Working on one’s own car can present itself with a multitude of challenges, many of which we, as enthusiasts, are very familiar with. Stubborn nuts and bolts, injuries, lack of adequate tools, and a plethora of other complications, unfortunate situations, and mishaps can immediately halt work for the day and send a flurry of frustration through the body. It takes a patient mindset and persistent nature to overcome such adversities, even when the issue presents itself at step #1.

For Dan Loe, such persistence, focus, and drive, as well as a bit of ingenuity, helped him to overcome several overwhelming obstacles during his transmission swap on his immaculately built Nissan S13 coupe. The plan was to replace the transmission by dropping it underneath the car and raising the new one into place, and although this would be a daunting task, even with an extra set of hands and a couple of floor jacks, progress had to be made in order to finish the car up so it could finally be back on the road again where it belonged. Work began early in the afternoon as we arrived at his garage.

As we entered Dan’s unbelievably spacious workshop, we were immediately blown away by how pristine and impeccable his S13 was. From the bodywork and the paint, to the beautifully constructed red top SR20DET, it was clear that the car was built with an exceptional amount of care and with the highest level of quality. It was a car that was simply built right and Dan’s passion and love for his car was both infectious and inspiring.

To start, we lifted the car up and started removing connectors and draining the fluid.

We then prepped for transmission removal. We carefully positioned two floor jacks on either side of the transmission. Once we removed all of the necessary bolts, Dan pulled the transmission out by hand then we slowly lowered the transmission using the two floor jacks simultaneously.

The transmission was removed, and while we were prepping the new transmission to be installed, Dan went to work on the flywheel bolts, which, by far, caused us the most headache.

After 12+ hours of work, facing some of the most troublesome obstacles, the new transmission was finally mated with the engine. Dan turned the key and the car roared back to life. Dan’s unwavering determination was incredibly admirable and we were all elated that the job was finally done.

Although some transmission noise was prevalent, which resulted in several rebuilds and a reinstall, the car is now back on the road and ready for the track. We have recently seen some photos of Dan’s S13 out of the garage and we are very excited to see what he has planned next for his build.