Nissan Silvia Cruzin Auto Sales - The Silvia Connection

The Nissan Silvia ceased production in Japan in August 2002. Strangely enough, you can find the next best thing today in McKenna, Washington. While this quaint northwestern hamlet is not where you would expect to find a hotbed of JDM enthusiasm, it is home to Cruzin Auto Sales, a pint-sized operation with big-league aspirations.

Formed by Jason and Brian Cruz, the Cruzin dealership fronts Highway 507, a simple two-lane road that snakes south from Spanaway and skims just outside Fort Lewis army base, before slicing through McKenna and vanishing into an oblivion of pine trees and blackberry bushes.

There, the Cruz brothers sell stock used cars. But their calling card is customized imports, including Honda Civics and Mitsubishi Eclipses, all equipped with full body kits, fresh paint, and big wheels. The real kicker, though, is that for $10,995, you can custom-order a Nissan 'Silvia' S13 (or an S14 for $13,995) and Cruzin will build it to your specs. You don't even need to own a 240SX to get the ball rolling. Make a few decisions on how you want your car to be, hand over a good faith deposit and return in four to six weeks to drive away in a brand-new-to-you boosted 240SX.

So what exactly does $10,995 buy? A used Nissan 240SX equipped with Cruzin's 'Untouchable' package, consisting of a transplanted red top SR20DET, JDM Silvia transmission, upgraded Walbro fuel pump, front-mount intercooler, two-gauge custom pod and JDM instrument cluster, new brakes and struts, lowering springs, body work (including a body kit and paint), custom taillights, aftermarket exhaust, and new 18-inch wheels and tires. The price recently went up from $9995 because of the FMIC and, for safety concerns, new struts and a complete brake overhaul were added to the build list.

"A good 99 percent of our 240 inventory are clean-title examples," says Jason Cruz. "My philosophy is to get a good wholesale price on the car, a reasonable price on parts, do a 'right the first time' mechanical install and pass the savings on to our customer."

While we were there, Jason had a dozen 240s on the premises, a third of which were already on their way to Silvia-hood. Though most opt for a straight Silvia SR20DET swap, a few Cruzin customers go for the upgrade to the RB25DET in-line six 'big block.' Why not? After all, financing is available, and some of the cars even come with limited warranties. Try that the next time you purchase a motor-swap special on eBay or Craigslist.

In fact, more than few enthusiasts have been unable to keep their hands off of Cruzin's Untouchable package. The Cruzin crew has built cars for enthusiasts as far away as Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Moody, Alabama; Coeur D'Alene, Idaho; New Jersey-even Ketchikan, Alaska.

"I would say about 80 to 85 percent of our customers are novices to the scene-not motorheads. We give them a healthy Silvia, they can choose the body kit, paint and wheels, and as long as it remains within our budget guidelines, it's covered under the $10,995 price. About the only thing left is the interior, they are delivered as-is... these guys have to get some hands-on customizing experience and the interior is an easy way for them to further personalize their ride."

So is it worth it? For some, a starting point like this is Spock-logical. But at its core, this hobby is emotion-driven-it's about passion not fashion, off-the-rack or otherwise. Sure, we don't care much for the cheap body mods, but there is a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. There is the mindset that the act of creation, the blood, sweat, tears, and technical challenges that go into any project car cannot be simply valued in dollars and cents. On some level, buying a swapped 240 like any other used car surrenders the most spiritual part of the process. You get the car, but miss out on the karmic rewards.

But we also live in the real world and understand the DIY approach simply doesn't work for everybody-for technical, geographical, financial, and maybe even spiritual reasons. For those limited by garage space, technical know-how, or simply access to clean donor vehicles and engines, Cruzin's package may be a good deal. As our sidebar demonstrates, however, it doesn't make financial sense for everyone.

Cruzin Auto Sales has been swapping 240s since 2003 and looks to have 25 conversions under its belt heading into 2007. The company has also built about 40 customized, but non-swapped 240s, in the same period. Things are definitely rolling along and Jason hopes to open a satellite dealership in the near future.

It is clear they are doing something right and we commend their entrepreneurial spirit. But the opera singer Beverly Sills sums up our feelings best when she said: "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."

Counterpoint: More For Less?As an enthusiast, my main issue with Cruzin's turnkey package is not about the reward of doing it yourself. Of course, DIY is immeasurably satisfying, but after planning and building numerous 240s for myself and paying customers, I know there are many reasons why it's more desirable to have someone else do the dirty work. I also recognize one of the key benefits of purchasing the package deal is being able to finance it (though you can do the same with a credit card and probably get a better rate). My problem is that I think a considerably faster and less furious vehicle can be built for well under $10,995. All it takes is a little research.

Start by finding a rolling chassis. Look for a newer 1991-93 model (which is an additional cost option at Cruzin) with mechanical issues, since you don't need a running motor. You'll also need an SR20DET engine, of course, and the hardest part, a reputable shop to do the swap. If you decide to save even more money by doing it yourself, there are businesses offering things like wiring services that can take out critical and time-consuming steps.

Maximize your performance by adding key options such as an intercooler, manual boost controller, and a full mandrel-bent three-inch exhaust. With just these additions, you can unlock 90 percent of the power potential from the stock turbo and fuel systems. After digging around eBay and other websites for 10 minutes, here's what I found:

As you can see, without turning a single wrench, you could build a serious starter Silvia and still have almost $2000 left over. Furthermore, each modification listed is at least as good if not vastly improved over the turnkey package. Sure, the remainder could be spent on paint and body. But why, when you could spend it on the path to performance nirvana?-Charles Juckett