Tim Ford’s Nissan 240SX might be having an identity crisis. But whether it’s drag, drift or street, success and fun seem to be in the DNA.
Tim Ford is no stranger to the Japanese coupes — he owns six of them. This particular car belonged to Jason Kastner (Morgan Evans’ other half) and was once a competitive drift car with a supercharged V8.
“Jason then made it his race car with a 1000hp KA24, running eights,” Tim explained. “I got the car in a trade in early May and conveniently I already had most of the parts to put it back together. I had it running in about a month.”
This article appeared in the print edition of Sick The Magazine. Support the drag-and-drive community, support American-printed media and support the automotive industry with a subscription - CLICK HERE to start yours!
The four-cylinder packs a punch, with a long list of upgrades. The Brian Crower catalog was raided for its 625+ rods, a forged crankshaft, and the valves. Wiseco supplied the pistons while Supertech handled the valve springs and lifter buckets. A JKR custom ported cylinder head is kept tight by an 11mm head stud conversion. JKR was also responsible for the custom turbo and intercooler setup, using a Precision 7275 Next Gen turbocharger.
“I built the engine and tuned the car myself, so making it all the way at Michigan Miles was a big achievement for me,” Tim said.
The KA24 may not be a common sight in the drag and drive pits, but the T56 Magnum transmission is more popular. That said, it’s a tricky pairing.
“I found out quickly that it is not easy to launch a four-cylinder stick shift car with a large turbo at the drag strip,” Tim laughed. “The engine doesn’t make any power until 5500rpm. You have to melt the clutch or it falls directly onto its face. Jason calls it a ‘circus act’ to get right.
“The KA24 is not an engine you see a lot in drag racing, especially not paired to a T56 Magnum. It really is an impressive engine when built correctly and I am looking forward to taking it back into the eights.”
Tim arrived at Sick Michigan Miles 2026 Presented By Driven Racing Oil with a ridiculously full cabin, as he elected not to use a trailer. Even the passenger seat was removed to provide more cargo room. Driver comfort was not a consideration.
After a rushed rear end replacement where parts didn’t arrive until three days before the event, Tim mostly survived unscathed. “Mechanically, the car did well. I ended up melting some fuel pump relays, repairing a leaky fuel sending unit, and added some wastegate spring, but that’s about it.”
A best run of 6.411 at 111 mph showed the promise of this gnarly Nissan and it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of Tim in drag and drive.
“I tell as many car enthusiasts as I can about drag and drives, specifically Sick hosted events,” he said. “It’s such a great community to be involved in, in any capacity. We’re looking forward to the next one!”
Written by Luke Nieuwhof.