Photos: Glen McNamara
NZPC: Doyle, your Chaser looks seriously tough! What got you into the car scene and modifying cars?
Cars have always been a dream of mine, right from a young age. I love the idea of taking something so basic and turning it into a reflection of your personality. Growing up, I was always the kid who wanted to get in the driver’s seat, and when my father helped me buy my first paddock basher at 14, I knew I was set. Over time, I started tinkering more and learning what you can do with cars — from rally to drifting to drag racing.
Now, I’m doing it full-time through my own business, Linfab Mobile Fabrication, where I use my own work as a showcase of what I can do to help the little guy build their dream car.
I began building my car for fun and then decided to use some of my late father’s ideas to pay homage to him after his passing, as he was always great with style ideas. I’ve always loved the SR20s and the simplicity of them. I just wanted a car that I could abuse while still looking pretty at the same time.
How long have you owned it and what is your favourite modification?
I imported the car back in 2018 when it was completely factory and took it off the road around this time in 2022 due to a blown motor from constantly thrashing it. My favourite modification is definitely hard to pinpoint, as I’ve made so many parts and done so much work myself. But if anything stands out, it’s got to be the titanium intercooler piping and intake done at Vinny Fab. The boys there did an amazing job of getting the colours just right, and it perfectly achieved the look I was after.
What kind of shape was it in when you first picked it up, and what’s been the toughest part of the build so far?
The car was a completely factory SR20DET manual when I imported it. The toughest part was trying to bring to life the cars I used to draw as a kid, turning those sketches into reality.
Loving the new paint job, mate — what colour did you go with, and what made you pick it?
The colour is actually a Subaru Black Mica Pearl, but we threw in a bunch of extra colour pearls to get the result we wanted.
I chose this colour because I believe in looking beyond first impressions. Just like how a car can reflect your personality, on dark or overcast days, it appears black — simple and understated. But when the sun is out, it reveals its true colours, showcasing its full beauty.
Tell us in detail what it’s like to be behind the wheel of your machine.
It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words — the freedom it gives you. I was in a tough place mentally towards the end, but the moment it fired up for the first time, all the noise in my head just disappeared. Then came the first drive, and every doubt or fear about the time and effort I’d put into the build just melted away. I love it. Truly, I just love it.
The first startup and drive is always the best feeling! If money wasn’t a thing, what dream wheels would you slap on the 180SX and why?
To be honest, I’ve been set on Work Emotion CR 3Ps for about four years. They’ve always been the wheel I’ve wanted, and I love how they sit on the car. The angles tie in perfectly with the overall look.
Got any big plans in the pipeline for it?
I just want to enjoy what I’ve worked so hard for — but I’ve already told the wife that version four of this build might involve a JZ, a dog box, and a cage. Ha ha.
Joining the Toyota side, eh? If you could rewind and redo one thing on the build, what would you change?
I would’ve done the bonnet differently. With the knowledge I have now, I reckon I could’ve made it look better and more resistant to cracks — or maybe just gone with carbon fibre from the start.
Cheers for the yarn, Dylan! We’ll catch you again once she’s JZ-powered, rocking a dog box and a cage!
1996 Nissan 180SX Type X
Engine: SR20DET, 2000cc four-cylinder, forged and oversized SCAT pistons, forged rods, ACL bearings, ground crankshaft, Nitto head gasket, port, polished and skimmed head, Tomei 256 Poncams, Turbobits GTX2871R turbo, Sinco factory position manifold, three-inch stainless steel downpipe, three-inch stainless exhaust system, Sticky Flanges shotgun tips, 1000cc injectors, GKTech engine mounts, Aeroflow winged baffled sump, custom-made oil catch can, custom titanium intercooler piping and intake
Driveline: Factory five-speed gearbox, Nismo GT-R 1.5-way diff
Interior: Bride bucket seats, Grip Royal steering wheel, custom-made Grip Royal shifter, 240km dash cluster, Fitment Auto floor mats, roof lining, door cards, and rear seats all reupholstered in black, battery and window washer reservoir relocated to boot, custom battery mount, Haltech CAN gauge, Haltech CAN keypad
Exterior: BN Sports front bumper, Works9 side skirts, Works9 rear bumper, steel vented and widened front fenders, steel and fibreglass vented hood, S14 Kouki spoiler modified to fit, custom roof spoiler, Aero Twenty Three Power Aero mirrors, aerial, rear wiper, and window squirter deleted.
Wheels/Tyres: (F) 18×9.5-inch (-3) (R) 18×9.5-inch (-5) Work Emotion CR 3P (F) 235/40R18 Goodride Sport RS semi-slicks (R) 235/35R18 Horizon cheapies
Suspension: Hakon adjustable coilovers, TSD adjustable arms all round
Brakes: (F) Skyline R33 turbo callipers and rotors, Brembo pads (R) Skyline R33 turbo two-pot callipers, DBA pads and rotors
Power: 208kW at 14psi, 354Nm for now
Fuel Type: 98 octane
Tuner: Rapid Performance and Harris Auto Electrical.
Name: Dylan Linton
Age: 24
Location: Christchurch
Occupation: Fabricator
Build Time: 3 years
Length of Ownership: 7 years
Thanks: Ashton and Haylie at Thrash Garage NZ for practically every part on the car and all the help, advice, and late-night calls. Best team ever. Jeremy and James at Harris Auto Electrical for the full rewire of the car, ECU supply, and getting it running perfectly. Lars and the team at Vinny Fab for the beautiful intercooler piping. Linfab Mobile Fabrication for all the other fabrication work, including the catch can, exhaust, guards, bonnet, fan shroud, and more. Branden and Danny at Collins Detailing for really making the car pop. Steve Alan, my best friend, for the paint job and helping with the prep and panel work, as well as all the extra help during the build. My brother Bernie for the late nights, the big days, and all the good yarns. Kevin Taylor for the finer panel-beating details. And lastly, my wife, for always being keen to help with the work whenever she can and talking me out of selling it every time I got mad about something going wrong.
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This article originally appeared in New Zealand Performance Car issue 313