Nissan Figaro

Author
Discussion

Escort3500

Original Poster:

11,827 posts

144 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
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Just been idly flicking through the local rag and a dealer's selling a '91 Figaro ragtop with 5k on the clock
for £21,995. I had to check their website to make sure that it wasn't a typo, but no. Difficult to believe that such a woeful little car is going to fetch anything remotely near that figure, or am I missing something here?

morgrp

4,128 posts

197 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
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absolute rust buckets figaros are

Alex106

980 posts

195 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
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morgrp said:
absolute rust buckets figaros are
Are they really that bad? My OH really wants one at some point..

Il have to hope theres a good one around.

Back on topic, there is a Nissan garage in Great Bookham I regularly pass and the Figaros on sale there range from about 3-6k on my last glance.

Fast Bug

11,595 posts

160 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
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They do fetch strong money, but that's silly! I used to buy them for just over £2k fresh off the boat biggrin

shoehorn

686 posts

142 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
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It sounds like your dealer wants to keep it and at that price he will.
having had the displeasure of driving one once,if it were £2.19 I would still rather walk.
The hateful,poxy thing could not even manage to mount a 3 inch curved kerb,had the rigidity of a wet cardboard box and the same charm and allure as a chin full of acne.

Escort3500

Original Poster:

11,827 posts

144 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
quotequote all
shoehorn said:
It sounds like your dealer wants to keep it and at that price he will.
having had the displeasure of driving one once,if it were £2.19 I would still rather walk.
The hateful,poxy thing could not even manage to mount a 3 inch curved kerb,had the rigidity of a wet cardboard box and the same charm and allure as a chin full of acne.
hehe

I've not seen many of these nasty little PoS, but every one I have had the misfortune to spot has been as rusty as hell. I just don't get the attraction of driving such an underpowered and frankly lethal heap; I doubt you'd fare well in a coming together with anything else on the road, including push bikes, milk floats and almost any classic car you care to name. And they're not even 'cute'.

BigTom85

1,927 posts

170 months

Saturday 26th October 2013
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I think they are charming things.

But boy do they rot!! They really are terrible for rotting out, and its not even isolated to a particular panel or area, they just rot.

Fast Bug

11,595 posts

160 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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Half of the problem is they don't underseal them at the factory, and it's pretty rare it's done when it lands over here. Few winters with salty roads and they start to rust. I sold one to a friend in Germany and it's rust free. It's beige so the best colour for them, I like it biggrin

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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The car advertised is desperately overpriced. Probably worth £3200 at best. These cars are apparently of interest to some buyers. Lord knows why. Some japanese oddball cars do fetch much more than common sense would anticipate.

gwm

2,390 posts

143 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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It appeals to a certain type of buyer cos it's small, cute and unusual.

Mum has one and I've driven it a few times. Agree it's terrible, but hell she loves it and there's yet to be a female round the house that doesn't like it.

morgrp

4,128 posts

197 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
quotequote all
Alex106 said:
Are they really that bad? My OH really wants one at some point..

Il have to hope theres a good one around.

Back on topic, there is a Nissan garage in Great Bookham I regularly pass and the Figaros on sale there range from about 3-6k on my last glance.
There are decent ones but be very careful - rot like a good un' on the chassis and floor pan so have a good poke about with a screw driver - never forget they are 20 odd years old now plus they were always imported and never adequately rust protected

vx220

2,689 posts

233 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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There is a dealer near Southend who always seemed to have a few, not so many now. My uncle wanted one, when he came down to visit I took him to see them.

While I get the pseudo-classic part, I just can't imagine why you wouldn't just have a nice classic mini, or midget/mgb?

Or an mgf?

Or, as a previous poster suggested... Walk!

Pistom

4,914 posts

158 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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The Daihatsu Copen is the obvious alternative. A really well equipped tin top convertible with decent corrosion protection and the originals had a crazy turbo motor. £5k buys you a decent one.

vx220

2,689 posts

233 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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Think I suggested Copen as an alternative at the time

As said, I do get the retro part, but surely £3-6k would buy an ok MG/Mini?

Not really up on prices tbf

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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Fast Bug said:
They do fetch strong money, but that's silly! I used to buy them for just over £2k fresh off the boat biggrin
The problem was, that everything bought at a docks auction was crap. Poor grades, repair history and frequently unsaleable through auction which is why it ended up where it was.

Grade 4 cars sold for twice that in Japan. After that you had to pay for transportation, re-registration, storage and loading. Then shipping at $68 mer cubic metre, ports costs here along with duty and VAT and your customs agents bill.

Number 7

4,101 posts

261 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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You either get them or you don't - a bit like TVRs really.


GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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With a slightly smaller Super Turbo (MA09ERT over MA10ET) engine and a manual transmission, itd be better.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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110PS turbocharger and supercharger, over 76PS turbocharger.

CrowCrow00

4,098 posts

155 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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My girlfriend and I love them, we want one each.

mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Sunday 27th October 2013
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BigTom85 said:
I think they are charming things.

But boy do they rot!! They really are terrible for rotting out, and its not even isolated to a particular panel or area, they just rot.
they were a 'kawaii' item for the JDM what do you expect ... not built to last much longer than the shaiken and not undersealed etc ...

now 15 -20 years on in the UK ....