Potential New Shite Natsun Advice Please!

[Torsten2001]

i got a call from a very nice lady last week wanting to know if I was interested in her big Nissan Estate, it has about 85k, the engine is a 3.0 V6, sounds great but the rest is in a bit of a mess, in and out, it does have MOT & Tax the brakes are shocking and it's Manual, any ideas what I should be looking for, what's it worth and are parts tricky?

[pogweasel]

GR8 4 BANGAZ. Supercool machine though. Other than that I am no use.

[Aerodeck]

That's a honey! How much does she want for it? I'd snap it up and worry about the consequences later!

[aled]

i'll hav e it - need something to tow my car transporter about - would much prefer shite to a modern

[mouseflakes]

Will 'Datman' rates these very highly. The estates are pretty quick by all accounts - all the better for being 5-speed rather than auto like most (all?) the UK saloons.

 

I went to see his when he sold it a while back - I was very interested but didn't have the cash he was looking for at the time. Still think one would be a great tool.

 

Great engines apparently - at 85k that should be a good 'un?

 

Make a low offer based on brakes and tattyness - gotta be worth a try!

 

Link to a TEC article comparing Crown and Cedric wagons

[Ratdat]

I wouldn't offer much as the parts are getting hard to find for these and it potentially could cost quite a bit to put it right if it's a shitter. Engines are awesome and they do go very well. Only thing that really goes wrong enginewise is the airflow meters pack in. Gearbox input shaft bearings go but keep trundling on indefinately. Steering idlers seem to be a weak point on MOT's especially on earlier ones. Warped discs are very common on them and the disc/hub is one piece. Not sure if they are even available any more. They are cool motors and surprisingly good on fuel if driven sensibly. They are great for towing but they do then get thirsty. Handling is wallowy and I really dislike the steering on them but that's probably my only real critisism. Me, I'd rather not have one than have a ropey one though.

[Jason A]

As pogweasel said these are a simply awesome Banger. I myself never had the pleasure of racing one but my brother in law said that one of these was the best car he ever raced. But it!

[pogweasel]

And so for that very reason it needs to be bought and preserved. Perhaps a long-term loan as an exhibit in the Musee du Bo11ox would be appropriate.

[wuvvum]

That is just superb. If the price was right I'd snap that up in a heartbeat. Who cares about fuel consumption when you're driving something that cool? It's even got fake wood on the tailgate, for feck's sake!

[Owain-328i]

If you've somewere to store it and fancy it, then why not? Heck you could use it for taking things to the tip etc while its still roadworthy, then when all that runs out, if its beyond then break it and stick it all up on ebay for a nice return. Rare stuff like that should command a proffit no?

[Torsten2001]

Oh don't fret if the price is right I'm having it, story is that it belongs to a lovely Jamaican Granny who ferries the Grandkids in it, her local mechanic has closed down so understanding parts aren't the easiest or quickest to find she's getting something newer, I don't supposed she's been offered much as a part ex and I happened to have left a note on it about 8 months ago!

[Volksy]

that is cool!Whats the story with the rear quater windows, one looks different to the other, does the left hand one have an opening section for your dog to stick its nose out?

[Ratdat]

Yeah, it opens on one side but they almost never work. It's cable powered. The leccy ariel on them usually doesn't work either. Most of the ones I've been around tend to all have the same faults. My old mans had two estates and I've had a couple as well. The last one I had was a MEGA ebay bargain as it was listed in the parts category and I was the only bidder. I got it for £50!...

 

[Torsten2001]

It's mine! Brake master cylinder is shot, it's a total pigsty and it runs like a dog! Quite fond of it really!

[FredTransit]

Is it worth looking into fitting a master from a later model? It works with Fords.

[pogweasel]

Awesome work Torsten!!

[Torsten2001]

Is it worth looking into fitting a master from a later model? It works with Fords.

to be honest I haven't even looked at it since I got it home! I'll set my mechanic on it presently!

[simmo]

Probably a long shot but does the M/C look anything like this?

 

[Torsten2001]

I have no idea but I'll check over the weekend!

[Ratdat]

Y30 master cylinders have a single big resevoir IIRC. An estate one will probably be perculiar to the estate as it has drums on the back whereas the saloon has discs. Most other cars we got at around that time also had rear discs (S12, Z31 etc) but it's possible a C32 Laurel unit might do.Personally, I'd just strip the cylinder, hone it out, clean everything up and re-assmble it. I've done that loads of time with Nissan cylinders and it's worked fine.