So maybe I AM a hairdresser... (Nissan 100NX)

Member Name: sloblock_uk1972

Product:	Nissan 100NX
Date:	02/05/03 (2637 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: T-bar roof, Nissan Reliability, Individuality

Disadvantages: Styling not everyone's taste, Rubbish standard alloy wheels, Annoying cabin glitches

The 100NX is often dismissed as little more than a re-skinned Nissan Sunny. I owned one for just under a year and while I'd agree it's no full-blown sports car, I don't think it was entirely without it's merits.

Definately a "unique" looking car with looks you either love or hate. The narrow, standard issue "shopping trolley" wheels certainly didn't help argue the 100NXs case. However, fitting customised alloy wheels transformed it's looks. Taking the T-bar roof panels off also helped transform the look of the vehicle and I took every opportunity to do so (brave considering the climate in Edinburgh). This could be done very quickly and easily, although storage of the large panels (much bigger than those of say an MR2 or 300ZX) wasn't always easy if you had luggage in the boot. By the way, don't loose the protective bags for the roof panels as they cost nearly £100 to replace from the delearship.

If performance is your thing and you're considering a 100NX, it's important you go for a later model (1994 onwards) as they will have a 1.6 litre fuel injected engine (102bhp) as opposed to the earlier 1.6 litre twin carburettor engine (90bhp). These early models suffered badly for their lack of power and the carburettor was notoriously troublesome with asthmatic performance, stalling and appalling fuel economy being common complaints. Mine was a 1995 N-reg Targa Pacific 1.6i, it was good for 60mph in 2nd gear and would achieve speeds in excess of those displayed on the speedometer (it only went up to 120mph). Fuel economy was excellent with over 400 miles being returned to a full tank of petrol. There is also a NUTTY 2.0i version (I don't believe this was ever available in the UK) which has roughly the same 150bhp engine as a Primera GT or an Almera GTi. Frankly, I think if I'd ever had one of those I probably wouldn't be here today!

Ride and handling were certainly a big imp

rovement over the Ford Escort I'd been driving previously however I was soon to learn that those narrow tyres and the not quite performance-tuned chassis would put paid to any Michael Schumacher-style antics. Basically, I stuffed the car into a kerb after cornering too quickly in the wet. The result was a bent wishbone arm which my friendly Nissan dealership offered to replace for £300. A local garage charged £120 for the same job. Those cheeky Nissan dealerships again!!

The car was comfortable enough for the driver and front passenger - I particulalry liked the front seats, though the back seat was little more than a thin piece of foam. Legroom was token for rear passengers though the boot was actually very generous and comparable to that of the Escort my 100NX replaced. Equipment levels seem basic by today's standards; no airbags, abs, alarm or any other mod cons we take for granted these days.. but I guess some of these cars are now over 10 years old.

The major mechanics of the car were very reliable and gave me no problems whatsoever, the interior however was plagued by minor niggles;

The air recycling lever jammed constantly. All 100NXs do this and there is no cure. I had the linkage replaced twice to no effect. Once it's stuck, all you can do is stick your arm up behind the dashboard and pull the linkage to whatever position you want the recycler to be in. Occassionally it would free itself.

Door windows appeared to rattle like hell if they weren't completely up or completely down. I cured this by greasing the plastic rollers that guide the glass inside the door. The noise was not actually a rattle but a creak coming from the plastic rollers. Trust me!

The parcel shelf hinges failed. They were shoddily pop-rivetted to the parcel shelf and soon became loose before eventually falling off. They squeaked and rattle like hell first - causing much annoyance.

Also;

Some paint came off
the
plastic nose cone during washing with hose (not high pressure). Repaired under warranty.

Paint blistered at the welding of the door sills (both sides). Also repaired under warranty.

So that's it! All in all a decent enough, fun little car. Don't expect blistering performance or F1 handling as you'll soon discover the car's limitations, it's just a reliable, cheeky little runabout. Unfortunately, these cars are now well within the budget of the backwards baseball cap brigade and "MAXed" examples are sadly becoming more evident. I'd buy one again for the missus if I could find a pristine example.... on the provision she let me have the odd go in it whenever the sun was out!

Summary: