It’s not very often that I come across a Nissan S-chassis build that really strikes me as being “unique.” Because of how common these cars are, it sometimes seems like I’ve seen it all before in some iteration or another. I don’t like to make blanket statements, though, and the nice thing is that even though original 240 builds are not the most common thing out there, they do exist still. Case in point, this Zenki S14 from Beatrice Wong; this car certainly walks the delicate line between “cool” and “too much” visually, and in my humble opinion falls on the positive side of the debate.
When I first met up with Beatrice and her gang in San Jose, California to shoot this car, I didn’t know quite what to expect. All I had heard from our fearless leader was that the car was “a purple S14 with pink wheels.” I won’t lie, I was worried because let’s be honest here, that’s not the most subtle of color combinations. As a photographer, my primary concern is to make sure the car looks good, and this wasn’t going to be the easiest assignment I’ve ever had. After having driven the better part of 400 miles that day, I was a tad delirious by the time I arrived at the shoot location, but regardless of how much caffeine withdrawal I was going through, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and easy on the eyes the car looks.
The exterior of Beatrice’s S14 is clad in a Vertex Ridge widebody kit with a vented D-Max hood, a package that works well as a whole and although aggressive, is not over the top looking. I was glad to see a minimal amount of decals on the car, aside from the SpeedElement windshield banner (the shop that Beatrice works at). The paint itself is quite a sight to be seen, Beatrice calls it a custom “Blueberry Pink” swirl and that description certainly is accurate. It’s a sort of dark blue/purple with pink flake, and the accented pink highlights on the 18" Rays Gram Lights 57D wheels (and rollcage) contrast exceptionally with the exterior color. Would I personally choose a color scheme like this? Probably not, but Beatrice told me that one of her biggest driving factors throughout the course of the build was to create a unique and “very girly” (her words, not mine!) looking car that she could call her own. I think it’s safe to say that she has succeeded.
Interior wise, the S14 has received a similar pink and purple treatment, starting with the most obvious aspect, the Cusco 6-point bolt in rollcage. A far cry from the iconic blue that Cusco is known for, Beatrice’s pink fetish continues to accent pieces and the gauge cluster surround. The splatter paint thing is tough to pull off, but I think Beatrice has done a nice job at it inside the car where it’s not overbearing, but definitely noticeable at the same time. I feel like she held her horses a bit on the interior, which is a wise choice in my book. After all, the interior is where you (ideally) spend most of your time with a car, so by keeping the pink to a “minimum” the overall feeling is good.
Open the hood and it’s a different story; all the pink and purple you can shake a stick at is right there to overload your senses. Beatrice has done a pink valve cover and splatter paint themed bay, so you can’t help but stare at the spectacle for a while, mesmerized by all the bright and pretty colors. What isn’t particularly mesmerizing, however, is the largely stock KA motor residing in said bay. That’s okay though, Beatrice is still working on a game plan for the power department. And in all honesty, for a street driven car the KA is completely fine, it’s not like she’s trying to build a circuit monster here folks. In order to improve the driving excitement, she has installed a bit of suspension work in the form of Stance GR+ coilovers, Cusco rear control arms, Wicked Tuning tension rods, Powered BY Max subframe spacers and a Nismo power brace. I’m hoping to see a swap (or turbo kit) of some sort in this bay soon, but hey! Nothing happens overnight. Beatrice has only had this car for about a year and a half, anyone who has built a project car before can sympathize with playing the waiting game until the time (and funding) is right.
Beatrice is extremely happy with how the car sits now, even though she has plans for future work, who doesn’t? Might as well be happy with what you have, and work towards the next phase one step at a time. “Everyone has different taste and style,” Beatrice says, “build [your car] the way you want it, and don’t care about what other people say.” Those are words to live by in the scene today, and I applaud Beatrice for doing what she wants regardless of what others say. And really, she has made a pretty damn cool car. For a street-friendly daily driver, (and for a girl who wanted a pink and purple car,) what more could you ask for?
Occupation Executive Assistant
Engine KA24DE DOHC inline-4; Koyorad radiator; Mishimoto radiator hoses; Blox Racing fans; Nismo motor mounts; A’PEXi N1 Evolution after cat exhaust; custom wire harness & valve cover; Dress Up Bolts; shaved and repainted w/ splatter theme
Drivetrain Driveshaft Shop 1-piece aluminum driveshaft; ACT clutch; Fidanza flywheel; Nismo transmission mount; tucked clutch lines
Engine Management Stock USDM S14 ECU
Footwork & Chassis Stance GR+ coilovers; Cusco rear control arms; Wicked Tuning tension rods; Powered By Max subframe spacers; Nismo Power Brace
Wheels & Tires 18x9.5" Rays Gram Lights 57D wheels; 225/40R18 Dunlop Direzza DZ101 tires
Exterior Vertex Ridge widebody kit (front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, front fenders, rear fender flares); corner lights, side markers, mirrors; D-Max vented hood; shaved 3rd brake light; custom “Blueberry Pink Swirl” paint by Johathan Tangalin; SpeedElement custom retrofit HID headlights; custom candy red taillights
Interior Bride Gias II driver & passenger seats w/ low rails; Takata racing harnesses; Nardi 350mm perforated deep corn steering wheel; NRG quick-release wheel hub; Yashio Factory shift knob and drift knob; custom splatter paint gauge cluster surround, rhinestone bedazzled instrument panel, pink suede upholstery; Broadway rear view mirror; Pioneer head unit; Alpine Type S front & rear speakers; JL subwoofers and amplifiers
Thanks You Fred and my family, Devin, Ryan, Phuong, Trieu, Anh, Thomas and the entire SpeedElement family, Cary at Scoopssj, 247media.org, Blox Racing, Chuma, JT, Rishe, Josh, Justin, Max and the Tap Crew