L33-Swapped 240SX Goes 8.99 in the Quarter at LS Fest

everett11

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written in late 2013, right after LS Fest, and fell through the cracks of our content management system. I recently rediscovered it, finished the copy edit and posted it, only to learn from a Facebook poster that Mr. Everett had passed away on December 26, 2013, at the wheel of this car. In that light, some of the turns of phrase in this article are a bit ironic, but rather than edit or rewrite it, I have chosen to let it stand. We hope that Matt will be remembered for what he accomplished while he was here, rather than how he left.

– Paul Huizenga

A quarter mile time of 8.99, really!? When it comes to going fast for cheap, it doesn’t get any better than a Nissan 240SX with a mean, powerful single turbo V8. Matt Everett did just that; this epic garage build all started when he bought the shell in March of 2012. Having some damage to the front end, Everett picked up the chassis for $400 and got right to work with the swap.  This past May, he finally got the car running on boost.

Build

That beast of a motor, in that little car? Of course fitting a V8 in any car that it doesn’t originally come in, it was going to take some elbow grease. First, the factory KA-24DE was yanked out so the mounting locations for the L33 V8 could be plotted. The crossmember had to be notched to accommodate the motor’s oil pan as well.

An 8 point S&W roll cage was also installed for added safety and chassis stiffness (not to mention dragstrip legality). Almost all of the work was done by Everett in his garage, with the help of a couple of friends. The only work that wasn’t done in his garage was the hot and cold sides of the turbo setup and the turbo mounting bracket, which were outsourced to Andrew DiMartino of DiMartino Fabrication out of Lexington, Kentucky.

Engine

everett3 (Copy)682 RWHP out of a junkyard motor? Yeah, you heard right! Out of an ’05-’07 model year Chevy Silverado, the 5.3L L33 engine is a boost-loving powerhouse. It has Gen-2 floating pin rods, Gen-1 flat top pistons, and 243 Z06 Vette heads, pretty much all of the best parts from the ’02-’03 C5 Z06. “I prefer the 5.3L over the 6.0L for boost because you’ve got more head sealing surface, more gasket area, more clamping surface,” stated Everett. The only parts that aren’t stock on this particular L33 motor are the LS1 intake manifold, LS1 fuel rails, FIC 1000cc injectors, CX Racing 4-inch bar and plate style intercooler, Lunati camshaft, and Borg-Warner 7583 turbo. everett8 (Copy)

The fuel system in this thirsty beast is comprised of a Magnafuel 4303 in-line fuel pump with -8 lines to the regulator and -8 lines to the fuel rail, pumping E85 out of the aforementioned set of FIC 1000cc fuel injectors. Everett bought the used 216/221 Lunati camshaft and the Borg-Warner turbo off of the LS1Tech forums and they proved to be a perfect match for the L33 motor.

Suspension

 To run a face melting 8.99 second quarter mile, Everett’s 240SX has to put the power down very well. Everett didn’t just upgrade to coilovers and buy every other suspension part in hopes of putting good power down. He ended up using Blitz ZZ-R coilovers with a 350 pound spring, but didn’t get the results he was looking for, so he went back to stock suspension with the exception of upper control arms and tie rods sourced off of eBay. The front struts are stock as well with lowering springs. When it comes to drag racing a 240SX, the stock suspension proves to work the best because it just transfers the power to the ground a lot better.

Transmission

The transmission must be bulletproof to be able to handle all of that power! Everett uses an ATD-built Powerglide with a straight cut gear set, a racer favorite when it comes to drag racing. He’s running a 180 first, a 1:0 drive, and a 3.69 rear differential out of a 2001 Infiniti Q45. A winning recipe if you ask us… Everett is planning on putting a 3.13 rear end gear into the car to further enhance his quarter mile times and trap speeds.

If you can believe it, Everett had to replace the motor one week before LS Fest. He drove it down the road so his wife wouldn’t go crazy when he tested the 2-step and it spun a bearing from thin oil. He then went to the junkyard and bought a $700 L33, sold the heads off of it for $400, dropped it in Monday before the event, drove it on Tuesday, took it up there Friday and ran a 9.55 quarter mile. After $300 and about 12 hours worth of work, Everett was back running 150 MPH quarters. “It did exactly what I thought it would do; based on the gearing and the injectors at 92% duty cycles, it did exactly what it was designed to do,” Everett added. His goal was to build a cheap, fast drag 240SX and he did just that. For any of you out there that want to build a V8 240SX, take notes from Matt Everett – he is living proof that you can build a deadly fast car on an attainable budget.

About the author

Josh Kirsh

Born in Van Nuys, Raised in Murrieta, Joshua Kirsh is a SoCal Native. With a love for anything on wheels since the ripe young age of two, Joshua Managed to turn his love for automobiles into a career. As Power Automedia's newest writer, he plans to bring you some of the industry's hottest news topics while he's not out in the shop wrenching on some of our badass in-house project builds.
Read My Articles

Late Model LS Power in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from LSX Magazine, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

We'll send you the most interesting LSX Magazine articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


chevyhardcore
Classic Chevy Magazine
dragzine
Drag Racing
enginelabs
Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • chevyhardcore Classic Chevy Magazine
  • dragzine Drag Racing
  • enginelabs Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading