RE: Nissan Pulsar GTI-R: Spotted

[BigMacDaddy]

I had one of these for a couple of years - power was up at just over 280bhp on a bar of boost and it was savagely quick on the back roads, as long as you remembered the slightly nose-heavy handling and drove accordingly!

The engine itself always sounded a bit rough, but it had a 5zigen exhaust which sounded just like a proper rally car at full chat, only heavy rain would force me to drive with the windows closed

Ultimately an also-ran when compared with Mitsubishi and Subaru's offerings, but a great left-field choice that I still miss today. Good ones are now few and far between, although at £10k that one might be sitting around for a little while unless someone really wants one......

[JamesyBoy75]

I can't wait until GT4 prices start to head northwards, I need to shorten the gap between what it costs me, and what it's worth!

[F1GTRUeno]

Rare as rocking horse st to find a completely standard one.

Someone buy it and keep it that way so it doesn't get ruined.

[smithyithy]

Always had a soft spot for these, I'd love a clean standard one in Winter Green:

[Butter Face]

My mate bought one about 9 years ago, we both had Civics at the time and I was gutted he had bought it.


So I bought an S14a 200SX, we both loved our cars and had great fun in them both!

[MDMA .]

One round the corner from me at the moment. In for tuning. Black, big front mount HKS intercooler, non standard wheels. They look so much nicer in standard trim.

[rtz62]

cerb4.5lee said:

rtz62 said:

Funny, I remember, 'back in the day' visiting two garages situated opposite each other at Sutton ain Ashfield.
One specialised in performance cars of any make (Richards), the other was a Mazda dealer (Leadleys)

Blimey that brings back memories and I used to love going to (Richards) and they always seemed to have some lovely stuff in there and I also passed my driving test in Sutton in ashfield back in Jan 1991.

I remember when I had my 200sx and it was only lightly tuned but still pretty quick yet I came across Sunny GTI-R in black once that must have been very fettled and it went like a train and I have always liked and fancied one ever since.

I knew Geoff (Richards) and Darryl (Simmonds), the co-owners, very well back then, and Geoff often let me out in a Porsche 911 or one of his own Ltous Esprit Turbos (he was a massive fan, and had one of each type at one time or another)
I never got to drive the GTiR I'd gone in to look at as Darryl was very offhand about the car.
Although I loved the RS2000 I bought, I have always had regrets about not buying the 323, and still remember looking cross the road at the Nissan as I drove out of Leadleys in the Escort.
Funny how time changes things, the Escort now would be worth anywhere up to £20k (I sold it in mint, low miles condition) and yet both the Mazda and Nissan languish, value-wise.

[darkyoung1000]

I remember encountering one of these before I knew what they were, in a 1.8 16v Corrado, thinking that I was, if not the fastest thing on the road, then certainly a match of a barried Japanese hatchback.

I was very wrong

It was a glorious thing to behold in hindsight though!

[cerb4.5lee]

rtz62 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

rtz62 said:

Funny, I remember, 'back in the day' visiting two garages situated opposite each other at Sutton ain Ashfield.
One specialised in performance cars of any make (Richards), the other was a Mazda dealer (Leadleys)

Blimey that brings back memories and I used to love going to (Richards) and they always seemed to have some lovely stuff in there and I also passed my driving test in Sutton in ashfield back in Jan 1991.

I remember when I had my 200sx and it was only lightly tuned but still pretty quick yet I came across Sunny GTI-R in black once that must have been very fettled and it went like a train and I have always liked and fancied one ever since.

I knew Geoff (Richards) and Darryl (Simmonds), the co-owners, very well back then, and Geoff often let me out in a Porsche 911 or one of his own Ltous Esprit Turbos (he was a massive fan, and had one of each type at one time or another)
I never got to drive the GTiR I'd gone in to look at as Darryl was very offhand about the car.
Although I loved the RS2000 I bought, I have always had regrets about not buying the 323, and still remember looking cross the road at the Nissan as I drove out of Leadleys in the Escort.
Funny how time changes things, the Escort now would be worth anywhere up to £20k (I sold it in mint, low miles condition) and yet both the Mazda and Nissan languish, value-wise.

Excellent and I never failed to be impressed by the stuff they always had in there and I used to always look forward to going and having a look around.

Its true about what you say about the Ford and I always remember when I went for my 200sx and I mainly wanted it because it was a fair bit newer(read potentially less trouble) than the Sierra/Escort Cosworth but I could have bought either of the three...yet now look at their values!

I have always been a Ford fanboy so I should have stuck to my guns and gone with the Cosworth and hindsight is always a great thing.

Thanks for bringing the good memories back for me.

[quality matters]

I bought one of these in about 95. Mine was a UK Sunny in Red. One of the best cars I have owned and very good point to point. It was ex demo and had the plate K44 GTR.
It came with a spare set of alloys with mud and snow tyres. I kept it for about 2 years and did 40k miles in all conditions and it never failed on any terrain in Derbyshire.

The exhaust manifold gasket needed changing from a blow but that was the only thing other than servicing that it needed. I progressed from a Silvia Turbo to a 200SX to the iR

[knight]

Had one for about 3 years from early 2000, only major problem with it was the gearbox broke. Got the under steer sorted and it became a much nicer drive

[Evolved]

They used the lunch gearboxes for fun. Genuinely rapid little car on the day though.

[PapaJohns]

I had 2 myself, the rarer uk spec sunny and an import, biblically quick with a little fettling. I only managed to break one gearbox but then it was 20yearold and running close to 100hp more than standard . I Had a shot peeneed and RB short ratio box aswell which made it even quicker
There was an owner running 260bhp with a few choice mods running low 12's up the 1/4mile. iconic little motor close to my hart but they only way they'll be worth lancia money is when there's one or 2 left or maybe some rally history






Got all nostalgic and thought I'd share some old pictures.

Here's a couple from the recent 25yr anniversary meet I attended with my mate who has a few of these, he kindly let me drive the 425bhp tuned one down there and then track his wide arch motor running about 310bhp





I'll not post to many pics

[fin racer]

I hankered after one of these in my early twenties, an acquaintance had an import one that spent more time lying up than on the road.
I however had the GTI version of the Sunny, exact same colour as this car, differing externally only by the boot and front spoiler.
I shot the side out of my gearbox on the way into work one morning so obviously a weakness inherent in the basic gearbox as well. Crap brakes, and handling, but the engine was quite nice, feisty and red-lined at 7250, which it saw a lot of. Happy memories

[bartselephant]

Yup, we had one, with an uprated ECU, intake etc. Blisteringly quick and drove with the qualities of a front wheel drive car when pushed hard in a bend. It really was so close to being a mini Skyline.

[toho82]

I remember getting my S2000 about 10 years and being pleased as punch ragging around the new forest, then from nowhere this little box appeared in my rearview and I just couldn't shake it!! Guess what it was...

[Dan gate master]

I own a few of these well sunny gtir's, the group n car i own won the 1992 wrc with gregoire de mevius and willie lux, the group a car is a customer car and the car i built runs circa 540hp,
The gearboxes are not as weak as made out or the engines, most were broken from abuse and experts who dont have a clue,

[mr2j]

deltashad said:

A friend and I were out for a spin, back in the day, he was driving his WRX ra and I was in my integrale 8v.
We came across this guy with a Pulsar GTiR. We gave him a wave and ended up stopping for a chat.
He wanted to take us out in his car. We thought yeah, this will be ok.... ok...

I have no idea of the modifications he'd made but he told us it was kicking out 400 bhp and it felt like that and more.
It was massively fast compared to anything I had been in at that time.
Still. Looked as interesting as Deirdre Barlow.

That's a hell of a day out - I'd love to see those three burbling down a lane together.

[HotJambalaya]

well, thanks to this article, my Gti-R is down at the specialist being sorted to get back on the road properly for the first time in 7 years...

Got to love classic car insurance £200 a year including the mrs!

Really looking forward to getting in the drivers seat of this again!

[Gary29]

I miss mine. Bags of character and fast, but I was never blown away by the handling, mine was fettled quite a bit. It was always an experience.

Me and a mate did over double the national speed limit down my private driveway on the way to Santa Pod at 5am one balmly June morning, great times!