We've all seen how a chain of events can cause one thing to snow ball into something totally different. Just think about your first tuning experience, when a simple bolt-on project evolved into a full-blown vehicle build. Russell Fleming of Lowell, Massachusetts certainly relates to that sentiment. Russell started searching for a new car that would stand out and be different. The search ended when he found a 1996 Nissan 240SX. Russell hadn't seen many clean Nissan builds in his area, which made his project somewhat of a novelty; partially because the drift and time attack scene hadn't reached full stride in his neighborhood. This made the styling cues he envisioned for his project unique.

On Russell's side of town, the drawback to novelty is hard parts scarcity and a lack of knowledgeable resources. Therefore, Russell started searching for bolt-on components that he could install on his own. What he soon discovered, as many tuners do, is that adding one part will inevitably lead to the need for another part. Intake, exhaust, headers; the list just kept growing. Russell finally hit a point where he was ready to leap into the realm of forced induction. Unfortunately, lacking experience with forced induction, Russell was blazing a trail into the great unknown. Luckily, he found Dent Sport Garage (DSG) and uncovered a wealth of racing experience and engine-building knowledge that earned his trust. DSG recommended an SR20DET swap, which was the factory-turbocharged power plant in the 240SX's sibling in Japan, the Nissan Silvia.

Getting The Ball Rolling

DSG sourced an SR20DET longblock which became the cornerstone of the build. The block was broken down and received a 0.5mm overbore. Once a fresh cross hatch had been applied, a set of forged-aluminum CP Pistons were connected to the factory crankshaft and connecting rods. The 8.5:1 compression ratio of the CP Pistons would allow Russell to safely run at higher boost levels. Attention then shifted to the asthmatic SR20DET cylinder head. The low-port cylinder head can be a notorious bottleneck. DSG ported and polished the head for more efficient airflow without sacrificing the aircharge velocity. Once finished with the head porting, the factory valves along with Peak Performance valve springs and titanium retainers were installed in the head. The stiffer valve springs and lightweight retainers facilitate the use of higher lift, longer-duration camshafts as well as greater engine speeds. An A'PEXi 1.2mm head gasket and ARP head studs were selected to provide the seal between the head and the block. Finally, the head was topped off with a set of Toda Racing 264-degree camshafts with 10.2mm of lift. The Toda cams have a greater duration and lift compared to the factory bumpsticks. Therefore, a greater amount of air can be pumped into and out of the cylinders. Since the SR20 rocker arms notoriously launch out of place at high lift and rpm, a set of Tomei rocker-arm stoppers was installed as well.

19 Pounds Towards Greatness

With the block ready to breathe, a Garrett GT3076R turbocharger set atop a Full-Race top-mount exhaust manifold was bolted to the head. The top-mount turbo manifold serves a dual purpose. First, more flexible turbo sizing is possible since the turbo is no longer squeezed between the block and the apron of the shock tower. Second, it makes working on the engine and turbo system a lot easier. On the exhaust side, a Dent Sport Garage custom downpipe and RS*R GT2 exhaust system channel spent gases to the atmosphere. From the compressor side of the turbocharger, DSG bolted in a GReddy VSPL front-mount intercooler to chill the compressed aircharge and increase air density prior to reaching the intake manifold and combustion chambers.

A Hallman Manual Boost Controller and 44mm TiAL Sport wastegate were selected to maintain boost pressure at a steady 19psi. To match the increased boost pressure and new found fuel demands, the fuel system received a higher-flowing Walbro 255lph fuel pump and a SARD fuel pressure regulator. In addition, a set of Nismo 740cc/min fuel injectors replaced the factory units to deliver the 93-octane pump gas into the cylinder. An A'PEXi PowerFC stand-alone engine management system meters the fuel delivery and controls the ignition timing sent to the Splitfire coil-on-plug ignition system and NGK Iridium spark plugs. Once Dent Sport Garage had finished tuning the PowerFC, the 240SX generated 419 horsepower and a whopping 390 lb-ft of torque on a Dyno Dynamics Dynamometer.

Staying On Track

Pounding the pavement can't happen without a good driveline to channel the power to the ground. TODA Racing's lightweight flywheel and ACT's Extreme pressure plate were teamed up to harness those force-induced horses through a stock SR transmission. The transmission was linked to a Drive Shaft Shop aluminum driveshaft mated to a KAAZ two-way limited-slip differential. The KAAZ differential divides the power between the 18x10.5-inch Volk Racing TE37 wheels wrapped with Dunlop Super Race tires. A matching pair of 18x9.5-inch TE37's and Dunlop rubber sits under the wheel wells in the front.

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