1982 Nissan EXA E 1.5 EFI non turbo, petrol

Summary:

Mint as a mean machine!

Faults:

Both front shock absorbers were dead when I bought it, and the left one creaked. It was quite amusing seeing a passenger's face when I drove over speed bumps!

Alternator needed overhauling; all it needed was a new set of brushes and bearings. This is quite common for an old car, so it was no fault of the manufacturer.

Battery died, it was five years old and one of the cells went, but when a battery is that old, that can be expected.

Light pop-up switch did not work, but all I had to do was open it up and clean the contacts, and it worked fine.

The interior light didn't work, but when I opened it up, I found that a previous owner had bent the contacts, it was quite easy to fix, and when it was fixed, it worked perfectly.

General Comments:

I bought the car for only $950 and didn't expect much from it - was I surprised! It was a very quick car, even though it was not even the turbo version, it was probably quick because of its small weight (900kg).

The interior was pretty clean, even though it was a light colour, the steering wheel was almost black with 20 years of dirt, but it cleaned up nicely.

I'm about to buy my second one and it is absolutely perfect. I am spending more for it, but it will definitely be worth it! I am going to be swapping the engine for the E15ET engine (which is the turbo equivalent).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th August, 2002