Glad to know its not just me then
Thought my scoob's suspension was messed up or sommat

We have the '00 Sunderland built one, so we have to stop every few miles to pick up the bits that fall off

Seriously, the front subframe was loose on it!!! Explained the big thunk when you hammered it round bumpy bends or speed bumps Still handled well

I think the brakes are better too!

But that's not saying much really. I've rode pushbikes with better brakes than scoobs

[Edited by ALi-B - 5/1/2003 10:12:56 AM]

 

Ali-B,

I think your car only has 138bhp but when I drove my Dad's (2.0 Sport) I couldn't find any of these so called ponies, they are truly truly gutless!!! However I must agree with you about the handling, simply superb!! Very go-kart like.

[Edited by PEE1 - 5/1/2003 10:57:08 AM]

 

wind it up to 7000rpm in 2nd and 3rd you'll find something
they're good at hiding speed - like the scoobs

sorry I meant 140bhp, 138 if you want to count every horse

But obviously its never going to be that quick, its too fat and heavy, it needs a meaty V6

[Edited by ALi-B - 5/1/2003 11:01:17 AM]

 

I know. It should not be so. But I did own a 328i and I know exactly how fast it went on certain bits of private road. It was a convertible, so not as fast as the figures you quoted - but not far off. The Primera does the same. Now the BMW may have had a more accurate speedo, but a few weeks ago I happened to be next to a BMW at a set of lights in a 70mph limit. Absolute dead heat. When I eased off he came past in a 328i saloon. I know some of the owners change the badges, but as a previous owner I know what to look for and I remember the engine note (luuurvley it was)

Maybe mine has been fettled by its previous owner?

[Edited by dave_gt - 5/1/2003 9:54:17 PM]

 

Yeah I agree about the 6 seconds off the 0-100 time thing - it is a hell of a lot. But it does shift. Fourth gear is good for an indicated 135mph. When you change into fifth you can still feel it accelerate.

The speedo is not likely to be accurate, but maybe the autocar test car was not run in? My car does make quite a loud high frequency whoosing noise - a bit like a turbo and a bit like induction roar - from about 4000rpm under full acceleration. I have checked though and there isn't a turbo under there. I did once keep up with a Nissan 200SX but assumed it not to be trying.
I might try and get it on a rolling road or something.

Also, my car seems to use less petrol than it should. I average 37-38mpg and once saw 41(!)

[Edited by dave_gt - 5/1/2003 10:34:51 PM]

 

What state of the art timing gear are you using?



[Edited by MattN - 5/2/2003 10:57:24 PM]

 

I am going to go to my local Nissan dealers and have a look at the 350Z . My sister had a 20 GT it was okay and she rated it and told me it woudl beat my scoob no problem. Took her out in the RA and told me that my car was a bit quicker (okay a lot quicker) and she wanted a go, told her only experience high performance car drivers could drive it , she didnt because she wasnt insured and with twice the bhp that she was use it I think she would have been blown away.

[Edited by chrisp - 5/3/2003 6:03:38 PM]

 

As above. Quite surpised when I chucked it into a large roundabout at 60mph and the back end drifted out halfway round leaving me pointing perfectly at the exit.

Now if only it had more oomph

Perhaps I should get the bumpy steery thingy doobrey wotsit-ma-call it sorted on my trusty old scoob

 

You keep trying

 

oh I will

 

Can't sleep?

 

nope.

Thats why the primera went for a test drive

 

I think i'm out of steam for this evening
Good luck with the Beemers ans Primeras

 

plenty more where that's come from

see ya

 

I was looking forward to a debate about getting in the car.

Can you repeat this behaviour in the Primera?

 

LOL

handles work perfectly

 

Having owned both and driven them back to back I'd agree, the primera does handle better, though the scooby has more grip!

 

Must have been something wrong with my primera then. Massive understeer. Improved quite a bit by swapping the standard conti tyres for some Yokohomas. Someone got a good deal when I bought the scoob though - V reg primera 1.6 SX with everything, 6 months warranty, 18k for £4.5k And to think my first car a 1.2 Nova cost just short of £3k.

Simon.

 

I did see a test somewhere testing a load of cars and the Primera (<99 shape) GT was one of the best handling cars. Wasnt there some 200bhp version as well IIRC?

Simon.

 

Dunno about the quick version.

Thought we had the quick version (2.0 sport+ CVT6) only 150BHP though, Goes great once you've wound it past 5000rpm

Cheap motor. Bought ours 1 year old 6k miles for £7000 they were on the forecourt for £11 at the time

Worth F'all now I bet

Tires wear well - still on the original conti's with 29k on the clock!!

 

I had a 2.0 GSI estate of mid 90's vintage - I sold it after getting the scooby.

At the time a collegue had a MY99 UK Turbo and prefered the handling of my primera!

The estates were made in Japan and had stiffer suspension than the hatch/saloons. Steering on the throttle was good fun and there was very little understeer (think pug GTI - but slower).

 

Well Ali.

I did have it round to the limiter in 2nd, 3rd and 4th(hope my dad doesn't see this!) and was not impressed. My old XR 4x4 would toast it into next week on the straights.

Very sharp throttle response, which initially gives the impression that it has some go in it, but ultimately fails to deliver.

As you said it's a very good car crying out for a decent V6 or a turbo as it could easily handle 200bhp.

 

XR4 is V6 right?

or was it the later 2.0?

I would think sierras are lighter too, not having all the side / front and rear impact protection that modern cars have to have.

Still, ours was the CVT 6-speed auto version, the revs stay high through all the gears once its been wound up in first or second

 

I forgot add my last pence

I never said the car was great...just handled better than the scoob.

How come Nissans make such mundane boring cars, then come up with nutter-mobiles like skylines? Then hide them from the rest of the world leaving them to think that all Nissan make are sunny's and micras etc.

If my company made a super car, I would flaunt it as much as I can, odd people those Japs! Still they sold it in the UK in the end

 

Really?? Round the corners?

 

In terms of straight line speed a Primera GT is surprisingly good. My 1993 K reg one has 148bhp as standard (apparantly) and added to that, Optimax, a decent air filter and spark plugs have improved the throttle response and given a few more horses. One or two earlier GTs had 138bhp before the high lift cam engine was fitted.

I have timed 0-60mph (indicated) in 7.1 seconds, but I still had some revs left in 2nd gear, so I think it is safe to assume the manufacturers claim of 8.5 seconds is a lttle conservative. 0-60 times in the GT are held back by front wheel drive though.

0-100mph (indicated) takes 17.5 seconds and I've seen an indicated 150mph legally. 30-70mph takes under 7 seconds so its no slouch.

I've owned and driven a decent selection of quick cars given my age - one of them being a P reg 328i BMW which I know is identical to the Primera in terms of straight line performance.

A GT is not going to outrun a scoob on the straights, but a well driven one would run one close down a twisty road. They really do handle well for a front wheel drive car. I have had so many people just not believe that a ten year old jap saloon goes like mine does.

A 200bhp Primera should be possible. The engine in the Nissan 200SX - which has 197bhp - is the same as the one in the Primera GT with a turbocharger added.

As an interesting comparison, my father has a M reg 2.0 SLX primera which is not nearly so good in the handling department and way off for straight line speed; its a completely different car to drive.

[Edited by dave_gt - 5/1/2003 2:33:47 PM]

[Edited by dave_gt - 5/1/2003 2:35:45 PM]

 

Autocar test figures

Primera Gt

0-60 8.3 0-100 23.5 30-70 (thru gears) 7.9 Max speed 129mph

E36 328i

0-60 6.4 0-100 17.4 30-70 (thru gears) 6.3 Max speed 143mph

 

6 seconds off the 0-100 time is interesting. My 406 3.0 V6 daily runabout is supposed to be 0-100 in 19.4. On the speedo I timed it in 16. I still think it is 19.4.

 

Nissan made a 2L variable valve engine.I know it went into some JDM Pulsars(not gtirs),N15's IIRC.That made around 200bhp and it's possible it went in the Primera too.

 

Have both a MY02 Scoob & 98 Primera GT.

Have to say they are both good in different ways, the Scoob handles very well but the GT corners as if on rails.

Don't forget the Primera GT (souped up to 300 BHP) won the British Touring Car Championship 2 years on the run.

Strider.