1989 Nissan 200SX S13
Discussion
Hi guys,
Here is my current daily/fun car. Always been a dream of mine, and I'm hugely happy to have one, road legal and all, at 18. It's standard ATM, having just had a new engine put in; I blew the first CA after two days of ownership when a water hose split on the inlet side starving the engine of coolant at 110MPH, resulting in a massive HGF. Sold that one to my mate who is going to rebuild it and put it in an MGB, and stuck a new CA in.
Plans are to lower it a bit and get some 16x8s all around with some decent rubber (hopefully find some old-school mesh/flat face wheels as I think the retro look suits the prefacelift cars), plus a KAAZ 1.5 LSD and possibly go stage 1. Main thing is though is to take care of it properly as clean examples of these are getting rare; it's in remarkable condition for a 158,000 mile S13. Before I blew the HGF I was going to keep it completely standard, however having done a few jobs on it now I feel it's OEM-ness has already been tainted so I may as well do some mild modifications. It's amazing fun even in standard form though, and has a very mobile back end even with the standard power and an open diff.
The best thing about it is of course the pop-up headlamps...
Just don't mention fuel. Or tyres. Either way it's certainly a step up from my last daily of the same year;
With 100BHP and a welded diff it was the perfect introduction to RWD.
Anyway, hopefully this S13 is a keeper. I certainly hope to take care of it; they are getting rarer and rarer and also shooting up in value, so it might even be an investment!
Here is my current daily/fun car. Always been a dream of mine, and I'm hugely happy to have one, road legal and all, at 18. It's standard ATM, having just had a new engine put in; I blew the first CA after two days of ownership when a water hose split on the inlet side starving the engine of coolant at 110MPH, resulting in a massive HGF. Sold that one to my mate who is going to rebuild it and put it in an MGB, and stuck a new CA in.
Plans are to lower it a bit and get some 16x8s all around with some decent rubber (hopefully find some old-school mesh/flat face wheels as I think the retro look suits the prefacelift cars), plus a KAAZ 1.5 LSD and possibly go stage 1. Main thing is though is to take care of it properly as clean examples of these are getting rare; it's in remarkable condition for a 158,000 mile S13. Before I blew the HGF I was going to keep it completely standard, however having done a few jobs on it now I feel it's OEM-ness has already been tainted so I may as well do some mild modifications. It's amazing fun even in standard form though, and has a very mobile back end even with the standard power and an open diff.
The best thing about it is of course the pop-up headlamps...
Just don't mention fuel. Or tyres. Either way it's certainly a step up from my last daily of the same year;
With 100BHP and a welded diff it was the perfect introduction to RWD.
Anyway, hopefully this S13 is a keeper. I certainly hope to take care of it; they are getting rarer and rarer and also shooting up in value, so it might even be an investment!
MGZRod said:
Very nice 
assuming you're on SXOC? It's nice to see such a standard one, but they aren't much cop standard!
I am, same username. Haven't posted much though, just a few threads in S13 Tech. That's a lovely S14 btw, I've been following your thread. assuming you're on SXOC? It's nice to see such a standard one, but they aren't much cop standard! petrolsniffer said:
wow an unmolested pignose! please don't ruin it
A mate of mine had a succession of these for years great cars!
A mate of mine had a succession of these for years great cars!
VinceFox said:
Keep it standard, its a rare thing nowadays!
It is, but the thing is it's not really unmolested and IMO not mint enough to be a clean standard car. It's clean, but not *that* clean, so I don't feel guilty in doing some mild mods. Not going to go crazy, I don't want to lose the original concept of the 200sx which was to be a smart GT rival to the Porsche 944. I can genuinely say once I take it to stage 1 (intercooler/free flowing exhaust) and lower it + get some wider wheels (Compomotive THs if I can find a set in size) I will be completely happy with it. It's already powerful enough to break traction on demand anyway, and plenty fast enough to put my license at risk, so 220BHP will be more than enough for me for quite a while to come.There are still quite a few of these running around with their original owners, used to pop to the shops every now and then. Those are the ones people need to keep standard and properly take care of; this, with it's 8 owners, 158,000 miles and 4 engines isn't special enough to really mollycoddle IMO.
Edited by Gooly on Friday 28th June 23:59
Fantastic!
I had a 'fire-engine' red one on an 'H' plate back around the mid-90s.
Lovely to see one in such good condition. Most of the few you see around now have chav-exhausts and/or stupid wheels.
It was a fantastic car - except for the turbo blowing up on me. Cost £800 to repair and that was a lot of money in those days!
Really pleased for you, hope you have a great time driving it!
I had a 'fire-engine' red one on an 'H' plate back around the mid-90s.
Lovely to see one in such good condition. Most of the few you see around now have chav-exhausts and/or stupid wheels.
It was a fantastic car - except for the turbo blowing up on me. Cost £800 to repair and that was a lot of money in those days!
Really pleased for you, hope you have a great time driving it!
Whats the insurance like? I'm 18 in 2 months and I'll have a years NCB, would like to get one
I'm at home in North London at the moment but I study down in Sussex, just finished first year.
It does need work; currently has a misfire under boost, ive changed the coilpacks to no avail, so going to check the spark plugs next. Also want to get a boost gauge along with a decent oil pressure and water temp gauge, essentials on a CA18.
Other than the misfire and it's ability to drain a tank of V-power like nothing, its fantastic. I am considering chopping it in for an E36 328/325 though, as they are so much cheaper to run and i'd be less worried about keeping it mint; S13s are very dear to me and i'd really hate myself if i crashed this one as it is very clean. But yes i have been having alot of fun with it; drove down to cornwall from london via brighton earlier this week, 700 mile round trip. The short gearing doe get on my nerves as 4,500RPM at 80mph just isn't on, but other than that it was great. Donuts on an empty beach at midnight was a highlight, desperately needs a slipper though!
It does need work; currently has a misfire under boost, ive changed the coilpacks to no avail, so going to check the spark plugs next. Also want to get a boost gauge along with a decent oil pressure and water temp gauge, essentials on a CA18.
Other than the misfire and it's ability to drain a tank of V-power like nothing, its fantastic. I am considering chopping it in for an E36 328/325 though, as they are so much cheaper to run and i'd be less worried about keeping it mint; S13s are very dear to me and i'd really hate myself if i crashed this one as it is very clean. But yes i have been having alot of fun with it; drove down to cornwall from london via brighton earlier this week, 700 mile round trip. The short gearing doe get on my nerves as 4,500RPM at 80mph just isn't on, but other than that it was great. Donuts on an empty beach at midnight was a highlight, desperately needs a slipper though!
Edited by Gooly on Sunday 7th July 12:07
Gooly said:
I'm at home in North London at the moment but I study down in Sussex, just finished first year.
It does need work; currently has a misfire under boost, ive changed the coilpacks to no avail, so going to check the spark plugs next. Also want to get a boost gauge along with a decent oil pressure and water temp gauge, essentials on a CA18.
Other than the misfire and it's ability to drain a tank of V-power like nothing, its fantastic. I am considering chopping it in for an E36 328/325 though, as they are so much cheaper to run and i'd be less worried about keeping it mint; S13s are very dear to me and i'd really hate myself if i crashed this one as it is very clean. But yes i have been having alot of fun with it; drove down to cornwall from london via brighton earlier this week, 700 mile round trip. The short gearing doe get on my nerves as 4,500RPM at 80mph just isn't on, but other than that it was great. Donuts on an empty beach at midnight was a highlight, desperately needs a slipper though!
I chopped a 200sx in for a E36 328, the E36 was much much cheaper to run, a lot more practical (it was a coupe) and easier to live with, the 200sx pissed all over it in terms of the drive, to sum it up over 30 id have the E36 under 30 id have the 200.It does need work; currently has a misfire under boost, ive changed the coilpacks to no avail, so going to check the spark plugs next. Also want to get a boost gauge along with a decent oil pressure and water temp gauge, essentials on a CA18.
Other than the misfire and it's ability to drain a tank of V-power like nothing, its fantastic. I am considering chopping it in for an E36 328/325 though, as they are so much cheaper to run and i'd be less worried about keeping it mint; S13s are very dear to me and i'd really hate myself if i crashed this one as it is very clean. But yes i have been having alot of fun with it; drove down to cornwall from london via brighton earlier this week, 700 mile round trip. The short gearing doe get on my nerves as 4,500RPM at 80mph just isn't on, but other than that it was great. Donuts on an empty beach at midnight was a highlight, desperately needs a slipper though!
Edited by Gooly on Sunday 7th July 12:07
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