The early days of drifting revolved heavily around people taking their daily drivers and driving them as hard as possible, progressively modifying them as they went until their cars resembled hardcore competition track toys that remained road legal. While this is still commonplace in the grassroots scene in both the UK and Japan, top level drift competitions are now filled with (and have been for some years now) purpose-built, track-only tools used only to do one job.
Some drivers still remain true to the sport’s roots, with BDC drivers such as Alex Law utilising their one and only car in competition. Joe Ankers was, up until recently, part of this minority too, not only driving his beloved PS13 Onevia to and from BDC rounds but also using it for the drive to work the morning after.
As awesome as this was it wasn’t exactly what you’d call practical, although the biggest concern was that Joe couldn’t drive as hard as he’d like for fear of causing damage that would leave him without a working car come the end of the event. Enter his new S14, with a rather unusual powerplant. This car has been built purely for competition use as a track-ready thrasher; one that can be driven with few worries about the potential consequences.
After buying a cheap and slightly ropey S14 shell with a VG30DETT engine and drivetrain (lifted from a Z32 300ZX) fitted, Joe set about transferring everything into a more structually sound S14 shell with the help of Hywel and Hayden from Race Day Developments, who tackled everything from the exhaust setup to the rear-mounted radiator setup and everything in between.
While weird, wonderful and sometimes unnecessary engine swaps are commonplace in the BDC, Joe’s choice of the notoriously unpredictable and unreliable VG30DETT was lauded by many to be a dud move. On the other hand, Joe was drawn to the engine’s easily achievable 300bhp with just basic modifications, while replacement engines could be sourced for just a few hundred pounds. Add to that the fact that Joe’s former Car Loan 4U team mate Matt Samuel won the 2013 Semi-Pro championship with such an engine in his 300ZX and the potential was definitely there.
Joining the VG30 under the bonnet is a pair of T25 turbos and a pair of intercooler cores. Exhaust gasses are dealt with by a pair of Race Day Developments manifolds, with RDD also being responsible for the downpipes and the remainder of the exhaust system. Samco hoses and HEL lines take care of the various fluids and gasses being transferred in the engine bay, while a Mocal oil cooler keeps the VG’s lubricant temperatures down. On the subject of oil, Joe’s VG30 was actually supplied with an Accusump setup which the guys decided to keep in place. A 450lph Sytec fuel pump was also thrown into the mix to keep the VG well fed.
When it came to keeping coolant temperatures down, Joe and the guys at RDD decided to go down the increasingly popular rear-mounted radiator route, with the one-piece coolant pipes running through the firewall, along the passenger footwell and towards the boot floor.
I wasn’t expecting to be able to catch a glimpse of the underside of the car at any point but Joe ended up lending his Z32 gearbox to fellow competitor James Roberts during Round 3 of the BDC at Teesside. Having blown his ‘box during practice, James and his pit crew quickly propped both Joe’s S14 and James’ SR20 powered AE86 on their respective sides which allowed for a super fast gearbox swap.
While poking around the underside of Joe’s S14, I noticed that the rear subframe had received numerous rigidity-related modifications, with a cool custom brace having also been welded in place between the toe arm mounting points.
The interior is strictly business, with the seating position in particular having received a lot of attention to ensure Joe sat as far back and as low as possible.
The Greddy gauges, Defi control unit and Profec B boost controller were relocated suitably so they could be reached from the new seating position. Extra care was also taken with the hydraulic handbrake handle to ensure it remained within easy reach.
The exterior is kept relatively simple, with M-Sport aero being joined by an OEM S14a Kouki spoiler. The staggered 17 and 18″ Rota Torques (all measuring 9.5″ wide) are wrapped in Evergreen tyres, with 235/40s up front and 245/40s at the back.
You might be wondering why the VG S14’s gearbox was being donated halfway through an event. Well unfortunately for Joe the build has been far from a simple process, with the engine having been removed no fewer than eleven times prior to the day that these photos were taken. The troubles weren’t going to stop there either, with the oil pump dying on the car’s first lap of the day.
While Joe was keen for the VG30DETT idea to work, his main concern for now is to get some championship points on the table. For that reason he is currently in the process of dropping in the old Red Top SR20DET from his PS13 into the S14, along with all of the supporting mods that provided it with the 320bhp that he utilised during the 2014 season. While this is definitely a wise decision for the time being, I’m assured the VG idea will be revisited come the end of the season. We’ll have to wait and see.