The Best Beater In L.A. Is This Funny Looking Nissan From San Diego

"Jonee" (Jonee) 06/26/2015 at 15:32 • Filed to: Nissan NX, beaters

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So, for the past month or so I’ve been !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for the cheapest fun summer car I could find.

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And, I found it. It’s a 1992 Nissan NX1600. I totally forgot these things existed. Like, completely and utterly until somehow I came across this one on CL San Diego while looking for a Merkur XR4Ti. I had just missed what looked like a really nice, one-owner XR in San Francisco, but the crap-car gods weren’t smiling on me. Probably for the better since reliability was something I was after since my other car is a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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And what’s more reliable than an early 90’s Nissan? Not much. That era was the sweet spot for cars that will outlive the apocalypse.

Now, this is basically a Sentra with a heavier, weird body on it. The NX2000 with the bigger motor and sporty suspension is a much better driving car; a forgotten Japanese classic, really. But, I’m a slow-car-fast kind of person, and this thing is still a blast. And, for $950, one of the best bargains I’ve ever bought. It’s amazingly clean and straight save for a minor dent on a front fender. It has been owned for the last 18 years by a nice lady who took great care of it. Most sub $1,000 cars are completely trashed, but this guy’s got lovely original blue velour seats. Even the original floor mats look mint.

It’s not the find of the century, but I can’t imagine there are many survivors in this good nick. It’s got 136,000 miles and runs like a top. A cute buzz emanates from the exhaust. With 110 horsepower, it’s not the quickest thing, but, with the 5-speed it goes fine when you thrash it and handles really well for a 23 year old car. It does have one of the harshest rides I’ve ever experienced. I’m not sure if that’s original, or if the suspension is shot, but I don’t care because it makes me feel like I’m in the world’s slowest F1 car.

It was repainted at one point, but surprisingly decently. There’s no orange peel and overspray is minimal. One detail I find particularly endearing is that they put the rear badge back on off-center for some reason.

Plus t-tops!

And a working digital dash!

I love this car. How did they not sell millions of them? It was the follow-up to the celebrated Pulsar and was an MX-3 fighter along with whatever the Toyota and Honda versions were. But, you still see those around, and when was the last time you saw a Nissan NX? I think they were meant for high school girls to have as a first car and were only available between ‘91 and ‘93. From what I remember, everyone found them ugly, but come on. It’s absolutely adorable.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, cheap beater, you can’t do much better than a Nissan NX. If you can find one. I may have gotten the last one. You’ll probably want the 2000, but they’ve all been trashed. These at least sat in a garage while their owners were at college.

As Du Volant > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 15:37

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Nice find! Can’t say I’m not a little jealous.

I had a 93 Sentra back in college. Front and rear strut tower bars, SE-R sway bars, a slight lowering (about an inch I think) on stiffer springs with performance struts, and some aftermarket wheels with wider, stickier tires made it a ton of fun. Not fast, but really really fun.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 15:37

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I like it!

LongbowMkII > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 15:39

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^jelly

nice find.

Jonee > As Du Volant 06/26/2015 at 15:40

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I bet it was. I think it was a better car than the one they make today.

vicali > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 15:40

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Score!

It’s awesome finding cool cars with good owners!

Jonee > vicali 06/26/2015 at 15:46

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It really is. It’s so refreshing to find something like this from that era that was cared for.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 16:15

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Haha, true oddball! Love the T-tops. But the car itself... Hmmmm...

At least it’s a manual! Congrats, let the summer begin!

Berang > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 16:49

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So when is the Nissan vs. Renault road test coming?

Jonee > Berang 06/26/2015 at 16:53

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Good idea. As soon as I get the new water pump installed in the Le Car.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/26/2015 at 17:35

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Ha. I needed something silly to drive while I do the body work on the Le Car. It’s really surprisingly fun. And I couldn’t beat that price. The tape player even works.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/26/2015 at 18:27

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If it’s technically solid $950 is a steal. I miss tape players. I got a Technics SL1200 MK2 though.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/26/2015 at 23:27

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Installed in your car? That’s a great turntable. The standard. I have the Numark TTX with an Ortofon Pro S stylus and straight arm for optimal sound, but it’s just at home. But, a turntable should be an option for you know what. They had them back in the day and with vinyl making a comeback, it’s only a matter of time before someone makes a car turntable again.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 06/27/2015 at 02:39

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This is awesome.

I do find these cars fantastically ugly. If you look at it long enough you can sort of grasp the rounded styling cues typical of the 90s, but as a complete package they’re hideous. I don’t mean to poke fun, I do quite like the car. I think the styling is just a misstep.

How did they go to so much effort to paint the car, but screw up the badge so badly?

I adore the EXA that came before this. I also adore t-tops and digital dashes - strange to see such an 80s thing in such a 90s car! The Z31 300ZX came with a digi-dash but the Z32 never did, so how did it end up on this oddball!?

I think the t-tops on the NX are of the same design as the Z32, the same black strip in the middle, etc. Different to the Z31 and very different to the non-glass ones on the EXA. I’d love to see some pics of the tops from the inside, as well as the sunshades if they exist. AND, do they sit on the boot floor with a strap as per the Z32?

If you could take a heap of pics and make a post, I’d certainly love to see it.

It reminds me of the Toyota Sera, except I think the Sera is done much better. Similar to the 2nd gen Cube vs Scion xB - the Cube just does the same thing better.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 06/27/2015 at 03:17

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I definitely thought it was ugly when it was new, but I’ve caught up to it. I think it looks great now. That could partly be because it’s so unusual these days, but I really like that sculpted headlight housing and the lines on the hood accenting the roundness of it is really nice. The proportions of the nose that lead to a healthy amount of overhang is a little awkward, but it kind of needs it to complete the shape. And it’s pretty sharp and clean from the back.

I have no idea what happened with the badge, but it’s great. Either they were blind, or accidentally filled the holes and could only find one, but miscalculated which one they found. Or, maybe they were being clever and offsetting the the hatch lock which is set to the right of center.

The original Pulsar is truly on its way to being a minor classic. It’s pretty hard to find a nice one. What’s funny about the digital dash is that it’s only on the 1600. The 2000 has standard gauges. And I love that the markings for the digital readouts are printed onto the plastic cover. It looks so 80’s I feel like I’m in an old arcade game.

They do look just like the Z32 T’s. Just smaller, I guess. You need the key to unlock them.

Here are the sunshades. It doesn’t look it, but they’re blue like the rest of the interior. The car is 100% complete right down to the tape player. Unless I’m missing that strap because there isn’t one. I was wondering where I’m supposed to put the tops. I’ll have to check the manual.

It does look a lot like the Sera. We didn’t get that version with the butterfly doors. The Paseo looks less like this car, but I guess that was one of the competitors that outsold the NX manyfold. The Sera is a bit better proportioned, maybe, but looks a little stubby in the nose as opposed to this one’s extended shnozz.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 06/27/2015 at 04:14

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I still don’t really get the looks, but I haven’t had enough time up close to one I guess.

That’s crazy, only on the cheaper model? I’d kill for a digi-dash.

That all looks very similar. Australian Z32s (not Japanese ones) also have the locks, but the t-top controls are laid out a bit differently. The sunshades look the same, I’d go so far as to say the center light on the t-bar and maybe the sun visors at the front are the exact same item. The Z32 also has 2 lights at the front, I guess that’s just a premium thing.

On the Z32 there are some holes in the boot carpet, 1 at the front of the car and 2 at the rear on either side. The strap goes through those holes to some mounting points on the chassis. But the EXA (the NX’s predecessor I mean) actually stored them in a compartment under the boot floor, so they didn’t intrude into the boot at all. The Z32 also has leather bags to put the roof in. So did the Z31, I think the EXA didn’t need them due to storing them under the floor.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/27/2015 at 05:04

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Of course. Voice controlled. In the Volvo. It’s got it’s standard arm with an Ortofon Concorde Pro element. And of course it’s at home. As is a portable Crosley I take everywhere. I love vinyl. I love the entire process of getting the records on the turntable, the small cracking sounds, all of it. Daughter loves it as well, it’s a true activity for the two of us.

But a turntable as an option in our Wanke r lMobil should be a thing. As a Disco Ball should.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 06/27/2015 at 19:41

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Yeah, the more expensive car has the cheaper dash. But, I guess maybe regular gauges were more “performance,” or something.

Here’s a shot of the top without the sunshade, and the release levers. They really made it so you have to really want to take the tops off.

The way it looks, I wouldn’t be surprised if these tops have never been off the car. Or, at least they were rarely. There’s no scratches or anything around the tumbler or levers.

Ah, I actually do have the straps. The bags for the tops are missing, but they do just store in the boot. Here’s a picture. There are holes in the carpet on the right for that side’s strap to run through, but it’s in a loop mounted to the boot floor, so I’m not sure if it originally did run through the holes and then a previous owner hid it under the carpet, or what. I would also imagine that the bags weren’t leather on this car.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/27/2015 at 19:52

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That’s great. I also love how LP’s make listening to music an activity and experience unto itself. Looking at the cover and liner notes or lyrics, changing sides. And, Spotify, iTunes, etc. has really taken away the LP album as a complete work with a beginning, middle and end. It’s nice you’re passing that along to another generation.

I think we added a disco ball already. We may have come full circle on the Wanke r l.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/28/2015 at 04:11

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Exactly. Make next generation clear that there’s more than just plugin your device and press play. That’s an amazing progress we’ve made but kind of made us numb in the process.

Should we do something with the floor as well? Or a DJ-booth?

Nauraushaun > Jonee 06/28/2015 at 06:05

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Oh yeah, the lever and everything are similar to my the Z32, not identical.

I think it’s fairly common for people to own cars like this without taking the roof off. The t-tops give you very few downsides if all you want is to treat it like a coupe.

I also think a lot of people never find out about the straps. I met a guy at a cruise once, had the car 8 years or something and never knew what the strap was for.

I’m coming around to this car :P If it was RWD I’d really consider one.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 06/28/2015 at 14:56

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I’ve read that these tops were notorious for leaking, but living in Los Angeles where it rarely rains, that’s not really a concern for me. And by the state of the sunshades, this one seems to be waterproof, at least for now.

They do describe how to store the tops with the straps fairly explicitly in the manual, so they shouldn’t be a mystery, but who reads the manual, I guess.

The amount of pleasure I get from driving this thing has really surprised me. With its proportions, RWD would’ve made it a certified classic.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/28/2015 at 15:15

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I think the floor should look like this if we’re including a disco ball.

A DJ booth is a good idea. That’s where we could put the midi. Maybe the passenger seat is contained in a box. Like Kurt Russel’s car in Death Proof.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/28/2015 at 17:05

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Somehow I was expecting this with your Travolta-experience...

Maybe we should obligate potential customers to get a Gibb-brothers look first. Beard. Wavy long hair. Golden necklace. I truly adore Barry’s look.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 06/28/2015 at 23:14

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To be honest I think all of them are. I’ve had two Z32s and a Z31, all have leaked to varying degrees. That said, my first car was an ‘88 Pulsar that leaked a bit, I think that was a bad windshield repair.

Awesome. I can imagine if the roof hasn’t been off much it might be less prone to leaks. I’ve had cars that only leaked in heavy downpours, sounds like that’s not much of an issue for you :)

Yeah I guess that’s it, reading the manual. The tops can bounce around quite a bit during hard cornering, even if you strap them down. I reckon they’d get quite damaged if you didn’t tie them down.

Definitely. And there were so many RWD cars at the time, what with Silvias and 180SXs and certain Skylines. But so few of them were t-top, it would’ve been nice if they’d based this car off one of those.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 06/29/2015 at 01:01

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This is my first experience with t-tops. My sister had a 280ZX with them, but I don’t remember them leaking. Back then we lived in New Jersey, so I’m sure I would have hear about it. At some point I’ll have to take these tops off since I live in California. Carefully. The straps hardly seem enough to secure them. I’m going to try and find a pair of bags before I attempt the boot storage. Fortunately, with the lack of rain, not having them on hand shouldn’t be a problem.

Yeah, this body on the s-platform would be interesting. It’s almost the same wheelbase. I guess there wouldn’t have really been enough to differentiate this from the 240SX as we got it other than the t-tops.

I’m realizing I’ll have to find a good Z32 some day. That era was really a pinnacle for this marque.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/29/2015 at 01:06

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And Robin’s jumpsuit looks like something a pre-war racing driver would wear. Maybe Barry could inspire the interior motif. White silk, gold accents, brown shag carpeting.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/29/2015 at 05:32

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They must really have the best lives ever. Just look how they smile. Nothing’s ever went wrong. It can’t be.

I stayed in a cheapish resort on Koh Tao quite some time ago now. The owner seemed to only have a DVD of some concert of the BeeGees in his DVD player. I literally can sing along all of them now. Must be the Mekhong whiskey. Nicknamed ‘Sing Song’ whiskey with me and my traveling mates.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 06/29/2015 at 06:33

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Your sister is awesome :P

I recommend it, I don’t really ever drive with the roof on. I wouldn’t buy a fixed roof car for that reason.

Finding bags is a good idea. I’ve never had to do it, but I’ve always thought it would be pretty easy to make the bags if you had to. They’re just some material sewn into a pouch with velcro holding them closed.

I’ve only driven with the roof left at home once. Got 10 minutes down the road and it looked like rain, had to go back and get them. You lucky Californians.

Yeah, maybe it would’ve driven up the price and/or reduced useable space, so they went with the FWD platform.

They’re great fun, even as an NA. Unfortunately I’m looking at MR2s at the moment, both for something different and to get past expensive servicing costs.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/29/2015 at 14:04

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At that time, those guys owned the world. From 1977 to 1980, I think they probably never stopped smiling.

That’s funny. I never made it to Koh Tao on any of my trips to Thailand, but it looks beautiful. Now that I know they’re big disco fans down there, I’ll have to make another trip. I went to Madagascar back in the 90’s and stayed at a little “hotel” in the middle of nowhere that was decorated with posters of the Gibbs and Saturday Night Fever era Travolta. It was this little glorious corner of the globe where the 70’s never ended. The proprietor even had one of these suits.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/29/2015 at 16:24

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Koh Tao was awesome! Excellent for diving purposes. Koh Samui/Koh Pangyang were awesome as well: FULL MOON PARTY!!!

Last thing I heard about Koh Tao was that the coral had been damaged lately due to massive diving parties.

Madagascar should be epic as well. You did a ‘piece’ about that, IIRC right?

Jonee > Nauraushaun 06/29/2015 at 17:45

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To make her even cooler, she started with an MGB, then got a 260Z before trading that in on the ZX. In retrospect, she should have hung on to the 260. But, she loved that ZX. She thought it was so swanky and it was.

Yeah, it would easy to make the bags. (Or have someone do the work for me.) I’ve found Z31 and 32 top bags on Ebay. I imagine NX specific ones are much harder to find, but these tops will fit in the other bags. They might even be the same bags.

My mom had a Jeep CJ-5 when I was a kid and it always sucked to get caught in the rain without the top. Not just for getting wet, but you looked like an idiot.

An MR2 is a good choice. One of the funnest cars ever made and a unique driving experience with its setup. And another car that should be non-stop reliable.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/29/2015 at 17:50

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I would think that’s an awesome place for diving. How do they damage the coral? I know global warming bleaches the coral which has been happening in Australia.

It was epic. I did a piece on a car that’s built in Madagascar and mentioned my trip, yeah. I starting working on a broader post about African-built cars in general that I’d like to finish. There are more than I thought there were outside of the French cars that are assembled there.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/29/2015 at 17:59

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Coral will ‘bleach’ as well as you touch it too much. At least: that’s what the instructors told us all the time. But with all these rookies on Koh Tao...

I remember that one. I mentioned the Renault Rodeo that looked a bit like it. It’s probably one of our first interactions.

South Africa made their own BMWs. They had a 333i E30. Or something like that.

Jonee > Jobjoris 06/29/2015 at 18:37

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Yeah, I guess that makes sense that disturbing it too much will kill it. There are plenty of idiots everywhere who won’t think twice about destroying something beautiful, unfortunately. How long have you been diving? I’ve never done it, but it’s something I could see myself really enjoying.

I’ve read about those BMW’s. I’ll have to remember to mention them. They even built Fuldamobils in former Rhodesia, if you remember that one of my lectures.

Jobjoris > Jonee 06/30/2015 at 06:43

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My first dives were in Thailand, I guess somewhere around 2001. God I’m getting old. Even went ‘down’ in Cuba. To pleasure the tourists Fidel drove some tanks under the water. Hahahaha. But you should really try it once. Really ‘peaceful’ down there.

One of the first times I actually fell in love with the BMW 2500 (E3) was after seeing Richard Attenborough’s ‘Cry Freedom’.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 06/30/2015 at 23:07

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That’s great. They don’t get a great rap from a lot of people because they started the focus on more luxurious GT cars, compared to the lightened sports car internet commenters prefer. Same deal with the Z32 and the Supra/RX7/etc. Buyers tend to enjoy the luxury, though, so it’s good to see your sister loved it for what it was.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the same bags. I’d be interested to find out actually.

It can be fun. I’ve have some great drives where I’ve driven through light rain, only to have it clear out and the sun return. It’s a butt clenching few minutes but sometimes it works out great. Other times, the rain gets stronger instead of weaker, you have to pull over and put your roof on...then you look a bit silly.

Good to hear :) I’m looking for something unique, it sounds like it ticks all my boxes!

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/01/2015 at 01:24

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That is really funny. Sounds cool, too. I love any nature show about undersea life. It’s so beautiful and weird.

That’s a funny thing to take away from that movie, but those are good looking cars. That must be what white people drove in those days.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/01/2015 at 02:18

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I would think them to drive Mercedes over there somehow. I really fell in love with the scenery of South Africa due to the movie as well. Only went there once though. Will go again.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 07/01/2015 at 02:35

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That, and the others, were evolutions that people were looking for at that time. And, it was more comfortable than the 260.

Maybe I’ll order a pair. At the very least, they’re a little bigger, which should be fine.

I suppose with the T, you’re not getting wet at speed, so it would be fun.

I can’t imagine anyone who enjoys driving, not being entertained my an MR2. Good luck. I hope you find a nice one.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 07/01/2015 at 09:17

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Exactly! They were what the people wanted.

You might need to be a little careful. The 2 seater 300ZXs have a shorter body with shorter doors, which amounts to shorter t-tops. Not sure if that extends to the bags. Not sure how the NX’s tops compare. I think it’ll be fine.

Oh you really don’t get wet. Some water gets into the boot, that which makes it through the t-top gap. It only lands on the driver if you’re sitting in traffic. Or when the rain is heavy enough that it runs up the sides of the windscreen and over the top. But in that case you shouldn’t really have the roof off at all ;)

Thanks! I agree, everyone says they’re such fun. To be honest I’m a little scared they’ll be too much fun. That the mid-engine thing will result in unexpected snap oversteer. Will just have to be careful and mindful I guess. Finding a good one is the hard part, and they’re really jumping up in price these days too, particularly the turbos. And most of them are modified.

On the topic of reliability, I’ve had to rule out some cars because they have ridiculous mileage - some hovering around 350,000kms! If that’s not an indicator of reliability I don’t know what is. Zs rarely make it that far.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/01/2015 at 14:00

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I’ve never gotten there, but my niece just did a semester of college in South Africa and loved it. She said it was absolutely beautiful. Where did you go? I spent a couple days in Kenya on the way to Madagascar and that was lovely.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/01/2015 at 16:27

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I did a trip in the east: Johannesburg - Drakensbergen - Durban - Hluhluwe - Swaziland - White River - Kruger and then back to Pretoria ending in Johannesburg again. The amount of completely different landscapes/sceneries is immense. The way your able to travel through the Kruger park and literally walk into the big 5: priceless. Go there. I’d just skip Swaziland.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/02/2015 at 00:20

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That does sound like a heck of a trip. Kruger always looks awesome in pictures. I imagine you saw a lot of wildlife. Madagascar also has a huge variety of environments. Desert, jungle, mountains made of jagged rock. Did you see many 2500’s?

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/02/2015 at 02:56

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I saw 4 of the ‘Big 5’. A male Lion is a big animal. There was a Corolla coming from the opposite direction and there was a beast walking along with it. Higher than the Corolla. Yellow stinging eyes. I closed my window. Giraffes are amazing as well, at one point we didn’t even notice we were surrounded by ‘m, kept thinking ‘this bush is getting more crowded every minute’.

No 2500’s though. I was higly impressed by a Highway Patrol Opel Rekord (I think it was actually named ‘Holden’) with a V8 in it, we didn’t get those over in Euroland!

Jonee > Nauraushaun 07/02/2015 at 03:29

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That was the Brougham Era. People wanted luxury in everything.

Good tip. I wasn’t thinking of the Z being shorter since this car is so short already. I’m sure it’ll be close enough with the bags.

I’ve never owned an MR2, but I’ve driven a few and have always found them pretty easy to drive. You’ll adapt to any quirks of the engine position pretty quickly. It’s not a Ferrari. Good ones are definitely hard to find and will be pricey. I usually try and find something that either needs cosmetic work, or mechanical, but never both. Although I’m always breaking that rule.

Almost every car of its ilk has been modified. And the ones that haven’t have been driven to an inch of their life. But, you really can’t kill it as you say. If it’s made it to 300,000+, why would it stop now?

Nauraushaun > Jonee 07/02/2015 at 04:23

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Yeah I guess it was, in the US. I do feel like it’s a universal truth though: kids and internet commenters want hardcore track-ready sports cars, buyers don’t. Probably explains why Japanese sports cars have died, but German performance cars haven’t. People like their luxury, and they don’t often trust the Japanese to deliver it.

I suppose the Z couldn’t be shorter. But the 2-seater is shorter than the 2+2.

I don’t know, I struggle enough to adapt to my own car. Every so often I push just a little too hard, it gets me into the sort of situation that’s much harder to get out of in a mid-engined car.

That’s a pretty good philosophy. Even if sticking to it is easier said than done.

It’s true about all of them being modified, but I tend to believe the unmodified ones have been treated better. When an owner starts adding shitty “power” mods and ugly bodykits, it almost seems inevitable that it becomes a hoon-mobile. I think there are a wealth of auto ones that are treated much better, owned by less enthusiastic drivers. If only I trusted myself to do a manual swap, you know?

At least the MR2 is more likely to appreciate. It will be a long time before Z32s are worth money, but MR2s already seem to be becoming desirable. I don’t mind paying for repairs on a car, if I got it cheap and it’s not going to depreciate into nothingness.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/02/2015 at 09:36

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That’s amazing. It sounds like this t.v. show we just got over here about animals running amuck. I’ve never really thought that a lion would be bigger than a car, but they are pretty huge. No wonder they drove Land Rovers.

Like the Australian Holden? That does sound interesting.

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/02/2015 at 12:12

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It’s not that it was half a meter higher but I was completely shocked with it’s height. And it was a small Toyota. Those eyes were really frightening.

Well, come to think of it it might have been a Vauxhall. Or a Chevrolet Commodore. It was a GM product, of that I’m sure. And Holden had the VH with the V8 so that’s probably how it ended up as a Holden in my mind.

Jonee > Jobjoris 07/02/2015 at 14:12

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Looks bigger than this Corolla for sure, although perspective may be playing a bit of a trick.

They may have sold Holdens there. That Chevy Commodore was probably petty much the same car.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 07/03/2015 at 00:46

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Yeah, the pure sportscar is a thing of the past. The closest thing we have might be something like an Ariel Atom, but that’s an expensive niche vehicle that isn’t available to most people and is not a daily driver. The great thing about cars like the early Z’s was that you could do anything with them at any time and they were affordable.

I think you’d really have to thrash it to get in trouble in an MR2, but I haven’t seen you drive, so I won’t promise anything. It’s a pretty well balanced car and not too powerful.

I do bet most of the good MR2’s are the auto ones. I wouldn’t be up for a swap, either. But, you’re right, that car will certainly appreciate. But, I also think the Z32 will have its day. It has the same problem with there not being enough nice, unmodified ones. I always think mods ruin a car, but that is really a problem with the modifiers and not necessarily the mods. Mods are just the new way of hot-rodding and I love a classic hot-rod. That said, while I believe in the freedom of personalization, I always like my cars pure the way their engineers intended. Only, there again, most final designs are compromises, so I guess mod away, people.

Anyway, your patience will pay off. There’s a clean MR2 out there somewhere. Where do you live?

Jobjoris > Jonee 07/03/2015 at 05:21

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Hahaha, that’s about it. The Corolla I saw was white but again: Hugely impressive!

I wouldn’t know. I tried to google South African Police car Holdens but nothing came up. Probably just was a chevy, the Vauxhalls never came with a V8. Although the SA-market always was kinda “closed”/special.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 07/03/2015 at 23:21

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Yeah exactly. They exist, but they’re niche. Something like the Toybaru is a reasonably mainstream, reasonably focused car. But it’s still expected to have airbags and bluetooth and all the crap.

I think you’re right, most of the time. But wet and semi-wet roads, where the thresholds are much lower, are a bit of a concern. There are roundabouts near here where the Z will break traction with alarming ease, even my girlfriend’s old Lancer will. Of course I’d have to drive to the conditions, but it just happens so easily . In the Z, you might lose traction at low speed, gather it back up and all is good, great fun. The MR2 will be harder to gather up, small mistakes can escalate. But hey, I’ve just got to be mindful of all this stuff and take it easy, learn the car. Maybe I’m over-thinking it, but that’s better than under-thinking it ;)

You’re probably right, the Z32 will. The 280ZX and the Z31 are very under-appreciated and very cheap which worries me, but the Z32 is considered by many a return to form, even if most people prefer the Supra.

I agree! Mods almost always ruin the car. Should see the monstrosities I’ve seen on Z cruises. The Veilside (“Failside”) bodykits are just absurd. I feel like a lot of modifiers just want something different, persistently. When they get what they want, they change it again. If a car comes with a spoiler, they remove it. If it comes with no spoiler, they add one. They’re forever changing style of rims, etc etc. Some people have a vision, fulfill it, and drive their dream. But for most I think it’s just a passion to change things from how they are.

I agree, as the engineers intended. Often I’d take it the original way over a better way. If a car didn’t come with bluetooth there’s a part of me that would resist retro-fitting it, because I want to live out my dreams as a guy who bought that car when it came out .

Yeah, out there somewhere I’m sure. I live in Victoria, Australia. A very different car environment to the one you’re used to I’m sure.

Jonee > Nauraushaun 07/05/2015 at 23:32

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Yeah, I always think it’s funny when complain when sports cars, even the really high end ones, or especially them, don’t have every doohickey feature that every day cars have. You’re supposed to be driving. It’s like the old legend of German car designers being confused as to why anyone would need a cupholder in a car.

I think if you’ve gotten used to the Z, you manage the MR2 fine. It’s definitely going to be different, but it’s not like you’re going to a Porsche with the engine way out back. I get a kick out of the quirks of small mid-engined. I had a friend with a Pontiac Fiero that he used to let me drive and it was less refined than the MR2, but a real hoot to thrash around.

Yeah, I’m surprised the Z31 isn’t more sought after. I guess it’s a bit of an oddball the way it was in-between the classic Z and the Z32. And it’s a GT. People only want the turbos and even then it’s a bargain.

Yeah, I agree that people seem to enjoy adding mods more than the mods themselves. I guess it’s a way of getting a new car without buying a new car. And each mod ruins the car even more.

I’m exactly the same way. I drive older cars and part of the magic of them is the historical aspect. It transports you through time. All original cars are magical. It feels wrong to update them.

Well, I think Australian car culture shares a lot with America’s, so maybe not too different. L.A. is pretty unique, though. I’m sure my daily driving experiences are a lot different from yours.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 07/06/2015 at 22:15

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I actually disagree. My stance is that, as long as it’s a road car, creature comforts make life better. There are always exceptions like Lotus’ and some of the more hard-edged cars, but even then. I’m happier in my car when there’s music, air conditioning, cruise control, etc. And as long as it’s not a track car , you’re going to be driving highways and you’re not going to be setting times, you may as well have these things.

I know a guy who removed air conditioning, cruise control and the back seats from his 3rd gen Prelude road car. Ridiculous.

Yeah I bet it’s a lot of fun once I stop worrying. I’ve only ever been in a single mid-engined car, an MR2 I was driving recently. The owner was pretty nervous, I didn’t get to feel anything unique to the layout.

I think the styling was very 80s as well and aged poorly. The turbo wasn’t very powerful and ran low boost, and some of the other trendy 80s things have aged as well. They are great cars for the price, I owned one briefly before I got my current car. Lots of character.

Exactly! Exactly. :D

It does share a lot. Both markets prefer big power sedans first and foremost, though America had a lot more success with coupes than Australia ever did unfortunately. The biggest difference is the cars we didn’t get - there are obviously a plethora of American cars that never graced Australia’s shores (and from what I hear, that’s for the best). And we get all kinds of crazy Japanese and European cars that the US never gets. Some of the cars you see people swooning over on Jalopnik are every day occurrences on Australian roads. We also have utes, which Americans annoyingly refer to as El Caminos as if they invented the idea :P

Jonee > Nauraushaun 07/08/2015 at 01:14

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Fair enough. I certainly do like air conditioning. That’s one preference Australians and Americans (especially those of us that live in a desert) agree on. It’s more the new things like Bluetooth connectivity and sat-nav that seem pointless on a true sports car. A GT that you’re doing more highway cruising, sure.

Yeah, like I said, the MR2 is small enough and low-power enough that you mainly get the positives from the mid-engine.

Yeah, those Z31’s are achingly 80’s. But, you’d think that’d be charmingly retro now. I guess certain decades’ styling age better than others. As cool as the 50’s and 60’s are, the 70’s and 80’s will never get the same respect. The jury’s still out on the 90’s, but I think history will be kinder to that decade.

I didn’t know that coupes didn’t catch on in Australia, but I guess there’s a logic to that. Although, you could call a ute a coupe, I suppose. I am jealous of the interesting Japanese stuff you got. We always covet what we can’t have. And, yeah, I think you were spared some really shitty American iron. It’s a shame we didn’t get more from you, though. That Holden Sandman panel van was epic.

Nauraushaun > Jonee 07/15/2015 at 05:47

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Fair enough. I do wonder how people cope in something like an old Mustang, on a hot day with no air conditioning. I feel like the appeal of driving the car on such days would be diminished.

The 90s did have its moments. Cars like the Z32, RX7 and many more managed to be stylish, sleek, but not overly complicated (design wise). Something we can’t say about modern cars with their busy design language and confusing shapes. I hope the 70s/80s can still be big though, the sleek wedges and pop-up headlights have a certain appeal.

Yeah it was all sedans. We had a few coupes, notably Ford Falcons and the Holden Monaro, but they’re few and far between. Many people do seem to see utes as an Australian coupe. There are a lot of people driving low powerful utes who rarely haul loads. The Japanese stuff is cool, no doubt. I get very excited when I see them on the roads. It’s interesting how many Americans covet Skylines, here they’re usually owned by bogans who want to rip skids in parking lots. And most of them are in poor condition - the majority aren’t the GT-R hero. Haha, thanks. The Australian market is often forgotten by the rest of the world, we rarely export. It seems the few cars we have sent to the US are nearly impossible to find, such is GM’s disinterest in selling them.

Vie Ventar > Jonee 10/13/2015 at 15:29

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Off Centre badge is making my eye twitch hard.

Jonee > Vie Ventar 10/13/2015 at 15:34

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I kind of like how it challenges any obsessive compulsive types who may be following me.

Vie Ventar > Jonee 10/13/2015 at 15:35

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Evil, Evil man.

Well played.

greenagain > Jonee 11/11/2015 at 21:47

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Wow, t-tops and a digital dash for under a grand? I call that a score!