There is a segment of automotive culture nestled in Japan that believes in rotary supremacy. Swapping any variation of rotary engine into any mismatched sports car is a regular thing for these guys, and they’ve been at it for decades. Over time, that idea spread across the world, including some enthusiasts in America. Tuner Battlegrounds Season 10 winner and friend of PASMAG, Paul Sagnay, is one of those enthusiasts - and he’s gone the distance to bring that particular flavor of JDM tuning to American roads.
The S13 Vert you see here is actually a 240sx coupe, despite its RHD steering - that part was a conversion addition by Paul in order to maximize modification, and also to truly embrace the JDM heritage of his build idea. Following that ethos, the build is assembled with quality parts from front to back, including a handful of rare period-correct pieces we’re a little jealous of - carbon fiber Ganadors and the Nismo LMGT-2 wheels are among the immediately noticeable, but it doesn’t stop there. Bee-R goodies on the inside, Blitz / URAS collab parts, and of course, the Spirit-Rei Odyvia kit - the rare little details keep on coming.
Beautiful build and show-presence aside, the star of this vehicle - other than its bright pink paint job - is the incredible semi-peripheral ported 13B REW rotary swap, revealed cheekily by the car’s lack of a hood, and centered in frame nicely by custom paintwork and polished components. Bolstering the 13B’s output is a Borg Warner S476 SXE 76/82 turbocharger churning up 32 psi, adding airflow with an intake manifold from a Mazda Cosmo which has been machined and port-matched for the semi-peripheral port. Mating the 13B to the transmission from the same donor is the job of an ACT XT-6 puck clutch and flywheel package.
There is so much to take in with this engine build, we invite you to browse the spec list below to see the magic. The combination of high-end components and rare JDM parts come together in harmony for a special rotary build. Tuned by Angel Motorsports, the final output was 730 whp and 495 lb-ft of torque. How he intends to put that power down with so much camber, we’ll never know, but we respect it.
Sagnay’s rotary S13 was a true labor of love, and it took a couple years before it was truly ready to drive to and from the shows. Now that it’s ready to show, we can all appreciate the incredible craftsmanship. Everything from the off-brand engine swap, the unique exterior, the RHD conversion to complete the beautiful interior transformation, and everything in between right down to the hardware, Sagnay’s build is one for the ages, and it’s no surprise that this machine won him a Tuner Battlegrounds Championship title.
Photography by Gus Rodriguez.
ESSENTIALS
1993 Nissan 240sx
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Horsepower: 730 whp
Torque: 495 lb-ft
Car Club: Modded Ambition
SOCIAL
IG: @moddedambition
ENGINE
13B REW 93+ RX7 block
Mazda GSL-SE Timing Cover and oil pan
Semi-Peripheral Port housings
Dynamic balanced rotating assembly
Extended street port machining
9.4:1 rotors
RX8 high power (eccentric shaft, stationary gears)
10mm ARP Tension Studs
Rotary Aviation apex seals
Mazda Cosmo 13B RE port matched intake manifold
Custom 2-inch stainless equal length runners w/ billet T4 flange
Borg Warner S476 SXE 76/82 - 1.16AR
Turbosmart 60mm Wastegate and oil pressure regulator
Haltech (Elite 2500 ecu, iC7 dash, engine harness, coil packs, coil pack harness, WB1 wideband and sensors)
Custom V-mount radiator/intercooler setup
ARC Japan GTR32 radiator
Vibrant intercooler
Performance Plumbing Components copper and chrome plated AN fittings
PRP Drive-by-wire conversion kit
Bosch 82mm throttle body
Radium Engineering (10-gallon fuel cell, surge tank, fuel cell cage, fuel filter w/ heat sink, primary and secondary fuel rails)
Injector Dynamics 2600cc primary and secondary injectors
DW300C 340lph fuel pumps (4)
Aeromotive Extreme Flow fuel pressure regulator
Improved Racing High-Flow Engine & Transmission oil cooler thermostat
BMW electric water pump conversion
JDL MFG (billet throttle body adapter, water adapter, side mount alternator conversion, oil cap)
Full Function Engineering trigger kit
Atkins Rotary pulley kit
Chase Bays/Wilwood (brake and clutch master kit, brake booster delete, brake bias)
Steveos Kustoms shaved and tucked engine bay w/ custom air brush and House of Kolor paint
True Focus Fabrications oil catch can
Custom 1 piece aluminum driveshaft
32-row oil coolers (2)
Dress Up Bolts hardware
Pop Pop’s Garage custom engine brackets and mounts
Tuned by Angel Motorsports
EXHAUST
Custom exhaust system
DRIVETRAIN
ACT (XT-6 puck racing clutch, ProLite flywheel, counterweight)
KAAZ 1.5 way LSD
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
Rays Nismo LMGT-2 wheels - 18x10-45 (f), 18x12.5-41 (r) polished by Chamorroboy86
Parts Collective titanium (center caps, lug nuts, wheels bolts)
TDMI (EL Series monoblock BBK (6 piston front calipers, 2 piston rear calipers, 330mm 2-piece floating rotors, stainless steel brake lines)
Ichiba 5 lug conversion
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
CageKits tube front end powder coated super chrome
Custom Street Faction Engineering TIG welded front subframe
Custom power brace from Kaiju Fab
Parts Shop Max (Competition coilovers w/ air ride conversion, lower control arms (f/r), tension rods, toe rods, subframe risers, Limit Break camber/KPI lockout adjustable front kits)
Air Lift Performance 3P air management
Voodoo13 billet Rear Upper Control Arms and eccentric bolt kit
EXTERIOR
Spirit-Rei Odyvia 18-piece widebody kit (JDM Honda Odyssey RB1 headlight conversion, 65mm front & 85mm rear fenders)
House of Kolor custom paint w/ Painthuffer metal flake
Ganador carbon fiber mirrors
DMAX LED tail lights
S13 coupe door conversion w/ shaved body line
INTERIOR
JDM (RHD conversion, S15 Silvia rear seats, S13 SIlvia carpet)
Bee-R Japan (steering wheel, racing hub tilt, horn button autographed by Imai-San, carbon fiber door panels)
Bride (Zeta III carbon fiber seats, seat rails)
Takata pads and harness
Del Duca’s Upholstery Plus interior black suede and pink stitched reupholstery
Blitz / URAS boost controller, power meter and turbo timer
Veilside shift knob
URAS shift boot
Final Konnexion drift button
RE-Amemiya FD3S short throw shifter
Custom chassis harness
AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS
Optima Yellow Top battery
SPONSORS
Angel Motorsports
TDMI US
Parts Collective
Advanced Clutch Technology
Boosted Adrenaline
Dress Up Bolts
Lowered Lifestyle
Del Duca’s Upholstery
Powdercoat Express
Steveos Kustoms
Optima Battery
Related Articles
PAS365 Podcast: SEMA 2024 Live - Part 2
Father of the GT-R, Kazutoshi Mizuno, Announces Limited Book
Kurenai: Jason Helmick's Show-Stopping 2015 Scion FR-S
Why Can't an Orange Car Ever Win Tuner Battlegrounds?
Powered by a Subaru EJ25 Engine Swap: Austin Barnett’s 1976 Porsche 911
Craziest Skyline at SEMA in Years: Devin Mariannino Driver Motorsports' 1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
