mozzaITA

Hi all, after 2 years driving around in a ultra reliable astra gte ive 'grown' up and joined the RWD gang!!!!.... i have just bought a Nissan 200 sx s13, wow, this thing is great, goes really well, stops well and just feels different to all those FWD cars which ive owned.

It will take me a while to be able to drive it on the limit, dont want to put it in the hedges or sumthin, am looking forward to learning those drifts etc.... :-)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Pics ?

tuscan57

welcome to steer from the rear!

Squizz

Good innit!

Check out our site www.zed-power.co.uk , which details our 200SX's modifications since buying it in November 2003. Currently running 15psi boost through a FMIC all fitted with my own hands.

These cars are great. Easy and cheap to work on. Less than £50 for the FMIC! (From a Volvo ).

Mozza, get yourself over to www.sxoc.com/vbb

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Nice one I currently have 2 Carlton gsi 24 valves too You can't beat the feel of power sliding a rear wheel drive car

mozzaITA

Hey, its been too wet for me to drive it silly as ive only been insured on it for 2 days, first impressions are very good though!!

no pics yet, will have to get sum done, my 200 is in a metalic green colour, its very dark and sometimes it looks blk/grey in different lights, its quite a cool colour.

already join that forum Squizz...., gunna get it sideways sooon :-)

cheers

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Here's a photo of my weapon It's been updated since this was taken but I haven't got any recent photos due to the weather

mozzaITA

Hey paul you cant go wrong with vauxhalls, ive owned 3 and driven them extreamly hard and nothing has ever broke!!!.... you used to own an integrale right?... being italian ive always wanted one but due to work issues and bank balance ive never been brave enough to get one!!

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Hi

I've got two of these at the moment! They handle very well considering and go very well too I have seen a ridiculous speed out of the one above and they are something that most road users should be afraid of

Yes I used to own an Integrale but it was a very very expensive lesson in life that cost me about £12,000 for 4,000 miles of driving! I could have probably hired a wrc car for that

I prefer rear wheel drive cars to be honest and for the money that these cost I can't lose considering what I blew on the lancia

Gary C

S13 ?, is that the CA18DET engined car with the pop ups or the SR20DET ?

I had a CA engined car, great fun to drive, but of a handfull. Previous owner had fitted a bigger turbo (I found out later). Bit laggy, caused serveral oversteering moments onto the M6 southbound at lancaster and one major one near preston (lane 1 to 4 sideways)

Had a big end failure at 60k, and lost some valves later, and lost a gear when it exploded, but easy to work on. Fun car

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

A standard feature on the S13 that and rusty tailgates I was looking at them a few months ago after selling my 12 valve Carlton and most of them on ebay had big end failures or rusty boots and in quite a few cases both

Shame because they are a good cheap easily tuneable car

Gary C

Oh yes, the rusty boot due to the spoiler catching the water. Luckly as mine was white, I saw the brown streaks early and took it off and treated it, still lost quite a bit of metal. Most unreliable car I ever had but I did do 120k in it, loved it though.

falkster

Welcome to RWD......Never been a fan of turbo RWD after having a Sierra Cosworth about 10 years ago. It was either that I had poor reactions or it was just too unpredictable. Since then I have had 2 RS2000s, a couple of 325is and now an E30 M3 and every one of them could be thrown around without the worry of an almighty bang of power hitting you in the jacksy and slinging you briskly toward the hedge.
Nissan 200SX......good choice for using everyday.....nice car, reliable and good equipment.

mynickers

I thought 200's were pretty reliable - like you say was a high millage example, and not as if you were being gentle with it (be rude too).

The only thing I always think when I see S13/14 is they look as if they sit too high, I know that's partly because they don't have low body kits, but also they do appear to roll alot from the outside, sure it doesn't affect handling. But they always look as if they could do with lowering a bit..

200sx is always on my list of reasonably priced sports cars..

Gary C

The early CA18DET engined models had a lot of trouble with valve wear.
My big end failure was down to a cracked bolt, bearing cap came off and destroyed the engine and cylinder head (got a new one on warrenty). New engine wore out the valves in 40k (wrong spec valves for UK petrol). Gearbox needle roller bearing failed firing off 2 teeth from 5th gear. Friends 200sx on the otherhand did 100k and only needed gearbox repairs (same fault).

They are often cheap because they can be unreliable and Nissan parts are not that cheap.

Edit

However, it was easy to work on, did the box in a single garage, did not have to take the engine out , dont you just love simple inline RWD.

mynickers

Is this the same with the S14?

EDIT: Sorry to high jack your thread mozzaITA, congrats on your new toy, hope you get on with it, get yourself in a big carpark in the rain at night...

Gary C

The S14 has the SR20DET which is a different design, not had one and don't know of any problems with it but my local mechanic who supplied my parts thought the SR engine was a lot less troublesome that the CA.

mozzaITA

Hey most of the replies are right, mine hasnt got a rusty boot!! :-), a previous owner had silconed it (DD). RWD is fun, this weekend i got a chance to drive her a bit more rapidly, nearly got caught out when the turbo kicked in but i caught it.... need more practise me thinks.

Ive owned the following cars in the last 8-9 years, nissan micra, nova gsi, astra gsi16v, vw corrado G60, astra gte 8v and now the 200SX, I must admit ive done the hot hatch, had a coupe and now got a rwd sports car. For the money (£2k) i dont think i could of got anything which i havnt really had or was as much fun/quick.

I do hope its doesnt break my bank though, fingers crossed
xxx

Gary C

It will probably be fine, if the valves have not gone now, they are probably the later ones. Mine cost 8k at 30k miles and 2 years old and did me another 90k so I probably make it sound worse than they are. The big end failure was probably one of those things, faulty bolt and I drove it harder than the previous owner.

For 2k you have a cheap fun car, enjoy it.

Chris L

Test drove an Elise 111R at the weekend - very tempting. Totally impractical, but.......