With a seriously built motor, Andy buffed up the transmission, employing an HKS GD Max twin-plate clutch along with a Nismo 1.5-way limited-slip differential to transfer the power evenly to the wheels. Using HKS' F-Con V Pro engine management unit and EVC boost controller to fine tune, HKS' tech wiz, Jon Kuroyama was able to extract a total of 371.17 hp and 308.19 lb-ft at the wheels on their in-house dyno, using 1.25 bar of boost. Andy says, "The best mod for me was adding the cams. The turbo alone would have been fun if it was straight line acceleration but once the boost kicked in, it really pushed you into the back of your seat. The midrange I gained from the cams and tuning for the smooth torque curve was better for the corners even though it added power up top and in the midrange. The car seemed easier to handle and I didn't have to worry about the power coming on too strong-that really gave me more confidence behind the wheel."
After the power he wanted had been realized, Andy then worked on the looks of his S14. One benefit of working at HKS is that he's been able to form friendships with some of HKS' best customers, including D1 driver and Vertex president, Takahiro Ueno. "I didn't expect to go so big with the Vertex Ridge kit," Andy says. "I always liked it, but never thought about getting one. One night after eating with Ueno, he saw my car in the parking lot and offered one to me as a gift." We're not sure exactly what Andy had to do to get the body kit, but as long as it's nothing sukebe then it's a damn fine present no matter which way you look at it. But before he could install the body kit, he had to upgrade the front end and taillights to the '97-spec Kouki S14. Once that was completed, he also added a Vertex lip spoiler and canards.
Next he worked on tightening up the suspension, where he used HKS Hipermax Performer coilovers and tons of pieces from Kazama, including front tension rods, rear upper arms, rear toe arms and rear subframe spacers. Do-Luck stepped in with front and rear ladder bars and Nismo was the company of choice for the antisway bars and front power brace. To emulate the style of the drivers he looked up to, like Ueno and even NOB Taniguchi, Andy decided even the wheels had to be of the highest caliber. So he purchased a set of super rare, D1-edition gunmetallic Super Advan Version 2 wheels, sized 18x9 and 18x10 and wrapped with AVS ES100 rubber from Yokohama.
The stock S14 brakes were swapped out for 300Z Z32 calipers, but needed a serious makeover, so he opted for the forged brake kit from Project , which now comes with a larger four-piston caliper, two piece rotor and stainless steel brake lines. Inside the mods are light, but it suits Andy's quest for cleanliness. A Vertex steering wheel takes the place of the factory unit and attaches to a Splash quick-release hub. Both OE seats were replaced with Brix 2 seats from Bride and an Eclipse navigation head unit kicked the factory radio to the curb.