Nissan Micra...bought!

[daimlerman]

And here it is...



It's run just over 21k miles,MoT shows that it's run about 1500 miles in the last four years.Air con condenser and power steering rack was replaced last year at a cost of £300+,4 new budget quality tyres the year before and there's an unused spare in the boot.It's elderly owner died a couple of months ago,I bought from his son.

It sat quite happily on the motorway driving home at a steady 75mph.

This replaces 'er indoors Fiat Siecento which was written off last week.



Complete with rear parking sensors and air-con,also has the 1.4 engine.

There's a few area's where the paint is peeling;

Front of the bonnet is the worst,but also on the roof;


Advice on this welcomed.

The gearstick does not 'spring' to rest between 3-4 as it should,a quick look this morning showed that the spring on the linkage has gone MIA,replacement has been ordered.It lives directly above the centre box on the exhaust,so I am hoping to be able to fit with just sliding the heat shield clear....

This is where it will live,you can see why we need narrow cars!

[daimlerman]

Looks good, out of interest how much did you bag it for?

£800...

[B7]

I always laugh when I see PDC on these. WTF would you need it on a car this short!! But plenty have them.

1.4 is a bonus. I mostly dealt in 1.0's and although the manuals spirit along quite well, the autos are woefully slow. 1.3 and 1.4's in these do make a difference.

That paint peel. not seen that on any others but the bonnet? remove the grilles and prep and blow in with an arseole

The rook, I'd whip that strop out and look whats underneath. If it's just local then i'd chip back and touch in very carefully with a touch up stick. If it's progressed lower down then a good dose of waxoil under that strip would help.

For 800 sheets, if you sorted the few issues out and marketed it in the right area, theres a slight profit in it I reckon and I've done a good few of these. I'd have had it at that price for sure.

Spotted one on a pitch the other day in smallfield marked up at £1695. People still ask (and get) good money for these as the later ones have a few issues so people with an elderly K11, seek out the last of the line or very clean K11's to replace them with.

Here it is:

http://www.tjcars.co.uk/used-cars/nissa ... 0525900166

[capri_rob]

That looks like a great buy Malc

narrow - pah - you could squeeze an E32 up there easy

[ImysE30]

Respect the Nissan Micra

[daimlerman]

That looks like a great buy Malc

narrow - pah - you could squeeze an E32 up there easy

I had an S2 XJ6 up there about thirty years ago,but scarred the n/s rear door getting the bloody thing out!At 19.5mpg,it did not stay long...

[pac1982]

it amazes me how some folk on here will tear 5 rounds of shit out of an e30 because it has an M-tech badge but give top respect to a Nissan Micra

more on topic I've never really heard a bad word said about the Micra, good solid little cars

[daimlerman]

Replacement gear linkage spring(£10.82 from the stealer,they would not accept my BMWCC card for discount)now fitted and the linkage greased with spray grease at all pivot points before the rod disappears into the g/box casing,see if this makes any improvement.

[capri_rob]

Did it work Malc ?

Been indulging in some Micra action this weekend ?

[daimlerman]

Did it work Malc ?

Been indulging in some Micra action this weekend ?

Gearstick still needs help to centre it,but it does seem a little better.
By the look of the exhaust,I'll be back under it pretty soon fitting a new one,that will make access to the gear linkage much easier and I'll see if I can add a stronger spring then.

It's an 'OK' turd to drive,but very bland and un-involving.I'm sure that 'er indoors will love it,once she screws up enough courage to take it out.

[gooner1]

The car verde should have bought.

[daimlerman]

We have now run tank to tank for a fuel consumption fiqure...48.27mpg...this is pretty much typical usage by both of us and I was not trying to drive economicaly.

Just asked 'er indoors if she's happy with the Micra,and she hid the key!
So yet again,Trev,you are spot on the money.

[daimlerman]

Just asked 'er indoors if she's happy with the Micra,and she hid the key!
So yet again,Trev,you are spot on the money.

Did you have to go to the out of hours emergency ward to have it removed?

Smacked 'er backside and the car un-locked....

[B7]

Glad it's worked out well Malc. As for my knowledge in these old buses? I'll now give you the lowdown.

My sister in law has a K12. Had it for about 4 years now. Prior to this she had a K11 tourquoise 98 1.0 Passion. (she had a green passion prior to that which got hit up the arse)
When the Passion came on the market, I moved it onto the Mother in law to replace her '93 LS K11 which I bought for her back in about 2001. Prior to the LS, she had a K10 which I sourced back in about '97.
When she passed away 2 years ago (bless her), I moved the Passion onto my mates Neice. Now with about 75k up he's just put its first new clutch in it. Thats all it's ever needed except a CV joint! The Niece has now gone to work in the states for a years work experience. Have they sold the car? NO. It's there for when she gets back. In fact my mate is thinking of running it back and forwards to work

And my Sister in Law? States she still prefers the K11 to the K12 which has had the timing chain issue and nemerous air bag faults etc.

I had a 1.0 Vibe last year. Sold that to a girl at the school to learn to drive in. Serious money at the school yet the mum prefers to drive the Micra to work than her brand new Sport Shogun.

And dear old Mother still misses her 2000 1.0 SE although at 82, she'd lost a lot of confidence. That car was also the second K11 for her.
The first we ordered new in Mar 2000. We took delivery of it (a 5 door 1.0 auto SE) and all was good. She then proceeded to pull out on someone and total it!!! All within 6 weeks of collecting it It had 324 miles on the clock IIRC!!! When she was released from Hospital , I called the dealership and spoke to the sales guy. "I hope theres not a problem Mr. White?"

"Just a slight one yeah!!! You'd best order an identical one and let me know when it's in!"

After an explaination he ordered said car. And sent her a get well soon bunch of flowers!

That car was her last before giving up driving and I sold it in 2010 with just 23k on the clock. It was like bloody brand new!

So you see, I've had some (albiet sad at times) involvement in these and although they are getting harder to find in good fettle, A good one is still a very recommendable car.

[daimlerman]

Micra has now run close to 24k miles,so I've just swapped the filters,oil and spark plugs.
Took me all of 45 minutes,only tricky bit was getting at the oil filter,as I am left-handed and the little swine lives on the bulkhead side of the engine I got an armfull of oil as I un-screwed it!

'er indoors remains happy with it,seems as if 48/50mpg will be the norm.

[B7]

Seems a lot less to report on than the Fiat......

Could be a long wait for the next update Malc.

[daimlerman]

Yes!

Next little job will be to replace the cracked n/s door mirror.

With use,the gear linkage seems to have loosened up,it's certainly far less 'stiff' to operate than when bought.I investigated changing the gearbox oil/checking it's level,but the steel level/fill plug is siezed into the alloy gearbox casing,trying a longer bar is damaging the plug without removing it.I'll try again when I can remember,when the thing is hot!

[daimlerman]

This morning I fixed a rattle from the exhaust.

When I fitted the new spring to the bottom of the gearstick I snapped one of the heatshield bolts,and the heatshield rattled...'fixed' by drilling a fresh hole alongside the original and used an ex-E30 plated self tapper...also spotted that the heatshield above the front pipe was loose due to a rusted out clamp at it's rear end,replaced with a stainless jubilee clip.

In the fortnight since I changed the engine oil,the thing has run almost 3k miles,and the oil is still a nice,clean golden colour.Thinking that it may be worth my while using a thinner fully synthetic oil,perhaps a 5w/40?
Certainly Nissan's suggestion of 9k miles between changes looks feasable!

[stu328is]

I bought my missis a p reg 1.3 16v one as her first car, was as basic as they come with nothing electric and no power steering, paid 300 quid for it and ran it for nearly 3 years without even changing the oil went through 2 MOT's with no problems, was a brilliant little car

Had 90k on it and went really well for a 1.3, would do over a ton no problem but god did it feel flimsy and rattle like f*ck, I killed it in the end by rear ending an Audi a3 in one of the weirdest situation's I've ever been in.

Motoring doesn't come much cheaper than a micra tbh

[daimlerman]

Ours has now run 11k since purchase it will get an oil and filter swap this week.

The remote locking on the (only!)key failed,but a local car locksmith was able to supply a new fob case and internal micro-switch's for the tiny circuit board,my eye's are too old for that kind of soldering these days.Cost £36,yes,I know that I could have had the same job a touch cheaper,but as the car is in constant use I felt happier with the 'while I wait' service.

[stu328is]

I don't mind paying it a bit more if it gets done there and then, but I'm an impatient git when I need or want something

One word of warning though although it may have changed being newer but they are made of tinfoil, I slid into the back I that Audi at no more than 10mph probably more like 5mph and the thing was a mess, both wings front panel, lights and the bonnet was more or less folded in half, my little boy was asleep in the back and the bump didn't even wake him up, not a car I'd like to have a proper crash in.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Motoring doesn't come much cheaper than a micra tbh

A thirty quid Renault 5 with 8 months MOT and lasting a further 5 years does

Proper tightwad motoring, even down to the use of a second hand head gasket when I blew one

[harry_p]

11k miles in three months?!

Someone's a glutton for punishment!

[daimlerman]

11k miles in three months?!

Someone's a glutton for punishment!

It's 'er indoors!

She works as a mobile care worker,currently operating a round of clients in and close to Gainsbourgh....I am responsible for about 200 miles!

TBO,I doubt that the Siecento would have taken the miles in the same way that the Micra has.She's doing about 400 miles per tankfull,about 45/50mpg.

[B7]

You can't knock it can you? Re that key fob? It could have been 136 quid, it'd still be cheap motoring.

[daimlerman]

You can't knock it can you? Re that key fob? It could have been 136 quid, it'd still be cheap motoring.

No I can't knock it,I doubt that the Siecento would have taken that kind of use.

Apart from it being totally un-involving to drive,it has proved to be a sound buy.

[daimlerman]

Believe it or not,but w've run this thing almost a year,now!

Took it for an MoT this morning,failed on a front sidelight bulb and a poor handbrake to the o/s.
Bulb took less than a minute to sort out,it's the same as used in an E30 so I had on in the spares cupboard.
Handbrake was a bit more involved,there's a cable to each rear wheel,with a linking front cable from the lever.I was unable to access the point where they all meet as it's hidden under an exhaust heat shield and I snapped one bolt head off and rounded the other ...so I bodged it by reducing the free play at the lever,then used just the handbrake on the way back to the MoT man,it free'd off enough to be acceptable.

So for 240001 miles,this has cost me;
key fob
pair of front tyres
starter motor

Not too bad for a twelve year old s/h buy at £800!

[capri_rob]

Nice work malc !