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…
Imagine the faces on Chris’s family when he
explained a few years later that he wanted to fit a Kouki (S14A) front end to
the Nissan. Anyone in the body shop industry will tell you that it’s near on
impossible to colour match candy paint, meaning installing it would be a pretty
extensive job with the same gruelling process painstakingly repeated. But that
wouldn’t be the last time the car would go under the knife...
As Chris’s drift career progressed, so too
has his weapon of choice. He competed back to back years in the Phoenix round
of the Xtreme Drift Circuit and got as much seat time as humanly possible,
purposefully putting himself up against more advanced drivers to push himself
and learn from the best. Last year was when he took his biggest leap, though,
signing up to the Vegas Pro-Am series. In his debut season he finished eighth
out of over 50 entrants, narrowly missing out on earning his FD licence. But
that’s his goal for next year.
The 240SX is now on its third LSI engine,
this time built with Lingenfelter CNC-ported heads and Lunati cams, valve
springs and retainers. Fueled Racing mounts have been utilised to fix the
engine and the Tremec T-56 six-speed manual gearbox into position. Various
uprated components from later LS engines have found their way on to the setup,
too, along with monster fuelling, oil and breathing enhancements to aid
reliability and allow the 5.7-litre lump to churn out 405hp at 6000rpm and
372lb ft of torque at 5100rpm. Those aren’t headline grabbing stats for an
S-body but the simplicity of the running gear and accessibility of the torque
make the 570SX an extremely effective drifter.
Those
aren’t headline grabbing stats for an S-body but the simplicity of the running
gear and accessibility of the torque make the 570SX an extremely effective
drifter.
One thing we really like about this
particular car is that you can tell it’s not just a big-money,
no-expense-spared build. Chris has fitted all the premium parts where needed
and then budgeted and been exceptionally clever in other areas. For example,
stunning 18” chrome Weds Kranze LXZs wheels, K Sport coil overs, camber, toe
and suspension arms and big Brembo front brakes are all present. But instead of
splashing out on a super-expensive rear brake kit, he’s sourced a substantial
300ZX setup and sharpened it up with Hawk Racing HP Plus pads. It’s a
cost-effective way of achieving the required balance and that element of
creativity can be seen throughout the spec list.
Chris even helped to design the aero kit
that’s fitted to the car. He, his wife and good friend Paco devoted hundreds of
hours to shaping these kits and making sure fitment is spot-on. It means if you
like what you see, you can order your own Get Nuts Type III kit from 2F
Performance! Chris’s wife has not only been supportive throughout the build,
but she’s seriously into the whole scene and industry herself. So much so that
she’s hoping to compete alongside Chris very soon in her freshly built drift
car!
Chris’s
wife has not only been supportive throughout the build, but she’s seriously
into the whole scene and industry herself. So much so that she’s hoping to
compete alongside Chris very soon in her freshly built drift car!
When we look back at the state the car was
in when Chris acquired it and how it looks now, it’s really hard to believe
it’s the same car. It’s been evolving for 12 years, growing in stature and
being refined in execution. As Chris has progressed as a driver and changed his
discipline from track driving to drifting, he’s not needed to replace the SX
for something more suitable, he just adapted it to suit. The exterior certainly
carries the ‘Elite Automotive Finishes’ branding well, more than living up to
the company’s ethos perfectly. But we do wonder, what’s next for Chris and his
570SX... drag racing perhaps?
But
we do wonder, what’s next for Chris and his 570SX... drag racing perhaps?
