Caporegime
Sounds no worse than a German or Jap car of that age in fairness! 
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Sounds no worse than a German or Jap car of that age in fairness!
In my experience big difference between those two though I know not everyone seems to have a good opinion/experience of Germany cars - on a lot of Nissans, Hondas, etc. things like rubber trim (and stuff like Window seals), hoses, etc. after just a couple of years are in worse condition than 10, even 15 year old VWs, BMWs, etc.
Caporegime
Briefly had a 1991 Mazda and a 1991 BMW side by side and with a few exceptions, I noticed that too. For example the radiator hoses on the BMW are original and still pliant, the ones on the Mazda were rock solid and crunchy and perished.
Soldato
Sounds like my characteristics
Soldato
Caporegime
It’s not just rubber trim either, with both a 2003 Japanese and a 2004 German 2 seater roadster outside, the general condition, quality and protection of the suspension and bodywork metals are vastly different. The German car was specified to not immediately turn into a pile of unusable rust, the Japanese one I could be fooled into thinking it was expected to have literally corroded away by now. Sure the engine and transmission components of the Japanese car are still in fine fettle (likely better than the German one) but as an entire product... nope.
It is one factor that puts me off paying full new price for brands like Nissan - they seem to have done it to make "5p" worth of savings but the perceived quality difference is huge.
Soldato
Nissan seem to have a sweet spot around the early 2000s where they'd sorted most of their rust issues and were producing incredibly reliable cars, but since then the quality seems to have been steadily declining. The CVT transmissions they put in their lower end cars nowadays are junk: I know several people who've had them fail in under 50k miles.
Caporegime
You are comparing cheap to (what was back then) a premium brand. Compare a Lexus LS400 to a E32 7.
Nissan went downhill when Renault bought into them. Toyota's are still rock solid though.
Caporegime
Caporegime
Soldato
Wipers broken
Caporegime
The linkage is slightly bent so they have to be at that angle to do a full sweep lol.
I have a new one.
Caporegime
Fun fact I once drove through New Forest and saw a dead pig on the side of the road with a "police aware" sticker on the side.
Caporegime
A dead policeman?
Looks so good.
iS lip and the original 15 inch bbs, you can't go wrong. Though ditch the euro plates for clean ones. Preferably dealer plates from Sytner or Soper.
New Forest.
Caporegime
Cheers
Wheels aren't OE BBS, I used to have them but sold them and bought some 1980's Melber weaves instead. These are also going soon in favour of some BBS Mahle 15x7's in Porsche Titan metallic with polished lips.
View attachment GHMxi36.jpg
When I got it, it was on bottletops.
I do have dealer plates (from its original dealership, Cooper Cobham) but saving them until its all pretty. Having been painted and whatnot.
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Soldato
At simply Japanese yesterday
Hmmm
So I need to dig out some old family photos. In 1990 my Dad bought a red 325i touring and I spent a few years of my childhood in the back of it. That number plate looks eerily familiar. Did a 5 year old me throw up in the back of acme's car? Maybe....
So I need to dig out some old family photos. In 1990 my Dad bought a red 325i touring and I spent a few years of my childhood in the back of it. That number plate looks eerily familiar. Did a 5 year old me throw up in the back of acme's car? Maybe....