History, basics, info

[rongfk]

brousing the web thought this was interesting.


The 95+ car chasis type is S14. You will see people refer to their cars by the chassis number. The factory name for the engine is KA24DE. D is for dual over head cam. E is for fuel injected. the 24 is the displacement of 2.4 liter. The older 240SX from '89 - '94 are refered to as S13. THese information is mounted on a silver plate in your engine bay on the firewall. Some times you would see S12 being refered to. These are the 200SX that were on sale in the late eighties.

The 240 name was used in '89 was due to the increase in displacement of the 2.0 in the S12 to 2.4 in the S13 and S14. This change in engine size is to accomadate (sp?) the US preference for non turbo,
and larger displacement engines. Else where around the world the S13, and S14 chassis is still being sold as the 200SX, except in japan, where the S13 fastback are called 180SX (it is still on sale in Japan, with the SR20DET engine) and the coupe S13, and S14 are called Silvia. There is no hatchback S14. Currently the SR20DET in the non North American cars produced about 200+hp. There are some people on the list that are transplanting the SR20DET engine into the North American Spec S13, and S14s. For more detailed history of the engine type, email me.

Be proud of your new car. It is the only front engine Rear drive compact car available. It's handling ability is high.
tyyap ([email protected])
Rambling on .....
'97 S14
i everybody,

I am sure this is more info than anyone really need, but I feel that it will shed light on the overview history of Nissan's cars.

200SX (export versions) included the S12 both hatch and coupe both with 1.8L engine except for the special VG30E and FJ20DET. From
'89 on export 200SX were 180SX. The tail light area thats say 200SX has a smaller line underneath that reads 1.8L intercooled
turbo. the engine is the CA18DET. At '94/95 on export 200SX were the S14 Silvia ('94). Also in '94, the 180SX were facelifted
with the SR20DET engine. '96.5 Silvia were redesigned. '97 export S14 (240SX) got new update. 'export S14 (200SX) also got same
update as US S14. US version of '97 S14 does not have the chin spoiler that the export S14 200SX has. THis spoiler is available
from Nissan North America. I got mine.

I'm sure the following has decent accuracy. I am also sure that it will raise more questions than it answers. Some of the info I
am not sure on, but rest assure that most of the following info is as correct as I can get my hands on.

'88 Last year for the S12 200SX.

'88 May S13 Silvia debut with CA18DET

'89 February Nissan Primera P10 debut (known in US as G20). with SR18DE 125hp. SR20DE version with 150hp. Drive configurations
included FF and AWD.

'89 March S13 180SX debut with CA18DET. Export versions of the 180SX is called 200SX.

'89 May Nissan debut 8th generation Skyline. R32 Skyline. Models included the GTS-4 (AWD) with RB20DET 215hp/27.0kgm. GTS-t Type
M (FR) w/ RB20DET 215hp/27.0kgm. GTS w/ RB20DE 155hp/18.8kgm.

'89 July Nissan debut Z32 Nissan Fairlady Z (300ZX)

'89 August 21st Nissan debut R32 Skyline GT-R with RB26DETT 280hp/36.0kgm (remember the 280rating is required by law).

'89 S13 240SX debut with two version. 1st is the 180SX with the 2.4L KA24E engine. 2nd is the Silvia with the nose of the 180SX
grafted on. Nissan debut J30 platform. Nissan Maxima. Around the same time, Nissan debut the A30 platform Nissan Cefiro.

'90 Nissan Pulsar GTi-R debut. AWD car for the WRC competition. with the SR20DET 230hp/29.0kgm

'91 Sil Eighty and (???) was on sale in japan. the Sil Eighty was basicly the 180SX with the nose of the Silvia. The (???), (I
don't know the name) is basicly the same as the S13 240SX coupe but with RHD (right hand drive).

'91 S13 Silvia received the SR20 engine. Q's SR20DE 140hp/18.2kgm. K's SR20DET 205hp/28.0kgm. S13 180SX receive face lift. S13
240SX receive face lift along with the 2.4L KA24DE. Nissan America starts Selling B13 SE-R (Sentra SE-R)

??? Nissan debuts Nissan President w/ VH45DE (aka Q45 but w/ stretch platform, ie limo).

??? Infiniti debuts Q45 w/ VH45DE engine.

'93 August Nissan debut the 9th generation of the Skyline line. R33 GTS25T Type M debut w/ RB25DET 250hp/30.0kgm. GTSType S w/
RB25DE 190hp/23.5kgm.

'93 October S14 Silvia debuted. Q's SR20DE 160hp/19.2kgm. K's SR20DET 220hp/28kgm. HUD is available as option

'94 Nismo Revealed Nismo R270, a complete turnkey special of the silvia. Has same body kit as the Nismo body kit but a different
hood.

'94? 180SX received the new SR20DET engine 205hp/28.0kgm. NA version got the SR20DE 140hp/18.2kgm.

'94 November 7th, R32 GTR Production ended with 43,934 units produced. (not sure whether this is only regarding the GT-R or
includes all other types)

'95 January 6th, Nissan debut new R33 Skyline GT-R w/ RB26DETT coded BNCR33

'95 US got the Sentra Coupe B14 rebadged as 200SX. US got new S14 240SX with the same 2.4L KA24DE. Also Nissan America debutted the
A31 platform. This includes the Nissan Maxima and Nissan Cefiro. Nissan combined the J30 line with the A30 line. THe original
A30 was a FR configuration. It had a RB20DE. Nissan also debut export S14 200SX w/ SR20DET.

'95 September, Nissan Japan debuts new P11 Nissan Primera. SR20DE 150hp/19.0kgm

'96 Nissan stops production of Z32 for export. Last exported Z32 now sits in the Peterson car museum with the special plate thats
reads 300/300. Nissan also ceased export of P10 Infiniti G20 to US.

'96.5 S14 Silvia got facelifted with projector lights and a midwing. S14 Silvia has option of SR20DET (K's), and SR20DE (Q's). K's
is topline version. Both version has option for aero package. There is also rumor of the Nismo GT300 which is a complete turnkey
car of the Silvia similar to the NIsmo 400R. S13 180SX receive facelift again, now has four round tail lights

'96 June, Nissan debut new Cima code Y33 (aka Q45) with two engine options. VQ30DET and VH41DE. The VH41DE is the 4.1L V8 found in
the Q45. Nissan also debut the Cedric/Gloria and Leopard. These three sedans are also based on the same Y33 platform.

'96 September, Nissan debut Stagea station wagon w/ RB26DET.

'96 August, Nissan debut Terrano Regulus (aka Infiniti QX4) with Skyline GTR's drivetrain.

'97 S14 240SX receive the export S14's front and rear bumper. However, did not receive front chin spoiler. Nissan debut the
Frontier Pickup in fall of '97. Infiniti debut QX4 and kills the J30 (Nissan Leopard)

'97 January Nissan debut the redesigned Datsun. code D22 (aka Nissan Frontier)

'97 February Nissan debut updated R33 Skyline GR-R with projector beam, extra grill opening, and deeper chin spoiler.

'97 May Nissan debut the redesigned Nissan Elgrand

'97 June Nissan debut the redesigned Nissan Laurel

'97 October Nissan debut the redesigned Nissan Safari. and Nissan R'nessa

'98 Autech debut MF-T package for the Silvia. 250hp with a F40 style super wing. Nissan debut K's aeropackage with adjustable
angle rear wing. Nissan UK starts selling Nissan Skyline GT-R of a limited lot of 100 units.

'98 February Nissan debut "CUBE"

'99 Nissan America debut P11, Infiniti G20. and also the '99 Nissan Quest
What is the difference between base, SE, and LE('97-'98) S14 240SX ('95-'98)?
This is something I put together from responses to my qustion I posted to the list. I didn't keep track of the names, but the credit goes to all of those knowledgeable list subscribers.
S14 240SX trim line comparison
==============================
LE is only for '97 and '98 models
Below is what an SE has:
Exterior
========
- 5 lug 16" wheels (base has 4 lug optional alloy 15" wheels)
- Body colored outside mirrors
- Fog Lamps
- Rear Spoiler (side rocker panels on 97/98)
- Dual Chrome Exhaust Finish
- '95: Power antenna standard (so as in LE)(for base, needs 6 sp,CD,amp system)
- Sunroof optional (same in base, standard in LE)
- Front lip spoiler
Interior
========
- Air, Cruise, and tilt
- White-faced sports gauges
- Power everything (base has optional Power package - incl. A/C, locks, Cruise)
- Variable intermittent wipers (fixed in base)
- 6 speaker sound system (std in LE, '96+ base has radio & speakers optional)
- Maplight (without sunroof)
- Upgraded cloth seats
- Driver's side lumbar support (95/96)
- Optional Leather and Security package
- Keyless entry standard in '95 SE (optional in '96)
- Leather wrapped steering and shift nob(manual transmission)
- Passenger side vanity mirror
- Leather and Security optional (not available on base, standard in LE) - '95-'96: door trims on the leather package in black seude
- '97-'98:door trims on the leather package in titanium
- '97-'98: side sill extensions
Mechanical
- optional VLSD and ABS package (VLSD order option for base) (VLSD and ABS in a single option, if an SE has VLSD, it will have an ABS as well - vice versa)
- Sports suspension and rear stabilizer bar.
- '95: larger front strut piston (22mm vs 20mm)
- '96: larger front strut and rear shock piston '96: leather interior and ABS/VLSD options were combined
Naoki Watanabe

[rongfk]

S13
The Silvia itself has been around for many years. However the information that you will find here is from the S13 onwards.

The information that I have gathered has come from many sources, these include magazines, videos, talking to mechanics and tuners, as well as 'word of mouth' from other Siliva Owners. If you spot any information that is incorrect, please send me an email and I'll fix it up.

Nissan Naming Conventions:
To ensure that you can understand how Nissan came up with the Engine names, I have attached a little example below.

SR20DET
SR = The engine model is specified by the first two characters ( SR, CA, RB, VG )
20 = The capacity of the engine ( 2.0 L )
D = Indicates Double Overhead Cams ( Twin Cam )
E = Electronic Fuel Injection
T = Indicates a Turbo Model

S13 Specifications:

The S13 range came out in two models. The first of which is commonly reffered to as an S13, and was built between 1988 and ended around the middle of 1990. The second model was built between 1990 and finished in 1993, this was reffered to as the PS13.

The 180SX is identical to the Silvia in every way, expect it was built as a fastback rather than a coupe. A common misconception is that the two cars are different, they are simply shaped differently. To be able to easily identify the 180SX from Silvia's it adopted a naming convention of RS13.

Information on BOTH S13 models ( Series 1, and 2 ) can be found below.


Series One S13 ( 1988 -> 1990 )

Models Available: J's ( Jack ) - Base Model.
Very basic interior, and is very rarely imported.

Q's ( Queen ) - Middle Range Model.
Full electric options, Non-Turbo only. With Optional LSD.

K's ( King ) - Top Spec Model.

Same features as a Q's, but only comes in Turbo. Most K's have LSD as standard also.

Club - Unknown model. Many people advertise a Silvia as a Club Spec, but no-one has really been able to cleary define the difference between a Club model and the above three ( J, Q, K ) models.

Fuel System: ECCS Electronic Fuel Injection ( EFI )
Fuel Tank Capacity: 55 L
Transmisison: Available in a 5 speed manual, or a 3 Speed Automatic ( with Overdrive ).

Automatic models are fitted with Power/Hold modes also.

Power Mode - Will allow the transmission to hold gears longer, and will down shift at much lower throttle positions.

Normal Mode - Is an automated sensing mode, if the car feels you are pushing the car, it will use Power mode.

Hold Mode - Will prevent you from pushing the car really hard, and will limit the revs to around 4,000 rpm. A very usefull mode when you desperatley need fuel http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/tamparacing/smiles/smile.gif Hold will also keep it in the selected gear unless you physically select a different gear.

Drive Train: Rear wheel drive, with Open or Viscous Coupling Limited Slip Differentials available.

Diff Ratios:
3.8:1
4.1:1
4.4:1

Suspension and Steering: Four wheel independant suspension is standard on all S13's.

Optional HICASII 4 Wheel Steering is available too.
Steering is power rack and pinion, with a turning circle of 9.6m
Weight Distribution: F/R 55/45% using an average driver weight of 60 Kg.

Weightings are as follows:
J's - 1090 Kg
Q's - 1090 Kg
K's - 1120 Kg

Size Dimensions: Length - Width - Height = 4540 x 1690 x 1290 mm
Optional Extras: Heads-Up Display ( HUD ):

Displays a digital speed reading onto the windscreen.
Coolbox:

Located in the glovebox it was designed to act as a mini fridge to keep drinks cold. Very rarely seen for fairly obvious reasons.

HICASII:
Four wheel steering.
Sunroof:
An electric slide back type was available, however proved to be terrible for taller people.
Velour / Leather Trim:

The majority of Silvia's came with a tweed trim, but some will be lucky enough to find a model with Velour, or a leather interior.

ABS:
Anti-Lock Braking System can be found on many Silvia's
Limited Slip Differential:
Check behind your rear left wheel, for an orange sticker if you are unsure as to if you have ABS or not.
Performance: CA18DE:
Power: ?
Torque: ?
Power / Weight: ?
Top Speed: 180 Km / Hr
Stock Boost: ?

CA18DET:
Power: ?
Torque: ?
Power / Weight:
Top Speed: 180 Km / Hr
Stock Boost: ?



Series Two S13 ( 1990 -> 1993 )
Engine: SR20DE, or SR20DET

Models Available: J's ( Jack ) - Base Model.
Very basic interior, and is very rarely imported.

Q's ( Queen ) - Middle Range Model.
Full electric options, Non-Turbo only. With Optional LSD.

K's ( King ) - Top Spec Model.
Same features as a Q's, but only comes in Turbo. Most K's have LSD as standard also.

Club - Unknown model. Many people advertise a Silvia as a Club Spec, but no-one has really been able to cleary define the difference between a Club model and the above three ( J, Q, K ) models.

Fuel System: ECCS Electronic Fuel Injection ( EFI )
Fuel Tank Capacity: 55 L
Transmisison: Available in a 5 speed manual, or a 3 Speed Automatic ( with Overdrive ).

Automatic models are fitted with Power/Hold modes also.

Power Mode - Will allow the transmission to hold gears longer, and will down shift at much lower throttle positions.

Normal Mode - Is an automated sensing mode, if the car feels you are pushing the car, it will use Power mode.

Hold Mode - Will prevent you from pushing the car really hard, and will limit the revs to around 4,000 rpm. A very usefull mode when you desperatley need fuel http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/tamparacing/smiles/smile.gif Hold will also keep it in the selected gear unless you physically select a different gear.

Drive Train: Rear wheel drive, with Open or Viscous Coupling Limited Slip Differentials available.

Diff Ratios:
3.8:1
4.1:1
4.4:1

Suspension and Steering: Four wheel independant suspension is standard on all S13's.

Optional SuperHICAS 4 Wheel Steering is available too.
Steering is power rack and pinion, with a turning circle of 9.6m

Weight Distribution: F/R 55/45% using an average driver weight of 60 Kg.

Weightings are as follows:
J's - 1110 Kg
Q's - 1110 Kg
K's - 1150 Kg

Size Dimensions: Length - Width - Height = 4540 x 1690 x 1290 mm

Optional Extras: Heads-Up Display ( HUD ):

Displays a digital speed reading onto the windscreen.
Coolbox:
Located in the glovebox it was designed to act as a mini fridge to keep drinks cold. Very rarely seen for fairly obvious reasons.

SuperHICAS:
Four wheel steering.
Digital Climate Control:
Same as analogue in operation, just controlled via a digital control ( like a stereo ).
Sunroof:
An electric slide back type was available, however proved to be terrible for taller people.
Velour / Leather Trim:
The majority of Silvia's came with a tweed trim, but some will be lucky enough to find a model with Velour, or a leather interior.

ABS:
Anti-Lock Braking System can be found on many Silvia's
Limited Slip Differential:
Check behind your rear left wheel, for an orange sticker if you are unsure as to if you have ABS or not.

Performance: SR20DE:
Power: 100Kw / 75 HP
Torque: ?
Power / Weight:
Top Speed: 180 Km / Hr
Stock Boost: ?

SR20DET:
Power: 135Kw / 101HP
Torque: 240
Power / Weight:
Top Speed: 180 Km / Hr
Stock Boost: ?


180sx

Specifications
Model RPS13
Dimension (L-W-H) 4540x1690x1290mm
Curb Weight 1210kg
Seating Capacity 4 Persons
Engine Type CA18DET / SR20DET (Non turbo available, but rare)
Displacement 1801cc / 1998cc
Max Power (NET) 205PS/600rpm ( SR20DET )
Max Torque (NEW) 280kgm/4000rpm ( SR20DET )
Fuel System EGI (ECCS)
Fuel Economy 10 Mode Fuel Economy 10.0km/L, 60km/h Fuel Economy 18.3km/L ( SR20DET )
Fuel Tank Capacity 60? Unleaded Premium Gasoline
Transmission 4 Speed Auto / 5 Speed Manual
Manufacturer Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.


Sil-Eighty




- About the Sil-Eighty -

It's one of my favorite cars, if you're a Mako & Sayuki fan, it's probably one of yours as well. Nissan's Hybrid Wonder, the Sil-Eighty. Now this is where I get all car-techie, so if you don't want any of that, now's your chance to get out of it!


Nissan Sileighty
*manga based stat
Engine: SR20DET*
Displacement: 1998cc
Drivetrain: FR
Length: 4540mm
Height: 1290mm Horsepower @ rpm: 230 @ 6200*
Torque (km.ft. @ rpm): 33.6km @ 4000
Aspiration: Turbo
Width: 1690mm
Weight: 1150kg

You don't get many cars much better than this. Powered by an SR20DET (DOHC, Electronic Fuel Injection, TURBO) engine, the Sileighty was made to tackle mountain paths, chock-full of dangerous corners and hills. It's unique design and hybrid nature combines the best of two worlds, the Nissan Silvia, and the Nissan 180SX. As shown during the series, Mako has no problem dismantling competetors with the power of her car, her skill, and Sayuki's navigation.


Oooh, but this pretty picture of the Sil-Eighty (scanned from model kit box) is making you stay, right? http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/tamparacing/smiles/icon_wink.gif

http://www.silviansw.com/sileighty/180sx.jpg
http://www.silviansw.com/sileighty/s13silvia.jpg
http://www.silviansw.com/sileighty/sileighty3d.jpg

Now the Sileighty is an interesting car... it's origins started with car accidents, which turned into a trend, and then the manufacturers realizing that they could cash in on the trend. Complicated?

Before I start, let me clear one thing up. The Nissan Silvia is the same thing as the American released Nissan 240SX. The Nissan 180SX is the same thing as the American released Nissan... 240SX HATCHBACK version with retractable headlights. Marketing reasons is why Nissan of America decided to keep both cars as "240SX," as they technically were the same vehicle, just with a different body style.

There is a difference between the Japanese and American 240/Silvias: In Japan, Silvias have three levels of trim (K's, Q's, J's) K's being the 2.0 Turbo charged SR20 engines which could pump out well over 200bhp, Q's being the non-turbo 2.0 liter engines putting out just around 150-170bhp, and the J's, being the economy model. K's, Q's, and J's directly refer to "King, Queen, and Jack." The American Nissan 240SX, although not as strong as their Japanese counterparts, did have larger engines, at 2.4 liters, but still at stock, only produced about 155bhp.

Back when Nissan was making lots of sports cars, namely the Silvia and the 180SX, many young 180SX drivers were out in the mountain paths (YES, mountain racing is quite true) or wherever, trying to drift. Results were usually unsuccessful, and many drivers ended their nights with smashed and damaged front ends. So you've just went broke buying your 180SX, how can you afford to pay for repairs??

Simple. Since the front end parts of Silvias were less expensive than that of the 180SX, and just happens to simply bolt on without many complicated steps, many 180SX drivers found themselves fixing their cars, replacing damaged front ends with ones that of a Silvia.

And just like that, a trend was born. 180SX drivers who didn't have busted-up fronts were replacing their front ends with Silvias. I wouldn't be surprised if some people intentionally drifted horribly to dent their front ends, just so they could have an excuse to hop on the trend. Before you knew it heavily modified street racing 180SXs with Silvia front ends were cruising around the streets of Japan.

It wasn't too long before Nissan realized what was going on around them, and they realized that: they weren't making any money from all of this! So, plans began to move... it wouldn't be good for Nissan's reputation to have built a car which was inspired by illegal street racing, so they kept production of the Sileighty very low key. And if I'm not mistaken, anywhere from 400-4,000 manufactured Sileighties were every made.

What's the difference between a manufacturer made Sileighty and a homemade Sil-Eighty? Well, first and obviously, the badge on the rear, which normally says "180SX" on a 180SX reads "Sileighty" on the factory manufacturer's car. And in order to entice people to buy the Sileighty, Nissan beefed up the car slightly, to give people notice. Factory manufactured Sileighties have an estimated 24.2 MORE hp, and 3.6 kms of torque. Now you've got a car that's ready to hit the mountains right out of the factory, without any outside tuning or modifications.

Nissan no longer manufactures Sileighties anymore, obviously. An estimated 5,000 180SXs are still built every year. The original manufactured Sileighties, however are hot commodities at car auctions in Japan, for example, one white Sileighty, going for a whopping 2.4 million yen, roughly the same price as the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (a car that can kick any of our asses anyday) brand new! On a personal note, I would rather build my own Sil-Eighty out of a 180SX, and Silvia parts. Which I plan on doing before I die. http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/tamparacing/smiles/icon_wink.gif

Here's a crude example that I compiled of what makes a homemade Sil-Eighty
(I will take ZERO responsibility if someone at home tries this and f's up their own car.)




Mako's Sil-eighty can actually be argued if it's a true Sil-eighty. Anyone who's paid close attention will notice that the back panel of her car reads "180sx." As opposed to the actual Nissan manufactured Sileighties, in which the back panel actually reads "Sileighty." The argument of copyright laws is usually the final defense in why Mako's car still reads a 180sx badge, so that the series doesn't infringe that much into Nissan's products

nissan made about 500 sil80's

[rongfk]

im sure this is all old news for you nissan vets, so i guess this is for the new bootie's........

[drift freaq]

excuse me but Nissan never made a Sil Eighty. For the all the fact finding you have done you failed to read enough here and on FA. Kids Heart bought Chassis's from Nissan and made the Sil Eighty. Just like Nissan never actually manufactured a convertable but had companies in Japan and the U.S. do the work on existing Coupes.

[Dousan_PG]

werd
sil80 was kids heart
but i guess newbs figuring that shit out now..about 8+years later...

[!Zar!]

What's a 240?

Where is my dc2 info?

WTF IS THIS!?

[projectRDM]

Wow, is this Zilvia or Wikipedia? Though I appreciate the effort, any bit of that could be found in any number of other websites without having to log in to here. And 99% of the people who didn't already know all that don't care anyway.

[s13silvia123]

this is good shiit someone should sticky this somewhere.

everyone should know the history of their car.

[trsilvias13]

Yea if you read 400-4000 sil80's were made, then 5000 a year sil80's then estimate 500 sil80 were made ?

# are totally off. I argue this once about how sil80 never were made and some kid got butt hurt about it.

[Yuri]

Although you put a lot of effort into factfinding, you'll see that all this info has already been covered in greater detail on this site.

[drift freaq]

the amount of speculation based on not actual true facts in the that little faq pretty much renders it useless. Gee just like Wikipedia the biggest amount of general misinformation the web.

[steve shadows]

speaking of bandwagon

does honda lingo trivia still give you street cred?

[!Zar!]

this is good shit someone should sticky this somewhere.

everyone should know the history of their car.

The proper information is in the faq section already.

[ManoNegra]

Beats having another z32 brakes or coilver thread... but yeah, good reading for the noobs although to most of us that are fans of the s-chassis it's old news.

[GriffinW]

hooray for the S12's!

[alkemyst]

speaking of bandwagon

does honda lingo trivia still give you street cred?

Only if you have a Type R tattoo.

A for effort to the OP, but F for execution and accuracy.

I think if this was posted to ziptied you'd be banned for life.

[rongfk]

here's some more.



And then there was the beginning ....
The history of the Silvia Coupe started as far back as from the mid 1960's with the entrance of Nissan Model CSP311. The model developed and begun after German designer Count Albrecht Graf Goertz signed on as a consultant with Nissan in 1963, staying on until 1965.

Goertz was trained as an engineer in Germany and in the 1950�s, he traveled to the United States where he worked for Studebaker on the design of the Studebaker Starliner. After the massive project had completed, he was to return to Germany where he was employed by BMW. There he was commissioned with the work of the gorgeous BMW 507 Convertible. Having accomplished much in BMW, he later moved on to Porsche where he was engaged as part of the design team working on the famous Porsche 911 Turbo.

Having acquired vast experience in designing coupe, his next career move saw him with Nissan as a development consultant. Albrecht Goertz was engaged primarily to help developed a 2000GT sports car in a joint venture between Nissan and Yamaha. However the project was scrapped after Yamaha's engine didn't live up to its expectations. Albeit his association with Nissan was brief, Albrecht Goertz did left behind a couple of important things for Nissan. The first was getting Nissan designers to build their cars using a full scale clay mock ups, and also to get them to think about designing in an international context rather than just for the domestic Japanese buyers. The second thing was his provision of guidance on the design the Nissan Silvia Coupe CSP311 1600 in 1964 that started what was to become a long history Silvia Coupes in the later years and the drift culture that embedded the sports car scene today.

According to Goertz, the Nissan Japanese designers saw the design process of the Nissan Silvia Coupe CSP311 as being an amalgamation of separate ideas. Goertz designed the car as a single entity that included many of his trademark features seen previously on cars like the BMW 507 Convertible, such as a long bonnet line that lunges forward with an open grille, large wheels and wheel arches and small, delicate bumper bars. The Nissan Silvia CSP311 was the first Japanese car designed using a full scale clay mock-up and was the showpiece of the Tokyo Auto show that year.

According to the Chief Designer, Mr. Ootake, the name "Silvia" came from a Greek Mythology and was the name of a beautiful Nymph. According to the Roman Mythology (which borrows from the Greek) Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus (By Mars) and was the daughter of King Numitor. Her uncle gave her to the goddess Vesta after birth.



http://200sxs13.nismo.org/misc/CSP311Japan.jpg


CSP311 SILVIA (1964 ~ 1968 )
The design of the Nissan Silvia CSP311 was very roadster-like. It made its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in September of 1964 and the design immediately won great acclaim and the hearts of the masses. It went into production shortly in March of 1965. Nissan CSP311 Silvia was a completely hand built limited edition 2-seater coupe. It was built upon on the chassis of Datsun FairLady 1500 (SP310).

Designed by Kazuo Kimura, with assistance from Albrecht Goertz, the prototypes engine at the Tokyo Motor Show featured the Fairlady's 1500 engine. The actual production of this Silvia however, benefited from the 1595cc unit later used in the Fairlady 1600 (SP311), released in 1965. The bore size was 87.2mm and the stroke 66.8mm. It was fitted with two 38mm Hitachi SU carbs and a lightweight pressed steel exhaust manifold. It produced 96hp at 6000rpm and 103ft-lb of torque at 4000rpm. It was said to have a top speed of 165km\h.

Unfortunately the CSP311 was only built in small numbers (554 cars) due to its complexity of hand assembly. Since all but one prototype, were right hand drive and about 90% of the Silvia's were sold in Japan, there were none in USA or Europe and so its existence was unknown to almost any car enthusiasts.

The only left hand drive version was tested in the USA by Bob Sharp who described her as a 'nifty car'. However the Silvia was not sold in the USA because her interior cabin was considered too small for the Americans.

A small number of Silvias were used as Highway Patrol cars in Japan at that time as it was their fastest production car. The method of hand forming each body panel against a wooden jig and welding it to a FairLady chassis was a slow and laborious way of building these cars. It was definitely not the ideal way of mass production. The parts from any of two CSP311 were not interchangeable as they were each unique to each car. It was also one the most expensive car ever built by a Japanese manufacturer in 1965, costing 1,200,000 Yen which was 45% more than the FairLady Roadster it was based on. Needless to say, it was at a time when very few car enthusiasts in the rest of the world knew anything about the Japanese car industry.

After the production ended in 1968, the model name Silvia wasn't used until 1974 when another Silvia was introduced.



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S10 SILVIA ( 1974 ~ 1979 )
The year 1974 saw Nissan restoring the heritage of Silvia with a new sports coupe. It was called the S10 and was introduced ironically as the original �Silvia�Eversion sports car in Japan. The S10 in Japan was powered by a L18B engine rated at 90BHP.

Back then, the Nissan US (then known as Datsun) was pondering for a change in its outdated and yet established line of sports cars. The 280Z was their only sports coupe in America; however it grew heavy comparatively with other makes and models over the years and had a tough chance of meeting the ever tightening strict emissions standards with their OHC Inline 6 L28 engine. Datsun decided that something had to be done in order to save their market share in US.

Lucky in 1974, Japan had a sport coupe that was not only fuel efficient, but also cheap to produce and fun to drive. That coupe was known as the Silvia S10 which happened to be a new model in Japan that year. It was powered by a small version of the 280Z engine. This was undesirable as Datsun was trying to get away from this line of engine during when the oil crisis was escalating. A new Silvia had to be created; it would be one that was viable for the American market. In any case, some thing had to be done urgently in order to get a foothold in the American market early before the new design was conceived. And so the interim plan was to send the Silvia S10 over in 1977. However, instead of a L18B engine used for Japan, a larger L20B engine was used to power the S10 for the US market.

As Nissan had used engine sizes all through the Z line as their names (240Z was 2.4L, 280Z was 2.8L), they aptly named the car the 200SX. Many people actually became confused at this point and call the car the 200ZX, which it was not. The Z named cars were Nissan's "Best of the Best". As Nissan put it bluntly; naming it with the "... East letter in the alphabet for the last word in performance ... "

The 200SX, on the other hand, was not built as a supercar, but rather as something fun and reliable. That was why it received the 'S' in the naming structure which stands for 'Sport'. If you're wondering about the " X " that was introduced to the car naming structure in the late 70's; it was to signify that the car had luxury options and you can add those options to the car during the purchase.

The odd Datsun Silvia S10 was truly a weird looking car; a fact which left it with few devoters in those days. This was particularly true in the USA where the cars were fitted with federal safety bumpers which ruined the car's original lines.



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S110 Coupe

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S110 HatchBack


S110 SIIVIA ( 1979 ~ 1983 )
The S10 Nissan Silvia was replaced by the S110 in 1979. The S110 was sold both as a Silvia and a Gazelle. The Gazelle was a more luxury spec of the base model. The S110 this time round had a large choices of models and engines. The L series engine was featured in most models. The L20B, 1952cc 4-cylinder producing 89kW engine was exported to US as 200SX/S110. The new Z series engine, the Z18ET, with the T standing for Turbocharged, was featured in Silvia 1800 LSE-X(e-PS110). The engine made its appearance in a few Nissan models, most notably in the Turbo Silvia and Gazelle. This 1770cc engine generated a hot 135 horsepower at 6000 rpm.

The original coupe S110 Silvia was joined by a hatchback version in August 1979. Many countries only ever received this hatchback version of the S110 Silvia . The last version of the S110 was probably the best of the bunch. Launched in October 1981, it was called the 2000RS. The chassis was based on the S110 model. The 2000RS was powered by the potent FJ20E, a rally-bred DOHC 16V 2000cc engine generating a horsepower of 150BHP; capable of propelling the car to a top speed of 192km/h. The 2000RS was available in both Silvia and Gazelle bodies. In 1982-83 the S110 was furnished with other options such as a 4 wheel disc brakes and a H165 differential.



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S12 Coupe

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S12 HatchBack

S12 SILVIA ( 1983 ~ 1988 )
In 1983, Nissan S12 Silvia was launched. Once again it had both the Silvia and Gazelle version being released together. This new S12 was not only faster, but had more headroom, a more luxurious interior, a stiffer chassis and 'advanced anti-rust protection' as Nissan called it.

The 1980�s were the era of turbochargers and power craze, seen on everything from the Jaguar XJ220, the Ferrari F40 and other high-end super cars. So the S12 also had to have a turbocharged option as well. The all new FJ20 or FJ20DET ( T for turbo) 2L 16V 4 cylinder engines was introduced which endowed with a greater compression, more power and better fuel mileage from it's dual spark plug design. The S12 with the 2 litre engine was known as 200SX. Export models of the S12 had either the CA18E or the CA18DET. The CA18 was a 1.8L, 8V "twin plug" engines aptly named as 180SX. Among this entire engines group, the engine that everyone lusted after was the 1.8L Turbo. This turbocharged engine, although smaller, boasted 20 more horsepower than the basic 2.0L engine and used less gas than it's bigger 2.0L brother. The bulge in the bonnet shown in this photo was restricted to the four cylinder turbo versions.

From its introduction until production ended in 1987, the Nissan S12 Silvia received rave reviews and sold thousands of cars. In 1987, the US market calls for more drivability and laggy turbocharged engine was dropped. To replace it, the 200SX-SE was created with VG20 2.0 V6 engine, which pumped out more torque and bigger horsepower numbers to woo the potential buyers. Paradoxically however it wasn�t much faster than its predecessor.



http://200sxs13.nismo.org/misc/Nissan_S13.jpg
S13 Silvia Coupe

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S13 180SX / 200SX HatchBack

S13 SILVIA ( 1989 ~ 1995 )
Of all the Silvias that Nissan conceived from the past to the future models pending to be launched, the S13 was probably the only model that was most controversial. It had the most number of variances in terms of engine option and chassis styles. Even after more than 10 years of its introduction, car enthusiasts around the globe are still trying to figure out how and why Nissan named this cult machine in various parts of the world. Here I shall attempt to shed some light on these issues.

Introduced in 1988, the S13 had no less than three body styles in the original form. There were the coupe version, hatchback and the convertible. The Japanese domestic cars were powered either by the CA18DE or the CA18DET engine. USA had the KA24DE engine. The KA24DE engine had 12 valves in 1989 & 16 valves version from 1991onwards. HICAS (4-wheel steering) was also available as an option on domestic and export models although there were restrictions in some trim levels. In Japan, trim levels were J's, Q's and K's. Export market cars had a pop-up headlights which was codenamed as either RS13 or as in the later years, RPS13 which was endowed with a SR20DET engine. These were also commonly known as 180SX in Australia and European countires and/or 200SX in Asia. The domestic Japanese models had fixed rectangular lights and known generally as "Silvia" in the country.

When a newer S14 was introduced, a 2Litre engine called the SR20DET was developed for it. Running along side with the production of the predecessor, the S13 also benefited itself with the SR20DET engine capable of higher horse power. This made the drifty car even more tail-happy. With the transplant of the SR20DET, Nissan once again renamed the RS13/RPS13 as PS13 Silvia ( rectangle headlights ) or as PS13 200SX ( with pop-up lights ) and continued to be sold in Japan until its production ended in 1995.


Chassis Numbering on S13's
89-91 Silvia: S13 (1.8)
91-93 Silvia PS13 (2.0)
Early 1.8 litre 180SX or 200SX: RS13
Later 2.0 litre 180SX or 200SX: RPS13
1995 onwards 2.0 litre 200SX: PS13 (production along side with S14)

***** Oddities: *****

"Sil-Eighty"

http://200sxs13.nismo.org/misc/Sil-Eighty.gif

The "Sil-Eighty" or "SIL80" was a common conversion of the Nissan 180SX in Japan. The SIL80 consisted of a Nissan 180SX body with the Nissan Silvia S13 front, but with the rear end styling from the PS13 180SX. This is what one correspondent had to say about the Sil-Eighty:

"....in Japan, drivers kept smashing the front ends of their 180SXs into mountains or whatever when they were drifting.... simply put, the S13 Silvia front end was cheaper than a 180SX front so they put the Silvia fronts on as a temporary fix....."

This caused a craze in Japan and it was basically the look in Japan for young drivers. Nissan had been observing that many of their 180's have been going around with Silvia fronts, and (for an unknown reason) they built a hybrid and released it in 1994. This hybrid was known as the "SIL-EIGHTY", which was exterior-wise just a PS13 with a S13 front end. Changes went further than just the body chassis. There were improvements to the camshafts and the ECU, which gave roughly 16~18Kw more (not sure about how much more torque) than both the Silvia and 180SX. The suspension was also tweaked for drifting purposes.

Genuine Sil-Eighty's are snap-tail happy, given too much power thru a corner would resulted in a drift, or even a spinout if you try too hard... Nissan only made about 400 genuine Sil-Eighty and documented examples. Just about all were snapped up upon their release. Now at auctions they apparently go for as much as immaculate R32 skyline GT-Rs" </I>


"One-Via"

http://200sxs13.nismo.org/misc/One-Via.jpg


Extending this idea to the next stage, one can take a 180SX nose, and put it onto an S13 Silvia. Apparently it's not that hard to do (if you have both). The result is what drivers called a "One-via".
Note that there is no factory-built car bearing this codename designation.


"Strawberry face Silvia"

http://200sxs13.nismo.org/misc/Strawberry_face_Silvia.gif

With the introduction of the Silvia S15 in the later years, Silvia enthusiast had yet another creative combination for the S13. It resulted in the newest oddity: the SIL1580 (180SX with an S15 nose).

This is not a factory product, but kits are available from a number of Japanese styling houses such as TOP SECRET. Incidentally, the word "strawberry" comes from the fact that one - five is pronounce as "Ichi - Go" in Japanese which also means strawberry and "face" is the front of the car.


"S13 convertible"

http://200sxs13.nismo.org/misc/S13_convertible.jpg

There were also limited edition S13 convertibles, built around 1992 to 1994 (Convertible was the only body style available in 1994). A few hundred cars were built by the factory to use up the last lot of the S13 coupe chassis. All of the original convertibles produced by Nissan were painted in "Royal Blue". It was based on the fixed headlights models of the Silvia, rather than the chassis of 180SX/240SX (PS13) pop-ups headlights. There had been several conversions nevertheless. In the US, the 240SX S13 convertible could be found. The distinguish feature included the pop-up headlights, left-hand drive and a 240SX badge at the rear ( Picture above ).


**********************


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S14 Coupe

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S14a Coupe

S14 SILVIA ( 1993 ~ 1998 )
First launched in 1993, along side with the enduring S13, all chassis numbers were prefixed with an "S14" It was clothed in a new styling, a longer chassis and a pair of fixed headlights. Pop-up headlights disappeared in all markets. The new SR20DET engine also received Nissan's new variable valve timing. HICAS was not an option for export models, except the 240SX SE. This time round the S14 was produced only in coupe styling; no hatch, or convertible. Rear badges were highly polished and labeled on the right side on the rear. Japanese trim levels were J's, Q's & K's, similar to the S13 Silvia. Export models had two or three levels depending on the export destination. All except North America received the SR20DET. In Japan, Turbo cars had a 3-gauge cluster under the radio consisiting of an Oil Pressure, Boost and Voltage gauges. Export cars did not have this items as stock trim.

In 1995, the S14 received a headligh face lift. It was lossely known as S14a. The R33 look-alike headlights were discarded and replaced with a more aggressive looking headlight which tapered towards the center of the car.



http://tanakatire.web.infoseek.co.jp/505/SILVIA_S15.jpg


S15 SILVIA ( 1999 ~ 2002 )
The latest and probably the last line of Silvia models was introduced on the 16th January 1999. Some suspension parts were derived from the R34 Skyline, and having an aluminum chassis reduced its overall weight. Considerable effort was focused on tightening up the body.

Two models were available: Spec-S and Spec-R. Power output of the updated SR20DET in Japan and NZ is around 186KW (250HP) for the manual and 164KW (220HP) for the Auto. Australian imported cars remained at 147KW. This time round a 6-speed manual transmission was coupled with the more powerful SR20DET on the turbo models. In Australia, manual versions came with the Helical LSD (similar to that of the R34 GT-R) and Autos retained the Viscous LSD. Other markets S15 Spec-S also received the viscous LD whilst the S15 Spec-R had the Helical. Australian models did not include the climate control air-conditioning, boost gauge and/or the rear wiper. Black was added in place of Shiraz in the Australian line-up. Yellow was introduced to the colour lineup in March 2001.


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S15 "Varietta"
When the S15 was released in 1999, there was only a coupe version of it, but in the later unexpected move ( as usual ) by Nissan, it introduced the "Silvia Convertible" and beautifully named it as "Varietta", It was developed by Autech. Mechanically, the car uses the SR20DE engine with a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto transmission. The rear of the car was slightly longer than original S15 to accomodate the electronic convertible. The car was never officially exported outside Japan although I have seen at least one imported S15 convertible "Varietta" cruising around happily on the roads of Singapore.


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The End of the Silvia pedigree ...
Sadly, after 27 years of battling generation, Nissan is finally calling it a day for the Silvia ancestors. It is giving way to the ever tightening emission regulations enforce around the world. The year 2002 saw the final production of S15 Silvia and with that, the demise of the legendary tail happy drift pedigree. There will never be a S16 Silvia any more to continue the ancestry. Oh! What bitter words are these ! ....What a pity!

[Deftec]

180's and s13's both had retractable headlights huh

[usdm180sx]

This has been coverd as well.

[rongfk]

^Damn, alright I'll lay it to rest already.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Soooo when are the kiddies gonna start picking up older 200sx and swapping out the CA for SRs? That should be the next fucking rage...

[B Love]

S15 Varietta is so dope