LAST OF THE B14 SE-Rs
Restoring The Soul To A 1998 200SX Super Black SE-R
In Car SE-R Racing Movies
Last Updated: May 30, 2005
Hi There. My name is Naji Dahi. I am a political science professor at Fullerton College, California. I am also a car enthusiast and a mutual fund enthusiast. Some combination huh!!
On May 18 1998, I purchased a new 1998 200SX SE-R. The last of the SE-Rs. The 200SX SE-R replaced the legendary Sentra SE-R in 1995.
The Sentra SE-R first appeared in 1991, when Nissan engineers decided to drop the SR20DE engine from the Infiniti G20 into the Sentra. Weighing at around 2500 lbs., some 250lbs less than the G20, and equipped with good handling as well as 140hp and 132 ftlb of torque, made the car an instant success. Its 0-60 times was around 7.8 seconds and it reached the 1/4 mile a shade under 16 seconds. The car had 7500 redline and 126 mph top speed. The SE-R was compared to the BMW 2002 and the Datsun 510, a fun car to drive that was reliable and cheap. A combination that is hard to find. The car made it to Car and Driver 10 best list during its four years in production from 1991-94.
From 1991-93 the mechanics of the car were unchanged. In 1994, however, to meet stringent emission requirements, Nissan replaced the high-flow high-port head and intake manifold with a more convoluted low-port head and manifold. Moreover, Nissan reduced the intake cam's duration by a few degrees. The 1994 SE-R lost some of the pep that the 91-93 SE-Rs had. Surprisingly, low end torque increased and as such 0-60 and 1/4 mile times remained similar to the 1991-93 SE-R.
In 1995 Nissan introduced a separate
line up under the old moniker of the 200SX SE-R, scrapping the Sentra
SE-R altogether. Nissan introduced changes that improved the car and
others that, some enthusiasts think made the car worse:
The 95 to 97 200SX SE-R models had minor changes. The 1997 model,
however, failed to meet California emission standards and was not sold
in the state. It returned in 1998. The 1998 SE-R had redesigned front
and rear fascias making the car more aggressive. To meet emission
standards, however, Nissan further burdened the car with emission tubes
and cylinders on top of the throttle body. SOTP testing showed that the
car lost some pep. R&T testing, however, showed that the 0-60 and
1/4 mile times were 8.5 seconds and 16.5 seconds, similar to the 8.4
seconds and 16.5 seconds recorded by the 1997 SE-R. I bought the car with the intention of keeping it stock, But soon
after I did my Cold Air Intake modifcation and I have been hooked on
making the car better ever since. At one point the car had 163 HP at the
wheels. That translates to about 188 crank HP (This is the HP mentioned
by all the car magazines). This is more than 45 HP than the car had when
it was stock. Unfortunately this hp came at some loss of torque. The car
made a maximum of 124 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. While this is
still an improvement over the stock numbers, it is less than the JWT S3
and S4 cams would produce. The car also has a very "trick"
suspension set-up to handle the new found power. Unfortunately, this new found power did not last. On the eve of my
first race event, one of the JWT C3 cam springs broke in half. The
piston kissed the valve and my approximately 35,000 miles engine was
shot. Fortunately for me, JWT picked up the tab for a JDM 10:1
compression SR20DE replacement engine. The JWT cams and springs were
removed and the less aggressive S4 cams with stock springs were
installed. The whole process took place at SR20Development in San Diego.
Chris Parker did a great job and got the car ready in time for the next
SE-R Cup race with NASA. Now the car puts out 153 hp at the wheels. The
torque numbers are now higher than with the C3 cams, registering 133
lb-ft of torque. This is 9 lb-ft higher than the C3 cams. Unfortunately,
JDM engines do not come with an EGR system. The car could not pass smog
and was removed from the street.
I have documented in as much detail as possible the transformation of
this car from a street car to an almost track only car. My aim is to
help other SE-R enthusiasts get clear and un-baised (hey I am not selling
anything) do-it-yourself information.
Drivetrain Modifications
Suspension Modifications
Brake Modifications
Other Modifications
Acknowledgements
- Special thanks to my brother, Jude Dahi. Without his expert install help and technical knowledge this project would not have been possible.
- Special thanks to the list members of the SE-R mailing list and the editors of SE-R.net. You have educated me about the correct modifications and the potential of the SR20DE engine.
Since I purchased my car in May of 1998 my brother has acquired two SR20DE powered vehicles. You see, my brother was so impressed with the power of the SR20DE that he decided to buy two of them: a used 1996 G20 (November 28, 1998) and a new 1999 Sentra SE-L (July 11, 1999). Both of these are four door vehicles that share the same power plant with the 200SX SE-R. Unfortunately, Nissan does not make any two-door powered SR20DEs any more. Thus, I have the last of the SE-Rs.
On 8/18/2000 I bought my brother's G20. It will be my daily driver while I slowly transform my SE-R into a road racing only car.
On November 10, 2001 I bought a 2002 Toyota Tundra SR5 4X2 V8 truck and I sold my G20. The truck will tow my SE-R to and from the track as well as be my daily driver. The SE-R is now a full race car and is off the street. It does not have an EGR and it will not pass smog. Four years since purchase, the story is now complete.
On May 19, 2002 I bought a 1992 Sentra SE-R with 134K on the odometer. The car was very cheap, I could not pass it up. It needed a new clutch and a tune-up. Now it runs great. It will be my daily driver along with the truck. The truck gives me only 15-16 mpg and that was taking its toll on my wallet. Eventually the Sentra SE-R will be made into a second race car.
On August 30, 2003 I bought a 1999 Sentra SE-L. It is basically a four 200SX SE-R. It was the last year that the B14 body style was produced. This was a limited edition car and I have always wanted one.
I sold the 1992 Sentra SE-R to friend who turned it into an SE-R Cup race car. In November 2004 he wrecked the SE-R on the track is a terrible accident. He was not hurt, but the car was done for.
Copyright 2005
