Preserving one of the baddest demo cars
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
What happens to these demo cars once their
mission is complete? Some are kept for further demonstration, some are
literally destroyed and crushed into a cube, while others are parked and
forgotten. We have seen T&E Vertex's "graveyard" personally, an
abandoned gravel lot that contains far too many familiar cars—projects
we've seen in print and drawn inspiration from, even a D1 contender or
two. The sad truth is that in Japan, the average lifespan of cars is far
shorter than what we're used to here in the States. The hot, humid
summers and freezing cold winters take their toll on every machine
that's not stored inside—and in a country where parking space comes at a
premium, garages are scarce. A demo car is commonly sent to a junkyard
to be put down and live another life as a soda can, or perhaps even
become part of another car. But occasionally, the fate of a demo car is
not limited to these options. Although rare, there are instances of a
private party purchasing a shop car. This Nissan Silvia was blessed by
the existence of a man who recognized its worth—a man who was not
concerned by the fact that he would own a car that was not built by him,
but rather to showcase the fabrication skill and styling fortitude of
326 Power.
Located in Hiroshima, 326 Power is responsible
for some of the most recognized cars in not only Japan but also the
world. The owner, Mitsuru Haruguchi, is revered for his styling sense.
The cars that leave his shop look almost cartoonish usually fitted with
huge aero components that sit millimeters from the ground suspended by
enormous wheels and tiny tires. This particular Silvia was a longtime
demonstration mule for 326 Power, having made its rounds at car shows,
featured in Option and played a part in a rather famous YouTube
video. When new owner Masa Ishi purchased the car, there were no
delusions that the car would ever outgrow its history at 326 Power.
While Ishi-san's adoption of this legendary S14
is a rare case in Japan, we can easily see where he's coming from and
why he's left the car unmolested. He found exactly what he was searching
for, and to this day, this Silvia looks pristine and grabs as much
attention as it did when it was built years ago.
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
Ishi-san embraced the fact that his beloved S14
was built by 326 Power and celebrates their styling that matched his
taste perfectly. He's preserved its design that he initially fell in
love with, changing only the wheels from Work XD9s to rebuilt BBS LMs.
The full 326 Power suspension—arms, coilovers, even the modified
subframe—remains unchanged, and the 3D?STAR aero kit and white paint are
also retained.
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
Occasionally, you'll hear the words Zenki and
Kouki amongst gearheads, and besides sounding really cool, they actually
have two very different meanings. These two terms are used to describe a
generation of a car. Zenki is used to describe an earlier period or
first generation, while the Kouki is the final period or last
generation. This is a very common practice that nerds dubbed "tick-tock
model." After every "tick" comes technological improvements and ending
with a "tock." Think of it as an iPhone. For example, Apple comes out
with an iPhone 5. A few months later, it comes out with an improved
version and instead of naming it iPhone 6, the company simply calls it
iPhone 5S. The same can be said about cars. In terms of the Nissan S14,
the Zenki models were made from 1994 to 1996, while the Koukis appeared
in showrooms from 1997 to 1998.
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
The most noticeable difference between the two
is the exterior renovation. The Zenki oval-like headlights were mostly
made out of plastic with the exception of its glass corner pieces, while
the Kouki headlights were more rectangular and made completely out of
glass. With new headlights came a different front bumper, fenders, and
hood. The taillights have an aesthetic upgrade as well; the most
distinguished are the lines running across the Kouki lights. However,
unlike the front changes, the rear taillights are completely
interchangeable. Additionally, a few minor changes were made in the
engine, such as the ECU and harness—Zenki used OBD1 and the Kouki used
an OBD2. Inside the interior, you'll find the gauge bezels had a small
change from three full circles and a Pac-Man shape for the rpm meter.
The Kouki, however, had four separate circles for temperature, rpm,
speedometer and gas.
While these terms are commonly used for the
Nissan S-chassis, they are also used for other cars such as the Toyota
AE86s and the Mazda RX-7 FCs.
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| 326 Power Nissan S14 Silvia |
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