Chris Milan reveals one of the WILDEST S14S to date,
built in a garage with hopes and dreams
The eternal struggle in our community is trying to be
"different." No matter how hard you try to set yourself apart from
the rest, you end up in the cycle of trends where your ideas get thrown in with
what will eventually become popular. You find yourself no different than the
guy who took your idea and posted it on Instagram more times than you did
before. That's the trouble with our community today. That sense of
individuality is gone because Internet "fame" and being a social
media superhero is more important than building a truly unique vehicle.
It seems the only way to be an individual
in 2014 is to avoid the Internet completely and just keep to yourself. The
problem that presents itself at that point is you're becoming too quiet and
avoiding anyone who can potentially appreciate your ride or become
"inspired" by your build. It's a double-edge sword. You want to be
able to enjoy this hobby with your fellow enthusiasts, but you also don't want
someone to build a car just like yours and take the credit for coming up with
your ideas first.
It
seems the only way to be an individual in 2014 is to avoid the Internet
completely and just keep to yourself.
You can say you don't care, but then again,
nobody likes a copycat. The alternative is to build something that is a little
too far beyond the realm of anyone's expectations, and to create something
incredibly unique, borderline ridiculous, where most people wouldn't attempt to
go. You risk being mocked for your efforts, and only the few who appreciate
forward thinking will understand what you've done.
Chris Milan is one of those risk takers who
drew inspiration from multiple areas and created something that he can
genuinely call his own. While we're on the path of honesty, allow us to be the
first to admit that Chris' Super Grape Metallic S14 is a tad ridiculous—just a
tad. That can be good or bad, depending on which end of the spectrum you stand,
but you really need to understand what all went into this build before you can
pass judgment on it. "Unique" is a word that you could easily apply
to his build because there aren't many guys squeezing 18x12" -81 offset
wheels on their projects, and more importantly, doing the bodywork to make it
fit. This may not be your cup of tea, but before you flip the pages to the next
story, please continue to read on because there are some modifications that
will literally make you appreciate what Chris has put together. You'll find
yourself pulling this issue closer to your face so you can study the details of
this Kouki S14.
You'll
find yourself pulling this issue closer to your face so you can study the
details of this Kouki S14.
"I've always been into cars ever since
I was a kid," Chris started. "I would always play racing video games
with my brother, and my dad would even tell me stories about how he used to
race when he was younger. My older brother was a huge influence in keeping me around
cars constantly, and I knew I wanted to build a car the moment I learned how to
drive. After two years of saving up, I was able to get a Mitsubishi Evo, but it
kept breaking so often that I just lost interest in it. I found myself going to
a lot of local drift events and hanging out with other guys who were mudding
Nissan S-chassis'—so I began to hunt for one."
Luckily, S-chassis aren't too hard to
find—what's problematic is finding a clean one. Not only is it rare to find an
unmolested one, try finding one that has all the original body panels on
it...even that seems impossible. All this would lead you to believe that we're
going to tell you that Chris found himself a gem of an S14, but that is
certainly not the case. He went and unearthed himself the biggest pile of shit
ever!
"This S14 shell was literally a
rolling piece of junk that I bought off some guy in Miami for $400," he
explains. "I really wanted to buy a right-hand drive S15 Silvia, but I
just didn't have $20K, so I settled. It had a crashed front end, beat-up
quarter-panels, and an interior that looked like a bear might have torn through
it. I towed it home, dragged it into my one-car garage, and started tearing it
apart."
"I
really wanted to buy a right-hand drive S15 Silvia, but I just didn't have $20K,
so I settled. It had a crashed front end, beat-up quarter-panels, and an
interior that looked like a bear might have torn through it. I towed it home,
dragged it into my one-car garage, and started tearing it apart."
