Beyond Bold: Brian Carter’s Rocket Bunny S13 240sx

In the past a Nissan 240sx would come to mind as gutted, LS swapped, and pouring smoke off the rear tires as it slides around the horseshoe at Road Atlanta. A track beast, sure, but not a quite like this. Brian’s S13 completely changed my outlook on modified 240s, taking a different and bold route to turn this car into something unexpected.

Brian Carter bought his S13 in September 2007. The body and interior was in decent shape, however the engine was blown. From that point on for the next six years Brian would spend time building this car. He started with the obvious – swapping out the blown engine for an RB20. At the time all of this was new to him causing the swap to be the most difficult part of the build. Fabrication and adjustment took time as he perfected the fitment, aligning the engine properly within the bay. Eventually Brian completed the swap, however, that was just the beginning stage for this engine. Over time the modification list of added parts would grow, spreading throughout this 240.The first time I saw this car it was dark burgundy, (as seen in the engine bay) ripping through cones at a local Savannah auto cross event. It was a bit tail happy in the last corner, but that’s what made it stand out, after all it is a 240. A few weeks later a mutual friend of Brian’s asked me to photoshop a Rocket Bunny S13, darker grey with black wheels. Little did I know what conspired on a computer screen in front of me would be parked outside of my apartment just under a year later. At a glance Brian’s 240 is sinister, but that’s only the start. To ride along, listen, and watch this thing launch can only be described as badass.

There’s many things that make Brian’s S13 unique, but a personal favorite is just how much work Brian has put into this car. This is not a car that’s been given to a shop to build. Instead it’s a car that has undergone extensive examination over six years to fully understand every aspect of its being, and it has paid off. Brian spent time doing everything, whether that be welding up the cage, measuring the perfect offset or running wires; his personal favorite part. Brian takes pride knowing he’s exclusively built this 240, and is thrilled at the outcome. Like any project car, though, Brian assures me that this S13 still has future plans.

Wide and aggressive is exactly what Brian wanted the exterior to be. For a while the infamous Rocket Bunny kit sat in pieces in his garage, waiting for Brian’s final decision with wheels and tires. Eventually he decided on 18×10 and 18×12 CCW LM20′s, wrapped in meaty 265/35′s and 305/35′s that would stick rather than slide about when pushing the cars limits. The color choice of the CCWs are rare to say the least. The faces are satin black with polish etched out CCW logos into anodized black center caps,. The lips are gloss black and cleared over. It blends together with elements throughout the car, complimenting the roll cage, windshield banner, engine components and more. After the Rocket Bunny kit was complete along with the rest of the exterior modifications, Brian had to decide on a color choice. Now this may shock you – but it’s a wrap, and a damn good one.

Because this is a track car, whether it be road course or autocross safety inside the car is key. Brian’s roll cage is a great place to begin. It’s fully custom, built by himself, with a added bracket for his 1lb. fire extinguisher just in case. His Veilside VSD-1 carbon fiber bucket seat is held down using Bride FG rails, and Brian is held in place by a 4 point Sparco harness. The passenger side is an exact copy except the seat is a more comfortable, wider, Recaro Profi-XL.

The under belly and hidden away parts are really what makes Brian’s 240 a beast. The modification list is beyond extensive, all focusing on specific areas of the car to dial in a ultimate driving experience. Every aspect whether it be braking, turning, or accelerating has been manipulated in the best way possible.

It’s tough for me to imagine future change for this car because I absolutely love where it’s at. But after seeing what progress Brian has made thus far, I’m sure it will somehow keep getting better, badder, and bolder.

Brian Carter’s Nissan 240SX S13

Exterior

• TRA Kyoto (Rocket Bunny – GT Rodeo Special) V1 Aero body kit
• Seibon fiberglass / CF hood
• Seibon fiberglass / CF hatch
• Plexi-glass rear window
• Dzus Fasteners with custom brackets
• Rear wiper jet, antenna and side markers shaved
• Smoked front blinkers/parking lights
• Body 3M wrapped (Gloss Anthracite)
• Accessories 3M wrapped (Gloss Black
• Satin black windshield banner
• Satin black door jams (interior will soon be done)
• 180sx Type-X tailights

Interior

• Veilside VSD-1 CF Bucket Seat
• Recaro Profi-XL Bucket Seat
• Bride FG Rails
• Sparco 4 point harness
• 1lb. a/b/c dry chem extinguisher
• SDS Programmer
• Tomei Steering Wheel
• Comrade C quick release hub
• Autometer gauges including – Boost/VAC, EGT
• Spa gauges including – Oil Temp. / Oil Pressure, Water Temp., System Voltage
• AEM Wideband
• Greddy Profec B Boost Controller
• Greddy Turbo Timer
• Tanabe TEAS Remote Dampening Controller
• Custom panel with status LEDs per switch
• Custom 6061-Aluminum panel under dash securing ecu, ignition coils, relays, main terminal strip and essentials
• Fully custom wiring with extras stripped
• Stripped interior excluding door panels, center console and dash
• Custom 6 point weld-in roll bar w/ x-brace and gusseting (DOM mild steel 1 3/4″ .120) painted satin black

Engine/Drivetrain

• RB20DET
• Top hat mounts
• SDS (EM-4F) full standalone engine management using V17 software
• SDS 2 step launch control
• Waste-spark ignition using GM coils
• Custom MSD 8.5 Wires
• HKS GT2535 Turbo
• Forge BOV
• Custom IC piping
• Greddy FMIC
• Greddy timing belt
• HKS “Honeycomb” intake filter
• GTR fuel pump
• GTR 444cc injectors
• Aeromotive fuel gauge (oil filled)
• Koyo radiator
• Hayden 12″ fans (x2) w/ 1600 CFM total.
• Custom catch can
• Aluminum coolant reservoir
• Earl’s oil cooler
• Summit S/S braided line to and from oil cooler
• Trick Flow fittings : black anodized
• Custom S/S 3″ downpipe
• Custom 3″ testpipe
•  Greddy TiC exhaust (TP back)
• Urethane transmission mounts
• Converted auto to manual
• Competition Clutch stage 4 pressure plate, 6-puck sprung disk
• Competition Clutch lightweight flywheel
• One-piece aluminum driveshaft
• Tomei short shifter
• Cusco 1.5 way LSD w/ solid bushings and larger sump capacity
• Megan Racing silicone boots

Wheels/Suspension

• Front wheels : 18×10  CCW LM20
• Rear wheels : 18×12 CCW LM20
• Satin black face w/ gloss black lips
• Black anodized center-caps w/ polish etched CCW Logo
• Front tires : Toyo R888 265/35/18
• Rear tires : Toyo R888 305/ 35/ 18
• 60mm extended studs
• Tanabe Sustec Pro Five Coilovers (8k springs in front and 6k in rear)
• Whiteline Sway Bars (27mm front / 20mm rear)
• SPL solid subframe bushings
• SPL rear toe arms
• JIC RUCAS
• Wicked Tuning tie-rods
• S14 front lower control arms
• S14 front spindles
• s14 5-lug hubs

Steering/Brakes

• Modified power steering pump
• Custom Earl’s fittings and s/s braided line for power steering high pressure side
• Custom brake master cylinder s/s heat sheild w/ heat reflective wrap
• Ceramic brake pads
• Z32 aluminum TT calipers front(30mm) and rear (Powdercoated texture black with “Nissan” brushed)
• Z32 Spec rotors front(280mm x 30mm) and rear (Drilled and slotted)
• Z32 E-brake assembly
• Custom stainless brake lines front and rear
• Z32 2+2 e-brake cable (Modified for proper length)