Nissan Cefiro A31
Tuning Guide based on an article which appeared in Banzai Magazine in
2006 which was written by Rich McDowell.
see also -
BMW E36 Tuning
high performance car insurance
japanese car importers
japanese performance car part dealers
nissan tuners
nissan body kits
Performance Car Specs 0-60, Power to Weight and more
The
First Generation Nissan Cefiro,
chassis code A31, was built from
1988-1993. The car was aimed at the
executive end of the market and
competed with small to medium sized
luxury cars from Europe. The beauty of
this car is that it is based upon the
Nissan Skyline R32 Platform, which in
turn shares parts with the Nissan S13,
which means that this car has a host of
performance parts available for it.
The Nissan Cefiro was offered with a 2
Litre 2.0, Normally Aspirated (N/A)
powerplant as well as the RB20DET
which puts out 220bhp as standard
and is a detuned version of the
straight six found in the R32 GTS-T
from the same era. This means that
uprated parts for the RB20 are readily
available.
Engine Tuning
A common
stage one upgrade for the Cefiro is to fit a larger turbo charger,
followed bt a front mounted intercooler, performance chip and exhaust
system. These basic modifications can take the output of the RB20 up to
300bhp at the rear wheels. However 300bhp is
starting to push the limits of the standard engine.
Nissan Cefiro Engine
Swap/Engine Conversion options.
A popular
choice of engine for a swap is the Nissan RB25DET, this is easily
capable of taking power over 300bhp but if your looking for 400bhp plus
then the ultimate choice is the RB26DET engine. These Nissan AWD GT-R
engines will entail some extra mechanical work to make them fit in the
RWD chassis of the Cefiro. This entails grinding of the front
differential and adding a custom sump. Along with some possible engine
mount modifications and the normal wiring loom, power steering and
plumbing issues usually associated with engine swaps the transplant can
be achieved.
If this sounds like to big a job then another popular conversion uses
the SR20DET motor. The SR20DE is not only lighter than the RB20DET but
it also improves handling as the motor can be mounted further back in
the chassis. The SR20DET is capable of being built to produce 300bhp all
day long and turns the Cefiro into a lightweight missile.
Gearbox Upgrades
As the
Nissan Cefiro usually came with an automatic gearbox, changing this is a
priority to extract maximum performance. There are many options from the
RB series which should require minimal engineering to fit the Cefiro,
although the use of a speedo converter may need to be used as all Nissan
Cefiros use a cable speedo drive.
For Australian enthusiasts, the VL Turbo Commodore gearbox may be worth
a look as it is almost identical to some of the Skyline gearboxes. The
R200/R180 diffs can also be interchanged to alter the gearing.looking
The Cefiro is no looker but it is by no means the ugliest car ever
produced with the interior looking particularly dated now, but if you
can get pass this it is a well equipped saloon with electric
everything, such as seats, mirrors, windows and cruise control. The
upgrade options listed here are by no means cover everything, a little
looking around should turn up many more possibilities.
Considering the cost of these cars and their modding potential they are
very attractive if your looking a racer/drifter on a budget. To find the
latest prices for the Nissan Cefiro, the
Japanese Car importers
on StrikeEngine should be able to give you an idea of how much it will
cost to import and register a Nissan Cefiro in the UK.
Cefiro Forums
Maxima.org
Nissan Performance Club
For
insurance quotes see the
Car Insurance section
here