Supposedly, the Nissan Silvia gets its name from Greek mythology; Silvia was reportedly the name of a beautiful Nymph. In very similar Roman mythology, Silvia (along with Mars, the God of War) birthed the twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus was eventually credited with founding the father of all civilizations, the Roman Empire. But if it weren't for Silvia, none of this ever would have happened.
Now, the U.S. domestic market Nissan car, the 240SX, has pretty much nothing to do with Greek or Roman mythology. However, there is a trend in "upconverting" the American 240SX into something bigger, better and almost god- (or goddess-) like: the Japanese domestic market Silvia. Julia Phan of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., got caught up in this trend; like many tuned imports, the elevation of this vehicle started with its appearance.
Like its namesake, Nissan's Silvia is nothing short of beautiful. To this end, Phan upgraded the exterior components to reflect the ostensible goddess heritage. On the front end of things, a full J-spec S15 conversion, complemented with a C-West N1 front bumper, brings the 1996 240SX chassis up to par. A pair of side skirts from Edge and a Nismo rear bumper wrap up the ground effects package. Dual Veilside Aero electric mirrors bring up the top end, while a carbon-fiber hood and a Veilside GT carbon-fiber wing, both coated with a custom pearl finish, round out the exterior amenities. Of course, no conversion would be complete without authentic Japanese domestic market badging; Phan came through with the JDM S15 signage in the front and rear. Paint and bodywork was completed by Exotic Ride in Orlando, Fla., with the last step being the multiple coats of authentic Silvia Blue.
Interior-wise, Phan went in the same direction, continuing her JDM theme. The cockpit boasts a pair of Recaro SRD seats in red, with the surrounding interior components accented in perforated red vinyl. A pair of GReddy three-point safety harnesses keep Phan attached to the seat during her drifting excursions, while control components were upgraded to a Veilside suede steering wheel, a GReddy counterweighted shift knob, a MOMO aluminum emergency brake/drift control button, and a Project Mu pedal set. An Injen red carbon-fiber gauge set accents the gauge cluster, while a Torasport carbon-fiber dash kit highlights the remainder of the interior.
For in-car entertainment, Phan's ride sports a plethora of modern electronics. The ICE system is controlled by a Pioneer AVX-P7300DVD audio/video control unit. A pair of Sony amplifiers powers the multitude of speakers, including twin Sony Xplod series subwoofers. Final electronic goodies include a GReddy turbo timer and GReddy remote switch that controls boost. Brian at Racing Zone in Orlando, Fla., is responsible for the interior enhancements, while the folks at Exotic Ride are the purveyors of the fine electronic equipment.