dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I was spending quality time with my new nephew, but babies are quite boring, doing little more than sleeping and trying to control their own limbs. During one cuddle, I had a hand free to peruse Facebook. On said social media platform, I found a Nissan Bluebird for sale. It's the highly desirable 1.6 LX in saloon form, in the same shade of 'meh' blue as the famous Gluebird at Santa Pod. Here's a high quality* pic, of the sort that enabled me to make a highly informed decision.It has a little MOT, though good MOT history. It also seems to be losing coolant at a vast rate, presumed head gasket. I lobbed in an offer of £300 and then had to explain to my sister that I'd bought a car while looking after her son...My motivation? The 1.6 saloon is apparently the perfect spec for the oval. I reckon another enthusiast may have stepped in, so it's a shit excuse. I also sold the Daimler and couldn't face the horror of only having three cars. Oh and I have some pages to fill in Retro Japanese. Solution? Buy another shitheap. A British-built one.Getting it home was the next struggle. As the bloke reckons it'll only do two miles before needing more coolant, driving it wasn't looking ideal. I was hoping to hire a beavertail from a company that once hired me an LDV Maxus, but it failed the MOT.So, the final resort. Shiply. Buy £300 car, spend £227 getting it delivered. What a nugget.I had that quote within minutes, and he said he could do today. I accepted, then realised that I was in Devon. So, I will be racing the Bluebird home today. The race commences at lunchtime. There will be radio silence until I get home after that. Sloth in a bowl, Coprolalia, cobblers and 40 others 43 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 I've only just noticed the non-matching wheeltrims... DeeJay and somewhatfoolish 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Racing a bluebird? Not the sort of motorsport I suspect many had thrust on them at this stage in their lives. Top buyage, and if it makes you feel any better about the transport cost, as borniteidentity wrote, factor in your time as self employed and the other costs on the day, and it isn't silly at all. That's my justification for it, as ultimately it's often cheaper to do it this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 More boring though! No capers for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 True! More exciting copy if your in the field nursing a sick engine or on an LDV road trip. Are these known for HGF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I like these, really like the little vent in the rear quarter next to the tail lights. Would love to machine polish that one, bet it would come up nice. danthecapriman, KruJoe and tooSavvy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I thought you were going to sit back and lick your wounds after the Jag, but no full launch into the next madness! Well done, even without the actual drive it livens up a dull day in the office! "See Doctor I am not the only one who can't control myself, there is some bloke on the internet who keeps doing daft things!" Twiggy, RobT, HMC and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardthestag Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 where in Devon? Nip up to "the" coombe, get any one of the Welsh boatmen to whizz you across the channel, walk home simples top bombing by the way chodweaver 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 True! More exciting copy if your in the field nursing a sick engine or on an LDV road trip. Are these known for HGF? Don't think it's something they do as a matter of habit, but all water-cooled engines have the potential. Especially if the coolant changes have been neglected. where in Devon? Nip up to "the" coombe, get any one of the Welsh boatmen to whizz you across the channel, walk home simples top bombing by the way Bideford. I'd really like to take the Honda home with me though. I'm not leaving it in Devon. Some scenester would buy it and paint bits orange or something... beko1987, oldcars, Slartibartfast and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Aha. You could have bought my fully MoTed and on the road Sunny for not very much more…. I liked both the Bluebirds I had, although mine were higher-spec and larger-engined (and that’s the way I’d go if I had another one). I think even as an LX they have a reasonable amount of kit, but I can’t remember if they were fitted with PAS. Period tests moaned about very heavy steering on those that didn’t have it. As a facelift model it’ll have the indicators on the wrong side of the column (i.e on the left, which is not correct for a RHD car). chodweaver, Lacquer Peel and loserone 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I like these, really like the little vent in the rear quarter next to the tail lights.IIRC someone observed that (if the rubber flap inside is non-op) 'free' CarbMonox will ensue whilst tootling TS oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 Aha. You could have bought my fully MoTed and on the road Sunny for not very much more…. I liked both the Bluebirds I had, although mine were higher-spec and larger-engined (and that’s the way I’d go if I had another one). I think even as an LX they have a reasonable amount of kit, but I can’t remember if they were fitted with PAS. Period tests moaned about very heavy steering on those that didn’t have it. As a facelift model it’ll have the indicators on the wrong side of the column (i.e on the left, which is not correct for a RHD car). I know, but I've always had more of a soft spot for the Blueys than the Sunnys, probably because my dad had a Bluebird when I was a kid. LX does have PAS. Only the LS (and presumably the 'Premium' povo spec) did without. I know that because my dad had an LS, and always wished his company had stumped up a little more for the LX. Certainly was heavy by all accounts! Will be odd going to the 1.6 given I had a 2.0 SLX previously. I was a twat to sell that car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Don't think it's something they do as a matter of habit, but all water-cooled engines have the potential. You might find this hard* to believe, but I have experienced OMGHGF even on non watercooled engines. KiwiAlistair 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 You might find this hard* to believe, but I have experienced OMGHGF even on non watercooled engines. With anyone else, yes I would. I have never experienced head gasket failure in a 2CV. Like so many things, it simply does without them. HillmanImp, chaseracer, KiwiAlistair and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I had a 1.6 LX Hatch and and it was gr9. Leccy windows, central locking, PAS, sunroof, twin trips etc. Everything you could really ask for. It did let water in via the boot somewhere. And was slow. I eventually sold it to some mate of pandemonium for cheap as the insurance was expensive because not a classic - I got a 924 which I had a little accident in so the insurance worked out basically the same..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 My dad's Bluebird was his first actually brand new car (still a company car, but even so). I remember a road rage incident in which he chased an Austin Ambassador in it at about 107mph down the Hollywood Bypass - which was all it had. "Don't tell your mum," he said. I still haven't. Now I feel bad as she's sitting in the same room as me as I type this. Shhh! It got broken into one night, and the rather nice Blaupunkt stereo stolen. They ejected his Cliff Richard cassette and left it on the passenger seat. Sadly, it was stolen a short while later, joyridden to death and burnt out. ProgRocker, Nyphur, Stevebrookman and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Yay dimmler gone Yay another English car PS two hundred and how much - yes if that includes fixing it I'd drive it and fill it regularly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 What happened to jag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 What happened to jag? Sold to someone on Face ache I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I've got to tip my hat to you, you do like to buy some tragic cases, It wasn't long ago what you could have bought a Bluebird without OMGHGF for much less, still i guess if you bought a normal one then it wouldn't make a very interesting blog/magazine feature. Personally i like Bluebirds, I used to get taxied to my speech therapy lessons in one in the late 80s, and remember thinking what a luxurious car it was, saying that anything was luxurious compared to the Metro my parents had at the time. Dave_Q, Stevebrookman and KiwiAlistair 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyramrod Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 "See Doctor I am not the only one who can't control myself, there is a whole forum filled with blokes on the internet who keep doing daft things!"EFA Six-cylinder, Coprolalia and HMC 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 More later. Suffice it to say that water comes out of the exhaust, along with blue smoke, and the coolant bottle has obviously had a massive puke session at some point. It's ace! barefoot, Stevebrookman, Dick Longbridge and 24 others 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 A blue bird is the best worst car I ever had. It burned about a litre of oil a week , conked out about once a month and was an ex taxi with 100,000 or so miles clocked off it but drove great and was really comfy. barefoot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 Here's a proper pic. I'm experimenting with a different way of hosting photos, so this may fail. cort16, barefoot, danthecapriman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 The body seems remarkably solid, with only very mild bubbling in the nearside rear door opening, and none on the arches. The paint is knackered in this place. Stereo takes me right back! Just like the one in my dad's Bluey. Hope it works! I am the second owner of this car, so I'm feeling some responsibility. Gawd knows when I'll actually have time to tackle the engine - I'm away again this weekend - but I'm looking forward to it. Clutch seems stiff and the bite is fairly high, so that may be adding itself to the To Do list. 95k miles though, and MOT history to confirm. Vince70, Semi-C, Lacquer Peel and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Any sign of the missing matching hub cap? oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Gotta love a turdbird! I think they're nice looking cars personally. Our neighbors had a 2.0 saloon in white and it looked lovely. They had it years too. At the time my parents had a Datsun Sunny and liked this Bluebird, they always fancied trading up into one but never did.There's an old boy round here somewhere too with an identical one but it's a diesel. It's immaculate too. Yours looks great bodywise, I like the colour too. Head gasket isn't hard on these from memory so it's got to be worth doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimo Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Is this front or rear wheel drive? There were similar looking models both sides of the change to fwd I seem to remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 Any sign of the missing matching hub cap? Not yet. Not been in the boot yet... Moar pics. These are from Facebook, so may vanish at some point, because RUBBISH. Original dealer plate. Yup. That engine has had quite a puke! Engine access could certainly be worse. Not a great photo, but that is a watery tailpipe. It came with this wedged under the passenger sunvisor... Vince70, Nyphur, danthecapriman and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 Is this front or rear wheel drive? There were similar looking models both sides of the change to fwd I seem to remember. Front. The previous U11 was RWD [EDIT - not it wasn't! Previous to that was RWD]. Just to further confuse matters, this is not really a Bluebird at all, but an evolution of the Stanza platform. Nissan liked to keep people guessing in the 1980s! The U12 Bluebird, sold in Japan and other markets, is really not closely related to the European Bluebird at all. I think Bickle has/had a Pintara, which is a Japanese Bluebird sold in Australia. Keeping up at the back? Anyway, the Mud and Snow tyres (RADAR!) will be appreciated. I might get them fitted properly though... Faker, Vince70, Skizzer and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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