From Japan and back: Hajime’s RB26DETT Powered 240sx

Japan is a country well known for many things. Mention the word Japan to anyone, and initial thoughts may range from Karate and Sushi, to Anime and drift cars. Not many people will say that it reminds them of home. Unless, of course, you happen to be Hajime Maki. If you live in Houston, TX, and have been to any of the 40+ car meets held by Planet Zero, then you have undoubtedly seen this pearl white beauty before you.

Planet Zero hosts one of Texas’ longest running meets and to many, this is where they first saw Hajime’s 1996 Nissan 240sx in the flesh. But not me. The first time I laid eyes on his car was not at Planet Zero, it wasn’t even at a car meet. I used to (and still do) buy Japanese car magazines such as Young Version, Carboy, Option, and Drift Tengoku from a Japanese market store on the West Side of Houston called Nippon Daido when I had first met Hajime. I had seen what was then an OEM gold, Zenki 240sx with a GRACER front lip and front mount GReddy intercooler, a far cry from what we now see here. Gone is the old “bubble eyes” 95-96 Zenki front end, now replaced with a genuine C-West front bumper, S15 headlights and Top Secret carbon hood.

It was roughly about 8 or 9 years ago when I had exchanged numbers with Hajime on that fateful afternoon. I was driving my FC at the time, and we had a lot to talk about such as drifting his then turbocharged KA24DE 240sx. He had done all the work on the S14 himself all while attending the University of Houston to pursue his college degree. It wouldn’t be till many moons later that the car had gone through a complete transformation.

Unlike me, Hajime reads and speaks fluent Japanese. If you’ve ever stared at an Option magazine, then it’s safe to assume you’d kill to know what exactly the guys in the magazine are saying. I’ve always wondered if Hajime read a DIY guide of how to drop in a Skyline motor into an S14, cause that’s exactly what he did.

By taking the most vital parts from an R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R, Hajime did what many Silvia enthusiasts dream to do to their S-chassis cars, make it fly. Not only did he take the much coveted RB26DETT motor from the GT-R, he also managed to work in the seats, brakes and even gauge cluster from Godzilla.

With the R33 GT-R being an AWD wrecking ball, an RB25DET transmission was needed to make the RB26 work with the S14’s FR layout. Between the tranny and the legendary straight six lies an ATS carbon twinplate clutch that insures that power is laid to the ground where the Advan SA3R’s wrapped in BF Goodrich KDW’s massage the pavement.

The Advan’s were a new addition to the look of Hajime’s car. In fact, visually, the car you see now bears no resemblance of what the car used to look like. The car no longer sports the factory goldmember color of yesteryear, and now has a custom white paintjob with a hint of red pearl that extends to the new ings+1 side skirts and rear bumper.

The car is lowered on all Cusco suspension, and not “slammed” like many other 240’s you may have seen recently, and that has a lot to do with the fact that this car is not a trailer queen, it’s actually a daily driver. The car was built with reliability in mind, but more importantly, comfort. The Cusco type Zero 2’s are adjustable by dialing in your dampening via the Cusco E-con controller, so no more popping your hood and crawling to through the back seat just to make the ride softer for those long commutes to school or work. And for those long, hot days, Hajime has somehow also worked in A/C in this twin-turbo’d 240sx. Yes. Air conditioning.

As the sun started to set, JohnP and Khiem, our photographer, traveled to a different location on the west side of Houston to get some last pictures in while the sunlight faded into the night. They were able to get some pictures of Christmas lights in a nearby neighborhood. Not only were miniture horses prancing around in the front yards of these houses, there were thousands of lights strung across various trees. The effect is stunning.

It’s as if the trees were on fire!

We shot Hajime’s car yesterday because he had told us that he was leaving for Japan this tuesday for two weeks. How fun! No doubt that he will be going to Japan for family, friends, food and fun, as I have had the pleasure of visiting Hajime’s home country just a few weeks ago as well. When he returns, I hope that he brings back a magazine or two that Nippon Daido doesn’t carry (EvolutionQ please!!) from the motherland for me!

Until he returns, I will just have to settle for staring at the pretty pictures in the latest Option2 magazine at our favorite Japanese store by myself. Have a safe trip Hajime!

Official Mod List: Exterior: Nissan S15 front conversion Nissan S15 headlights with HiDs C-West N1 Front Aero bumper ings+1 side skirts ings+1 rear aero bumper Top Secret Carbon Bonnet Suspension: Cusco Type Zero 2 Cusco E-con controller Cusco Pillow Tension rods Cusco Rear upper control arms Cusco Lower tie rod Cusco Front and rear sway bars GReddy front strut tower bar in chrome Drivetrain: Nismo 1.5 way LSD RB25 Manual Transmission ATS Carbon twinplate clutch Brakes: Z32 Brake Master cylinder R33 GT-R Brembo calipers front and rear Engine: RB26DETT from R33 GT-R GReddy Airinx intake GReddy Front mount Intercooler GReddy Breather tank Siede ADIC Apex’i PowerFC Apex’i N1 Exhaust McKinney Motorsports Downpipe SPAL electric fans x2 HKS TwinPower ignition Splitfire coilpack NGK Iridium plugs Koyo Radiator Blitz SBC-iD Blitz PowerMeter-iD Wheels: 17″ Advan Racing SA3R’s BF Goodrich KDW’s Interior: Nardi Steering wheel Top Secret Quick Release Apex’i Multi Checker Defi Oil Temperature gauge Defi Water Temperature gauge Defi Boost gauge GReddy Oil pressure gauge GReddy Fuel pressure gauge Nismo shift knob R33 GT-R front seats R33 GT-R gauge cluster Related Links: Planet-Zero Top Secret Japan Underground Graphics Nippon Daido As usual, the rest of the photos, as well as the HIGH Resolution versions can be found HERE. All photos were taken and shot by Khiem Pham with a Canon 5D mk2. Khiem125@gmail.com –David–