Anyone who knows a little about Shawn Davis, the knowledgeable host of the “AutotopiaLA” channel on YouTube, and his way of doing things has probably fallen for many of the classic American car presentations. They all have a neat custom trick (or many) up to their sleeves. But, sometimes, he also likes to spice things up with a little bit of JDM flavor.
Most of the episodes on this West Coast channel have been all about American custom star power. Be it a garage-built Corvette with controversial traits or a supercharged GMC hot rod truck, just about anything is welcomed with open arms. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s an exclusive party. And we love how Davis sometimes mixes a European or JDM-flavored car in between all the American customs.
So, this time around he’s found the epitome of Japanese car culture. Nitrous, Toyota JZ engine, turbo, 240SX, drift car, nitrous. Add all of them and you’ll get this 650-horsepower Toyota 2JZ-swapped Nissan 240SX drift monster. It’s not pretty, as Shawn makes sure to notice, but it does have “all the basics that you need for drifting.” And that’s all it will do, all day long... if nothing breaks (but of course it did).
According to the story shared by the owner, the 240SX was already built when it was acquired, so it was all “ready to go.” But that’s an understatement. To be more precise, he should have said it’s all ready to go out and get thrashed around, throw gun-like tantrums all over the place (you’ll see what we mean at the 9:14 mark), lose parts without breaking a sweat, and show everyone that it only takes a small piece of tarmac to have a great time.
Of course, the driver’s skills are also involved in the shenanigans, because otherwise the 3.0-liter Toyota engine and all the bits and pieces that make this a cool drift monster (like the four-speed G-Force GSR dog box transmission) would be for nothing. One mention, though. Unlike other videos, Davis doesn’t get to drive or even ride in this... as somebody took care of the passenger seat (as in break it) ahead of filming, of course without the consent of the owner.
But luckily, modern technology has a way of showing everything from all the right angles. So, “sit back and enjoy the ride” from the 5:15 mark...
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News