Cruise Mode: Amy Frazer’s chick-built S15

26 December, 2016

Owner: Amy Frazer
Location: Christchurch
Occupation: Nurse

NZPC: Hey Amy, great to see yet another extremely clean girl-built S15. How long have you owned it for?
Amy: Hey guys, I’ve owned the Silvia now coming up three years.

When did you first get into cars, and what was your first performance vehicle?
I’ve been into cars since I can remember. My parents were active members of a Zephyr and Zodiac club when I was growing up, so I’ve had a love for cars for a long time. This S15 has been my very first performance vehicle, but, hopefully, there will be more to come in the future.

Did you know what direction you would take with it from the beginning?
To be honest, I just carried on in the direction that had already been started by its first owner, Andre. The vision for the car was complete; it was exactly what I wanted, but it just needed some finishing touches.

What has been the biggest hurdle with the build?
Last year, I managed to blow up my turbo. That was a headache, but, thanks to my partner Owen and a friend, Josh, we got the turbo out, replaced the seals, and put a refreshed one back in. It only took a few days but a huge chunk out of my bank account.

What’s your favourite part of being involved in the automotive community?
I love the variety and the uniqueness in the cars that are out there at the moment. I also love seeing other girls with performance cars. It’s empowering, and I think more girls should get into it and show the boys how it’s done!

Thanks for hanging out with us, Amy.

Make/model: Nissan Silvia S15
Engine: SR20DET 2000cc four-cylinder, HKS front-mount intercooler, HKS mushroom air filter, GReddy Type RZ blow-off valve, HKS turbo, Walbro fuel pump, three-inch GReddy stainless-steel exhaust, STM ported heads, CP pistons, aftermarket racing big end and main bearings, A’PEXi Power FC
Drivetrain: Factory six-speed, Exedy heavy-duty clutch, lightened flywheel
Interior: GReddy Profec B-spec II electronic boost controller, D1 Spec gear knob, Soundstream speakers,
JVC head unit
Exterior: Custom carbon-fibre bonnet, custom bodykit, custom midnight shadow-chrome paint
Suspension: HKS coilovers, HKS camber and toe arms
Wheels/Tyres: 17×9-inch DOTCOM; (F) 225/40R17 Goodyear Eagle F1, (R) 235/40R17 Achilles ATR

The actual Formula One

18 September, 2026

Seeing, in a shed in Hamilton, New Zealand, the Darracq 120 racer that Louis Wagner, also a pioneer aviator, drove to victory in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race felt a little like finding a Rembrandt at a garage sale.
For historical significance, I’d say this car ranks with Ray Harroun’s Marmon Wasp, the first Indianapolis 500 winner. Unlike Harroun’s Wasp, which has been lovingly cared for at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum over the years, this historically pivotal machine wound up half a world away from its home in France and, to most of the motoring world, largely forgotten. Sadly, so is the story of how the car got to Aotearoa in the first place.
More often than not, a racing car that is a few years old is regarded as obsolete and relegated to a shed somewhere. As far as racing drivers and team owners at the cutting edge of the sport are concerned, the cars are virtually worthless at that point. They can’t be driven on the street; at best they can be reconfigured for lower levels of the sport, so few people care about them until their historical significance becomes more apparent.

Cruise Mode: Amy Frazer’s chick-built S15

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