Author Topic: Thinking of joining the club... (Read 19463 times)

cosmic · « **on:** Mar 16, 2007, 12:07AM »

G'day,

I remember being 15 years old, and seeing the then new U13 Bluebird SSS released here in Australia... I guess if nothing else, I just loved that it had a Heads Up Display, but also its lovely styling compared to most of the then very boxy cars on the market. After falling in love with this car, I decided that I'd never own a car that wasn't feature packed...

Fast foward a few years, I got my first car... and didn't have to compromise on that decision - I got a 1981 Nissan 280zx... power steering, windows, mirrors, a/c, battery meter, adjustable wiper speed, targa roof...

The time however has come that I need a family car... I'm a full time student, as is my fiancée, and we are expecting our first child in October. So, I started thinking of cars I'd consider owning other than a "Zed".... and the Bluebird came to mind.

Looking online at a few sites, I see they sell for around $4,500 - $9,500...

At 13ish years old, what kinds of problems can I expect the cars to have? Any common faults to be aware of? Do they suffer from rust as badly as the 280zx?

I'm curious how much they sold for new?

So many questions...

Any advice greatly appreciated...

cheers

cosmic

Jono · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 16, 2007, 01:23AM »

I've heard of them rusting in the bottom of the doors, but it isn't really an issue if you get to it when it first appears. It's apparently caused by a foam block inside the door holding water and rusting the door skin.

If you do a quick search you should be able to find a heap more info...

EDIT: here's a post from a little while back: http://www.antrx.com/smf/index.php?topic=11200.0

greenbird · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 16, 2007, 03:06PM »

Yeah, Jono is right about the rust in the front doors, but it isnt right at the bottom. It happens about 6 inches up from the bottom. Wierd place to have rust begin, but not a problem if treated quickly after it is discovered to stop the spread. It certainly won't affect the structural integrity of the car...
The link to the other thread that Jono has posted will tell you pretty much everything i need to know.
I've had my U13 for nearly 7 years now and still enjoy driving it every time i get in it! Not bored with it at all yet...

cosmic · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 17, 2007, 06:46PM »

I just replaced a door on my Zed because it rusted at about that height. It also had rust in the very bottom of the door as well though.

I'm liking the fact that I've found a website for these cars, with people as passionate about them as I have been about my 280zx's over the past 8 years.

I was just thinking about it today... can remember when my dad bought a new family car for my mum to drive - a Mazda 121, circa 1994 - and trying to get him to instead by a Bluebird SSS... looking at one up at Kerry Nissan in Darwin... then later when I found a 280zx in a caryard, and loving that despite it being 13 or so years older than the Bluebird SSS, it still had power windows, steering, mirrors, etc etc...

I'll have to start reading up... and then looking at local cars... though not too early... whilst I'm sure the "motor finance wizard" will say yes to giving me a loan (Student? YES! Centrelink payments? YES!), I wont want a shark-loan, even if it does mean my baby will have to ride in the back seat of the Zed for a few months.

imaspy · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 17, 2007, 07:08PM »

gearbox fun after 200k, but thats common in many cars

if you can find a low k model, i would do anything you could to snap it up. good driving there.

cosmic · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 17, 2007, 07:49PM »

Had to get a new gearbox for my Zed in 03 after driving thru a flooded river in NT... :}

What do you call low K's?

Do all SSS's have the HUD, or was it an optional extra?
If not, how hard to instal one?

This one:
http://www.autotrader.com.au/iteminfo/adnumber_W931531545900_kw_bluebird_loc_locRZSQregtAVSCdistRZSQAVSCstateRZSQ4AVSCregRZSQ_off_11_sect_Automotive_sort_otRZSQ1BJDZfdRZSQSearchDisplayPriorityIndAVSCotRZSQ1BJDZfdRZSQFirstPublished_sqt_0_stpg_1_subs_Used+Cars_

is just down the road from my house. Might go check it out tonight, then go back later for a test drive.

Yeah - figure it's probably a good idea to actually test drive one of the cars before getting too invested in them... Might not like how they drive

greenbird · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 12:00PM »

Hmm, i just looked at the trading post ad for that car.
Be careful with it. The rear bumper looks rippled in the photo's and it is a completely different colour to the rest of the car. Looks like it might have been slightly rear ended?
$8000 is way to much for it anyway. But still go check it out just for the sake of it and then keep on looking!
If you can find a manual car, they go a HELL of a lot harder than the auto's and they use less fuel whilst doing it too.
Dan.

imaspy · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 01:16PM »

again, i wish i bought the sss i testicle-drove. it had every optional extra and went so well. but we feared the audible ticking in the engine

cosmic · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 05:01PM »

Took my fiancée to look at it today... hadn't noticed the bumper issue from the pics, and couldn't really tell in person that the colour didn't match, but yeah - it caught out attention cos it doesn't look like it's lined up correctly... little gap around the top of the bumper, and the groves don't match the body...

How do I tell what model the car is? There was no "SSS" or "LQ" or "Ti" badging... it had cruise, lots of buttons on the driver side door... couldn't see any HUD in the dash though. They are fairly obvious, yes?

imaspy
What is "every optional extra"? I like extras...

Is why I studied the Nissan 280zx's wiring diagrams so I could figure out how to modify a 79 in order to use an 81's windscreen wipers (which have an adjustable time delay for the intermittent setting)... now that was a fun job.

NIZ013 · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 06:01PM »

I have a series 1 SSS, and i looked into it all before i bought the SSS. Like series 2 vs series 1 and SSS, TI, LX etc...

Basically the series 1 do not have ABS or Airbags as opposed to the series 2. The series 2 sss's came standard with polished mags. Same mags as the series 1, just polished. The series 2 have a slat grill as opposed to the honeycomb grill of the series 1. The bootlid badge is also different.

The sss has the velour interior and leather parts (steering wheel, gearstick knob and gearstick boot), woodgrain strip on the dash, the HUD, fog lights, side skirts and rear spoiler, CD & tape player and 6 speaker stereo, climate control.

The lx has cloth interior and vinyl parts (steering wheel, gearstick knob & gearstick boot), black plastic on dash, no HUD, no fog lights, no kit (unless it was purchased as optional extra, tape player and 4 speaker stereo, air con (not climate control).

Both have cruise control standard, i think... And they all have power windows.

The ti as far as i know only came standard in auto, and i think some of them had sunroof. Dunno much else about it and can't say i've seen too many around. I've got the original series 2 bluebird catalogue somewhere.

I personally preferred the series 1, and thought the extra $1k or so for the SSS was well spent above the going prices for an LX, for the extras.

I've never had any problems with rust in mine, and it's pretty much been a trouble free car for me. The only problems i've had are the rear brake callipers leaking fluid and the starter motor shat not so long ago. Mine's got 246,000kms on the clock and it's still going great. Mine's a manual and the gearbox is still really nice in it. I'm getting rid of mine soon, but it's only because i've upgraded to something a little faster... They are notorious for oil leaking from the o-ring to the dizzy, and mine had been replaced by the previous owner.

NIZ013 · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 06:08PM »

That bluey would be a series one LX. The front grille is def series one, the mags are unpolished and the bootlid badge is a series one.
The interior from the photos appears to be cloth (not velour) with the black plastic trim (not woodgrain) on the dash, making it an LX. It also doesn't have the SSS climate control, CD player, HUD, side skirts, leather sports steering wheel or foglights. So it is definately an LX.

The rear bumper does look dodgey and i think the $7,990 is quite alot for it. IMO i would go for a SSS as you would be able to pick one up for around that.

cosmic · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 06:28PM »

So, by the sounds of it...

http://www.autotrader.com.au/iteminfo/adnumber_W1077032252415_kw_bluebird_loc_locRZSQregtAVSCdistRZSQAVSCstateRZSQ4AVSCregRZSQ_off_15_sect_Automotive_sort_otRZSQ0BJDZfdRZSQMakeYear_sqt_0_stpg_1_subs_Used+Cars_

This would be the car to buy... SSS, with airbags, CD/6 speaker, rear spoiler, manual, 170,000 km...

Damn, sooo wish I hadn't already borrowed $5k from my folks to restore the roof... can't really hit them up again for another $7k! :}

NIZ013 · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 06:52PM »

That one looks pretty good. It's a series one like mine. The series one's don't have the airbags though, it's only the series 2's...

From the rear shot, the bootlid looks a slightly different colour. Could be just the angle/lighting/my eyes. Mine's got the slightly faded bootlid, so perhaps it just got a respray???

Alister · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 11:09PM »

Good choice going for a Bluey...

Quote from: cosmic on Mar 17, 2007, 07:49PM

Do all SSS's have the HUD, or was it an optional extra?
If not, how hard to instal one?

All AUS delivered U13s have the HUD feature, JAP etc models had it as an option on certain models.
Installing a HUD into a non HUD is a bit tricky. You could buy the SSS wiring looms from a wreck and
all the other HUD parts (HUD display unit, HUD control unit (on the back of the gauge cluster)) and
replace the looms in your model or you can splice into the VSS signals and retain the LX or Ti loom
with a bit of rewiring. There are PDFs on nissanclub.com with vague instructions on how to do so.
I nearly did it when I had my U13 but decided against it as it was going to cost at least $500-$1000
and the missus wanted to get me a newer car.

My old U13 LX Series 1 (with a few SSS upgrades)...

cosmic · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 18, 2007, 11:29PM »

Just have to say - I'm enjoying this...

Flashbacks to before buying my first car... getting answers to questions that will hopefully soon become second nature...

And the HUD is to the U13 what the "Talking Lady" is to the 280zx... An optional extra that some people go crazy trying to instal/repair... Except a lot of people hated the Zed's Talking Lady (vocal warnings for various alarts such as low fuel, door open, etc etc), whereas everyone seems to love the HUD.

rich85 · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 19, 2007, 08:44AM »

the SSS is also the only one with a rear wiper

weird.

Alister · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 19, 2007, 03:10PM »

Yeah, the HUD really is something special...
They seem to last as well. There are still late 80s early 90s Silvias around with working HUDs.
Regarding the HUD, don't believe ANYONE that says if your windscreen breaks you'll have to pay
a shitload for a replacement special HUD windscreen. The HUD projects onto a patch of
mirror tint stuck on the standard U13 windscreen. The HUD even works without the mirror tint, just looks a
bit dull.

If you get a LX or Ti, you could get an aftermarket Defi hud. They go for about $240 new, look better, and
installation is easier than installing a SSS HUD.
The LX is very similar to the Ti model, they both share the same seats and upholstery.
The Ti just gets a leather steering wheel, foggies, sunroof (optional I think), fancy side badges, cd player,
better stereo system, climate control, woodgrain, and that's pretty much it.

phreeky · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 19, 2007, 03:41PM »

Meh to the HUD in my opinion - maybe I just say that because I don't have one? I dunno, I find them a little silly - could always just mount a PDA hooked up to consult and get a reading of every sensor known to man instead.

IMO the biggest visual improvement you could do to an aus-spec U13 is a jap-spec front bumper, it looks 10 times better - http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/Img_5542.jpg (car wasn't the cleanest in that photo)

Other than that, if you're not TOO tight on cash and want something faster, maybe you ought to buy an import one anyway.

greenbird · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 19, 2007, 07:16PM »

A couple more things to add...
All series 1 bluebirds (LX, Ti and SSS) got cruise control, but didn't have airbags.
For series 2, all models got an airbag, but the cruise control was dropped in the LZ. Only Ti and SSS cars gotr the cruise control in series 2 form.
Not all series 2 SSS's got ABS... My Bro's 95 model (series 2) SSS doesn't have it. It must have been an option.
Dan.

cosmic · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 24, 2007, 03:08PM »

I just checked out another Bluebird... it's actually the one that I posted a link to on 18/March 4.28pm...

1994
SSS
170,000km
Manual
HUD, CD, etc
$6,990

The sales guy was pretty good in that he DIDN'T try convince me to buy it today, though he did say they're offering a 5 year warranty "offer ending today" on all mechanical/electrical. When I said we were both students, wanting to wait til I had a full time job, he accepted that and didn't push, though was happy to talk about the car still. I call that a good salesperson, able to look to the future instead of just the here and now.

The car itself looked good. One small dint on the rear passenger door, and the rear bumper just looked slightly out of alignment... but colour was right, unlike that LX model I first looked at...

Interior looked nice, though the "wood" panel appeared to have a crack on the passenger side - may have been a join mark? Or is it meant to be 1 continuous strip?

I can definitely see myself in a car like that, though still haven't test drove one. Didn't feel like lying to the salesman and implying I was actually seriously looking, in order to get a test drive.

Alister · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 24, 2007, 08:33PM »

The woodgrain panel in SSS and Ti models pretty much ALWAYS cracks. It's hard to find one which hasn't cracked.
The black panel in the LX doesn't seem to have a problem.

greenbird · « **Reply #21 on:** Mar 24, 2007, 10:22PM »

Good opportunity to ditch the crappy looking plastic woodgrain for the nice, slick, shiny, good looking black panel from the LX!!!
I hate that plastic woodgrain crap. It looks terrible!

cosmic · « **Reply #22 on:** Mar 24, 2007, 11:19PM »

Is it a big job to swap the wood strip over to the black one?

Need to visit a wrecker, or do Nissan still make/have stockpile of them?

Not that I'll be buying *that* car... unless it's still sitting there in about 8 months...

greenbird · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 25, 2007, 08:17AM »

I believe that it is a pretty easy job as it just clips in?
Check out the Factury service manual that i posted and is now a sticky at the top of the U13 section....
That should tell you.
No doubt you would still be able to get the parts from Nissan, but i imagine they would be quite expensive.

rich85 · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 25, 2007, 10:37AM »

i have been trying to think of what to do with that cracked plastic woodgrain, everyone that jumps in the car seems to say "oh this is quite luxurious isnt it, bit of cracked plastic there though''

i wonder why it cracks? too much pressure on it maybe? everyone i see seems to be cracked above the glove box only

cosmic · « **Reply #25 on:** Mar 25, 2007, 10:49AM »

greenbird - Oh, cool... I should have had a look at that thread; just thought it was someone after a FSM, not the actual thing digitised!

Buying the FSM was one of the first things I did when I got my Zed.

rich85 - yeah, the one I looked at, it was cracked just above the right side of the glove box...
I imagine it's just like Dashboards cracking... lots of heat, then cold on plastic... making it expand/contract/expand/contract... til it's had enough.

NIZ013 · « **Reply #26 on:** Mar 25, 2007, 12:30PM »

Yeah my woodgrain was cracked when i bought my car. It is a two piece bit, but then mine was cracked near the glovebox. I enquired at one wreckers about getting an lx black panel and they wanted $120 for the two pieces... screw that. I ended up buying the woodgrain part from counterpunch's attesa wreck that he had for a bit less than that. Ka-bluey fitted it for me, without too many hassles...

cosmic · « **Reply #27 on:** Mar 25, 2007, 01:40PM »

Just checked out another Bluey...

Series 2, 1996
Auto, maroon, LX
Shiny alloys - ok, I see the diff now...
$7,990

Q. The bumper on this one also seemed to slightly be out of alignment with the rest of the car... and yet, it matched at the top, and the "groove" in the middle matched, but at the bottom it was out by a few millimeters... enough to be noticable.

Is this common... how they came...

Also now have seen the black strip instead of the woodgrain... I think I almost prefer it, as the wood kinda looks.... well... like it's trying to be something it's not... :} (Sorry to all the wood grain strip fans out there) That said... me being me... the perfectionist stock standard guy... I'll probably want the wood grain by the time I get the car...

rich85 · « **Reply #28 on:** Mar 25, 2007, 05:33PM »

i would definantely try and get a manual SSS like the one you looked at over an auto LX which was higher in price anyway

Alister · « **Reply #29 on:** Mar 26, 2007, 02:43PM »

Don't get a LX. Trust me you'll regret it.
Definatly go for SSS (or Ti if you can't find a good SSS).

The plastic strip is easy to replace, few screws around the place etc.
When I was at All Auto Recylcing at Strathpine wanting to get the woodgrain SSS/Ti panel out of a wreck, I went with one of the guys to get it out.
I was telling him where the screws were, got the first piece out no worries, second piece - Me: "Mate stop levering up the second piece, it's still screwed in!"
Guy: "Naaahh we've already taken all the screws out." *continues to lever up panel with screwdriver* *craaack*

$120 is very exxy for a strip. I was getting the SSS strip for $50.

Abaddon · « **Reply #30 on:** Mar 26, 2007, 05:28PM »

Quote from: Alister on Mar 26, 2007, 02:43PM

Don't get a LX. Trust me you'll regret it.
Definatly go for SSS (or Ti if you can't find a good SSS).

Trust = Negative

I have an LX and I'm very happy. Sure I wouldn't mind a HUD & some fog lights, but it doesn't mean that I'm unhappy with my purchase. Goes well, is comfortable and looks pretty. The rest of the stuff is nice to have but:

- Meh to climate control, the A/C is great in any case
- ~35% of all Sunroofs leak (according to my windscreen repairer)
- who isn't going to tear out their stock audio system anyway??
- My LX came with velour interior side skirts and spoiler
- I like my black strip, if I want a strip that looks like wood I'll make a strip out of wood (The last
owner drilled a hole in the vinyl steering wheel so I'll be changing that soon, and why not fit a short
shifter or a custom shifter knob, it'll be super-Cheaper than buying a black strip from a wrecker)

In short Alister, just because you are unhappy/uninventive with your LX (if you even have one) don't knock them all or suggest that everyone would be happier even with a heavier...*cough*automatic...Ti

And Cosmic...Have a look at the different cars for yourself, think about what you would do if you bought any one of them. And take them for a spin before you forget any particular model.

greenbird · « **Reply #31 on:** Mar 26, 2007, 07:12PM »

Quote from: Alister on Mar 26, 2007, 02:43PM

Don't get a LX. Trust me you'll regret it.
Definatly go for SSS (or Ti if you can't find a good SSS).

I'm with Abaddon all the way with this one.
The only difference between an LX and a SSS is cosmetic crap. Some of it is nice, but other parts of it are useless.
The series 1 LX with the cruise control would be my pick over the series 2 LX (which had no cruise, but an airbag). The LX is still a very well equipped car.
If was looking at 2 bluebirds for $6000 and one was a LX in mint condition, the other was a SSS which was a bit rough, i know which one i would be buying.... The one in the best condition of course!
It would be a different story if the SSS was mechanically better than an LX, but its not.
This is all a purely fictional situation, but my advice to you Cosmic, is to set a dollar figure that you wish to spend and buy the bluebird that is in the best condition you can find.
The only thing you will have to decide is whether you want to look at auto or manual cars. Obviously if you want manual, the Ti is out of the equation.
Dan.

Alister · « **Reply #32 on:** Mar 27, 2007, 11:11PM »

Jeez guys settle down.
The LX is a great car, all U13 models are!
The point I was making why not just find a SSS or Ti?
They go for around the same price these days anyway.
Sure its all cosmetic but hey, climate control and HUD are pretty cool features so why not get them?

Abaddon: I loved my LX. And yes I did own one, I even posted a picture a few posts up from your post

greenbird · « **Reply #33 on:** Mar 28, 2007, 08:37AM »

Its alright Alister, we're not having a go.
We're just saying don't discount the LX all together. If Cosmic finds one in good condition, he should go for it.
You are right, all the models do go for similar money, but for a set dollar figure an LX will likely be in better condition than a SSS for the same money.

cosmic · « **Reply #34 on:** Mar 28, 2007, 09:45AM »

When I thought about buying a Bluebird due to the need for a family car, I never really expected to find a seriously dedicated online forum supporting them. My fiancée's ex- car was a 97 Ford Festiva, and I never found any forums for them when it needed work done. By contrast I could list about 1/2 dozen "Z" forums (only 1 1/2 Aussie sites though), which probably comes down to the car's popularity, age, and - well, the need for help because they seem to get so many weird problems!

So, I have to say it's a real delight for me to see such passionate and excited people who adore and enjoy the Bluebird. Definitely instills confidence in the decision to become a Bluebird owner for me, knowing not only if I need help, that it is there, but also when I just go cruising one day, and come home feeling buzzed from a nice drive, I can get on here and find people who know how I'm feeling.

Getting so bloody tempted to go back for that 94 SSS! :} But instead am looking for a casual job to get a little extra money before the baby arrives, and help hopefully be in a better position to finance a Bluebird when the time comes.

-- All of that may sound a bit wanky, but I'm an Arts/Film Student, so I'm allowed to sound wanky sometimes.

Alister · « **Reply #35 on:** Mar 28, 2007, 08:47PM »

Yeah, you make a good point greenbird...
After all, I did buy my LX because I couldn't find a SSS or Ti in decent condition for the right price.

The SSS is only 30kg heavier than the LX, Ti is 50kg heavier so weight isn't really an issue.

With the SSS you get...
-foggies
-body kit (skirts, spoiler etc yes was an option on LX)
-ski port (comes in handy when carrying long items in the boot)
-climate control (much prefer it to standard ac)
-hud (love it)
-sports seats (SSS buckets rock! replaced my LX seats with SSS Series 2 seats)
-cruise control/airbag (series 2)
-leather steering wheel (minor but the leather wheel feels a hell of a lot better than the LX wheels)
-sunroof optional (a sunroof that has been looked after won't leak)

Cosmic: No worries, you'll find a U13 that you love when the time comes to buy one.

cosmic · « **Reply #36 on:** May 5, 2007, 07:15PM »

I asked "my" brakes guy this week what he knew of 90's Bluebirds... he gave them a good rap...

Today I took my fiancée to a few dealers... Saw a LX (or Ti? rear spoiler, def not a SSS) at a dealer in Slacks Creek... $5990... was only the 2nd Bluebird we've seen that had a good looking bumper - all the others the bumper has looked "wrong"...

Then went to Moorooka Magic Mile to see a 93 SSS advertised online for just under $6k as well... but it had sold.

Now that my fiancée's dad has said they'll loan us the money [for THEIR grandchild], s'pose I really can start looking properly. Should go test drive that first (and only so far) SSS in Springwood... it's still showing up on carsguide.com.au...

Anyone known a car yard to offer 3 years warranty on ALL mechanicals (for 2nd hand cars)? The day we looked at the SSS the guy said they had that offer going... sure would be good peace of mind... could try wrangle it out of them...

greenbird · « **Reply #37 on:** May 6, 2007, 07:33PM »

Quote from: cosmic on May 5, 2007, 07:15PM

Anyone known a car yard to offer 3 years warranty on ALL mechanicals (for 2nd hand cars)? The day we looked at the SSS the guy said they had that offer going... sure would be good peace of mind... could try wrangle it out of them...

Yes, it will be an aftermarket type warranty, not a dealer warranty.
We had one of these when we bought our Toyota Surf about 4 years ago and it proved to be a godsend!
If something goes wrong with your car, they will cover up to a certain amount for repairs. For example they might cover you for $2500 worth of repairs to the engine. Then all you have to pay for is consumables (oils, coolant, etc..) to have your car repaired up to that dollar figure. If repairs go beyond that, you just make up the difference.
These warranties don't cover absolutely everything, but they will cover most of the items on the car that would cost the most to repair (engine, gearbox etc..).
Its good peace of mind that if something does go wrong with the car that you buy, you won't have to foot the whole bill for the repairs.
We chose to buy the warranty for our car and it cost us around $600, so just keep that in mind. The dealer won't give you the warranty for nothing, they will have jacked up the price of the car and then will try to tell you they are giving the warranty to you for free!
After having used this type of warranty before, i would definately do it again. It saved us thousands in repairs with our car......

gee-aye-dee · « **Reply #38 on:** May 7, 2007, 11:57AM »

Quote from: cosmic on Mar 28, 2007, 09:45AM

By contrast I could list about 1/2 dozen "Z" forums (only 1 1/2 Aussie sites though), which probably comes down to the car's popularity, age, and - well, the need for help because they seem to get so many weird problems!

could you list some of those forums

...my mate owns a red 280 with rb20 conversion hes looking for some forums

cosmic · « **Reply #39 on:** May 7, 2007, 05:35PM »

zcar.com - biggest one I know
zdriver.com
thezgarage.com - Aussie site

cosmic · « **Reply #40 on:** May 19, 2007, 05:38PM »

Found another SSS today... 1995 model, $4999...

It's the poorest looking of any U13 I've looked at so far... hence the price... no rego even... fair few scratches in the ducco... rear bumper doesn't line up properly... steering wheel was "split" in two places, one quite badly (ie several inches, wide "gash"), stock stereo changed to Pioneer, and accel had some kind of aftermarket pedal... No offence to any hoons on this forum, but looked like the car had been pimped out and ridden hard... Was up to about 230,000km too.

One point - the steering wheel didn't claim to have an airbag... I thought 95 was the beginning of airbag/abs? Is the airbag not in the steering wheel?

JelloBello · « **Reply #41 on:** May 19, 2007, 06:01PM »

As far as i know, the 3 spoke steering wheels are non-airbag while the 4 'spoked' ones have airbags

Airbag:

Non-airbag:

I could however be wrong in my assumptions about the airbags.

Also, I am fairly sure that abs brakes wasn't offered as an option on AUDM spec u13's, only on the JDM models.

slim · « **Reply #42 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:37PM »

Just confirming jellobello, the 4 spokes in series 2 had a airbag
the aussie birds didnt get ABS.
wonder why is it coz japan and america? have different road conditions?
ice and snow? ive heard that is why there was a AWD made

JelloBello · « **Reply #43 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:47PM »

slightly off topic but yeh. I believe that the u13 Attesa's were designed for snowy hills in japan, AWD for traction and turbo to compensate for the lower density of air at altitude.

cosmic · « **Reply #44 on:** May 19, 2007, 09:57PM »

Thanks Jello,

I was holding the U13 S2 in a lot higher light as I thought it had both the airbag and ABS, but sounds like there's not really that much (safety wise) difference - will definitely go check out that first SSS I saw (1994) and take it for a test drive.

As long as it doesn't have any nasty sounds/handling issues on the road, and the a/c etc works ok, and the dealer agrees to the 3 (or 5?) year full warranty - I'm thinking $6990 isn't too bad a price to pay, with 170,000 on the clock.

cosmic · « **Reply #45 on:** Jun 21, 2007, 04:57PM »

Howdy again ya'll,

Just checked out a 94 Ti... asking $7,450, with 240,000km... torn door rests... damaged carpet... all glass tints hazy/peeling (except front windscreen)... cracked black dash bezel... and average quality steering wheel...

Yikes!

Really regret that we missed the $6,990 94 SSS now... supposedly when we went back, we'd missed it by 1 week... but you know what car dealers are like...

No other SSS's on the online directories at the moment... will have to hope something comes up in the next 3 months before bub pops out... :}

greenbird · « **Reply #46 on:** Jun 21, 2007, 11:21PM »

Hang in there mate. Something will pop up when the timing is right....
Dan.

brent_ford310 · « **Reply #47 on:** Jun 24, 2007, 07:23PM »

hey mate... ive got a 1995 Ti done 220,000... check it out at carsales...

http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private/NISSAN/BLUEBIRD/details.aspx?Model=BLUEBIRD&__Nne=20&__N=4294963846+82+4294966599+834+285+257&Make=NISSAN&State=Victoria&silo=1003&state_id=82&distance=25&Cr=4&seot=0&__sid=1135EF856E33&R=1364132&__Ns=pCar_PrivateSpecialFlag_Int32|1||pCar_ImageCount_Int32|1||pCar_LastModifiedDate_DateTime|1&trecs=15

im in vic where r u located...??

i have a guy interested atm, and we've held it for him until he is available for inspection but if he isnt keen then ur a possibilty...

just have a look n let me know any questions email me [email protected] or add me to MSN

cosmic · « **Reply #48 on:** Jun 24, 2007, 10:21PM »

Hi brent_ford,
I'm up in Brissie, so would be a bit hard to inspect

brent_ford310 · « **Reply #49 on:** Jun 25, 2007, 01:02PM »

yeh shit ey... oh well u'll get the right bird when it comes up...
i went to canberra to get mine like 16hr drive... haha but i love it so very worth it..
anyways good luck

cosmic · « **Reply #50 on:** Jul 2, 2007, 05:40PM »

A non-SSS with heads up..? (That was possible right, as an optional extra on the lower models?)

http://search.carsguide.news.com.au/racq/find-a-car/power-search/search-results/car-details.do?make=NISSAN&model=BLUEBIRD&make2=&model2=&make3=&model3=&keyword=&priceFrom=&priceTo=&body=&newBody=&transmission=&lifeStyle=&yearFrom=&yearTo=&location=All+Locations&postcode=&radius=10&stockNumber=&sortFields=R&asc=true&pageNumber=2&searchType=4&dealerId=&includeFeatured=false&featureAd=false&vehicleId=121455&vehicleType=3

Cheap for a 95 model, though it's not registered, and is a private sale... I had been planning on only using a Dealer, so I'd at least have 3 months to find any problems, but given that there's only 1 Dealer offered SSS in Brisbane area, I'm starting to consider private...

MAG86 · « **Reply #51 on:** Jul 2, 2007, 06:36PM »

hey congrats with the baby, hope all the preparation goes smoothly!

one thing you might want to look at is fuel consuption? im unsure what its like for the DE,, but in my U12 its sometimes around 13 to 14 lt per 100km! ( V8 like!)
are you thinking of selling the Zcar? dont whatever you do not trade it in , you wont get more than $500 on a sub $10,000 purchase

good luck!

and brentfords car looks really good, if i didnt already have 2 skylines (L24 pwered too!) and my U12 i would probably buy it...can have 4 cars its just not right

cosmic · « **Reply #52 on:** Jul 2, 2007, 06:56PM »

Q - I thought the SSS had rear spoiler standard, but keep seeing them without... (including brent_ford's) Am I wrong?

Thanks for the congrats

Have made some great scores off eBay to set up the nursary, which is good for our student budget. (And I'll clarify, cos I don't want anyone thinking I'm 19

I'm 29... fiancee is 27... we both decided to go back to Uni, which has been great for the grey matter, but hard on the greenback).

If at all possible I'm going to garage the Zed... (which gets around 12-14L/100Km) Redbook says that the U13 should get 6.4 - 9.5L per 100km... Is that completely out of touch with reality?

Using redbook.com.au as well, I checked Camry, Falcon, and Commodore... and they all basically run at 6.8-11.5L /100Km (Highway-City driving)... So right now that's a selling point I'm pushing on the fiance... :}

NIZ013 · « **Reply #53 on:** Jul 2, 2007, 07:38PM »

Yes all SSS's came standard with the rear spoiler, but were an optional extra. The one Brent is trying to sell is a TI where it's the luxury model, not a sporty model so it doesn't have the body kit. And the one you provided the link for above appears to be an LX with the spoiler.

After having my bluey for nearly 3 years i would definately recommend one. Absolute pleasure to drive! I used to do a combination of highway and city driving and used to get 12-13k's per litre (7.7-8.3 L per 100km's), which i thought was great. I'm not going to say that i drove it like a granny all the time though so i'm sure the fuel consumption would be better if i did lower rev gear changes (mine was manual).

As for safety. Well mine was written off last Tuesday night and considering i was hit by a semi and a 4wd with a bull bar, it held up really well, especially seeing as every panel sustained damage. There were no major crumple zones on the car. The main thing being that i was not hurt at all. Mine was a series 1 with no airbags.

When i was looking at buying the bluey i was tossing up between a VR/VS commodore and a SSS bluey at the time. The bluey won out for me, being a 4 cyl and with all the features that it had over the commo. I'm sure your fiance will appreciate the 4 cyl rego as opposed to the 6 cyl rego of a falcon or commo.

cosmic · « **Reply #54 on:** Jul 2, 2007, 10:02PM »

Teena! So glad to hear you're ok!!! Sounds like a nasty smash! Glad you were able to walk away.

We just went for a drive to the nearest Nissan dealer to see if they had any 2nd hand cars... (at 8pm, so no annoying staff to hassle us; even though means you can't get into the cars to play) And I left the lights in my Zed on... funny thing - headlights only were on... *sigh* No tail lights. Brake lights work, but no tails. And from what I can tell, they mustn't've been working for the past 18 months or more, since the interior dash lights stopped working... Another reason we need a new car... my Zed really needs to be garaged and restored.

Thanks for the ammo regarding registration! Hadn't thought of that. The Zed, being straight 6, costs over $650pa to register. Should save a few hundred going with a 4 cyl.

Such a shame the green SSS that I found months ago sold; supposedly the week before we went to ask for a test drive...

greenbird · « **Reply #55 on:** Jul 2, 2007, 10:47PM »

Yeah, glad to hear you are okay Teena.... Sounds nasty.
Anyway back to the talk about Bluebirds.
I completely agree with everything that Teena has said. Spoilers were standard on SSS and optional extras on all other models.
I have a manual S1 LX which has 243000kms on the clock now and i still consistently get between 9.5 and 10 L/100 out of it (and although i don't flog it, i don't pussy foot around either). 7 L/100 is definately acheivable on the highway. My recorded best was about 6.75L / 100 driving across the Hay plains from Wagga Wagga to Adelaide.
My mum has an automatic S1 SSS with just over 100000 kms on the clock. I borrowed it for a fortnight over xmas when my wife pranged her car and was driving around in my bluey. I was shocked at how much extra fuel the auto guzzled. Roughly 20% more than my manual car which has over double the kms on the clock!
My advice is to go for a manual and forget any auto's if you are concerned at all about economy.
That's my 2 cents anyway!
Dan.

Alister · « **Reply #56 on:** Jul 3, 2007, 03:09AM »

cosmic: HUD was not an option, it was only available in the SSS model.
If you look at the dash of that car, you can see its missing the HUD display unit on the dash so no HUD.

greenbird: I don't think auto U13s use a lot more fuel than the manuals. Check the fuel economy thread.
From memory, my LX auto was down to about 8L/100KM highway and city driving and driving it hard too.
Check the thread for exact figures.
Out of interest, you said your mum has a SSS S1 with roughly 100 000km. Serviced every 10 000km??

Sorry to hear about the acco Teena. The main thing is that you didn't get hurt.

greenbird · « **Reply #57 on:** Jul 3, 2007, 07:15PM »

Quote from: Alister on Jul 3, 2007, 03:09AM

Out of interest, you said your mum has a SSS S1 with roughly 100 000km. Serviced every 10 000km??

Yeah mate, its got books up until she bought it and I started servicing it for her. Maybe it needs to have the computer reset so that it can re-learn and tune itself, as this has never been done as far as i know.
It's certainly not down on power and there is definately nothing wrong with it, but it just uses more fuel....
Auto's tend to suck a lot of power out of 4 cylinder cars, but the bluebird doesn't do too badly in auto form as it is a fairly large and 'torquey' engine.