The S-chassis community has a bit of a reputation for what we'll politely call "thriftiness." That's right, S-chassis owners, people think you're cheap. Jump on popular forums like Zilvia.net and browse the For Sale section for evidence of lowball offers that'd make a Somali pirate blush. This has given some of us in the Modified universe the sense that well-built S-chassis Nissans - where no corners have been cut and build quality is prioritized over bargain hunting - are becoming more and more of a rare breed.
But thanks to enthusiasts like Toby Broadfield and Damon Young, we still have a few shining examples of how to build a street-driven 240SX the right way. Fueled by the passion to pursue a higher standard, what's interesting about these two S13s - their body styles and color schemes appearing to have been purposely chosen to contrast each other - is that two very different enthusiasts built them. So why the heck are we featuring both of them?
As fate would have it, the two came together for the first time this past summer at the Broadfield annual Nissan/Datsun Cookout, an event Toby hosts in his hometown of Normal, Illinois (though his store, Mobile Audio Plus, operates out of Bloomington, Illinois). Damon and his black hatchback actually reside in Howell, Michigan, a good six-hour drive to meet up with Toby and his white notchback in Illinois. Pictures soon emerged online from this BBQ meet, and these clean yet contrasting S13s looked so good next to each other that the idea of a double feature was born.
So that's how this story came to be, but how did these two Nissans become poster children for properly built S13 street machines? Like a lot of us, Toby's journey with modifying cars got a jumpstart thanks to his dad. "Modifying cars is in my blood," Toby says. "My father has built several street rods and muscle cars in his time, and we built my very first car together [a '78 Monte Carlo] when I was only 15 years old. So it's no real surprise that I have built several nice cars and have been modifying vehicles for a living for the past 18 years." Having played with domestics for a while, Toby then got hooked on Japanese machines in 2002 when he bought a brand-new WRX. After that came his now-famous '04 STI, a Subie that he pioneered the wingless and hood-scoopless look with. (Do a Google search on "Broadfield STI," and you'll see what we're talking about.)
Having accomplished everything he wanted to with his STI, Toby needed a change - and change came a knockin' in the form this S13 coupe, a car he had poured a considerable amount of sweat equity into when helping build it with his friend, Nate. Although he missed out on the opportunity to buy it when Nate originally sold it, Nate ending up buying it back and a few years later and then sold it to Toby. "Nate had put a lot of his own time and money into this car," Toby says. "It had a lot of nice parts, but a lot of the areas were not done to my standards or taste. The day he dropped it off, I literally made a list of 35 things that I needed to fix, tidy up, replace and/or upgrade within the first month. The first thing was engine management and a tune. When I bought the car, it had stock injectors and a SAFC running the S15 SR20 with a GT2871R. It wouldn't idle, would die on decel, not to mention it was starving for fuel. I dropped in some PE 850cc injectors, picked up a PowerFC and ripped the SAFC out. I had it fully tuned, and it was instantly a monster."
From here Toby really started to dig into his newly acquired S13, turning it into the work of art it is today. He started by fabricating his now famous Broadfield Defi gauge cluster, HUD and center vent gauges. Then when the turbo oil seal failed, he used this as an excuse to make the entire engine bay his own. In went a Full-Race setup with a GT30R turbo to go along with a complete wire tuck, new oil, fuel, coolant and pressure lines. After that, Toby tackled the interior, including the limited-edition Maziora Bride Gias seats and Bride reupholstery treatment you see now. Transforming the car's exterior is a fresh new set of aggressively offset Work S1-3p polished wheels. To make the 18x.9.5 +12 rims work up front, Toby installed +20mm Chargespeed fenders, filling in the vents for a cleaner look. Out back the fenders were pulled, inner wheel wells massaged and lower control arms notched to allow the massive 18x11 +30 rims to fit.