Having transitioned from wreck to
track weapon to drift star over the course of a decade, Chris Soehren’s
V8-powered 240SX has finally become the car he always envisaged…
“I was starting my own business, Elite Automotive
Finishes, and that left little to no time or money to play with,” he let on. “I
did add the Origin 50mm rear over fenders and the wing but that was about it.
One setback I had was blowing the motor at the Phoenix International Raceway,
the place where I had my first ride all those years ago. It took me a little
while to fix the car but I was able to sell some things and get another short
block. Even though I had the business, it was very small at that stage with
only my wife and a helper on site doing the work. I still wanted to try and do
something bold, though, to help promote the company. I spent months debating
what to do and eventually I came back to one of my old Hot Wheels cars!”
I
spent months debating what to do and eventually I came back to one of my old
Hot Wheels cars!
The car in question was a little red chrome
240SX that sat in his bedroom during his high school years. It was always one
of his favourites, so Chris opted for Candy Apple red over a chrome base coat.
It was time for his beloved but abused Nissan to step up and become a striking
demo vehicle for Elite Automotive Finishes.
Knowing how extensive the makeover would
be, Chris added a complicated but much needed component inside the cabin first:
the roll-cage. He’d been rocking a bolt-in setup for the past few years but
reasoned that if he wanted the SX to be a hard-core, respected drift
demonstrator, it needed a fully integrated welded-in cage. “I didn’t have the
money to pay someone to do it all for me,” he shrugged. “This was the first
cage I ever attempted to do myself so it took me some long days to get right. I
hit up Vitaly at Ace Up Motorsports to bend up the main hoop and pillar bars
and then I did the cutting, notching and welding myself.” Once finished to a
standard he was happy with, the cabin was gutted of any remaining sound
deadening or unsightly scum, prepped and then painted gunmetal grey.
Once
finished to a standard he was happy with, the cabin was gutted of any remaining
sound deadening or unsightly scum, prepped and then painted gunmetal grey.
By this point you’ll already have noticed,
though, that this car’s party piece is its exterior finish. Replicating the
appearance of his favourite die cast model was a painstaking process. Remember,
Chris was attempting to transform a battle-scarred track and drift tool into a
show stunner. Unthinkable hours of prep went into getting the shell right, his
family and friends supporting him every step of the way. Some questioned why he
was seeking perfection considering the car was going to be thrown into the
drift arena but Chris powered on and after finally getting the primer on, was
ready to paint.
A black base coat was applied first,
followed by a clear coat as there needed to be a depth to the finish. It’s
almost as if you could reach right into the paint and swirl it around. The
chrome paint came next and it was this layer that makes the car pop in the
light. At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking this 240SX has just
been plastered in vinyl decals, but the aesthetics are significantly more
involved and intricate than that. The Elite logo was masked over to leave
chrome piercing through, before applying copious amounts of candy paint. Once
the red coat was dry, it was time to airbrush the flanks and then finally
another clear coat was added. Chris spent almost three days solid in the spray
booth, but the end result couldn’t be more impressive.
Once
the red coat was dry, it was time to airbrush the flanks and then finally
another clear coat was added. Chris spent almost three days solid in the spray
booth, but the end result couldn’t be more impressive.
