Where do I even begin? This journey has been years in the making—a dream that started when I was just a kid. Like so many car enthusiasts, my obsession was ignited by movies like The Fast and the Furious, especially Tokyo Drift. The street racing, the drifting, the underground car culture, the tuning scene—it was an instant addiction. From the moment I saw that franchise (not that I follow the garbage it has become now—IYKYK), I knew I wanted to be part of that world. But at the time, it was just a dream, something out of reach.

It wasn’t until my late 20s that I realized I could finally turn that dream into a reality.

From Streaming to Cars

Fast forward a bit. I moved to the United States just before the pandemic hit in 2020. Like many people, I found myself stuck at home with a lot of time on my hands. That’s when I turned to streaming on Twitch. What started as a way to kill time quickly became something much bigger—I built a community of like-minded people who shared my love for cars, drifting, and the tuner scene.

One game, in particular, became my go-to: Assetto Corsa. I must have put in close to 1,500 hours in sim drifting, pushing my skills to the limit. I even started a team called Excite! alongside some great friends, which is still going strong today. It was through sim drifting that I fell in love with a particular car—the Nissan Silvia S13 Coupe, one of the most iconic JDM drift cars of all time.

I drove the S13 (as it’s commonly referred to) almost every day in Assetto Corsa. It felt like an extension of me—the handling, the balance, the raw driving feel. And let’s be honest, the styling is just timeless. The boxy yet aggressive design, the sleek yet classic lines… I knew one day I had to own one in real life. I just didn’t know how soon that day would come.

The Search for the Perfect Car

And then, it happened. The opportunity to own my dream car presented itself. One night, while scrolling through Facebook Marketplace, I came across a two-tone Nissan Silvia S13 Coupe—right-hand drive—located in Boston, Massachusetts! This was it! This was the one! I could see the potential immediately. It wasn’t perfect, but it had the right foundation. It already had some solid aftermarket modifications and, most importantly, it was available. I knew I had to make it mine.

What the Car Came With:
● SR20DET Redtop Engine with an upgraded S15 turbocharger
● Apexi Coilovers
● Takata Racing Seats
● Limited Edition Koru Works Steering Wheel
● KOYO Radiator
● Apexi N1 Cat-Back Exhaust
● 17×10-inch JDM Wheels (unknown brand)
● Some questionable universal eBay fender flares that definitely needed replacing

It had some great mods already in place, but there was still a lot of work to be done. The fender flares were an eyesore, and I could already see myself removing them right away. This was the base I needed to build my dream street drifting machine.

The Road Trip That Changed Everything

The price? $20,000 USD. At the time, it seemed like a solid deal, especially considering how JDM car prices were skyrocketing during the pandemic. Plus, with the 25-year import rule in the U.S., right-hand drive (RHD) JDM imports were becoming increasingly popular. This was my chance, and I wasn’t going to let it slip away.

The plan was simple: fly from Washington, D.C., to Boston, buy the car, and drive it back home. A six-hour road trip. Easy, right?

At first, everything went smoothly. The moment I sat in the driver’s seat, I knew I had made the right choice. The SR20DET just sounded so good, and as I pulled away from Boston, I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. A few pulls on the highway, and I was in love. The power-to-weight ratio, the responsiveness, the raw feeling of driving an iconic drift car—it was everything I had imagined.

And then, disaster struck.

Three and a half hours into the drive, cruising on the highway, the engine blew up. Just like that, my dream car was dead on the side of the road.

I was devastated.

All the excitement, all the planning—it felt like it had all come crashing down in an instant. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in car culture, it’s that setbacks are just part of the journey. Every project car build has its ups and downs, and this was just the beginning of mine.

What’s Next?

This is just the start of my Silvia S13 build journey. I have so many plans for this car—modifications, improvements, fixes, and upgrades. In upcoming posts, I’ll be going through a full build log, breaking down everything I modify and tweak along the way. From engine rebuilds to interior upgrades and suspension tuning, I’ll be documenting it all.