FOR SALE: 1987 NISSAN SILVIA ZX TURBO
Following complaints from my neighbours, my bank manager and my wife (and I know who I’m most scared of), I’ve reluctantly had to agree that 6 cars is too many for one person so I’m thinning down the fleet a bit.
In the true spirit of the decade that spawned this lovely car, it’s going to be a case of ‘last in, first out’, so the ZX Turbo is being put up for sale.
So here she is, a Nissan Silvia 1.8 ZX Turbo, first registered on 25th March 1987. For those around back in the decade that taste forgot, that week Mel and Kim were Number One with ‘Respectable’, just in case you wanted to know that useless fact.
Back to the car – the S12 Nissan Silvia was produced between 1984 and 1988, with this one being the Mk 2 version which came out in 1987. For the technical among you it has the CA18ET DOHC single turbo engine which produced 135bhp at 6400rpm. Compared to the competition at the time (the Capri and the VW Scirocco) it was pretty damn quick, and full of posh electrickery.
My ZX has now done 90,000 miles which is very low for a 24 year old car. Mechanically it is bog standard apart from a K & N induction kit (the original air box is with the car if you want to take it back to totally standard), and a stainless, twin-pipe exhaust which makes the car sound great.
It’s handy the engine is such a delight to listen to, as the stereo is, quite frankly, curse word! It doesn’t have a name on it (maybe it is the factory fitted item, maybe the manufacturer was too embarrassed to put their name to it.....) but it is just a radio cassette which only seems to work through the left speakers. Having said that, I did find a C90 cassette in the car, on which is recorded a 1980’s Heaven 17 album – perfect for that full on retro motoring experience.
Inside is really nice, very original and apart from a small bit of stitching which has come undone on the driver’s seat it’s in great condition. The seats, dash and carpets are in great shape, the parcel shelf hasn’t had big holes cut in it for chavvy speakers and the headlining is devoid of the stiletto heel holes so often found in Capri’s of a similar vintage!
It has almost 12 months MOT – the current one expires on 25th March 2012 and it is taxed until the end of June, so you can just turn up, pay, jump in and drive off into the summer sunset.
The body is in great condition, the last owner had the car for 15 years and washed and polished it more often than he drove it. It was always garaged and he only sold it as he retired, bought a big dog, and needed an estate car to take the dog in.
There is some service history with the car, including the original owners manual, service and warranty book (stamped up to 22,500 miles), the old style V5 log book, fitting instructions for the K & N, bills for the MOT’s in 2004 / 05 / 06 / 10, and receipts for a clutch slave cylinder, radiator and alternator.
Having had it up on the ramps this week, the only bit I can see that needs attention is a 2 inch square rust patch on the sill below the drivers door (so insignificant you can’t really see it on the photos). It isn’t rusted through but could do with rubbing down, treating and a quick squirt of paint before next winter if the car is going to live outdoors. Other than that, the rubber bit below the boot spoiler has started to degrade and has gone hard and started to crumble. To stop it getting worse, and to tidy it up, I’ve just put some weather proof gaffer tape on it. It’s purely cosmetic, I just didn’t want a split rubber to spoil my day
I did a couple of 100 mile round trips in the car this week and it performed perfectly, handling really well on A and B roads and surprising a few BMW and Audi drivers on the motorways. This really is a very usable, reliable classic car.
I’m told that IRS, RWD and a pokey turbo engine make these great for drifting, but I’m a bit old for all that malarkey, so couldn’t really comment on the driving styles of the average modern youth.
Anyway, if you’re still reading this far – it’s a lovely car!
• 1987 Nissan Silvia ZX Turbo
• 11 months MOT
• 2 months tax
• 90k miles
Oh yeah, the price.........
Does £1395 sound reasonable?
now just £999
(not really looking for a part ex or swap unless it’s a decent beach buggy or VW camper van)
The car is in Woking, Surrey if you want to view.
Following complaints from my neighbours, my bank manager and my wife (and I know who I’m most scared of), I’ve reluctantly had to agree that 6 cars is too many for one person so I’m thinning down the fleet a bit.
In the true spirit of the decade that spawned this lovely car, it’s going to be a case of ‘last in, first out’, so the ZX Turbo is being put up for sale.
So here she is, a Nissan Silvia 1.8 ZX Turbo, first registered on 25th March 1987. For those around back in the decade that taste forgot, that week Mel and Kim were Number One with ‘Respectable’, just in case you wanted to know that useless fact.
Back to the car – the S12 Nissan Silvia was produced between 1984 and 1988, with this one being the Mk 2 version which came out in 1987. For the technical among you it has the CA18ET DOHC single turbo engine which produced 135bhp at 6400rpm. Compared to the competition at the time (the Capri and the VW Scirocco) it was pretty damn quick, and full of posh electrickery.
My ZX has now done 90,000 miles which is very low for a 24 year old car. Mechanically it is bog standard apart from a K & N induction kit (the original air box is with the car if you want to take it back to totally standard), and a stainless, twin-pipe exhaust which makes the car sound great.
It’s handy the engine is such a delight to listen to, as the stereo is, quite frankly, curse word! It doesn’t have a name on it (maybe it is the factory fitted item, maybe the manufacturer was too embarrassed to put their name to it.....) but it is just a radio cassette which only seems to work through the left speakers. Having said that, I did find a C90 cassette in the car, on which is recorded a 1980’s Heaven 17 album – perfect for that full on retro motoring experience.
Inside is really nice, very original and apart from a small bit of stitching which has come undone on the driver’s seat it’s in great condition. The seats, dash and carpets are in great shape, the parcel shelf hasn’t had big holes cut in it for chavvy speakers and the headlining is devoid of the stiletto heel holes so often found in Capri’s of a similar vintage!
It has almost 12 months MOT – the current one expires on 25th March 2012 and it is taxed until the end of June, so you can just turn up, pay, jump in and drive off into the summer sunset.
The body is in great condition, the last owner had the car for 15 years and washed and polished it more often than he drove it. It was always garaged and he only sold it as he retired, bought a big dog, and needed an estate car to take the dog in.
There is some service history with the car, including the original owners manual, service and warranty book (stamped up to 22,500 miles), the old style V5 log book, fitting instructions for the K & N, bills for the MOT’s in 2004 / 05 / 06 / 10, and receipts for a clutch slave cylinder, radiator and alternator.
Having had it up on the ramps this week, the only bit I can see that needs attention is a 2 inch square rust patch on the sill below the drivers door (so insignificant you can’t really see it on the photos). It isn’t rusted through but could do with rubbing down, treating and a quick squirt of paint before next winter if the car is going to live outdoors. Other than that, the rubber bit below the boot spoiler has started to degrade and has gone hard and started to crumble. To stop it getting worse, and to tidy it up, I’ve just put some weather proof gaffer tape on it. It’s purely cosmetic, I just didn’t want a split rubber to spoil my day
I did a couple of 100 mile round trips in the car this week and it performed perfectly, handling really well on A and B roads and surprising a few BMW and Audi drivers on the motorways. This really is a very usable, reliable classic car.
I’m told that IRS, RWD and a pokey turbo engine make these great for drifting, but I’m a bit old for all that malarkey, so couldn’t really comment on the driving styles of the average modern youth.
Anyway, if you’re still reading this far – it’s a lovely car!
• 1987 Nissan Silvia ZX Turbo
• 11 months MOT
• 2 months tax
• 90k miles
Oh yeah, the price.........
now just £999
(not really looking for a part ex or swap unless it’s a decent beach buggy or VW camper van)
The car is in Woking, Surrey if you want to view.