I was looking for an S15 Silvia that could be something special by allowing me to add my flavour. Admit it… as car enthusiasts, we all buy cars to turn them into our unique creations.

After months of searching for the right Silvia, I found it in Canberra. Finally, I had found the holy grail of S15s; An RB26 S15 S-Chassis’. I knew I had to own it. Because, at the time, this was a rarity and having owned an R33 GT-R, you could say I got addicted to the RB26.

After inspecting the car, I found the RB conversion decent and the motor stock. Although the exterior was rough, I drove it home… then the fun began.

Less than a week after owning the RB26 S15, I purchased the custom plates MR026. Additionally, I bought 17″ Enkei RPF1 wheels within two weeks of owning the car. Followed by immediately taking the Silvia to Heasmans steering for a wheel alignment.

That evening we went to 2SUS Custom Resprays to check out the respray on another car and… well… I decided on the spot to leave mine there to get painted.

I had no idea what colour I wanted, I just knew it needed doing, and I was going to only trust the guys at 2SUS Custom Resprays. So after careful consideration, I settled on the colour; Grigio Telesto… a colour used on Lamborghini.

While the S15 was getting its new Grigio Telesto paint. I found an Aero front bar and rear pods from JSAI that fitted perfectly and would complete the look I wanted.

I had all these parts installed and a new paint job within three weeks of owning the Silvia, but I wasn’t done yet. This would only be the start of my journey.

The next step was to have the RB26 inspected for some overheating issues, nothing major; I just wanted to ensure the S15 was running well. So, I took it to Anthony at Dahtone Racing to get it checked over.

Not only did I sort out the overheating issues, but I also had Anthony install an entire R33 GTS-T rear subframe. Including axles and an LSD ABS differential. Anthony also installed R34 GT-R Brembo brakes, which I got painted in Ferrari Yellow by 2SUS Custom Resprays.

I drove the S15 for a few months with the new modifications, but I was becoming bored with the power and driveability of the factory RB26 twin turbos. I wanted a power boost, so I dropped the car off at Dahtone Racing.

This time, the stock RB26 block got a precision big-single turbo set-up with all the bells and whistles and a new clutch to cope with the increase in power. At Mick’s Motorsport, none other than Mick tuned the car on e85 fuel, and the S15 was now producing a healthy 380rwkw.

I enjoyed driving the S15 with its power increase and new looks. It was fun, fast and started turning heads. But, less than three weeks later, the motor spun a bearing and started to knock. This was due to the dodgy conversion the previous workshop had done with the RB26.

At this point, the Silvia had been in the shop more than I had driven it, which was annoying. After carefully considering my options, I took the S15 back to Dahtone Racing to get fixed, but this time I was going to do it right.

My RB26 S15 got treated to an RB30 block with a fully forged bottom end using Nitto Performance parts. When it was time to tune the car, the Power FC, which came with the S15, was finally tossed aside, and a Haltech ECU was then installed.

Mick from Mick’s Motorsport worked his magic again, extracting 434rwkw or 583rwhp on a conservative 21 PSI. Ultimately, these performance numbers are modest, and although the S15 is a weapon to drive, it barely got traction. So, I switched my focus to the exterior to help improve the overall look.

I sourced some genuine Nismo LMGT4 wheels in 18×9 + 22 and had our good friends at Prestige Tyre and Auto fit the rims with Bridgestone Potenza RE 003 tyres.

The LMGT4 wheels were not the colour I wanted, so I had the guys at 2SUS paint them in gloss black. To complete the aesthetics, I added a front splitter from Flow Designs Australia and side and rear extensions from JSAI.

The RB26 S15 had finally come together the way I envisioned it. From the new and improved RB26/30 block to the Lamborghini Grigio Telesto colour scheme. The S15 was now becoming my own.

The car, in its current state, has provided me with so much fun and excitement. But I need to find out how long this will last before I feel the itch for more power.

I have already considered taking the car to Dahtone Racing for a fuel system upgrade. However, because the current fuel system is holding back the power, I want to chase 700 plus horsepower at the wheels.

Whatever the future holds for my RB26 S15, I know it will be in good hands, and I will continue to share the journey with you…