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A closer look Nigel Petrie’s “Engineered to slide” 330kw SR20DET tube frame drift Toyota Hilux

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Most people don't automatically think of drift car when they hear the term Hilux or Ute. Especially not one to this level.

Nigel Petrie from Engineered to slide has been changing that assumption with his beautiful and meticulously designed drift hilux.

- Not so conventional Ute tray! Photo Credit : Domestic Mango

THE OTHER BABY.

Nigel is no stranger to building amazing cars. He always has stated that he follows his heart and nothing else while building his works of art. I first got to see his skill and effort in person at World Time Attack 2017 where he brought his immaculate Nissan Silvia "PS13" out to stun the crowds!

- PS13 at WTAC 2017. Photo Credit : Engineered To Slide

THE BUILD.

The Hilux began it's life under Nigel's ownership as a cab. No functional car, no utility tray, no wheels, just a cab.

The original plan was 6 months. That was all it was going to take. However Nigel used the time to better his skills and knowledge and the car became a canvas to showcase what he could create. By the time it was done, 3 and a half years had passed.

- Photo Credit : StreetFX Motorsport

The basis of the build required a few things, to maintain the look of the mini truck and keep the Hilux shape, to build a functional drift car, and lastly to be fun! He began his build with an eBay welder, a hand built tube bender and about 70 metres of metal tubing!

Nigel then decided to lay everything out. This resulted in an absolutely awesome way of mapping out his build and working out ideas for it.


- Photo Credit : Engineered To Slide

Tubing was used to connect every bit of the car together, while sheet metal was used for areas that required a flat surface or extra strengthening.

Very little of original Hilux was left however keen eyed Toyota fans will recognize that that the lights, grills and bumper are original Hilux parts. Nigel also let us know he appreciates the price of Hilux parts because it makes drift car repairs an easy and cheap process!

- Photo Credit : Domestic Mango

THE ENGINE.

The entire engine bay set up and much of the front end were completely designed from the ground up to suit a drift set up. Even the front guards were designed custom using original guards and bog to create a mold for fiber glass versions.

- Photo Credit : StreetFX Motorsport

The cooling set up in the engine bay is a custom design from PWR to suit the ETS Drift Hilux. It is all connected by just 4 bolts! Meaning that parts like the oil cooler and radiator can be removed with ease and no spillage.

The engine came from an S13 and is the famous and wildly popular SR20. It currently makes around 336 kilowatts at the rear wheels on 22 pound of boost from its TD06 Turbo. Once again, any custom mounting or fitting that needed to be done was completely fabricated by Nigel Petrie.

THE INTERIOR.

The cabin of the Hilux a whole other wild can of worms! It is quite a tight fit but again everything has been meticulously designed for Nigel to get the most out of his car. The Wilwood pedal box was the beginning of this, which then led into a custom designed steering column.

The interior structure is also made from tube frame to keep the rigidity of the car. Sheet metal was also welded in to give it some shape and also to wrap around the sequential 6 speed transmission. Originally the car had a RB25 gearbox in it however this was not strong enough to handle the car's power output.

- Photo Credit : StreetFX Motorsport

THE TRAY.

One of the most eye catching parts of this car is the beauty of the rear set up where a ute tray would normally sit. Centred in the middle of the tubing is a R33 GTR diff with R33 GTR driveshafts to support it.

Also quite noticeable is the lack of alternator on this beast. This is because it runs a 16 Volt battery which defeats the need for an alternator which in turn saves room for other important parts or fabrication. The rear cradle and arms are completely custom made and assisted by a V8 Super car sway bar.

The idea behind the design for the rear end was to keep it as simple as possible and priority was placed around getting the exhaust out the rear of the car and saved on weight while keeping the general shape as close to a factory Hilux as possible.

- Photo Credit : Domestic Mango

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