With the rise in cost and scarcity of the halo-model Japanese drift machines, those who enjoy a spot of sideways racing have had to diversify. But we didn’t think we’d ever see a solution quite like this. 

First published in the September 2026 issue of Street Machine

Sam Clothier’s choice of drift weapon is a little more idiosyncratic than a Skyline, Silvia or AE86 Corolla – it’s a re-engineered, Nissan-powered 1950s Morris Minor van!

Working at Street Race Solutions in Toowoomba, Queensland, Sam spends his days building ballsy Skyline GT-Rs, among other machines. But in his limited spare time, he concocted this wild concept from three separate Morris Minors, a bin of Nissan parts, and a drive to make his patina-clad dream a reality. 

“I started with a ute cab and front end; then I did a deal with an old guy for a bunch more parts, which included some longer coupe doors,” Sam says. “The rest came from a van that was originally used to deliver bread here in Toowoomba.”

Underneath, you won’t find a single remaining shred of British Leyland. Sam built a one-off chassis for the project using Nissan S13 front and rear subframes – a drifting staple. 

“It’s the same width as an S13 but about 120mm shorter, so it’s fairly snappy [when drifting],” Sam says. “The body is now 150mm longer than the original Morris, which is why we have the longer coupe doors. Even then, it was a challenge to make me fit comfortably.”

Along with the Nissan independent front and IRS cradle, the Morris also uses new-age Nissan grunt from a 517rwhp RB25DET Neo. The final development of the RB engine range, the Neo is most commonly found in non-GT-R Skyline R34 models and the C34 Nissan Stagea.

“The Neos are, in my opinion, one of the best RBs you can have in stock form,” says Sam. “They seem to take power well, and are pretty reliable and fairly robust for an RB.”

Sam’s theory stacks up, given this Neo only has head studs and an aftermarket head gasket to make that 500-plus power figure. Remember, unlike a drag car doing a pass in 10 seconds or less, drift cars see excessive revs for sustained periods, so reliability is always tested by default.

A Pulsar G30-660 turbo, E85 fuel with a fuel system to match, and a Haltech Nexus R3 all help the Neo make that grunt. Anywhere from 16 to 24psi is pushed through the combo depending on Sam’s needs at the track, and he rows and clutch-kicks a Tremec T56 manual ’box.

Another neat trick on this Morry is its cooling system, which employs a rear-mounted Mishimoto radiator with AU Falcon thermo fans. Given the lack of space in the front, especially compared to the ample real estate available in the rear, it makes sense for it to be positioned there. “Believe it or not, it just uses the original mechanical pump on the engine and that’s it – not even a brand-new one,” says Sam. “The highest temp I’ve ever seen is 90°C; I think having big 32mm hardlines running down the car gives it room to lose a fair bit of heat. It’s a decision I wouldn’t change.” 

After a nine-month build, the Morris debuted at Drift The Downs 2024 at Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick. Since then, Sam has evolved the car, tweaking the set-up as needed.

“I do eventually plan to neaten it up so it looks more
finished, and maybe it’ll get an AWD conversion once I’m done drifting it, because the drag-and-drive stuff does interest me,” he says.  

SAM CLOTHIER
1950s MORRIS MINOR VAN

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