NOT AN LS V8-POWERED S15

Michael Ryder is no rookie when it comes to manhandling his way around the south’s best circuits in his Nissan Silvia S15. The S15 was packing a 343kW (460hp) SR20DET until flatmate, fabricator and good mate Dylan Field convinced him to drop the high-maintenance four-banger out, and shoehorn in a Toyota 1UZ-FE V8.

Michael assembled the troops to help, with Sam Roborgh wiring it up, Phil Taylor tuning, and Dylan completing all the fabrication.

Obviously as the old engine made so much power, the 1UZ wouldn’t be left untouched. The decision was made to complete a single-turbo conversion utilizing the factory manifolds, with a custom Y-pipe to mount it on.

The set-up is bulletproof, making 402kW at the wheels on 15psi of boost and an E30 ethanol blend, all of this using a Garrett GT3582R and Link G4 ECU. The S15 gearbox was binned, and a race-prepped R154 five-speed was built by Tony Crowther to handle the massive amounts of torque.

The car is still under construction, with the paint needing to be completed, along with the body and various other small items.

The set-up is currently limited by the turbo system and heads, so once Michael starts getting used to the power levels, they’ll be the first things to be changed.

Make sure you head to Drift South round three to see the finished product in action.

Michael would like to thank Dylan Field, Dick Mike, Kieran Meijer, Phil Taylor and Sam Roborgh for their hard work throughout the build.