Ah, that's glorious, I love that. Beautiful little square boy, would look fantastic parked up next to my £200 Proton and £200 Corolla. Both of which are definitely "pre-loved" classics and are slowly being made to look handsome again!
@@richlee509 Ah, you're wrong there. Love my Proton, its probably in the top 3 of the 12 or so cars I've owned to date. For a 30 year old budget car, the build quality is pretty decent, it's quick and drives well, smooth, fairly refined and has that Mitsubishi reliability. Plus it turns more heads on the street than many other cars I've known! Couldn't be prouder of it.
Steph, you are the *BEST!!!* Haven't seen one of those here in Germany at all. 🚘Beautiful red car. Thank you so much for pumping those great videos out for us at this very strange time in history.
What a lovely little Sunny, Steph! The body (except the bottom of the driver's door and the sills) looked beautifully straight, looked to be mainly original paint and rust free in a lot of the places the Sunny was renowned for rotting out in. A REAL good start for a restoration project and I reckon give her a good scrub inside and out, run the buffer over the paint (it will definitely respond well to a cut and polish, because the Japanese cars in 1986 weren't yet using the clear coat finish), degrease and clean the engine bay and she'll look about 75% of the way there! If the young blokes keep feeding the silicon to the bumpers and blackwork on the exterior, it will eventually stop soaking it in and stay looking good. You're right too - the 80s Japanese cars are the next classics and while they aren't worth much right now, give 'em a few more years and people will become very nostalgic about them. My in-laws had an '85 B110 Sunny SG (base model like that one, but the letters round the other way) when I met my wife-to-be. It had done 52k miles when I first saw it and it was in immaculate condition. My wife's sister bought the car off her parents and drove it until it had 229k miles on the clock in a fairly short time (5 years). The body took a beating in the carparks where it was being parked all day and by the time it had reached the big milage, she was smoking a bit and her clutch was slipping worse every time I changed its oil. Rust was starting to form in some nasty places from being sat outside so often now and the dash had cracked and disintegrated over the built-in speaker with the harsh Auckland sun. It still went well though and the upholstery was still factory fresh and not showing a spot of wear. The floormats had saved the carpets too, so she was still a good little car inside. It was eventually sold on and a young bloke bought it to do up. However, this was in the late 90s and if I look its plate up online, the last recorded WoF (MoT) was done while my sister-in-law still had it. Here in NZ, the Sunny had four trim levels - SG, SGS, ZX and ZXE. The SGS had a few bits of extra trim and a cluster with a rev counter, but still ran the 1.3 litre and the ZX was the first of the 1.5 litre pairing, with the ZXE being top of the range with all the bells and whistles as standard. In all respects though, the Sunny was never a luxury car and was aimed at the 'second car' spot as something to get you from A to B and back again around town with the odd trip out of the city if the main car was being used. They were never spectacular in their acceleration, but the 1.3 manual did have a bit of pep and being a 5-speed box certainly helped with the fuel economy....although you HAD to change down for anything above a mild gradient. All mid-80s autos suffered from being a 3-gear box and they sucked the grunt out of any engine - especially under 1800cc. Those little 1.3 engines will go forever if they are treated right and given regular servicing - a great little unit that was pretty hard to kill from all accounts. Thinking about it, I have a funny feeling the 5-speed box may have only been available with the 1.5 litre models and that the 1.3 was left with a 4-speed.....can't recall. I do remember my in-law's Sunny managing to hit 85mph though and still wanting to accelerate even though she was up in the revs.....but that is a whole new story!
Persevere with this car, lads! As an ancient mechanic I can vouch for the reliability of Japanese cars. Nissans were almost bomb proof, until a tie up with a certain French manufacturer. Since then, in my experience, the reliability has tanked. Such a shame. Lovely to see one again, ok a little worse for wear, but well worth keeping. When things get back to normal, why not enter into The Festival of the Unexceptional? Thanks for another great video, Steph!
oh yes! Could've written it myself, bought a 2011 Micra for a Family Member, couldn't help wonder how Nissan had managed to go from fabulous cars like the original Micra to that; quite possibly owes much to that tie up with R_____t
This brings back memories!!!My second car was a yellow ‘82 1.5 with the 5 speed box, she was nippy for her size and really easy to drive,. I remember she had really good fuel economy and was super reliable! Traded her in for a 1986 Mini and regretted it ever since!
I know im asking the wrong place but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb lost the password. I would appreciate any tricks you can give me
@Alex Dallas thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
This looks like a great car for a rolling restoration. It's complete, no gaping holes, and no electronic junk. Everything can be repaired or replaced easily. It may be worth looking at the carb. There might have been different jets or carb fitted to the auto version. That could make quite a difference. Mind you, having said that, we had a 1990 1.3 auto Corolla which was pretty slow too. We changed it for a 1.6 auto Carina 1.6 which was a much better propsition. Good luck to the guys with this. Stick with it and it could be a nice little bit of history.
Nice one guys. I am glad you are sticking with it because it doesn't seem too bad. A good detailing job would work wonders on the paint and badges. I did laugh at the mirrors! Nice interior though, mmmm velour. We didn't get this in Aus but we did get the N12 Pulsar and you never see them anymore. Another good test from Steph. 👍😊✨
I had one of these growing up in NZ in '94. It was an '84 model with 150,000 km's on it. 1.3 litre, 4 speed manual, same colour as this. Bought at an auction cheap. Faded paint, bumper skewed to one side, engine smoked hideously and clutch stiff. Drove it for a couple of years before emigrating to Australia. Had it professionally resprayed, upgraded the interior from a later model, added rev counter, recarpeted it using leftover house carpet, stuck on Hella spotlights - usual sorts of things a 20 year old uni student would do (I did have two part time jobs and had to spend the cash somewhere!) Coming from a '74 Vauxhall Viva I thought this was a massive upgrade - probably was really. Car was very neat and tidy when I eventually sold it. Very reliable, even though obviously neglected by its previous owner. Great to see survivors like this, congrats on featuring it. Certainly brings back the memories. And yes, I did see the Top Gear episode where they torched one of these with a rocket car :(
Another great video Steph well done to the lads for saving one of these I remember them well my friends dad was a Datsun Nissan salesman and had lots of them growing up I remember a friend of ours had a sunny spirit the same as that in white on a C plate brand new and they also had red a cherry spirit the same year they were special editions I believe at the time! Would love to see you find a cherry stanza and Laurel Steph all lovely cars so under rated
If they’re going to restore it, why don’’t you come back to it in a year’s time and see how different it is. Excellent video. My grandad had one in the nineties.
Having been fortunate enough to visit Nissan's Heritage museum in Zama in Japan a few years ago so it's nice to see one of these things on the channel. They are so bland, but they put a smile on my face when I see them and good to see this survivor. Good luck with the project lads!
I think I understand completely why somebody would take on a vehicle like this. Every classic car that can be recommissioned is a precious thing. Pete 🇬🇧
I had a 1988 Sunny 1.6. over 200,000 miles on it, a few sets of brakes, Several sets of tyres. I towed a trailer tent all over Cornwall with it. Never ever missed a beat. Never changed the clutch. It was written off in an accident. If Nissan made them again i would be first in the queue to buy one..
Thanks Steph for showing this Sunny as a classic. I owned one for 9years from the early 1980s. A lovely comfortable well equipped family car with a huge amount of room in the back seat. However it only had 55bhp for quite a heavy car so even with a 5 speed manual box it was not fast. Ironically I changed from a base Austin Metro that made a better tow car for a heavy trailer tent as the Sunny had a soft rear suspension, a long boot and was liable to overheat towing in the Peak District. Many thanks for reviving what were overall happy memories!
I used to own a.3 deluxe and when I bought it she cost me £3000. It weirdly enough was the first legal car I owned and I loved her, I regularly got around 300 miles per tank she only took one tank of fuel and some some spare and roughly the same on way home, I used to visit my wee sister because she lived and worked in Corby and I lived at the time in Aberdeen, this video brings back every happy memories thank you. 👍🙏
I learned to drive in a manual with a 5 speed gearbox 1.3 of these and it wasn’t sluggish at all, very responsive and very smooth. I suggest the sluggishness down to that after market auto box. Bearing in mind time you could only have an automatic gearbox on the 1.5 when buying these new. The one I learned in was white with a grey interior that made it look far smarter, personal taste . Nice to see that this one has been saved. Great review as always. Keep up the good work.
Ah memories steph. As a kid my dad had 3 of those. 2 red 1.3 litres and a metallic green diesel.. brilliant uber reliable cars. Learned to drive in these. Xx
Hi, You've got a new subscriber. Found you on social media. These old etch-a-sketch cars of the 1980s can look fab when polished up, and they really stand out on the road. I see a new battery and new alternator. And a non-all-black interior. How bright and 'sunny'. Good to see a couple of young guys rescuing it. Great to see they are wearing their track-suit tops. They must complete the look with some Nike trainers and nylon pants, too!
Lovely throwback. These were a mainstay on roads in my country during the 80's and through the early to mid 90's, when the last sold models were approaching 8-10 years old. We also got a 1.5l version, which was the most popular actually, and a lot of them featured niceties like power steering and factory air-con (I live in the tropics, so just about every car either had a factory air-con option, or it was offered as a dealer fitted option)
Great that these guys took this project on, definitely worth saving. Funny you said about you'd always see them in ASDA car parks, especially on the South Coast they were two a penny. Thanks for the flashback Steph!
Thank you Steph, great example of cheap starter classic! I was expecting a huge backfire and smoke as it started... Daisy and Onslow style!!! Great review, of this “survivor” of a car! I am glad it has been saved....
I bought a 1990 Renault 19 a couple of years ago for around £220 (2500 SEK) an put a couple of hounded pounds in it. Did a MOT the other day and the only thing was that one of the headlamps was a bit dim. No rust whatsoever and drives like a charm.
Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to get parts for? I'd heard that older Renaults, as in those made before 2000, were starting to have issues with parts availability
Had one of these back in the day. Recognised that seat fabric instantly. Love the Daisy and Onslow reference. It would be the car in the drive (think in the show it's a Hillman Avenger).
I remember these cars when they were brand new. I’m from the US and it’s called the Sentra here. Childhood memories. My father one similar to this Sunny called the Stanza. I honestly like older compact cars better then the one’s today because they are very simple to work on.
My dad had a G plate Nissan sunny when I was a child, it was a 1.4 12v if I remember correctly? It was bright red and was the most reliable car he’s ever had. Had it around 10 years I think and it was the only car in the family, so it was used daily for work, and for driving everywhere as a family. It went around the U.K. whenever we went on holiday too. It just never broke!👍🏻
Great video, excellent commentary and well balanced, too. My old aunt had a K10 micra and she did the same with the transmission, dealer changed it to an auto. Must have been a thing back then.
Another great video Steph. Interesting and informative, but I do think the background music during the walk round was a tad too loud. I had a bit of trouble understanding what you were saying. Otherwise, you nailed it as always!
I love these proper bread and butter cars which were everyday workhorses. Most disappeared years ago and I haven't seen one in ages! Liked the line about Onslow and Daisy - who could forget that Cortina? !
I had a B15! I read the complaints about it being decontented - it had a beam axle rear suspension - but I think it was the overall best car I've ever owned before or since. US standard spec, QG18 engine and 5 speed manual, plenty powerful, would easily maintain any speed on such an upgrade.
Great video Steph. Always love watching your videos. I think 80s Nissan's were well made mind you I've never thought of them as exciting. I'd love to see an update on your Marina!
My parents had a 1992 K reg Sunny 1.4L. My mum still says it was the best car she ever owned. We had it for 13 years from new! I miss that car and the number plate is still registered on DVLA website but had been untaxed since 2004 would loved see it again.
Passed my test in one ,DYNAMIC DAVE 😄 got a flyer through the door in the 80s, I remember it was £8 for a lesson / 1 hour, I had 6 lessons and he put me in for my test and I passed, I remember smiling all day as I had a lot of pressure to pass first time like my brother and best mate 😄my first car was a 1962 hillman minx that did 0-60 eventually and went on to near 90mph after a half hour or so ☺ I'd have loved this Nissan.
A blast from the past.. remember seeing many of these in the day... interestingly they are still badged Datsun in South Africa though many are small pick-ups.
There seems to be , I have an older , 21yr old Camry and when I wash it and clean it up , I do get complimented on it , seems some view it as a classic now .
@@mrfairsthename7470 I love those late 80 to 90s Camrys. Wish I could get hold of one but they were always rare in the UK anyway and now even more so, plus they hold their price well.
Wonderful review Steph, what a blast from the past and I remember all the controls you show. These were everywhere in the 1980s, Very Nice save Aaron & Ryan. I learnt to drive and passed my test in 1987/ 1988, in a 1.3 Sunny C reg, 2 years old with 80,000 miles, 2nd Sunny the driving instructor had owned, he found them very tough cars compared to his previous mk2 Escorts.
Fantastic, Steph! My late wife didn't learn to drive until the early 1990s, when she was in her early 20s. Her first car was a white 1986 Sentra sedan (the US version of the Sunny) with an automatic. It wasn't as sluggish as your example; perhaps the combination of the 1.5 engine and different gearing provided a bit more oomph?
Yes indeed and the hatch version was ubiquitous in rural Ireland. The height from the ground helped a lot and the well balanced suspension made these cars handy on all types of roads. The automatic Steph tests here is blowing a bit and it would be good to see her testing a manual one soon. There was no slowness from the fabulous box.
My ex-father in law had a new 120Y/Sunny every two years from the mid-seventies. Didn’t like it when a hatchback version was introduced though (excl. coupe 😮. Another great review 👏🏼
This brings back a lot of memories; my dad had one of these in the same colour and interior. Prior to that he had a Nissan Violet which was a great little car.
To be honest I don't really care if an old car is tatty. If it's still on the road after all these years, that's enough for me to appreciate. My first car in 2011 was a 1L 1993 Nissan Micra (used to be my colleagues delivery car). 147,742 miles at the time I got it. Had it for a full year (almost to the day) before moving on and unfortunately scrapping it due to it falling apart and breaking down in its final week. It was rusty and tatty. But damnit it never gave up until the end 😅
I noticed those door mirrors lol and thought “nice touch”. But seriously Nissans are essentially good vehicles - I’ve had four, two of which I still own and I can’t recall having any significant mechanical troubles with any of them. The beauty with this one is any mechanical faults should be cheap and easy to fix, judging by the accessibility to everything under the bonnet. Good on the boys for taking it on, only downside for me is it being an automatic especially with it being just 1300cc. Thanks Steph for the balanced and informative review 😀
I can see why they bought it, it looks very solid & brings out the mother hen in people who like old cars. I'm sat here watching & wanting to fix it. Make it shiny & nice. It's like how I was when I got my Alpine, another rare car where the resale value would be less than I invest in it. I reckon this car would be ripe for revisiting when the lads have got it close to finished
My ex girlfriend her mother had a Nissan sunny great memories when borrow it on a weekend basis for Dating, the only problem was the plastic dashboard showed to many of Vanessa's Thigh boot heels all over it, after a while her mother told me they wer boots she recognised the marks
thanks steph for this video, back in sptember 1984, my dad bought a new sunny 1.5sgl manual,in red, and it was really nippy ippy even with only 75bhp. :-) nice memories of my late father.....
That looks like a lot of work - but a great opportunity to learn skills, engineering, mechanics and really test patience, determination and project management. Good luck keeping TGY going and going and going.
My mate had one of these for years and he is a mechanic and fixed all of my cars in the past if he owned one he knows his stuff they must have been good cars (: This one would look mint with a good Valet she looks very tidy (:
That E13 engine is bulletproof for the time. We had one that was on 280k used for a driving school and it was still going strong which for the 80s was a hell of a lot of miles. Most engines of that era were shot when they got much past 100k. I'm not sure if it was because the oils weren't as good back in those days or just due to poorer metallurgy and design back then, or perhaps a combination of both?
I learned to drive in one of those! It wasn't exciting but was well made and effective, and nicer inside than many competitors, for the money especially.
This was definitely a car of my childhood. My auntie had a white one, C reg and it was a Mexico edition. She got Sunny after her Renault 18 died and had it for years.
Fewer than ten of these survive where I live, and they are the slightly older model with the different taillight design. It always fascinates me just how small they are compared to the newer models, and it warms my heart to see them still running and in good condition (no excessive smoking etc.) nearly 40 years since their introduction. Default colour in this market tends to be beige!
Oh Steph you had to mention keeping up appearances, love that show. Always felt sorry for Richard but loved his triumph Honda. As for Onslow would take a Granada like his in Ghia trim. Rose the sister would take her too. Always thought she was a looker. Remember it's Bouquet dear. It was Bucket when I married you Hyncith it's Bucket now. As always stay safe Steph and I'm American from his Majesty's crown colony of Maryland granted charter 1632 to Cecil Calvert Lord Baltimore.
Hi Steph! Always enjoy your videos. I agree, it looks like a nice, tidy little car for a beginner restoration. Brings back memories of my second car: way back in 2000, I bought its’ bigger brother, an Australian market 1984 Nissan Bluebird 50th Anniversary sedan. It was a nice car, but being a poor university student, I couldn’t afford to do much to keep up with it’s constant coolant issues, so I ended up selling it to one of dad’s co-workers who had exactly the same car! My first car was the face lifted version of the second generation Mazda 626 SDL sports sedan (with power sunroof and mirrors, headlamp washers, RX7 alloy wheels, rear deck lid spoiler) then the Nissan Bluebird, then moved onto a 1983 Mitsubishi Colt hatchback. Having lived in an enormous city in China since 2004, I no longer have the need for a car, but the Japanese cars of 80’s & 90’s are still among my favourite models, and they are now definitely becoming classics, even if I find it hard to accept that they are now almost as old as I am!
My father had an '84 with the 1.6L, it was a Sentra in Canada. Drove it for several years without any problems. Unfortunately he killed it by not replacing the timing belt so it destroyed the engine one day at around 120,000 km and scrapped it. It was beige with the same colour interior as this one. Nissan was a great company back then! There used to be some old commercials for these on YT, maybe they're still on. I loved how upbeat they were about the fuel mileage. "YOU. NEED. THIS. CAR." lol
Great catch! And definitly a rare classic that will be relativly easy to bring it back to former glory. If you're on a budget, go for a less loved car and it will pay off. Choose a Škoda Favorit over a VW Polo, a Seat Marbella over a Fiat Panda.... and so on. You'll end up with a cheaper, but rarer car... For this 80s cars, it works well, this way...
I had a Sunny hatchback once, one of the most comfortable cars I've owned, I was quite sad when it got written off. I hope the lads stick with it and bring it back to its former glory and only a few years until they can register it as a 'car of historic interest' and save on the road tax. PS Incidental music at the start of the video was too loud, otherwise another great review.
I owned a 1988 Nissan Sunny 1.3. It was the first car I had owned which was equipped with electric windows all doors, central locking, sunroof, a nice radio/cassette player. It had only 9000 miles on the clock when I bought it, 3 years Old. I was disappointed when I had only had it about 6 months when I heard a noise from the transmission, l took it to my local Nissan dealer (now no longer there 🙄) was told that it was a gear box bearing. I said it's only done 14,000 miles, guy said that's not unusual unfortunately. I had it repaired, it cost £250, which l suppose in 1992 was quite a lot. I've had a couple of Nissan's since, a Primera and currently own a Qashqai, no problems 🤞
Back when I was at college in the late 90s, my mate had one of these in coupe flavour. My most vivid memory is once when he gave me a lift in it, and he took his eyes off the road for too long to light his pipe (yes, he was probably the only 18 year old to smoke a pipe). We ended up in a ditch, but it still drove OKish after we'd got it out. Although I was late for Chemistry...
very nice, I can't help thinking it needs a headlamp, these were great cars, well engineered smooth and brilliant, the plastic dash has survived better than a Montego one.
Aaron and Ryan are awesome and what a great job rescuing this! It doesn’t matter that it was a throwaway car, the simple fact is you don’t see them anymore... at all! Awesome video Steph
When I saw it I thought, " Oh my God." 🤣🤣 Very refreshing having toffee coloured dash and steering wheel. Sounds sweet as well. A classic bargain. I love it. Dressed immaculately as per Steph Thanks for this.
In my teenage years I used to get around in a Nissan 4 door Stanza. Looking just like this, though of course it was out here in the USA ! Great little run around
Great vid,remember most of my teachers had these back in the 80s.Feel for the lady previous owner,I have my Dad's last car as a daily and putting 25000m a year on it wonder how many years it will carry on.Every time I spot one of the cigar burns on the interior,I think of him.
I'd suggest it has to be down to the gearbox if the engine's running properly. I had a 1.3 Cherry about that age and it was pretty quick. Revved to 6000 and kept up with a 2.0 Montego easily.
I used to own a 1985 white Nissan Sunny 1.5 SGL back in 1999/2000. A bit tatty but very reliable. It had only had done 57000 miles and had a large boot . Bought it for £400. Got a replacement glove box catch and trim from the local scrap yard for a fiver. Everything worked . Had to replace a headlight bulb and rear brake shoes. But that was it.
I remember shopping for a cheap beater used car in the mid-90s and looking at a B11 Sentra which didn't start. It was a 2-door sedan but if it were one of the slantback wagons I might've been a bit more patient instead of moving on to the next car, a a Pontiac 1000 (Chevette) that was in amazingly perfect condition for a $500 car.
Great little car if they were rear wheel drive they would be worth a fortune as drifting is really big now as ever great video keep them coming all the best
Ah, that's glorious, I love that. Beautiful little square boy, would look fantastic parked up next to my £200 Proton and £200 Corolla. Both of which are definitely "pre-loved" classics and are slowly being made to look handsome again!
Not sure a proton is ever gonna be nice lol awful cars
@@richlee509 Ah, you're wrong there. Love my Proton, its probably in the top 3 of the 12 or so cars I've owned to date. For a 30 year old budget car, the build quality is pretty decent, it's quick and drives well, smooth, fairly refined and has that Mitsubishi reliability. Plus it turns more heads on the street than many other cars I've known! Couldn't be prouder of it.
Steph, you are the *BEST!!!* Haven't seen one of those here in Germany at all. 🚘Beautiful red car.
Thank you so much for pumping those great videos out for us at this very strange time in history.
What a lovely little Sunny, Steph! The body (except the bottom of the driver's door and the sills) looked beautifully straight, looked to be mainly original paint and rust free in a lot of the places the Sunny was renowned for rotting out in. A REAL good start for a restoration project and I reckon give her a good scrub inside and out, run the buffer over the paint (it will definitely respond well to a cut and polish, because the Japanese cars in 1986 weren't yet using the clear coat finish), degrease and clean the engine bay and she'll look about 75% of the way there! If the young blokes keep feeding the silicon to the bumpers and blackwork on the exterior, it will eventually stop soaking it in and stay looking good. You're right too - the 80s Japanese cars are the next classics and while they aren't worth much right now, give 'em a few more years and people will become very nostalgic about them.
My in-laws had an '85 B110 Sunny SG (base model like that one, but the letters round the other way) when I met my wife-to-be. It had done 52k miles when I first saw it and it was in immaculate condition. My wife's sister bought the car off her parents and drove it until it had 229k miles on the clock in a fairly short time (5 years). The body took a beating in the carparks where it was being parked all day and by the time it had reached the big milage, she was smoking a bit and her clutch was slipping worse every time I changed its oil. Rust was starting to form in some nasty places from being sat outside so often now and the dash had cracked and disintegrated over the built-in speaker with the harsh Auckland sun. It still went well though and the upholstery was still factory fresh and not showing a spot of wear. The floormats had saved the carpets too, so she was still a good little car inside. It was eventually sold on and a young bloke bought it to do up. However, this was in the late 90s and if I look its plate up online, the last recorded WoF (MoT) was done while my sister-in-law still had it.
Here in NZ, the Sunny had four trim levels - SG, SGS, ZX and ZXE. The SGS had a few bits of extra trim and a cluster with a rev counter, but still ran the 1.3 litre and the ZX was the first of the 1.5 litre pairing, with the ZXE being top of the range with all the bells and whistles as standard. In all respects though, the Sunny was never a luxury car and was aimed at the 'second car' spot as something to get you from A to B and back again around town with the odd trip out of the city if the main car was being used. They were never spectacular in their acceleration, but the 1.3 manual did have a bit of pep and being a 5-speed box certainly helped with the fuel economy....although you HAD to change down for anything above a mild gradient. All mid-80s autos suffered from being a 3-gear box and they sucked the grunt out of any engine - especially under 1800cc. Those little 1.3 engines will go forever if they are treated right and given regular servicing - a great little unit that was pretty hard to kill from all accounts. Thinking about it, I have a funny feeling the 5-speed box may have only been available with the 1.5 litre models and that the 1.3 was left with a 4-speed.....can't recall. I do remember my in-law's Sunny managing to hit 85mph though and still wanting to accelerate even though she was up in the revs.....but that is a whole new story!
That gearbox isn't matched to that motor. Or slipping bands. Another super video Steph!
Persevere with this car, lads! As an ancient mechanic I can vouch for the reliability of Japanese cars. Nissans were almost bomb proof, until a tie up with a certain French manufacturer. Since then, in my experience, the reliability has tanked. Such a shame. Lovely to see one again, ok a little worse for wear, but well worth keeping. When things get back to normal, why not enter into The Festival of the Unexceptional? Thanks for another great video, Steph!
oh yes! Could've written it myself, bought a 2011 Micra for a Family Member, couldn't help wonder how Nissan had managed to go from fabulous cars like the original Micra to that; quite possibly owes much to that tie up with R_____t
This brings back memories!!!My second car was a yellow ‘82 1.5 with the 5 speed box, she was nippy for her size and really easy to drive,. I remember she had really good fuel economy and was super reliable! Traded her in for a 1986 Mini and regretted it ever since!
Bloody bargain at less than 300 notes. Top marks to Aaron and Ryan for saving this car from the scrappers.
Free air freshener as well!
I know im asking the wrong place but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account??
I was dumb lost the password. I would appreciate any tricks you can give me
@Russell Leland instablaster =)
@Alex Dallas thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
This looks like a great car for a rolling restoration. It's complete, no gaping holes, and no electronic junk. Everything can be repaired or replaced easily. It may be worth looking at the carb. There might have been different jets or carb fitted to the auto version. That could make quite a difference. Mind you, having said that, we had a 1990 1.3 auto Corolla which was pretty slow too. We changed it for a 1.6 auto Carina 1.6 which was a much better propsition.
Good luck to the guys with this. Stick with it and it could be a nice little bit of history.
Finding parts for EU Nissan's though are few and far between. My P11 is already getting bad for finding parts.
Nice one guys. I am glad you are sticking with it because it doesn't seem too bad. A good detailing job would work wonders on the paint and badges. I did laugh at the mirrors! Nice interior though, mmmm velour. We didn't get this in Aus but we did get the N12 Pulsar and you never see them anymore. Another good test from Steph. 👍😊✨
Another awesome vid Steph.
Background music is just a tad too loud though. :)
I had one of these growing up in NZ in '94. It was an '84 model with 150,000 km's on it. 1.3 litre, 4 speed manual, same colour as this. Bought at an auction cheap. Faded paint, bumper skewed to one side, engine smoked hideously and clutch stiff. Drove it for a couple of years before emigrating to Australia. Had it professionally resprayed, upgraded the interior from a later model, added rev counter, recarpeted it using leftover house carpet, stuck on Hella spotlights - usual sorts of things a 20 year old uni student would do (I did have two part time jobs and had to spend the cash somewhere!)
Coming from a '74 Vauxhall Viva I thought this was a massive upgrade - probably was really. Car was very neat and tidy when I eventually sold it. Very reliable, even though obviously neglected by its previous owner.
Great to see survivors like this, congrats on featuring it. Certainly brings back the memories.
And yes, I did see the Top Gear episode where they torched one of these with a rocket car :(
I had the slightly older Datsun Sunny, mine was a 81/w reg, it was amazingly quiet comfortable and refined compared to my previous car, a chevette
Another great video Steph well done to the lads for saving one of these I remember them well my friends dad was a Datsun Nissan salesman and had lots of them growing up I remember a friend of ours had a sunny spirit the same as that in white on a C plate brand new and they also had red a cherry spirit the same year they were special editions I believe at the time!
Would love to see you find a cherry stanza and Laurel Steph all lovely cars so under rated
If they’re going to restore it, why don’’t you come back to it in a year’s time and see how different it is. Excellent video. My grandad had one in the nineties.
Having been fortunate enough to visit Nissan's Heritage museum in Zama in Japan a few years ago so it's nice to see one of these things on the channel. They are so bland, but they put a smile on my face when I see them and good to see this survivor.
Good luck with the project lads!
The unbearable beigeness. It's nice though doesnt look like the inside of a bus replacement service as VW:S always did.
HubNut would approve!
I love watching stephanie's reviews nice and pleasant to watch with a coffee in the kitchen xx
I'm glad it got saved well done guys and great review Steph
I think I understand completely why somebody would take on a vehicle like this. Every classic car that can be recommissioned is a precious thing. Pete 🇬🇧
I had a 1988 Sunny 1.6. over 200,000 miles on it, a few sets of brakes, Several sets of tyres. I towed a trailer tent all over Cornwall with it. Never ever missed a beat. Never changed the clutch. It was written off in an accident. If Nissan made them again i would be first in the queue to buy one..
Lovely cars. A Sunny of that era is absolutely on my "to get" list.
Thanks Steph for showing this Sunny as a classic. I owned one for 9years from the early 1980s. A lovely comfortable well equipped family car with a huge amount of room in the back seat. However it only had 55bhp for quite a heavy car so even with a 5 speed manual box it was not fast. Ironically I changed from a base Austin Metro that made a better tow car for a heavy trailer tent as the Sunny had a soft rear suspension, a long boot and was liable to overheat towing in the Peak District. Many thanks for reviving what were overall happy memories!
I used to own a.3 deluxe and when I bought it she cost me £3000. It weirdly enough was the first legal car I owned and I loved her, I regularly got around 300 miles per tank she only took one tank of fuel and some some spare and roughly the same on way home, I used to visit my wee sister because she lived and worked in Corby and I lived at the time in Aberdeen, this video brings back every happy memories thank you. 👍🙏
What a bargain time machine. Had a 1978 120Y in 1981. Thanks for sharing
I learned to drive in a manual with a 5 speed gearbox 1.3 of these and it wasn’t sluggish at all, very responsive and very smooth. I suggest the sluggishness down to that after market auto box. Bearing in mind time you could only have an automatic gearbox on the 1.5 when buying these new. The one I learned in was white with a grey interior that made it look far smarter, personal taste . Nice to see that this one has been saved. Great review as always. Keep up the good work.
I found your channel by accident. Very interesting to see cars from my childhood are classics now.
Ah memories steph. As a kid my dad had 3 of those. 2 red 1.3 litres and a metallic green diesel.. brilliant uber reliable cars. Learned to drive in these. Xx
Got to love a genuine survivor car and yes stuff this age is definitely a classic
Hi, You've got a new subscriber. Found you on social media. These old etch-a-sketch cars of the 1980s can look fab when polished up, and they really stand out on the road. I see a new battery and new alternator. And a non-all-black interior. How bright and 'sunny'. Good to see a couple of young guys rescuing it. Great to see they are wearing their track-suit tops. They must complete the look with some Nike trainers and nylon pants, too!
I noticed those too 😀
Lovely throwback. These were a mainstay on roads in my country during the 80's and through the early to mid 90's, when the last sold models were approaching 8-10 years old. We also got a 1.5l version, which was the most popular actually, and a lot of them featured niceties like power steering and factory air-con (I live in the tropics, so just about every car either had a factory air-con option, or it was offered as a dealer fitted option)
Great that these guys took this project on, definitely worth saving.
Funny you said about you'd always see them in ASDA car parks, especially on the South Coast they were two a penny.
Thanks for the flashback Steph!
Another great video. Take care of yourself and stay safe Steph x.
Thank you Steph, great example of cheap starter classic! I was expecting a huge backfire and smoke as it started... Daisy and Onslow style!!! Great review, of this “survivor” of a car! I am glad it has been saved....
I learnt to drive in Second Gen. Sunny great little cars! Loved your last video about the Nissan Cherry!,keep up with the excellent content!👍
Love this Steph, totally honest little Sunny and used every day. Top review.
Ha ha 'Banger in a rally' nice one Steph, these were the pre Sunderland Nissan's but they still had some great features.
Nice little original little car.
A definite survivor.
Thank you for reviewing this car. I just acquired one to restore. Lovely to drive!
I bought a 1990 Renault 19 a couple of years ago for around £220 (2500 SEK) an put a couple of hounded pounds in it. Did a MOT the other day and the only thing was that one of the headlamps was a bit dim. No rust whatsoever and drives like a charm.
Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to get parts for?
I'd heard that older Renaults, as in those made before 2000, were starting to have issues with parts availability
Had one of these back in the day. Recognised that seat fabric instantly. Love the Daisy and Onslow reference. It would be the car in the drive (think in the show it's a Hillman Avenger).
I remember these cars when they were brand new. I’m from the US and it’s called the Sentra here. Childhood memories. My father one similar to this Sunny called the Stanza. I honestly like older compact cars better then the one’s today because they are very simple to work on.
Great to see something like this being saved
that interior is going to be really easy to clean right up and look spectacular
My dad had a G plate Nissan sunny when I was a child, it was a 1.4 12v if I remember correctly? It was bright red and was the most reliable car he’s ever had. Had it around 10 years I think and it was the only car in the family, so it was used daily for work, and for driving everywhere as a family. It went around the U.K. whenever we went on holiday too. It just never broke!👍🏻
Worth saving. Good work fellas. Can only increase in value.
Looks like a great project, that brand new alternator sticks out like a sore thumb though, best of luck with it
Great video, excellent commentary and well balanced, too. My old aunt had a K10 micra and she did the same with the transmission, dealer changed it to an auto. Must have been a thing back then.
Another great video Steph. Interesting and informative, but I do think the background music during the walk round was a tad too loud. I had a bit of trouble understanding what you were saying. Otherwise, you nailed it as always!
I love these proper bread and butter cars which were everyday workhorses. Most disappeared years ago and I haven't seen one in ages! Liked the line about Onslow and Daisy - who could forget that Cortina? !
I had a B15! I read the complaints about it being decontented - it had a beam axle rear suspension - but I think it was the overall best car I've ever owned before or since. US standard spec, QG18 engine and 5 speed manual, plenty powerful, would easily maintain any speed on such an upgrade.
Enjoyed this video nice one. What a bargain for just £300 and as you said a long term every day restoration project
Great video Steph. Always love watching your videos. I think 80s Nissan's were well made mind you I've never thought of them as exciting. I'd love to see an update on your Marina!
My parents had a 1992 K reg Sunny 1.4L. My mum still says it was the best car she ever owned. We had it for 13 years from new! I miss that car and the number plate is still registered on DVLA website but had been untaxed since 2004 would loved see it again.
Passed my test in one ,DYNAMIC DAVE 😄 got a flyer through the door in the 80s, I remember it was £8 for a lesson / 1 hour, I had 6 lessons and he put me in for my test and I passed, I remember smiling all day as I had a lot of pressure to pass first time like my brother and best mate 😄my first car was a 1962 hillman minx that did 0-60 eventually and went on to near 90mph after a half hour or so ☺ I'd have loved this Nissan.
A blast from the past.. remember seeing many of these in the day... interestingly they are still badged Datsun in South Africa though many are small pick-ups.
There seems to be quite a bit of interest in retro-Japanese these days, so yes it could be considered a "classic" - by some!
Aye, clampers seem to luv em.
There seems to be , I have an older , 21yr old Camry and when I wash it and clean it up , I do get complimented on it , seems some view it as a classic now .
@@mrfairsthename7470 I love those late 80 to 90s Camrys. Wish I could get hold of one but they were always rare in the UK anyway and now even more so, plus they hold their price well.
Wonderful review Steph, what a blast from the past and I remember all the controls you show. These were everywhere in the 1980s, Very Nice save Aaron & Ryan. I learnt to drive and passed my test in 1987/ 1988, in a 1.3 Sunny C reg, 2 years old with 80,000 miles, 2nd Sunny the driving instructor had owned, he found them very tough cars compared to his previous mk2 Escorts.
Fantastic, Steph! My late wife didn't learn to drive until the early 1990s, when she was in her early 20s. Her first car was a white 1986 Sentra sedan (the US version of the Sunny) with an automatic. It wasn't as sluggish as your example; perhaps the combination of the 1.5 engine and different gearing provided a bit more oomph?
They were massively popular in Ireland for sure- the model that came after it even more so I really remember those everywhere from c 1988 onwards
Yes indeed and the hatch version was ubiquitous in rural Ireland. The height from the ground helped a lot and the well balanced suspension made these cars handy on all types of roads.
The automatic Steph tests here is blowing a bit and it would be good to see her testing a manual one soon. There was no slowness from the fabulous box.
My ex-father in law had a new 120Y/Sunny every two years from the mid-seventies. Didn’t like it when a hatchback version was introduced though (excl. coupe 😮. Another great review 👏🏼
This brings back a lot of memories; my dad had one of these in the same colour and interior. Prior to that he had a Nissan Violet which was a great little car.
Love your vlogs! One tip to the owner would be to change the gearbox fluid and any filters in there....makes a massive difference in my experience
To be honest I don't really care if an old car is tatty. If it's still on the road after all these years, that's enough for me to appreciate. My first car in 2011 was a 1L 1993 Nissan Micra (used to be my colleagues delivery car). 147,742 miles at the time I got it. Had it for a full year (almost to the day) before moving on and unfortunately scrapping it due to it falling apart and breaking down in its final week. It was rusty and tatty. But damnit it never gave up until the end 😅
Amazing how this has become a head-turner as at one time there was one on every street!
A perfect first project for young people. Little rust, easyish parts, lowish insurance. Great fun ahead.
I noticed those door mirrors lol and thought “nice touch”. But seriously Nissans are essentially good vehicles - I’ve had four, two of which I still own and I can’t recall having any significant mechanical troubles with any of them. The beauty with this one is any mechanical faults should be cheap and easy to fix, judging by the accessibility to everything under the bonnet. Good on the boys for taking it on, only downside for me is it being an automatic especially with it being just 1300cc. Thanks Steph for the balanced and informative review 😀
I can see why they bought it, it looks very solid & brings out the mother hen in people who like old cars. I'm sat here watching & wanting to fix it. Make it shiny & nice. It's like how I was when I got my Alpine, another rare car where the resale value would be less than I invest in it. I reckon this car would be ripe for revisiting when the lads have got it close to finished
My ex girlfriend her mother had a Nissan sunny great memories when borrow it on a weekend basis for Dating, the only problem was the plastic dashboard showed to many of Vanessa's Thigh boot heels all over it, after a while her mother told me they wer boots she recognised the marks
Vanessa didn't mind you borrowing her boots then? 😁
@@jakebond2294 her daughter liked them because of the vinyl gloss Lol
Four doors for more...
Yes Roger, but did the springs survive mate?
@@edek8470 suspension was fine it was always the heating consul on the dash that got damaged from the heels
thanks steph for this video, back in sptember 1984, my dad bought a new
sunny 1.5sgl manual,in red, and it was really nippy ippy even with only 75bhp. :-) nice memories of my late father.....
That looks like a lot of work - but a great opportunity to learn skills, engineering, mechanics and really test patience, determination and project management. Good luck keeping TGY going and going and going.
My mate had one of these for years and he is a mechanic and fixed all of my cars in the past if he owned one he knows his stuff they must have been good cars (:
This one would look mint with a good Valet she looks very tidy (:
That E13 engine is bulletproof for the time. We had one that was on 280k used for a driving school and it was still going strong which for the 80s was a hell of a lot of miles. Most engines of that era were shot when they got much past 100k. I'm not sure if it was because the oils weren't as good back in those days or just due to poorer metallurgy and design back then, or perhaps a combination of both?
I learned to drive in one of those! It wasn't exciting but was well made and effective, and nicer inside than many competitors, for the money especially.
This was definitely a car of my childhood. My auntie had a white one, C reg and it was a Mexico edition. She got Sunny after her Renault 18 died and had it for years.
Fewer than ten of these survive where I live, and they are the slightly older model with the different taillight design. It always fascinates me just how small they are compared to the newer models, and it warms my heart to see them still running and in good condition (no excessive smoking etc.) nearly 40 years since their introduction. Default colour in this market tends to be beige!
Oh Steph you had to mention keeping up appearances, love that show. Always felt sorry for Richard but loved his triumph Honda. As for Onslow would take a Granada like his in Ghia trim. Rose the sister would take her too. Always thought she was a looker. Remember it's Bouquet dear. It was Bucket when I married you Hyncith it's Bucket now. As always stay safe Steph and I'm American from his Majesty's crown colony of Maryland granted charter 1632 to Cecil Calvert Lord Baltimore.
Hi Steph! Always enjoy your videos. I agree, it looks like a nice, tidy little car for a beginner restoration.
Brings back memories of my second car: way back in 2000, I bought its’ bigger brother, an Australian market 1984 Nissan Bluebird 50th Anniversary sedan. It was a nice car, but being a poor university student, I couldn’t afford to do much to keep up with it’s constant coolant issues, so I ended up selling it to one of dad’s co-workers who had exactly the same car!
My first car was the face lifted version of the second generation Mazda 626 SDL sports sedan (with power sunroof and mirrors, headlamp washers, RX7 alloy wheels, rear deck lid spoiler) then the Nissan Bluebird, then moved onto a 1983 Mitsubishi Colt hatchback.
Having lived in an enormous city in China since 2004, I no longer have the need for a car, but the Japanese cars of 80’s & 90’s are still among my favourite models, and they are now definitely becoming classics, even if I find it hard to accept that they are now almost as old as I am!
Total classic that Steph
Can't think of the last time I saw 1
What a cute TINY radiator!
My father had an '84 with the 1.6L, it was a Sentra in Canada. Drove it for several years without any problems. Unfortunately he killed it by not replacing the timing belt so it destroyed the engine one day at around 120,000 km and scrapped it. It was beige with the same colour interior as this one. Nissan was a great company back then! There used to be some old commercials for these on YT, maybe they're still on. I loved how upbeat they were about the fuel mileage. "YOU. NEED. THIS. CAR." lol
Looks fairly solid and a lot more interesting and easier to work on than a lot of modern cars
Great catch! And definitly a rare classic that will be relativly easy to bring it back to former glory.
If you're on a budget, go for a less loved car and it will pay off.
Choose a Škoda Favorit over a VW Polo, a Seat Marbella over a Fiat Panda.... and so on.
You'll end up with a cheaper, but rarer car...
For this 80s cars, it works well, this way...
I had a Sunny hatchback once, one of the most comfortable cars I've owned, I was quite sad when it got written off. I hope the lads stick with it and bring it back to its former glory and only a few years until they can register it as a 'car of historic interest' and save on the road tax.
PS Incidental music at the start of the video was too loud, otherwise another great review.
I owned a 1988 Nissan Sunny 1.3. It was the first car I had owned which was equipped with electric windows all doors, central locking, sunroof, a nice radio/cassette player. It had only 9000 miles on the clock when I bought it, 3 years Old. I was disappointed when I had only had it about 6 months when I heard a noise from the transmission, l took it to my local Nissan dealer (now no longer there 🙄) was told that it was a gear box bearing. I said it's only done 14,000 miles, guy said that's not unusual unfortunately. I had it repaired, it cost £250, which l suppose in 1992 was quite a lot. I've had a couple of Nissan's since, a Primera and currently own a Qashqai, no problems 🤞
I had one ,A reg 1500cc auto, bought it for £100,, went everywhere in it , scotland, kent, cornwall
Loved it 👍
I passed my driving test in 1987 in a 1985 B11 sunny on a B plate, same colour as well. Great car. 👍
Back when I was at college in the late 90s, my mate had one of these in coupe flavour. My most vivid memory is once when he gave me a lift in it, and he took his eyes off the road for too long to light his pipe (yes, he was probably the only 18 year old to smoke a pipe). We ended up in a ditch, but it still drove OKish after we'd got it out.
Although I was late for Chemistry...
very nice, I can't help thinking it needs a headlamp, these were great cars, well engineered smooth and brilliant, the plastic dash has survived better than a Montego one.
Aaron and Ryan are awesome and what a great job rescuing this! It doesn’t matter that it was a throwaway car, the simple fact is you don’t see them anymore... at all! Awesome video Steph
When I saw it I thought, " Oh my God." 🤣🤣 Very refreshing having toffee coloured dash and steering wheel. Sounds sweet as well. A classic bargain. I love it.
Dressed immaculately as per Steph
Thanks for this.
Glad they are saving it. Whatta bargain! Good to see an entry level car that's a survivor.
Of course it's a classic ! When did you last see one ?
Probably stands the boy's over £500 now with all the repairs.
Hope it keeps reliable 😯
My sister had a 1.5 estate auto in blue , wasnt fast but not as sluggish as this one ! But still an interesting car steph 😊😊
It looks to be in very good shape.I think the new owner did okay
In my teenage years I used to get around in a Nissan 4 door Stanza. Looking just like this, though of course it was out here in the USA ! Great little run around
Great vid,remember most of my teachers had these back in the 80s.Feel for the lady previous owner,I have my Dad's last car as a daily and putting 25000m a year on it wonder how many years it will carry on.Every time I spot one of the cigar burns on the interior,I think of him.
I'd suggest it has to be down to the gearbox if the engine's running properly. I had a 1.3 Cherry about that age and it was pretty quick. Revved to 6000 and kept up with a 2.0 Montego easily.
I used to own a 1985 white Nissan Sunny 1.5 SGL back in 1999/2000. A bit tatty but very reliable. It had only had done 57000 miles and had a large boot . Bought it for £400. Got a replacement glove box catch and trim from the local scrap yard for a fiver. Everything worked . Had to replace a headlight bulb and rear brake shoes. But that was it.
I remember shopping for a cheap beater used car in the mid-90s and looking at a B11 Sentra which didn't start. It was a 2-door sedan but if it were one of the slantback wagons I might've been a bit more patient instead of moving on to the next car, a a Pontiac 1000 (Chevette) that was in amazingly perfect condition for a $500 car.
Great video. Those wing mirrors! :-)
Great little car if they were rear wheel drive they would be worth a fortune as drifting is really big now as ever great video keep them coming all the best