Words and Photos: Deven Solanki
You ever run into someone still driving their day-one car? It feels like finding a hidden gem. When you stick with one ride, it becomes a part of your story. Most car enthusiasts tend to swap cars like they’re in a game of musical chairs, but we all know that one bloke who’s held on to their car through thick and thin. You see its progress at events and on Instagram, and it’s pretty cool to watch. I first spotted this particular owner and their car at Autofest back in 2017, and seeing how it’s evolved since then has been a real treat.
Meet Kaidyn Clark, a 25-year-old based in the Tron and the proud owner of this 1997 Nissan Silvia S14. An icon in the scene, Kaidyn’s S14 is well-known for its transformation from humble beginnings to a gnarly street weapon. He’s also the owner of Streetside, a Japanese car parts and accessories shop, allowing him quite literally to get ‘high off his own supply’. Kaidyn is in a bit of an S-chassis love triangle; he also daily-drives an S15 and is building an S13 drift car on the side.
His passion for cars began back in 2004 at Taupo Motorsport Park, where grassroots drifting was thriving. His uncle was slinging an SR20-powered Cefiro with a C33 front end, known as D1MARI. “Going to those drift events inspired me and really kickstarted my love for cars,” Kaidyn recalls.
His first car, a Honda Integra DA6, was cool as a starting point but wasn’t cutting it for someone bitten by the RWD bug. One day, Kaidyn spotted a Zenki S14 in traffic and thought it was great, but that soft, bubbly front end wasn’t doing it for him. “After some Googling, I saw the Kouki version and knew that’s what I wanted,” he says. In 2016, he picked up his first Silvia: a non-turbo, automatic S14 Qs which became his daily driver during high school, even using it as a pizza delivery car at Hell Pizza. “I didn’t work at Hell for the money,” he laughs, “I just wanted to show off the car. I mean, who delivers pizza in a Silvia?”
After school and his Hell Pizza shifts, Kaidyn would tinker with the S14, starting off with the basics — wheels, tyres, and lowering springs. Eventually, he got tired of the automatic and decided it was time for a manual swap. “I spent every cent I had to tick off parts from the list. I ended up buying a daily so I could park the Silvia up and focus on the big jobs. I didn’t need it to be drivable the next day anymore.”
The move to a turbo life came when Kaidyn got his hands on an S15 SR20DET motor. With the help of his mates, they ripped out the non-turbo motor, which was sold on Facebook Marketplace the very same day. It was his first-ever engine swap, and luckily, having his friends around made it a solid learning experience.
With help from PWS, the wiring was sorted and the build really started to take shape. “I dialled in the turbo setup with a base tune on the Link plug-and-play ECU and sensors, all sorted by PWS to keep things running smoothly. After that, it was off to JT Performance in Auckland for the power tune, where they managed to squeeze 270kW and 450Nm out of the mighty four-cylinder, which hit the mark for his goal at the time. Behind the wheel, Kaidyn describes the driving experience as “loose” but full of punch. “It’s only making 450Nm, but it’s so responsive. I drift it at the track, and it’s just a blast to drive.” The exhaust is a straight three-inch pipe from the turbo, ending in a four-inch dump, producing that raw iconic SR20 sound everyone loves.
Being the brains behind Streetside, Kaidyn had all the hookups — whether it was through suppliers or good mates, he had everything at his fingertips. Perks of the job, right? Every piece of the build was sourced by him, making it as personal as it gets.
The Origin Lab race line kit was the first big step, with those moulded rear fenders completely transforming the stance of the car. “I rocked mismatched panels for a bit before sorting the paint,” Kaidyn laughs, mentioning how he managed to score a full paint job in exchange for a set of wheels. The S14 then hit the booth and came out with a stunning custom candy green and turquoise paint job. Funny enough, during the photo shoot, I nailed the guess on which car the paint job was based, but let’s just say we’re keeping that under wraps.
After some time enjoying behind the wheel, Kaidyn tore it all down, hitting it with a fresh underseal, repainting the subframes, and finishing the paint on everything from the engine bay to the door jams — anything that still showed factory colour had to go!
The S14 is rolling on a set of Blitz BRW03s, picked up from Facebook Marketplace. “Blitz 03s aren’t exactly easy to find, especially in the specs I needed. It took me about three years to complete the set. These were my dream wheels long before Instagram hyped them up,” he says. The fronts sit at 18×10.5 (-20) with a six-inch lip, while the rears are 18×11 (-35) rocking a wild seven-inch lip. The fronts are gripped with 235/40R18 Zeknova RS606R4, and the rears are fitted with 255/35R18 Arivo Ultra ARZ 4 tyres. With the wheels and tyres sorted, Kaidyn added some canards and lips for that extra-aggressive edge he loves, nailing the exterior look.
“This car is fully road-legal and certified, which was a big deal for me because I wanted it to hit the streets!” Kaidyn says. But the cert process? That was a nightmare. “The first cert check came back with a fail list as long as your arm — about 40 issues spread over three or four pages. It took me months to tackle that list, with the trickiest job being the airbag delete, which required some creative foam work, but we got there in the end!”
The SR20DET under the hood is mostly stock at the bottom, but the top ends had some love. Tomei 256 poncams, rocker arm stoppers, and a Cometic triple-layer head gasket keep everything locked down. A Garrett GTX2867R Gen II turbo, mated to a Sinco SR20VE manifold and a Turbosmart ProGate50 wastegate handle boost duties.
Fuel is pumped from a Walbro 255LPH pump, Aeroflow top-feed rail and Bosch 1000cc injectors, all controlled by a DWR pressure regulator. Shifting the SR20 is a factory five-speed turbo gearbox, backed by an Exedy heavy-duty clutch and billet flywheel. Out back, the rear end’s fitted with an R33 diff in an R200 subframe — classic Nissan pick-and-mix style.
The car sits on Part Shop Max Competition coilovers with 10kg front and 8kg rear springs which is a must-have for the height he’s running. “The camber I run is around seven to eight degrees all round,” Kaidyn says, “so with a 10mm wear patch, it definitely doesn’t stay planted! But that’s all part of the fun.” The handling is supported by a full set of Hardrace arms and a GKTech roll-centre correction kit.
On the outside, Kaidyn has gone all out. The front features a D-MAX Type III bumper, Streetside canards, and Origin Labo 45mm fenders. The sides wear Origin Labo Racing Line skirts with Streetside extensions, while the rear has Origin Labo 55mm moulded fenders, a Racing Line bumper, and a matching diffuser. Finishing touches include Aero Twenty Three Power mirrors, a D-MAX roof spoiler, and a factory Kouki S14 wing.
In the cabin, Kaidyn has opted to go for a simple yet effective look. DND Performance from the States backed the build, hooking him up with a carbon wheel, hub kit, quick release, and shift knob.
One of Kaidyn’s favourite parts about running Streetside is helping others bring their dream builds to life. “I just love helping out where I can,” he says. “There’s something special about seeing someone’s vision come together.”
When it comes to building cars, Kaidyn’s advice is simple: “Just start. No matter how small the project seems, once you’re in, you’ll be halfway through before you know it. For me, the build process is just as enjoyable as driving the car. Don’t get discouraged by big builds — it’s all possible if you stay dedicated and focused.”
So, what’s next for the S14? Kaidyn plans to build the bottom end of the SR20 and aims for 500hp, with an RB25 gearbox conversion also on the horizon. Oh, and a new body kit is in the works. For now, though, he’s focused on enjoying where the car is at. “I’ve always had a vision for where I wanted to take the car, but I never imagined it would come this far. Looking back, it’s wild to see how much progress has been made. My experiences and the right connections along the way have really shaped the build. Seeing other high-quality cars inspired me, making me realise that I could achieve it too.”
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This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 312
SPEC LIST
1997 Nissan Silvia (S14)
Heart
ENGINE: S15 SR20DET, 2000cc four-cylinder
BLOCK: Factory
HEAD: Tomei 256 poncams, Tomei rocker arm stoppers, Cometic triple-layer head gasket
INTAKE: K&N three-inch air filter, alloy three-inch air intake pipe
EXHAUST: Sinco SR20VE V-band manifold modified to fit SR20DET, three-inch V-band stainless turbo back exhaust system
TURBO: Garrett GTX2867R GEN II, .81 V-band rear housing
WASTEGATE: Turbosmart 50mm GenV ProGate50
BOV: None
FUEL: Bosch 1000cc injectors, Aeroflow top-feed fuel rail conversion, DeatschWerks DWR 1000cc fuel pressure regulator, -6 AN fuel lines, Walbro 255LPH in-tank fuel pump
IGNITION: Factory
ECU: Link G4 Plug and Play ECU
COOLING: Fenix alloy radiator, Fenix front mount intercooler, custom aluminium 2.5-inch piping
EXTRA: Battery relocated to boot, Streetside catch can, Aeroflow billet catch can oil filter, inlet air temperature sensor, fuel and oil pressure sensors, three port boost solenoid, GReddy winged oil sump, AN oil & water lines
Drive
GEARBOX: Factory five-speed
CLUTCH: Exedy heavy-duty clutch
FLYWHEEL: Billet flywheel
DIFF: 4:1 R33 Skyline diff
EXTRA: R200 rear subframe, 5×1 axles
Support
STRUTS: Part Shop Max Competition adjustable coilovers, (F) 10kg springs, (R) 8kg springs
BRAKES: (F) Nissan four-pot calipers, factory rotors, (R) factory calipers and rotors
ARMS/KNUCKLES: Hardrace castor arms, GKTech roll-centre correction kit, Hardrace traction arms, Hardrace camber arms, Hardrace toe arms, TSD Performance rear lower control arms
Shoes
WHEELS: (F) 18×10.5-inch (-20) 6-inch lip (R) 18×11-inch (-35) 7-inch lip Blitz BRW03
TYRES: (F) 235/40R18 Zeknova RS606R4 (R) 255/35R18 Arivo Ultra ARZ 4
Exterior:
PAINT: Custom candy green/turquoise
ENHANCEMENTS: D-MAX Type III front bumper, Streetside front canards, Origin Labo 45mm front fenders, Aero Twenty Three Power Aero mirrors, Origin Labo Racing Line side skirts, Streetside side skirt extensions, Origin Labo 55mm rear moulded fenders, Origin Labo Racing Line rear bumper, Origin Labo Racing Line rear diffuser, D-MAX roof spoiler, Kouki S14 spoiler
Interior
SEATS: Bride Japan LOWMAX suede, S15 rear seats
STEERING WHEEL: DND Performance carbon steering wheel, DND Performance quick release, DND Performance, slim hub kit
EXTRA: DND Performance weighted shift knob, We Are Likewise handbrake button
INSTRUMENTATION: Boost and water temperature gauge, battery voltage meter
Performance:
POWER: 270kW
TORQUE: 450Nm
BOOST: 16psi
FUEL TYPE: Gull 98 octane
TUNER: JT Performance
Driver Profile:
DRIVER/OWNER: Kaidyn Clark
AGE: 25
LOCATION: Hamilton
OCCUPATION: Owner of Streetside (building good cars to have a good time)
BUILD TIME: 2016–2024
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: Eight years
THANKS: Massive thanks to NZPC for the feature, and shoutout to Origin Labo and Streetside for all the parts and more. Huge appreciation to JT Performance, PWS (Precision Wiring Solutions), Lanes Performance, Zeknova Tyres/Domino Tyre Supply, and DND Performance, and a special thanks to Jacob Berry and Daniel Naidu for the incredible paintwork. Big ups to all the boys who pitched in, and everyone else who supported me along the way.