The Apprentice

In 2008, Edgar Reyes searched for a knowledgeable Nissan tuning shop. Reyes had a 1992 240SX at the time and considered swapping in an SR20 engine. Relying on word of mouth recommendations, Reyes heard
positive accolades of Tay’s Automotive and the 800 HP.

RB26-powered 240SX build that Man had completed. From the first meeting, Reyes knew he found the home for his 240SX project. Reyes recalls thinking, “This is the last and only shop I will need to visit from now on.” Man and Reyes hit it off and Reyes knew that he could learn a lot about his Nissan through the shop. Within four days after starting the project, Man had converted Reyes’ 240SX from automatic to manual and completed a flawless SR20 engine change.

Clocking In

Reyes spent a fair amount of time at Tay’s Automotive and thus a mentorship developed between Man and Reyes. Wanting to learn as much as possible about automotive diagnostics and tuning, Reyes began wrenching on cars at the shop. Initially, he started out with basic teardowns of suspensions and then moved onto drivetrains. He’s learned a lot being Man’s apprentice and hopes to be an even greater asset to the shop after completing a technician training program at the Universal Technical Institute at its Dallas/Fort Worth campus. Approximately one year after the SR20 swap, Reyes approached Man with a new idea to swap in a Toyota 2JZ powerplant into his first-gen 240SX. Man presented all the facts to Reyes in an objective manner, but also mentioned that a RB26 swap may be the better option. With some research, Reyes got onboard with the idea of a RB swap, and began collecting the parts to complete the transplant.

Work Ethic

Reyes’ engine swap built on the experience that Man had with his own vehicle and the innumerous number of customer cars. To this end, the project began with a detailed engine build utilizing many of the same engine-building tricks used by Man. Once disassembled, the RB engine received a brand-new rotating assembly composed of a Nismo N1 crankshaft, 9.0:1 CP pistons and Carrillo connecting rods. To increase the volume of incoming air feeding the RB engine and to improve the volumetric efficiency, Reyes chose to complete a cylinder head porting process. He then filled the ported cylinder head with Supertech valves, Tomei valve springs and retainers. A set of 260-degree duration Tomei PonCam camshafts orchestrates the opening and closing events of the valvetrain on both the intake and exhaust side of the engine. To complete the longblock assembly, a Tomei head gasket seals the top and bottom ends together. Just before bolting the RB26 into the first-gen, Man and Reyes grew concernedabout the 1992 chassis being able to handle the anticipated torque output structurally. Additionally, many 240SX enthusiasts debated the aerodynamics of the first-generation models versus the newer “S chassis”, with the consensus being that the newer chassis had a lower coefficient of drag. Eventually, Man and Reyes opted to upgrade the recipient chassis to a 1998 240SX SE.

With the engine installed into the new chassis, the team went to work on power production. Just like Man’s ride, a custom turbocharger system powers Reyes’ 240SX. A Precision Turbo & Engine PT7175 turbocharger forms the foundation of Reyes’ new forced-induction system. Additionally, two 50mm TiAL Sport external wastegates regulate boost pressure to a conservative 28 psi. With Terry Oliver again behind the controls of the Haltech Platinum Pro engine management system, Reyes’ 240SX pushed out 746 horsepower and 621 lb-ft of torque as measured on a Dynojet dyno.

Work Force

While the two vehicles appear to be similar, each fulfills a different niche for its owner. Man enjoys the streetability of his car, typically driving it for leisure. Reyes, on the other hand, focuses more on top speed with a goal of breaking 200 mph. To this end, Man has considered downsizing to a smaller turbocharger for a more linear powerband, while Reyes is just 8 mph shy of hitting his top-speed goal. With a combined 1,500 horsepower between the two Nissan 240SX’s, Man and Reyes continue to work together to dial in the performance of their projects. To Reyes, building his car, locating a trustworthy tuning shop and gaining a mentor in the process is a dream come true.