lumby

Tempted by one of these as a runabout - are they better than a scoob on fuel economy - my STI is high teens all the time on mpg never gets above 20 mpg - this would be standard GTIR do they drink less juice ?

nisr227

"as a run around"........??? they might be cheap to buy, but they cost just as much as scoobs to run.

If you bought a standard one, you can guarantee it will be increased to 1 bar (290bhp if setup correctly) and with that it won't be any better on mpg than your Sti. When pushed its teens. The most i've got out of a full tank (£38 of optimax) on the motorway taken it very easy (70mph) is 250miles, but its usually a lot less. Overall MPG in tests is about 25mpg.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

dissagree..slightly

My gti-r (running 1bar) is better on fuel than my wrx (running 1.1bar), not much really though and to be honest if you want fuel economy surely a performance car isn't what you're after?.

It's been a lot cheaper to run than the wrx (seem to allways need something for the scoob) and it's been super reliable for me.

Also if you're after a standard one I'd buy something else as they are gutless standard and it really isn't worth the insurance for the poor performance you get. But 1bar cheers things up a lot, but then you'll need a decent clutch, exhaust, etc..

Just so happens mine is for sale

nisr227

I was talking about them when you start modifying them, money just disappears. Mine's been very reliable too, but I do look after it.

I wouldn't call a standard one gutless...0-60 5.4 and 13.9 second 1/4 miles isn't hanging around, but I know what your saying, switching to low boost after 1bar+ feels slow though.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

the only reason the standard figures are good is because of the traction off the line, once they're above 40mph they are slow IMO, but my point was I wouldn't own a standard one and the guy said he wanted a standard one.

IMO it's not worth having one unless it's been modded. I've had 3 in various states of tune and can honestly say in standard form above 60mph they are gutless, (a combination of 4wd, brick like aerodynamics and turbo size)

Sparky1066

That doesn't seem right, a 2.0 twin cam Turbo in a small car, should be well quick!

nisr227

The STANDARD (and most are not) figures are:
220bhp and 1250kg
0-60 5.4 (has been timed at 5.0secs in some tests)
0-100 14secs
thats 60-100 through gears in 8.6secs
1/4 mile 13.9secs
top speed 144mph

Slightly quicker, in some cases, than a UK scoob, make your own mind up if its slow for the power.



Obviously a modifed one is better. A reliable (with decent setup) "1 bar R" can be 270-290bhp depending how good they are, and even 300bhp with a front mount, thats, 12.6 1/4 miles possible if really running well, mid 4s to 60, and mid 11s to 100, less than 7secs in some case when "moving", so transmission loss or not, they are not slow for their power, upto 100mph anyway. Crap erodynamics are going to come into more after this, your licence though.

There are a lot of poor examples around that don't make decent power, why?...becuase they are imported poor or are not looked after correctly.

Not to mention they need a decent setup, they are fairly old cars now. I've been in a few 1 bar R's, and they vary considerably.

I expect most people to diss them on there, but I wouldn't change mine for a scoob, in fact I sell UK and new WRX scoobs at work (fleet cars) and I do like them, I respect them, but the Pulsar has everything in a package I want, I even like the looks!

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

hey nisr227, I'd never diss the 'R'.
I'm not doubting they are quicker than a uk scoob, in fact i'd be suprised if they aren't.

All I was saying from my experience (as I said I've owned 3 in various tune) they are not as fast as I expected from the hype, when going from various cossie's. And you must admit my point about there speed over 60mph?

I stiil own one as well as my wrx and it is a 'good' one running 1bar and is a fast car and faster than one I had which was running 1.2bar.

If I had to choose between owning the scoob forever or the gti-r it would be the gti-r, my plan is to try a few more performance jap cars (ie rx7, sti, evo) and then when I've bored myself get a white gti-r, and through some cash at it, hybrid turbo, front mount, coil overs, decent geometry settings etc, etc.

P1 Enthusiast

Well just to add my 2p, saw one ages ago and was pleasantly surprised, the P1 beat it but not by much, good cheap performance car.

However, one was stuck to my back bumper for about 50 miles the other day, my 290 bhp P1 was not faster in any gear i could find and at max rpms, it was exactly stale mate.

Now his must have been modded due to numerous meets and comparing my P1 to other cars, but i am sure he spent likely 5 - 10k less than the 22k my P1 was, his smile said it all

nisr227

P1 Enthusiast - if that was you in the P1 that overtook me at the Cambridge "Evo Forum" meet about 18 months back, and I think it was, that was me when my car was running standard, i.e 220bhp, it also has a terrible falt spot back then. I also took your mate out for a drive in it. If it was, then it was you who made me start modifying it after that!... all that money I spent since, damn you!

James, sorry mate, must of misread your post, but you got to admit there are a few poor examples out there, some just not setup right, and therefore running down on power. Mine's at Powerstation next week having a unichip fitted and mapped.

lumby

Thanks for replies what I was trying to say is that I am considering one over the STI . As you say there cheaper to buy,I was trying to gauge if they were cheaper, as a rule of thumb ,to run than a WRX STI - the fuel is an issue but that said the initial outlay should mean i have some cash in my back pocket if i get rid of the scoob .

I do liek the look of them and was tempted 3 years ago when I got my first WRX , I have seen them run at silverstone trax day and there are some very quick ones in the 60 second dash, quicker than a lot of times the scoobies where putting down.

Are they reliable - I have heard stories of them eating drivetrain etc .

nisr227

Lumby, the clutchs go, like some scoobs, when your putting more than say 270bhp them. An uprated is a must, and its a gearbox out job.

Now, the weakest point on the Gti-R, is the gearbox. Most can cope with 300bhp everyday depending on how its looked after, but i've heard of some with strong abuse that have even stripped on standard 220bhp, like scoobs again, so its down to how you treat it. Skid will tell you, loads and loads of drag racing and the gearbox will/may go sooner or later. Hence why you still see some with smallish wheels to reduce the stress, and not ruin the handling.

You can always uprate them in the long run to the new Par 1/2 dog box, or the new (very new and improved) Quaife box that will def handle loads of abuse and 500bhp+. Look into it if you after really really big power. There are more and more R owners now ordering such boxes so they can aim for big power, so watch this space.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

Never had a gearbox problem in any of mine, echo what nisr227 though uprated clutch is essential, but most have them anyway.

skiddus_markus

I had a HKS organic clutch fitted to mine and that slipped at over 1.1bar.The standard clutch gave up after I had the boost raised and replaced a leaky BOV.The gearbox eventually died after 3 and a bit years of fast gearchanges and 2 seasons of 1/4 miles.
I went in a relatively standard one a couple of weeks ago and it did feel unusually slow(especilly as I've been running around in a 1.4 escort for 8 months)-I put this down to the cat still being on and the OE airbox.
They are really crap on fuel though,running rich all the time doesn't help and a few have problems with borewash as a result(mine has)-remapping will sort this out though and give a couple more mpg(if you're lucky).

P1 Enthusiast

nisr227, Yup that was me!

You can vouch for my driving isnt slow and yet last weekend i had a pulsar 'glued' to me, could not shake him unless it was for better judgement of gaps or for when he was unsure of the road ahead. Bloody impressive pulsar it was.

jjones

p1 enthusiast,

you don't get it do you?

how dare you say that someone has a car with similar performance to your godlike p1 for very little money!!!
think of the residules man!!
quick get in a post about the twisties before it is too late!!!

stuck to your bumper - surely you are mistaken??, i think you meant to say.....
"he stuck to my bumper till i floored it in 5th and left him stood like a 20 stone minger in the corner of the nightclub when the last dance comes on"

nisr227

Yeah, the pulsars are great fun cars, and can be very quick in a small chuckable package, even down a good B road when modified "correctly" and a decent setup, they can surprise many other 4wd rally reps. Its also great fun when others cars, not in the know about Pulsars, try it on.

I've toyed with the idea of getting a P1, Evo or Skyline, but they are so so much more expensive to buy, tune, and run. And the biggest fact is, being worth far far more, they are much more likely to be sort after and car jacked by pros, which is a big problem these days. I so really like Skylines, but you do get high risk with them.

[Edited by nisr227 - 3/18/2003 5:39:08 PM]

cryptwalk

Little pocket rockets. I had a lad in one match my Evo last week in acceloration... mind you I was 4 up and had a boot full of tools from work. His wassent standard but then neither is the Evo. Once we got to some nice corners though he was lucky not to write it off at one point. He held his own though.

I had a mates for a few days when he first bought it horrible, nasty, wobbly shoebox was my first impressions. After a while though he put 18"s on, lowerd it, sorted the brakes and had exhaust, filter and boost put up to 1 bar. Drove like a different car after that, couldnt believe the transformation. Should of come like that at first! As standard I think the suspension, brakes and wheel size are pants.

Good luck.

nisr227

..couldn't agree more mate. Even if its over 12 years old now, I could never understand why Nissan didn't approve the area of brakes and wheel size as standard. But even Subaru's have been improved since they first came out, technology/specs have changed. The top mount intercooler right over its engine, also cause its own problems, more so in traffic.

There are also many different levels of tuned Pulsars around, some just put a bleed valve on and say its 1bar, it won't be that much faster at about 250bhp, but do it properly at 1bar with RR setup, decat etc, and its a different car, closer to 290/300bhp. The fueling must be spot on for it to run well.

Pulsars with PS bumpsteers and whiteline kits are a must, if you want to keep up with the modified Evos and the like.

cryptwalk

Thats what I mean, for a car with such potential it's a shame Nissan let the side down with such pants standard items.

Then again for anyone to have a proper "noticeble" difference on the straights you need about 100Bhp more IMO.

P1 Enthusiast

nisr227 - not replying to me mate?

jjones - not afraid to admit my P1 isnt the be all and end all. P1 is top everyday car, great performance, good on b roads and has good residuals though (at least for me, mine was 22k new).

I would also admit i reckon the pulsar would lose more than 4k on basic + mod residuals than i will lose in my 2 years of P1 ownership but if i had 10k to spend i would have bought a pulsar for great road fun - fantastic bang for buck car!

nisr227

P1 Enthusiast - sorry mate, i've been too busy trying to reply to posts (on other forums) about my 1/4 mile formulars.

Yeah, I thought it was you, if I remember you were "piloting" that P1 well on that evo forum meet (great roads), as I said, my Pulsar was only standard power back then, it was like comparing a standard UK scoob with a P1, you could tell the difference in performance, and I didn't have much of a chance.

IIRC our performance seem to be the same to about 60 and then you just pulled out and started passing me!!...more power at the end of the day and remember thinking at the time, hmmm, P1's are as quick as they say they are down B roads then!

I think your mate was in my car at the time, and my tiny brakes were awful. Mine was running GAB suspension though. I realised my car had to be improved big time to keep up with far more modern machinery, and then mods started soon after.

I've since put on lightweight new wheels, 4 pots, uprated clutch, fuel pump and various HKS engine mods etc, and a unichip being fitted/mapped this Monday, so power should be about 290/300, i.e same as a P1(we all know their about 290bhp). I've proabably spent about £4k since, cheers! ...and then just a whiteline and bumpsteer kit and i'll be happy, and a much better match for P1's. Still, decent and realiable (if done right) performance for less than £10k.

P1 Enthusiast

Heh kewl beans, guess i owe yer woman a bottle of wine if you been explaining 4k to her!

Well good to hear the car is running nice, i just had the bumpsteer mod and some Goodyear GSD03s on mine. Oh and a new engine due to the no 3 big end going, if you fancy a run out in Camb let me know, going up there on 5/6th april, will be few boys about and a std UK scooby. Your welcome to get some vengeance on me Besides always nice to have some decent competition

Let me know

nisr227

I'm at Santapod on the 6th for the North V South thing going on so can't really go to Cambridge. It would be close on the straights, but I don't think my R will grip as well as your P1 at the moment, more so if you have the bumpsteer mod and F1s, i'd have a decent go though with a few slides though!

I'd rather wait until I have those suspension mods planned in a few months before we have some "fun", but never the less I might be at the Evo Forum meet in Oxfordshire 13th April (see Evo forum)if your there.