Bloody Buggering MicraShed

[Micrashed]

For as long as I can remember I have yearned for something to replace the Micra.

Nissan Micra K11 1.0 Profile - T773 SEO by Micrashed, on Flickr

 

I quite fancied a Focus, but the wife and I had words about the cost to run it compared with the Micra and other magic stuff, then I thought I'll get an Almera she cant complain about that surely? And today My Almera bubble was burst - I sat in one and it was bloody awful, I actually felt more claustrophobic in an 05 plate Almera than I do in the T plate Micra.

 

So why dont I actually just spend some money on the Micra fixing the relatively minor things that are wrong with the low  (50K) mileage car?

 

Problems:

Slightly binding brake calliper.

Floaty front end

Wallowy back end

Not exactly fast

Front crossmember made of humus.

 

Things that are OK

Radio

It doesnt owe me anything, nor do I owe anything on it

There isnt any rust anywhere else

I actually like the look of it.

 

So come August I have a couple of weeks leave booked and one week will be spent pulling the front end off to chisel off and replace the crossmember, I also plan to replace the front and rear shocks and possibly poly bush it too in the hope it will tighten things up a little. Possibly fit a free breathing air filter. Other than that I dont have any real ideas. I quite fancy some Si alloys if any turn up on the bay. Anyone got any other suggestions?

 

Nissan Micra K11 by Micrashed, on Flickr

 

[Split_Pin]

Vauxhall Corsa coilovers are a popular mod and they will tighten up the handling for you.

 

Always loads for sale on e-bay and the cheapest set starts at around £160.

[skattrd]

The handling and engine in the Micra will never be anything special unless you spend a lot of money on it.

I say bin it and buy a Daihatsu ... A couple of Sirion Rally's (1300cc, 100bhp) have popped up recently for around £1k.

[overrun]

SR20DE.

 

It's not too involved, really. I reckon it can be done much cheaper than people claim.

Such a great engine, in any configuration.

 

Or how about a clean* N15 Almera? They have lot more in common with your K11n than those hateful, half French N16's.

[londonm]

Looks like my Mums W plate one, with 35k on the clock and automatic. People take the piss out of Micras, but it's never missed a beat in the decade she's had it (touch wood). Perfect trouble free motoring, especially for seniors and new drivers. I can't think of anything as good for this sort of money, except possibly a polo. Keep it and put it right, it costs jack.

[KruJoe]

I'm a bit surprised by your complaints - when the bubble Micra came out, I had a bez around Yorkshire in a red rental 1.0. I found it to be really perky for it's cc, and the handling was pretty damn sharp. And my daily at the time was an MG 1275 engined Mini.

About yours, if you want it to handle a bit tidier, I'd say find some 14 inch wheels with some lower profile rubber. Or even 15s if you can stand the harshness.

[Lord Sterling]

As Ma_Sterling has almost exactly the same car as you, I've often yearned to stick a 1300cc engine or even a 1400cc engine from the last run of the bubble Micras.

 

I've already done a lot of trim upgrading, I'm still after some later door card trims but apart from that I feel like there isn't much more I can add to it unless I was well talented mechanically/electrics where I would fit electric windows, power steering, remote central locking etc.... but alas, I don't have the money or talent to do these.

 

I'd say get everything that can get worn on it changed, mechanicals, interior and exterior trim, make it like an almost brand new car.

[maxpower]

i have only recently bought my micra and i love it   wished i had got one years ago before getting all the modern chod.

 

Mrs maxpower's 1.0L  (51) plate is as basic as you can get... while my (98) 1.3L has elec windows sunroof and central locking...

 

hell i don't even have to get out the car to open the boot   what more could i ask for........... anyways.... keep the micra

[Faker]

I've been using micras in navigation events and auto test for ages, and they are bomb proof. I have simply dogged the life out of both mine, and they have performed awesomely. Until the rear axle snapped! 1.3 sport would embarrass any 1.4 16v corsa sport ( mine absolutely flew)!

[Split_Pin]

Also, these will run on the original oil, plugs etc for the entire (13) year life of the car without any problems, ad my cousin testified with wee Bertie. I had one as a courtesy car and it drove great!

[barefoot]

Nitrous Oxide injection should pep it up a bit.

[AndyW201]

I owned 3 K11s back in the late 90s, a 1.0 'shape' and 2 1.3 Si's. They were all great fun little cars, made even better with a few tweaks.

 

I went for -30mm springs and 7J X 15" rims and 195/45/15 rubber on them all. My mini owning mate also had a 1.3 SLX as a daily which he put a set of super s wheels and a set of -30mm Apex springs on and he swore it as good as a mini on b road blasts, with the bonus of a lot more power!

 

So I'd reckon on keeping it, replace the shocks, add a set of decent lowering springs and you're laughing.

[Sigmund Fraud]

I think that polyurethane bushes in a 1-litre, daily driven Micra will add harshness with no real benefit. The same for a 'free flow' filter, which will gain you perhaps 1HP at the expense of LOTS of noise.

 

If you want to improve the handling, I would personally start by replacing any worn bushes and balljoints with OEM ones and changing the shocks for firmer ones (Koni yellow series used to be good for that sort of thing but any new shock should be better than the ones that are on the car now). If this is not enough, you can replace the rims for 14" ones with slightly wider tyres and look into some slightly harder springs.

 

That's as far as I would be willing to go. If you want sharper handling and more performance than that, you're better off selling the thing and buying a cheapo 'midlife crisis' sportscar.

[Station]

The SR20DE's are tricky because it's so hard to find flywheels to fit FWD cars. And the gearboxes are only available on a few hard to find FWD cars as well. I've seen they fit quite well though.

[Micrashed]

Cheers chaps. Ill sort the shocks and humus out and then have a fiddle with how it breathes I think.

Noise isnt too much of an issue as Im deaf anyway.

[purplebargeken]

Wife has the 1997 1.0 shape and it hasn't missed a beat. We replaced the shocks last year and it did make a difference. The only issue is a slightly worn interior and a faded red bonnet, replaced at a year or two old when some knob put a pickaxe through it. The new paint job just faded badly and spoils the rest of the car.

 

Spend a couple of hundred on it and enjoy it again.

 

I'd like to upgrade the seats from basic grey to less basic grey; will the interior from your model fit the previous bubble one?

 

OE fixy uppy is best. 

[barefoot]

?..and a faded red bonnet, replaced at a year or two old when some knob put a pickaxe through it. The new paint job just faded badly and spoils the rest of the car.

 

Surely a mixture of brake fluid, salt solution and a week by the seaside are your friends here.

Have Mother Nature finish off that bonnet for you and be hip, trendy and 'scene' by the time you get back.

[overrun]

The SR20DE's are tricky because it's so hard to find flywheels to fit FWD cars. And the gearboxes are only available on a few hard to find FWD cars as well. I've seen they fit quite well though.

I believe I have been wooshed!

[Micrashed]

Well Ive been looking on-line and I think I'll probably plump for the Koni Orange shocks rather than the yellows.

It needs new ball joints as well as there is some play in the front.

Apart from the crossmember nothing else seems to have turned to cheese yet (though I did go over the underneath of the car with gunk when I got it).

Wheels - I'll keep the Mk1 steels for now, but look for some Si Alloys and an Si rear spoiler too.

[RichardM1]

Well Ive been looking on-line and I think I'll probably plump for the Koni Orange shocks rather than the yellows.

It needs new ball joints as well as there is some play in the front.

Apart from the crossmember nothing else seems to have turned to cheese yet (though I did go over the underneath of the car with gunk when I got it).

Wheels - I'll keep the Mk1 steels for now, but look for some Si Alloys and an Si rear spoiler too.

 

Not sure if it'll be of any use, but this Micra for breaking looks like it might have a spoiler on it.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Micra-K11-1992-1999-1-0L-998cc-16v-Engine-CG10DE-90K-BREAKING-car-PARTS-/281088823519?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Model%3AMicra%7CPlat_Gen%3AK11&hash=item41723310df

[EssDeeWon]

My g/f has the 1.0 GX Auto in white, great little car she loves it, 1996 Nreg with 65k from new, I don't mind driving it about myself sometimes, goes a lot better than I thought for a 1.0

[Sigmund Fraud]

Well Ive been looking on-line and I think I'll probably plump for the Koni Orange shocks rather than the yellows.

It needs new ball joints as well as there is some play in the front.

Apart from the crossmember nothing else seems to have turned to cheese yet (though I did go over the underneath of the car with gunk when I got it).

Wheels - I'll keep the Mk1 steels for now, but look for some Si Alloys and an Si rear spoiler too.

 

Orange Konis were not around when I was into 'tuning'. I looked them up and they appear to be exactly what I was thinking of, i.e. similar damping to Yellows on their softest setting. Adjustability is of little use in your application, so they sound ideal.