isam

Hubcaps in an artists hands...

Not so. At least not on the new cars. And it could be bad for the environment as well. Following article has a nice explanation. http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/researchdevelopment/a/runcaronwater.htm

Sylphy with a 2L, wow... I'd love to drive one, just to see how she does! I guess, the 1.5L versions were sort of tailor made for people with a budget and to meet the cylinder capacity limits of some countries (like ours).

Entertainment in advertisements... is what you get in the automobile advert pages these days...

Many thanks EAP. Please post the end result photos soon.

I'm not sure about N17. I have never traveled in one. But N16 (which I think is basically the same car) had OK handling and was comfortable enough to travel long distances without wanting to kill oneself. Maybe you need to check the shock-absorbers? N*laka Tyre House at Union Place has a shock-absorber testing facility. I'm sure there are many other places too.

I used to take the car to Kithulwaththe P*tS*op for regular servicing and to Union place for the tuneups. Initially they did the throttle body cleanup at the Kithulwaththe workshop and later they enforced that its for "Suzuki repairs only". I'm not sure about the current situation though. Better call them and check it out. As per what I know, N16 model came in 3 trim levels: Super Saloon, EX Saloon and Basic. Super Saloons had all the options where you get the retractable power mirrors, bumper lights, etc. EX Saloons had only the power mirror function and no retractable option. I'm not sure about the Basic model though. There there were some cars imported through Singapore (called fondly as the 'Singapore model' by the car dealers), with mixed options. I have come across some such EX Saloons with bumper lights and retractable mirrors (most of them had aftermarket reverse sensors installed) and sometimes artificial leather seats. Don't know whether these were upgraded or they originally came with those options. Consider yourself lucky to have the MT car, as NRX said, the Automatic transmission with a 1300cc engine would be a nightmare to drive! Last I checked, model with the 1600CC engine was in higher demand obviously because the extra power really helped! Finish off the checklist in my previous post, and you will like the car better, or... hate it less

Don't know about Mazda spare part costs, but did the 20k include the price of condenser as well? Otherwise it seems to be a ripoff! But if they include the original condenser that could be a fair price (depending on the Mazda spare-part prices).

I guess you hate it because its a 1300CC. IMHO, its a mistake made by Nissan to release that model with a 1300 power-train. But you knew its a 1300CC and bought it anyway, so you are to be blamed! I owned a N16 1500CC manual and it was a nice car. It got me from point A to B, never failed on the road and did OK on fuel. For routine services may I suggest A*W P*tStop. Those guys know their Nissans . And they have many oil options, including synthetic, semi-synthetic and a variety of mineral multi-grade oils. Things to look for & do: Front lower arm bushes (they break no matter how careful you drive). Check them during regular services when the car is on the hoist. Any garage will replace just the bushes for a fraction of price quoted by the agent (agents replace the whole lower arm ). Maintain a clean air-filter. The car will reward you with better mileage per every liter of fuel. Maintain a clean AC intake filter. (this is the filter which you can reach after removing the glove compartment) Wash it with soap, rinse away the soap thoroughly & dry before re-installing. Replace it if necessary. Even better mileage per every liter of fuel. Based on the engine condition, if possible, use a semi-synthetic oil like GTX Magnatec. I have personal experience with that particular oil and car, is a match made in Nissan Heaven Every 25000 km or so, do a throttle body cleanup and tuneup from A*W or any other respectable garage with proper equipment. If you drive a lot, you will recover the tuneup cost from fuel savings alone. Besides the car would praise you by running smoother. Do the regular servicing. That's it! Drive on!

Nissan introduces LEAF as a city car. So, unless you are living in a very large city which spreads over many hundred kilometers, you should be safe. IMHO, one should not buy a LEAF if they intend to travel long distances which exceed the car's fuel cell range. It will be like using pliers instead of a wrench to loosen a bolt.

Nice job EAP. Did you do any interior upgrades as well?

I had the same craze for a BMW, after driving one of my colleague's car. It was such a pleasure to drive that car. But I gave up the idea as he explained to me that the air intake of these models sit very low at the front, and the car was not designed for our road system which turns into rivers after the monsoon downpours (this was before the war ended and road system was improved). I'm not sure whether this is exactly true, as this is something one owner told me. Maybe the AL experts on BMWs could shed some light on this. If you are consistently driving outstation, and have to drive in roads which gets flooded, better think on this aspect too. Apart from this I realized that BMWs cost more than Japanese cars to maintain. While these are robust machines, we drive them in conditions which are not ideal for any car (in my opinion). And we have to be able to bare the inevitable maintenance costs and treat the car right.

Can you share your experience in the fuel figures please? Over the years I have met many drivers who compare these two models but only have experience with one model. As you have owned both, you could do a fair comparison I guess.

Do you have a special preference for FB15? I think similar year N16 could be found for cheaper price, isn't it? They are almost identical under the hood, even though the body shell is different.

If you are a DIY sort of a person; Davy posted an excellent article on restoring the interior trim: http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/15984-reupholstering-interior-panels/ Yet another tutorial... If not, you can try Deen* or Na*ala Cushion Works.

Very informative thread. Thanks for all the Auto Lanka members who shared, and The Don for starting this thread. Can you recommend any good place for tinkering and paint jobs near Thalawathugoda or Baththaramulla. I don't mind going far to get a proper quality job done. Thanks in advance.

Clarkson got sacked for punching a Top Gear producer in the face it seems. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3010167/Top-Gear-presenter-Jeremy-Clarkson-sacked-BBC-internal-investigation-concludes-did-attack-producer-steak-dinner-fracas.html?ito=video_player_click Top Gear fans sure would miss the Arrogant Brit! Any hope for this to be a media stunt?

Found a video http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17187537/

From what I have heard from an owner of an old one (they have not evolved I guess) the car is built like a tank. Its heavy, hence the very poor economy figures...