Nawzzz's Car(s)

[dddsprayshop]

Yeah, that wide boykitt was only allowed on racetracks, also wheelspacers weren't allowed in my country.

This is what i did.



Original and prestine condition, these cars are worth a lot of money now.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

I love that, especially since its all custom! With the rally lights and those wheels, it looks pretty similar to a Fiesta XR2, another car I do have a fondness for. It's impressive that a custom kit done in the 80s can still hold up fairly well today 👍. I see there's a Rallye badge on the back; was that a special edition in Holland?

 

[dddsprayshop]

Back to your Starlet.
Are you going to modify the outside, or leave it as original as you can?
Besides some japanese stuff.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

The original plan was to turn it into a Glanza replica when I got it, but that quickly dwindled when I realised the cost of those parts (didn't have a job at the time). Now I want to keep it so that it still looks relatively untouched to the average person, but enthusiasts and other car fans can spot the little additions. In all honesty, a Glanza rear bumper, wing and body coloured door handles and mirrors would keep me happy exterior wise.

That said, if the opportunity ever arose of getting a full Glanza kit in good condition at a decent price, then I would definitely do it.

 

[dddsprayshop]

I love that, especially since its all custom! With the rally lights and those wheels, it looks pretty similar to a Fiesta XR2, another car I do have a fondness for. It's impressive that a custom kit done in the 80s can still hold up fairly well today 👍. I see there's a Rallye badge on the back; was that a special edition in Holland?

Fiesta XR2? you know what my friends and other people said? Front looks like the opel kadett C.


Back then, it was all external you could buy.
Some info.
It was a basic starlet 1.0 DX, not deluxe.
Bodykitt was from KAMEII and for a Golf MKII, i just had to shorten the rear bumper kit, the rest fitted almost like a glove.
Wheels?? i don't know what brand, i went once for new tires, and the guy showed me these second hand wheels, bought them and spraypainted them chrome.
Tires: the rims are 13"x6J so i went for 13" 205 wide tires ( a bit stupid, killed my rear axle twice)
Ralley badge: got it at a tankstop.
Interior, removed, sprayed, very stupid, sunlight reflected the interior in the windscreen and blinded me.
Sprayed it again in white matte, problem solved, less reflection.
Seats: got some special red covers with white stripe and the famous PLAYBOY BUNNY logo.
Seats had no headrests.
Sunroof: not visible, was red, at that time suddenly a red and white sunroof came onto the market.
Engine: blew up the 1.0 ltr after 150.000km, was replaced by my garage with an 1.2 LTR
Exhaust: had to replace my rotte exhaust, send my mom, and she came back with the car and the car suddenly had a black sport exhaust front to back, what a sound.And got more noticable torque.
Topspeed was 155/160KMH.
When pulling up at a corner in 2nd gear, clutch in, rev and drifting away around the corner.
With the 205 tires, that killed my rear axles twice.
Also broke my gearbox by doing a burnout in reverse, burnout in 1st gear was no problem.

At that time you could find tons of parts at the junkyards, so rear axles and gearboxes were no problems.
I sold the car with 365.000km on the clock.
And all this time there was no rust on or under the car. No rust at all.
i drove this car for 4 years.

What's not on foto?
Rear springs broke, i replaced them with corolla springs and put the rear higher like a dragracer (1 or 2 inches)
Removed my custom made rear wing, and mounted a Ford escort MKIV rear wing


Wait, found a foto with the red sunroof and new wing.
Don't mind the neon colors, it was hip back then.


Okay, i'm stopping with the foto's, i'm messing up your topic.
Sorry for that.
bye

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Got a few little bits to update with!

The old Sony headunit that was in the car has been giving up the ghost lately; cutting out at random, skipping CDs, failing to find radio signals, and so on. So, I decided to invest in a good quality headunit. It's a Pioneer DEH-X3600Ui. Pretty basic compared to some other headunits out there, but it allows for iPod connectivity, has a USB input, and interchangeable colours, which is all I wanted really. Never done a headunit install, or anything remotely electrical in terms of car stuff, but it was very straight forward. Since it's a Japanese-produced system and this is a Japanese car, the wiring colours are the exact same from the get-go, which made hooking it up stupidly simple.

Also, my (fake) optional TRD oil cap has arrived from Hong Kong! Quite surprised at the quality, especially for a £5 eBay special; even the box looks like the real thing.

And here it is fitted. Looks crap against a filthy engine bay, but that will be resolved another day.

More updates soon!

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Long time, no update!

Haven't done a whole lot with the car to be honest. Got another Hong Kong knock-off of a normally quite expensive optional extra; a TRD radiator cap. Except it doesn't fit. Well, doesn't fit my radiator anyway. I knew that the radiator in this is different to the ones in Glanzas/GT Turbos, MR2s and so on (which is what it was advertised for), but - and without wishing to sound cynical - I just assumed the build quality of it would mean it would accidentally end up fitting regardless. Not too bothered though, as it was dirt cheap, and if I ever do get a Glanza, GT or any other bigger engined Toyota for that matter, I know it will fit, so that's a plus!

*Potato quality level: mashed

Other than that, I've just been driving it. Got a proper job finally, which has me do a 52 mile trip everyday, so the car is getting some proper usage now. Just cracked over to 118,000 miles in fact, and I'm delighted to say it still feels tight as a drum. Only thing that does suck is the blower, which has five settings; off, broken, broken, broken and force 9 gale. Nitpicking aside, I'm still astounded that a 17 year old, sub-£600 high miler with no recorded service history or barely any maintenance is still going and still going strong at that, with all of its original fuses, bulbs, body parts and trim.

Having said that, I'm not really sure what to do with it at this stage. I was gonna just find rare bits and bobs and keep it clean and well kept, yet over the past few months I've grown to like it as a 'workhorse' figure. I haven't washed it in ages, but to be honest... I sort of prefer it in a way. Since my travels to work are quite a trek (country roads, dirt track at one stage), I've been toying with a rally-esque theme instead. Nothing major, just some mud flaps and possibly some spot lamps? Not too sure, a second opinion would be ideal. I do like rally cars, and I think those small additions could look decent whilst being fully functional and cheap.

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed my checklist of what I wanted to put on the car has been drastically shortened. Whilst money is no longer an issue, I just don't feel throwing so much money at my little Starlet is entirely worth it. I have enough money right now to go and buy an MX-5 or even a slightly ropey Glanza if I wanted, so spending a small fortune on rare Japanese stuff for what is just a UK spec, 5 door econobox is questionable. I love it, but even I can see it isn't worth it based on purely sentimental value. I don't know, we'll have to see. A big thanks to anyone who reads all of my ramblings as well.

 

[Clark]

52 mile trip everyday, still feels tight as a drum. 17 year old, sub-£600 high miler with no recorded service history or barely any maintenance is still going and still going strong at that, with all of its original fuses, bulbs, body parts and trim.

These are the key things, and the car is reliable so why change that or waste money on stuff that's only cosmetic.

You've got a job now so just keep with this car as wont cost much to keep and run, then when you're older your insurance will go down and you'll have saved enough for something you really want.

I know it sounds boring but it's the way to go. I didn't do anthiny to my Clio and it allowed me to get an E30 to buy/run (and lose money in when I bought a lemon) and then buy my 130i after another year. All because i'd saved so much because the clio was cheap to run and (rare for a clio) totally reliable.

 

[eiriksmil]

high miler

Ahem..

Buy coilovers, slam it, put coilovers on a Glanza when it magically appears..

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Had my first true mechanical mishap with the Starlet the other day, just as it had cracked 120,000 miles as well. Heard a squeaking noise upon starting the car which went on for about a mile or so which then went away. 24 miles later, I've got smoke, warning lights and an oil temperature gauge shooting up rapidly.

I managed to pull in at a village service station where the mechanic informed me I'd blown the alternator belt to shreds and the force of it coming off had knocked a radiator hose out. Luckily, I was only a mile away from my work which (handily) is right next to a repair shop, and the mechanic was nice enough to quickly pop the radiator hose back in place so that I could at least nurse it to the garage that way. 2 hours later, the belt was replaced and it was sorted.

I did shake me up, both having my first breakdown - on busy country lanes as well - and thinking that there was a whole magnitude of issues that would now arise. That said, it seems to be running just as fine as it did before so I don't think there should really be any other issues aside from another belt going perhaps. Will get it booked in for a service just to make sure it really is all okay though.

 

[SVX]

Good to hear it was easily resolved. 👍

 

[eiriksmil]

I bet the Starlet doesn't have an oil temp gauge from stock - a coolant temp on the other hand it has.

I've snapped a serpentine belt myself, it's no worry it gets old and it snaps.. Easy fix.. When a serpentine belt (which is water pump and alternator) snaps, the car doesn't charge and the water pump doesn't run. Be careful with water temps, if your coolant boils it can potentially blow the head gasket which is not so much of an easy fix. Not too difficult, just a little time consuming and easily avoided.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Time to send my little Starlet to the scrapyard in the sky. For anyone who didn't see...

Was rear ended at some speed by a Vauxhall Mokka (Buick Encore for those in the States) approaching a roundabout. He got out with just a minor dent, whilst my car is completely totalled. Lots of rear structural damage, some of it going up the roof. Even if it is repairable, the cost of it would just be too immense to even bother with. For what its worth, the damage looks a lot worse than it initially was, as I had to pull half of the bumper off and then rip the inner guard out to stop the wheel from scrubbing so I could limp it home.

In some ways he's done me a favour; saves me struggling to sell such a high mileage little car I guess. As for a replacement, I was considering a Yaris T Sport/Vitz RS or a Daihatsu YRV Turbo as I can get them insured for only a small amount higher than what I'm paying now. Tried an MX-5 but its still a bit too steep. However, I'm still really after a Glanza or a GT, and both of those options would drain my bank account fully and I'd have to start saving again when realistically, owning a Glanza/GT could be a possibility in the next few months. So instead, I've found a left field, slightly obscure car that will save me money on fuel and actually lower my insurance premiums, meaning its a net result and I have more money to save up with! Haven't got a hold of it just yet but I'll make a new thread if and when I get it. Can confirm it won't be another Starlet though.

 

[homeforsummer]

Sorry to hear the Starlet has been damaged beyond reasonable repair. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next - hopefully something else small, obscure and Japanese

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

It seems I have a thing for crummy red Japanese hatchbacks.

This is my 'new' 1991 Nissan Micra GSX. It has a 1.2 litre four pot with a carburettor, no power steering and no real luxuries besides a dash mounted clock and a sunroof. Despite this, it feels much the same to drive as my Starlet, if not even more sprightly. Probably because it only weighs just over 600 kilos. The beauty of this car was that it only cost £300, has all the previous service stamps, only 85,000 miles, no rust whatsoever and is in absolutely immaculate condition. Seriously, the bodywork and interior is in better shape than my Starlet ever was at its best, and that's despite it having 8 previous owners! I'll let the pics do the talking...

Very clean and tidy exterior.

Missing bump strip; not too bothered as it gives me an excuse to take the others off.

Rear end with all the original plastics, stickers and (positively massive) number/licence plate. I'll get around to taking those two little stickers off at some point.

Still has all four factory fitted optional mud flaps - score!

Also still has the original Nissan warranty sticker!

And now the interior. Absolutely spotless driver and passenger seats...

...as well as a stupidly tidy back seat. The door trims, carpeting and roof lining are just as clean.

Original cassette player with old school blower controls.

Nearing 86,000 miles, with a solid 300+ of those from me going to work for the past week. Ran absolutely flawlessly.

I was originally going to buy something of the turbo, 4WD and 660cc variety; a Daihatsu Mira Avanzato to be exact. This was what my last post was hinting at, since I could actually get insured on it and it would actually lower it, despite being a turbocharged import. However, the JDM tax added too much to the price of the car and would have drained my bank account - not what I want when the whole point is to be saving. I did also consider another red Starlet and a UK-spec Cuore, but the former was a bit too far away to have a look at and I felt the latter wouldn't be sufficient/interesting enough and I'd get bored with it easily.

Since this is pretty much just a stop gap until I'm financially viable to buy, run and insure something a little bit quicker, I don't really have a lot planned for it:

• Get it serviced
• Give it a good detailing
• Put my alloys on
• Put my head unit back in
• Remove glue from the missing bump strip
• Remove the remaining bump strips
• Nissan March stickers (possibly)

To be honest, the car is so clean I'd feel bad about doing anything cosmetic to it, in fear of tainting that surprisingly good 24 year old paint. There's not too much in the way of aftermarket support for these things (not that there was any at the time I'd suspect) unless you get stuff custom made or import some used parts from Japan. K10 Micra enthusiasts yes, such a thing exists like to stick bike carbs on and squeeze a bit more power out but that seems unnecessary to me. My wheels are a dead cert to fit since they came off of a Figaro, which was mechanically the same as one of these, so there's that at least. Should look good as I suspect they'd fill the arches perfectly and would be period correct.

Sure, its probably a bit tragic and comical for an 18 year old to find something like this much more appealing than the usual Corsa, Clio or small Peugeot, but hey, who wants to be a sheep? Lemme know your thoughts/opinions/ideas!

 

[homeforsummer]

Fantastic buy in that nick for £300.

A few people on the Retro Rides forums have these. There's plenty you can do to them with a bit of imagination, though equally I agree that keeping it relatively standard isn't a bad plan. I suspect these will never be worth that much (given that other 80s stuff is creeping up in value and these aren't, they must simply be unloved) but provided you don't mess around with it too much you'll not lose any money either (in fact, I'd not be surprised if you could sell it for double right now).

Oh, and it probably goes without saying, but do your best to avoid being rear-ended in this one. The reason they're so light is because the bodywork is incredibly flimsy, even by the standards of the day. They are not strong vehicles, crunch-wise.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

I'll have to look into some of the Retro Rides builds. Only ones I've seen on the Micra forum all seem to be the same thing; lowered, Minilites, cherry bomb exhaust and then left at that. Don't get me wrong, they look good, but they're hardly the most creative projects.

I still see the odd K10 knocking around here and there. Given that most common-as-muck 80s/early 90s stuff (like Mk. 3 Escorts) have virtually disappeared thanks to rust and the scrappage scheme, its hardly surprising these haven't really risen in value since there is still a fair few of them about. Plus, as you pointed out, its hardly a cult classic by any stretch. Even in good nick no one seems to think highly of them; the guy I bought this from had it advertised it as a clean, rust free shell for Autograss racing, rather than a tidy, well maintained usable car.

As for being rear ended, I knew from the get-go that was always going to be something to keep in mind. It is essentially a tin can on wheels. To be honest I'd say that most small hatches would be pretty useless in an accident, although this would be marginally worse. That said, I know that it would be a write off from even the smallest amount of structural damage, but that means I'll only have lost a £300 car. I just have to pray that other motorists will actually be paying attention a bit more from now on I guess.

 

[Ronald6]

Fantastic find for that price. Well done.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Fantastic find for that price. Well done.

Thanks! Can't believe I only just got around to seeing this, my alerts are very temperamental.

My insurance money has come through, and as it has pretty much covered the cost of the car twice over (in both buying and getting it insured/taxed), I've thrown a bit of money on a few little bits to make it a bit nicer. Got a set of K10-specific Team Heko wind deflectors on their way from Poland and some March Super Turbo decals too. As much as I like the look of them, it is sacrilege to put turbo stickers on a non-turbo car, so only the March one will be going on.

Got my MOT/inspection at the end of next month so I've already set the majority of that money aside for any issues, should there be any. It got an advisory for front brake pads last time, so I'll do a bit of research and probably invest in some and get them fitted when I get it serviced.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Update: My Micra is going.

Failed its MOT in a big way, with all four corners of the suspension mountings being completely rusted underneath and needing a substantial amount of welding. On top of that, the rear brakes are imbalanced, the hand brake isn't too healthy as a result either and the exhaust has a leak. Oh, and the rear fog light doesn't work.

As much as it pains me to see a relatively clean shell and interior go to waste, it just isn't financially viable for me to get it all sorted. My renewed insurance started yesterday and its a fair bit more expensive than I was anticipating as well, so I might as well just cut my losses and go for something a bit more modern, with a lot more in the way of parts, safety features and creature comforts.

I did like the Micra, and as I said I hate to see it go. But at the same time, as I went into it blind and haven't had it very long, I haven't had the time to grow fond of it either, meaning I won't be desperately wanting to keep it no matter what. It has served me well in the short space that I've owned it and did for its previous 8 owners so there's that. Plus as the insurance money covered the car twice over, I technically haven't lost out on any cash I would have already had, minus the fuel gone into it, and the March stickers and wind deflectors.

My options for its replacement are a lot more clean cut and safe (or boring depending on how you look at it): either another Starlet or a 1.0 litre Yaris/Vitz. I'm more of a fan of the former (as anyone who knows me on this already is aware of ) and would feel comfortable in one again, but the latter is a bit newer, has a few little extra toys on it that make living with it a bit nicer (average MPG display, cup holders...), parts are more plentiful and should actually lower my insurance rather than raise it, which allows me to claw back some extra savings.

 

[Clark]

Go for a Yaris Mk1, my sister got one about 7 years ago and then passed it on to my fiancée. Only thing it's needed doing apart from the usual wear and tear items was a mid section on the exhaust as it had corroded.

Apart from on the motorway you'll get 45-50 mpg, and on the motorway you'll still get 42ish. Just needs a sixth gear really as it's revving a but too high at 60-70mph.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

I am quite keen on a Yaris. As much as I like the Starlets, it doesn't hurt to try something else, and at the end of the day it is a much newer car with more refinement. The economy is what attracts me to a 1.0 litre - I can afford a 1.3 or a 1.5 T Sport but at the end of the day, they're no quicker in the real world I'd like to think. Sure, they look a bit nicer but that's nothing a trip to the wreckers can't fix.

The Micra was about the same as my Starlet in terms of MPG, although it was a 1.2 and running on a carb, so that might have dented it slightly. My drive to work is has speed limits no higher than 60 anyway so a Yaris should be the same, if not slightly better.

 

[Clark]

My fiancées Yaris is the 1 litre, plenty of power in the real world. Even coming from my 130i I find it ok for power, just won't be able to do much overtaking apart from on dual carriageways and motorways though.

Four cylinders and normal gearing is fine, it's stuff with three ctlinders (no turbo) and intergalactic like Aygos that are dangerous.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

When my Starlet was wrecked, I did enthuse the idea of an 800-odd CC three cylinder Daihatsu but one of my worries was that it would be pretty lethargic on my route to work, not to mention a bit bland, even for a Japanese hatchback. I could afford a proper Kei version, with a turbo and 4WD but they are quite pricey for what they are and I doubt their nippiness extends to when its out on more open stretches of road.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

EDIT: Delete

 

[homeforsummer]

When my Starlet was wrecked, I did enthuse the idea of an 800-odd CC three cylinder Daihatsu but one of my worries was that it would be pretty lethargic on my route to work, not to mention a bit bland, even for a Japanese hatchback. I could afford a proper Kei version, with a turbo and 4WD but they are quite pricey for what they are and I doubt their nippiness extends to when its out on more open stretches of road.

If you can, I'd just suggest test driving as many different cars as you can. Find local used car places etc and just take stuff for drives. You may find something that really appeals.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Right, thought I'd show you what I've got as a replacement for the replacement.

Yep. By far and away the tidiest red Starlet I've seen and it was only a few miles up the road. 1998, 66k on the clock, all original (apart from some silly stickers) and immaculate inside and out. The best parts are that it was enthusiast owned, it has all the past receipts, recently been fully serviced and has had the bonnet, front bumper and panels resprayed. The scuff on the bumper was done a few days before I purchased it. Not too fussed about it, I may get it redone if I have some spare cash and time.

I'll let a few more pics do some of the talking.

JDM yo.

Some of the more questionable stickers.

'Lovely' 90s Japanese interior lushness.

So much nicer than my 5-door, both visually and to drive. I've already gone ahead and put my old head unit, strut brace and oil cap back in that I scavenged from my 5-door. Wheels will be replaced and the parcel shelf speakers will be put back in as well, once I figure out how to wire it up. Since its so clean, I don't want to go overboard with mods really, especially since I'm saving for a GT/Glanza (again). Plans are:

Take off the stickers
Clear indicators and repeaters
Wheels back on
Remove the bump strips
Paseo dials
Replacement Toyota badge for the rear
New back box
Lowered springs
TTE front lip and rear spoiler
Glanza rear bumper and side skirts

Not sure where else to go with it. Part of me just wants to go all out with it and focus on the smaller, hard to get details (headlight covers, original mats, etc.) but those go for big money, especially considering what they are. I've got it booked in for an MOT early next month so I'm hoping there's no nasty surprises (although I really do doubt it) and then we can see where it goes after. Comments/suggestions welcome!

 

[Clark]

If you're saving for a different car, don't waste your money on stuff for this one. You won't get the money back, just enjoy this as a cheap (and hopefully realiable) car to help you save for what you really want.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Decided not to dump money into it. Well, not huge amounts anyway.

Wheels are back on, although the wheel nuts are too big for the centre caps so I've gone and ordered some new ones which will clear them. Stickers are off, although that JDM one on the rear panel was covering up a nasty paint chip. Might see if I can get a replacement Toyota badge for the rear to cover it as best I can, hopefully from a wreckers yard.

It sailed through its MOT barring an advisory for the condensation on the passenger side headlamp and another for slightly worn brake pads, which I'm very pleased about. I'm a bit bored of buying cars now.

Car's managed to get two massive stone chips in the windscreen which will be repaired next week. It's free so its no issue.

Other than that I've not got anything else to say about it. Still after a few small touches (Japanese auction and registration stickers to match my parking permit mainly) but nothing major such as trim or body parts any more. I may remove the bump strips, since it is free, easy and does make the side profile look a whole lot cleaner. Only issue I have is that it is a massively time consuming process, which wasn't a problem back at college when I had time to kill. With a job however, I'd much rather spend my free time doing other things.

If anyone has some free/stupidly cheap or cool minor details I could add, I'd be more than grateful!

 

[homeforsummer]

The other thread led me back to this one. Didn't even realise you'd bought another Starlet! Nice purchase. How's it running?