Dominic's first shakedown race proved that the S15 had a lot of oversteer. "I guess it's a car that wants to go sideways at heart," he says, "but since this is my race car, the learning curve is going to be endless-no pun intended." More importantly, building this kind of car and learning how to drive it only pushed him to love it more than ever. "As a car enthusiast, I'm happy. We're dialing the car in and I've become a better mechanic because of it. No matter how street-able I wanted to keep it, I figured out quickly that those elements are thrown out the window, especially when the objective is to go fast." Sounds like true love to us.
Fast Facts
'99 Nissan Silvia S15
Owner Dominic Chen
Hometown Irvine, CA
Daily Grind Executive directorof Endless USAUnder The Hood 2.0L SR20DET built by Neptune Speed; HKS Step 3 camshafts, dual inner/outer valve springs, retainers, rocker arm stoppers, solid lifters, valve seals, 740cc injectors, air intake, Twin Power DLI II ignition, GT-RS turbo, Type-S intercooler, head gasket and oil cooler; Tomei fuel pump; Kakimoto exhaust; Moonface test pipe, throttle ring and engine damper; NGK iridium spark plugs; NISMO thermostat, radiator cap and engine mounts; Eneos 0W-50 oil
Drivetrain OS Giken Super Lock 1.5-way limited slip differential, STR clutch and tranny oil; NISMO transmission mount
Brains HKS F-CON V-Pro and EVC Anniversary Edition boost controller
Power 335 hp, 334 lb-ft at 1.2 bar
Stiff Stuff Zeal Function-X coilovers with custom Super Function valving; ARC titanium front strut brace; Moonface tension rods; Peak Performance rear camber arms and rear toe arms
Stoppers Endless six-pot mini calipers with race alumite finish and 324mm rotors (front), CC-R brake pads, Swivel steel brake lines and RF-650 racing brake fluid; Z32 rear brake conversion with Endless Straight-6 rear rotors
Rollers 18x9.5 (+12)/18x10 (+15) AME TM-02 wheels and ADVAN Neova 265/35R18 tires (street); 17x9 (+10) AME Circlar Spec-R front wheels with ADVAN Neova 255/40R17 tires (race only)
Outside C-West GT-Type body kit, GT-Wing, carbon canards and vented hood; Bellof HID Evolution Neo with Stinger Beam (Super GT passing system); molded rear fenders; Endless Blue paint by SDCS of San Diego, CA; Endless race graphics; Craftsquare carbon side mirrors; Moonface rear wiper delete
Inside Bride Zeta III and Stradia seats; electrical kill switch, Stinger Beam trigger; custom console work by JT Audio; Defi BF gauges; Personal steering wheel; Moonface titanium shift knob; custom rollcage by Henry Schelley; Willans FIA approved harnesses; Works Bell Rapfix GTC steering hub; A-Spec spin turn knob; Japanese protection charm; trunk-mounted Odyssey battery
Props Inamoto, Minami and Kent from Endless; Yajima from Neptune Speed; Garrett, Jon, Ryan and Kazu from HKS USA; Sean from OS Giken; Mark from Yokohama Tires; Bun and Shino from Bride; Daiji from C-West; Logan from A-Spec; Justin from West Covina Nissan; Steve and Nima from Corner 3; Eddie and Steve from Mackin Industries; Benson Hsu; Cheryl Litiatco; Bellof; Nippon Seiki; Moonface; AME Wheels
WWW aspecproducts.com (Works Bell); bellof.co.jp; c-westusa.com; endlessusa.com; eneos.com; hksusa.com; moonface-int.com; tees-usa.com (Bride); thenismoshop.com; tomeiusa.com; yokohamatire.com