1995 Nissan 240SX - Mr. & Mrs. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Imagine you’re at your local grocery store, spending your paycheck away on copious amounts of junk food that you really shouldn’t be eating. You don’t really understand why every supermarket has eight checkout lanes with only two of them being operational at any given time so you grow impatient, and opt to try your hand at the “self-checkout” machine. It sounds easy enough, but of course, the thing you want to buy the most won’t scan. Now you’re holding up the line at a section of the store that’s meant to speed up the process of payment. You realize that your attempt to battle the automatic payment machine is futile so you ask for help and walk out with your head bowed in shame.

As you stroll toward the parking lot, you suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of pressure in your chest. There’s a vibration—a rumble. It feels familiar but you don’t immediately recall what it is until the sound approaches and jogs your memory. You’re a car guy so the rumble and sound is like violent music to your ears. It’s a song that only all-American muscle can sing—eight cylinders of pure bliss that any automotive enthusiast can appreciate. When you finally gather yourself, you look around but don’t see anything remotely American. The only vehicle that’s approaching is a Desert Sage Metallic Nissan 240SX. You’re more confused than you were at the self-checkout stand because you’re thinking that there’s no possible way an S14 could emit such an unnatural tone but holy shit, does that sound nice. You decide to see what this Nissan is all about so you stand off to the side and wait for it to park. Once it does, your curiosity gets the best of you, and you want to talk to the owners to see what’s going on under the hood of their Nissan.

The driver-side door pops open and you begin to walk towards the coupe. Forward progress is halted when you see a cream high-heeled shoe make contact with the grocery store pavement. The driver is definitely female and she has a child with her. It is within your best judgment to leave her alone because she’s a mother just trying to get some groceries with her daughter at the store. Unfortunately, you’ll never know what was under the hood of that 240SX. The only thought you’re left with that day is that this woman has one hell of a grocery-getter.

This “imaginary” scenario seems a little far-fetched but for many in the Orange County region of Southern California, it’s as real as can be. On any given day, residents of that area may encounter this S14, mother, child and all. “My wife takes this car out all the time,” Peter Vong, (co)owner of the 240, says. “She just takes it out whenever she needs to run errands or take care of things like purchasing groceries. We only have two (running) cars currently and I take our stock BMW 3-series to work every day. It was a project that we built together but she drives it almost 90-percent of the time. It’s crazy the type of looks she gets when she rolls up somewhere in the car.”