glovebox and Nismo gearknob.
George has decided that it’s time to move on, and let the classic shape of the S13 pass on to the next owner, who will hopefully care for her the same way he has: with tough love. You can get a hold of him here. And what’s next? George has decided to stick with the Nissan brand, and will be looking for an S15 when the time is right… Needless to say, we can’t wait to see it!
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