My 1998 P11 Primera GT
Discussion
Hi all,
Well after doing some research and seeing them mentioned on various forums over the last few months as a good bet for a bargain budget car I went in search of a Primera GT.
Having missed several this one cropped up on gumtree about 40 miles away but without any pictures it was a gamble. The buying experience was interesting to say the least, the seller was able to talk for England but the car seemed OK and haggling consisted of the seller giving me money off because we'd travelled so far to look at the car LOL.
So here it is my 1998 P11 Primera GT Saloon.
It's done 96k with stamped history until 79k and then some receipts for things like the drive shafts that are a common failure I gather and a clutch cable. The clutch is very stiff from cold but lightens up a bit once it's warmed up it's common problem so I'm not worried, but it was the reason the guy I'd bought it from was selling it as his wife refused to drive it. MOT'd until June 2012 but with no tax it was purchased for the princely sum of £300.
Plans are to sort out some of the issues I've discovered like the grumbling wheel bearing and the frayed seat belt (again very common). Then keep it tidy and drive it until either I get board or it become uneconomic to repair!
I've only had it a week but I've enjoyed driving it. It's not quick off the mark at all really but I wasn't expecting to be from what people had said, it's a massive change from the Vauxhalls of a similar vintage I've been driving previously though and has reignited my passion to want to just get in a car and drive! I know by allot of PH people's standards this is just an old shed, but I haven't got a big budget and I wanted something that would be cheap is to run and easy to fix myself, but fun to drive and this seems to have fitted the bill nicely.
More to follow as I do things, wheel bearing is first on the list and a good service.
Haven't cleaned it properly yet as allot of the roads I use are country roads and the car gets dirty as quick as I clean it in the winter, so unless i get all inspired on a crisp sunny morning a proper polish and wax will have to wait.
Well after doing some research and seeing them mentioned on various forums over the last few months as a good bet for a bargain budget car I went in search of a Primera GT.
Having missed several this one cropped up on gumtree about 40 miles away but without any pictures it was a gamble. The buying experience was interesting to say the least, the seller was able to talk for England but the car seemed OK and haggling consisted of the seller giving me money off because we'd travelled so far to look at the car LOL.
So here it is my 1998 P11 Primera GT Saloon.
It's done 96k with stamped history until 79k and then some receipts for things like the drive shafts that are a common failure I gather and a clutch cable. The clutch is very stiff from cold but lightens up a bit once it's warmed up it's common problem so I'm not worried, but it was the reason the guy I'd bought it from was selling it as his wife refused to drive it. MOT'd until June 2012 but with no tax it was purchased for the princely sum of £300.
Plans are to sort out some of the issues I've discovered like the grumbling wheel bearing and the frayed seat belt (again very common). Then keep it tidy and drive it until either I get board or it become uneconomic to repair!
I've only had it a week but I've enjoyed driving it. It's not quick off the mark at all really but I wasn't expecting to be from what people had said, it's a massive change from the Vauxhalls of a similar vintage I've been driving previously though and has reignited my passion to want to just get in a car and drive! I know by allot of PH people's standards this is just an old shed, but I haven't got a big budget and I wanted something that would be cheap is to run and easy to fix myself, but fun to drive and this seems to have fitted the bill nicely.
More to follow as I do things, wheel bearing is first on the list and a good service.
Haven't cleaned it properly yet as allot of the roads I use are country roads and the car gets dirty as quick as I clean it in the winter, so unless i get all inspired on a crisp sunny morning a proper polish and wax will have to wait.
Edited by markswebpages on Sunday 11th December 23:05
Somnophore said:
Parkers says 8.5 to 60, id class that as pretty nippy really. I've looked at these in the past, pretty much the only nippy car you can get for cheap that's not likely to fall to pieces quickly. Always thought these were a bargain.
It's no bad to be honest, I suppose what I'm trying to say is by modern standards (i.e. new cars) it's not massively quick but plenty quick enough for me as I'd only be tempted anyway.They seem to fall into two categories second hand people either want allot for them (for no apparent reason allot of the time?) or they're cheap and they sell very quickly so you need to be quick.
I joined the owners forum and asked about them after reading allot of good stuff on HP and other forums. They where very helpful and told me about the common faults and what to look for. I think as long as you change the oil regularly the engines are pretty tough.
The clutch is a bit of a dilemma as you have to drive it very carefully when cold as it's so stiff, but once it's warmed up (10 mins driving) it's not too bad. It sounds like I could do it myself, but do I spend £100 on a clutch kit for a car I've only spent £300 buying LOL. I'd rather spend it on tyres to be honest!
Depends what you call quick and also how you drive it, these rev to just under 7k and if you keep the revs up that way your be surprised just how nippy/quick these are. The best bit about these is the handling, much much much better than most people would believe, very flat cornering, ok ride, plenty of grip with a rear end that likes to break loose when really pushing on but is very easy to bring back in again. Cruise along and your get mid 30's MPG, wring its neck and your be guaranteed a smile on your face. Just change that oil regularly so that chain gets looked after!
Ive had a black hatch and it was great (nice induction bark as standard too!).
Ive had a black hatch and it was great (nice induction bark as standard too!).
Thanks everyone!
Glad to see they seem to be popular. I almost went down this route last year but stuck with Vauxhall as I'd had a few and kinda knew my way around them, however I made the mistake of buying a Vectra B that was horrible and eventually lunched it's gearbox 5 months later!
Glad I've got one now, after I've given it a service maybe some more spirited testing is required to fully utilise this cars performance. Need to get two new tyres on the front as well as they're legal but odd unbranded ones at the moment.
Glad to see they seem to be popular. I almost went down this route last year but stuck with Vauxhall as I'd had a few and kinda knew my way around them, however I made the mistake of buying a Vectra B that was horrible and eventually lunched it's gearbox 5 months later!
Glad I've got one now, after I've given it a service maybe some more spirited testing is required to fully utilise this cars performance. Need to get two new tyres on the front as well as they're legal but odd unbranded ones at the moment.
Tribal Chestnut said:
Don't know why, but I've a bit of a soft spot for these. Used to have an Almera of similar vintage. Really quite like the look of them both.
I also like the look of the Primera GT. If memory serves the GT was the basis for their BTCC car??Almera is also a good looking car but only in GTI trim IMO.
Been ill since new year 
However I thought I'd press on and try and do the wheel bearing!
Bit of an adventure to say the least.
So loaded the tools up and went my dads as I need to use his drive, first thing I notice is that one of the wheel nuts is on the wrong way round (IE tappered side out). This kind of sets the tone for the rest of the morning!
Wheel nut on wrong because it had been cross threaded and wouldn't start to go on the correct way. No big deal as I have four spares due to locking wheel nuts.
Then I discover the reason that there is play is because the nut on the drive shaft is finger tight! So whoever replaced the drive shaft didn't tighten it up.
Having looked through mine and my dads tools neither of us has the right size deep socket, so Halfords, x4 motor factors and a hydrolics specialist later I've eventualy got the right one.
By now I've also realised it's starting to rain and I feel rubbish again, so I decide to do the nut up properly and see what happens. Seems OK but I'm sure it will not have done the beering any good so longterm plan is still to replace it.
You've gotta wonder what kind of f
k nut thinks it's OK to not tighten something so important and to turn a tappered wheel nut round when there's a spare in the same box the locking wheel nut key is in!
Thankfully everything else looks OK having double checked for my own piece of mind.
However I thought I'd press on and try and do the wheel bearing!
Bit of an adventure to say the least.
So loaded the tools up and went my dads as I need to use his drive, first thing I notice is that one of the wheel nuts is on the wrong way round (IE tappered side out). This kind of sets the tone for the rest of the morning!
Wheel nut on wrong because it had been cross threaded and wouldn't start to go on the correct way. No big deal as I have four spares due to locking wheel nuts.
Then I discover the reason that there is play is because the nut on the drive shaft is finger tight! So whoever replaced the drive shaft didn't tighten it up.
Having looked through mine and my dads tools neither of us has the right size deep socket, so Halfords, x4 motor factors and a hydrolics specialist later I've eventualy got the right one.
By now I've also realised it's starting to rain and I feel rubbish again, so I decide to do the nut up properly and see what happens. Seems OK but I'm sure it will not have done the beering any good so longterm plan is still to replace it.
You've gotta wonder what kind of f
k nut thinks it's OK to not tighten something so important and to turn a tappered wheel nut round when there's a spare in the same box the locking wheel nut key is in!Thankfully everything else looks OK having double checked for my own piece of mind.
Hope you get well soon.. 
My Gt had similar problems with wheel nuts..
The guy I bought it from had fitted some after market
Multispoke alloys..no problem there..until the tyros needed
changing..every hub stud bar 2 was stripped/damaged..
Dangerous and annoying in equal measures..!!
Had to replace all 16 studs and wheel nuts..
Car has been a hobby/project for the last couple
of years..Still loving it even if it has cost me a bit to
get this far..!!
Good luck with yours..
My Gt had similar problems with wheel nuts..
The guy I bought it from had fitted some after market
Multispoke alloys..no problem there..until the tyros needed
changing..every hub stud bar 2 was stripped/damaged..
Dangerous and annoying in equal measures..!!
Had to replace all 16 studs and wheel nuts..
Car has been a hobby/project for the last couple
of years..Still loving it even if it has cost me a bit to
get this far..!!
Good luck with yours..
markswebpages said:
Been ill since new year
However I thought I'd press on and try and do the wheel bearing!
Bit of an adventure to say the least.
So loaded the tools up and went my dads as I need to use his drive, first thing I notice is that one of the wheel nuts is on the wrong way round (IE tappered side out). This kind of sets the tone for the rest of the morning!
Wheel nut on wrong because it had been cross threaded and wouldn't start to go on the correct way. No big deal as I have four spares due to locking wheel nuts.
Then I discover the reason that there is play is because the nut on the drive shaft is finger tight! So whoever replaced the drive shaft didn't tighten it up.
Having looked through mine and my dads tools neither of us has the right size deep socket, so Halfords, x4 motor factors and a hydrolics specialist later I've eventualy got the right one.
By now I've also realised it's starting to rain and I feel rubbish again, so I decide to do the nut up properly and see what happens. Seems OK but I'm sure it will not have done the beering any good so longterm plan is still to replace it.
You've gotta wonder what kind of fk nut thinks it's OK to not tighten something so important and to turn a tappered wheel nut round when there's a spare in the same box the locking wheel nut key is in!
Thankfully everything else looks OK having double checked for my own piece of mind.
However I thought I'd press on and try and do the wheel bearing!
Bit of an adventure to say the least.
So loaded the tools up and went my dads as I need to use his drive, first thing I notice is that one of the wheel nuts is on the wrong way round (IE tappered side out). This kind of sets the tone for the rest of the morning!
Wheel nut on wrong because it had been cross threaded and wouldn't start to go on the correct way. No big deal as I have four spares due to locking wheel nuts.
Then I discover the reason that there is play is because the nut on the drive shaft is finger tight! So whoever replaced the drive shaft didn't tighten it up.
Having looked through mine and my dads tools neither of us has the right size deep socket, so Halfords, x4 motor factors and a hydrolics specialist later I've eventualy got the right one.
By now I've also realised it's starting to rain and I feel rubbish again, so I decide to do the nut up properly and see what happens. Seems OK but I'm sure it will not have done the beering any good so longterm plan is still to replace it.
You've gotta wonder what kind of f
k nut thinks it's OK to not tighten something so important and to turn a tappered wheel nut round when there's a spare in the same box the locking wheel nut key is in!Thankfully everything else looks OK having double checked for my own piece of mind.
Wheel bearing day!
Well finally now the weather is a bit nicer I decided to have a go at the wheel bearing.
I'd already brought this
IMG-20111229-00041 by markswebpages, on Flickr
In anticipation of doing the job, I tried to do it before on another car without this tool and is was a nightmare!
Unless it's of use to anyone I'll not explain what I did, but the process wasn't to difficult although I suspect getting the hub out of the bearing would have been the most difficult part, mine just pulled out as it was knackered anyway.
Anyway I get to the point where we're trying to figure out how to remove the inner part of the bearing from the hub and my mate suggests carefully cutting it off, at this point we looked at the hub only to discover that the inner part is covered in little dents and completely borked (didn't take a picture) because when the drive-shaft wasn't done up it had been chattering against it.
Because I need the car tomorrow I had to put it back together with the new bearing which will be impossible to reuse when I replace it as it pulls the inner part out when you extract the hub and it's impossible to remove without cutting it as far as I can tell.
So no bearing noise any more, but going to have to do it all again some-when in the near future bugger!
Well finally now the weather is a bit nicer I decided to have a go at the wheel bearing.
I'd already brought this
IMG-20111229-00041 by markswebpages, on Flickr
In anticipation of doing the job, I tried to do it before on another car without this tool and is was a nightmare!
Unless it's of use to anyone I'll not explain what I did, but the process wasn't to difficult although I suspect getting the hub out of the bearing would have been the most difficult part, mine just pulled out as it was knackered anyway.
Anyway I get to the point where we're trying to figure out how to remove the inner part of the bearing from the hub and my mate suggests carefully cutting it off, at this point we looked at the hub only to discover that the inner part is covered in little dents and completely borked (didn't take a picture) because when the drive-shaft wasn't done up it had been chattering against it.
Because I need the car tomorrow I had to put it back together with the new bearing which will be impossible to reuse when I replace it as it pulls the inner part out when you extract the hub and it's impossible to remove without cutting it as far as I can tell.
So no bearing noise any more, but going to have to do it all again some-when in the near future
bugger!Edited by markswebpages on Saturday 12th May 23:17
These cars are fantastic, and what a great buy for 3 bills. My uncle had a Primera SRI a couple years back and that was one hell of a car, less power then the GTI at 130bhp vs 150bhp, but it was quicker then his mates GTI off the line up until 3rd due to the SRI having a remap and SS exhaust, that might be a thought for you if you plan on modding the car.
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