I have been watching Stacy since I was in college, and when I turned 40 I decided to do a dream sleeper car. I always wanted to build a radical sleeper car with original patina, and I saw this one on Facebook marketplace with a solid chassis for $700 with a spun rod bearing and fell in love with it. Also, because as far as I can tell no one has ever stuffed a turbo V8 engine into a B12 Sentra.
I used this project to teach myself metal fabrication skills such as MIG welding, chassis and exhaust fabrication, and roll cage design and fab. Prior to this, I did mostly bolt-on parts and built a DF Goblin kit car. I had spinal fusion surgery halfway through this project and used this car as motivation make it through recovery. I worked on CAD design and engineering and interior parts during surgery recovery.
This car is street legal, and I plan on cruising to car shows and car clubs, LS fest, and Radwood. I also want to hit the drag strip and try to get into the 10s, and maybe do some autocross since the car is riding on fully adjustable coil-overs and Mazda Miata suspension with upgraded bushings.
It’s a 1988 Nissan Sentra 2-door sedan. I cut out the entire floor and firewall and grafted in 2004 Mazda Miata subframes and complete suspension. The front subframe is the V8 Roadsters Miata V8 swap kit and the rear end is a Cadillac CTS differential Miata kit with forged rear hubs and 650HP driveshaft shop axles. It also has a 1,000HP Action Machine driveshaft. I built cantilever rear suspension and a roll cage with door bars. It has a 10-gallon fuel cell in the trunk floor. I am saving up for the engine now – a 5.3LS with 78mm turbo, air/water intercooler, and Cobra Mustang intercooler pump. I changed the front suspension to double wishbone from McPherson strut and had to rebuild the strut tops 6" lower. I pushed the firewall back by 8". Holley Terminator ECU with digital dash is the plan. It has Wilwood 4-piston big brakes in front to stop, a Tremec TKX 5-speed trans, stock seats with PRP harnesses, a racing pedal box with remote reservoirs, coil relocation kit, and a GP Headers single turbo kit with front crossover. The power goal is 600 rear wheel HP. I have made 166 CAD drawings thus far, and lots of custom laser cut and welded parts. Fab is 95% complete and I will be moving into chassis paint next. Exterior is staying patina. I went to great lengths to make sure the hood closes.
