Anyone in the Market for a UK Sunny GTIR ??

AnthP

New Member
Seeing Martyn's new toy and everyone's reaction to it made me feel bad as my (virtually identical) car is now playing second fiddle to a couple of other recent purchases (plus a dog) and I wonder whether it is now time to move on...

Here's the advert I've drafted for eBay but would much rather it went to someone on the forum. I know the guy who's selling the £11k Pulsar in Bristol would love to buy this car, but again, I'd rather do the right thing and hang the cost (within reason).

I'm useless with technology so can't upload photo's (please don't tell me how, I just don't understand!) but have a couple on my iPad which I can attach to an email for anyone who is interested and can take more on request.

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Nissan Sunny GTIR--------------------


Welcome to the auction of my rare, UK, Sunny GTIR (one of 75 official UK imports).


This is quite a well known, low mileage (48,000), red, 2 former keeper car, which has got to be one of the best original, unmodified and unrestored Sunny GTIR's left in the country. Other than a change of wheels in the 90's (now changed back), this car is and has always been standard and unmodified.


The car was offered as first prize in a Daily Mail competition in 1992 and was reportedly one of two cars on the Nissan stand at the 1992 Birmingham Motor Show although the documentation to support the latter is a little tenuous. It was won by a guy who sold it within a couple of days and was bought by a chap who ran the car in the UK until the late 90's before taking it to and re-registering it in Guernsey ( I have the Guernsey log-book and plates) where it was stored/used infrequently by him (Guernsey is about 9 mile x 5 mile hence the low mileage) until its return to the UK in late 2010 where it was sold at a Bonhams classic car auction to a dealer who sold it to me early 2011 with 44,000 miles on the clock. I had a red UK car when they were new in the 90's and at the time, was reliving my youth so when I saw this one advertised, I bought it without even seeing it !


Since I've had it, the car has been an absolute joy to own - it has been like owning a new car. I've driven it pretty much every other day (less so in the winter) on my 20 mile commute to work and it has run flawlessly. It has started first time, every time, has never let me down and if I hadn't wanted to spend any money on it, wouldn't have cost a penny.


The paint when I bought it was all original (as were the engine, interior, gearbox, dealer numberplates and I suspect, even the brakes and exhaust). However, the paint did have a few stone-chips, a couple of scratches and although not badly faded, lacked the lustre you get with new red paint. I therefore had most of the the car repainted. I'd love to say it was a £5k bare metal re-paint but the car simply didn't need that level of attention. The paintwork cost £1200 and was done by Car & Bike Magic in Sunderland to a good enough visual standard to keep the car going for the next 10-15 years.


The car doesn't and has never had any rust issues, the wheel arches and underside are all fine.


Additional work during my ownership has included ; original wheels refitted (fully refurbished), plus 4 new tyres, new pads & disks all round, new CD player, new Thatcham 2 immobiliser, new off-side strut-top bearing ( I wanted to replace complete strut both sides but Nissan can't get them anymore), intercooler cover powder coated, new rocker cover bolts, Nissan service and MOT (to March 2014). In total, it's had about £3000 spent on it since early 2011.


The car is currently in great condition and I'd happily use it as my only car if the need arose. For those of you who like to modify your cars, you'd probably be disappointed with this one. It's standard and doesn't go as well or look as sexy as a lowered, modified car but it would be a shame to start messing about with such an original car - a car can only be original once !


With regard to service history, although it has a gap during its time in Guernsey, it is all Nissan. It has the original dealer purchase order to the Daily Mail, a stamped Nissan service book together with most invoices (all from one dealer) up to 1997 plus a sprinkling of invoices from its time in Guernsey where it looks to have come back to the UK Mainland for repairs (again same dealer) plus all invoices from its time in my possession. All documentation stacks up to prove the low mileage and remember - one owner from 5 days old until I bought it.


Bad points - There's nothing wrong with the car but there are a couple of aspects which the new owner could improve. Firstly, under the bonnet. It is clean and presentable but 21 year old and not buffed/polished /chromed to within an inch of its life like some cars. In addition, wanting to retain as much originality as possible, I didn't get the off-side front wing, off-side door (above rubbing strip), off-side rear quarter (above rubbing strip) or roof repainted. This is a little faded (mainly roof) and would benefit from being repainted. Finally, one of the front tyres is a little worn on the outside (although still legal) following a 'gentle', dozen lap track day at Bedford Autodrome in 2012. I'd planned to replace all four tyres as they are not the correct 195-55-14 tyres (my garage couldn't get them when I needed them last year) but not got around to it. At the 'buy-now' price (£6,000), I would have the paintwork done and fit one new matching tyre or offer a reduced 'buy-now' price of £5500.


If kept in this condition, I'd say this car was depreciation proof. The classic car market will at some point wake up to early 90's homologation specials other than the Integrale and M3 and the value will increase. Despite its lack of rally success, this car still has rally pedigree, looks great, turns heads and has something that £50k Mercedes and Porsches don't - rarity !


Although pitched at the kind of price you could pay for a heavily modified 400 bhp Pulsar, this car is very different - it's a rare UK car with great provenance /history, undersealed from new so no rust issues, reasonable to insure, runs on standard unleaded (runs terrible on super-unleaded), English owners manual and welcomed at Nissan dealerships for servicing.


I'm only selling as I've bought a couple of other cars recently and can't now garage this one and it would be a shame to see it deteriorate.


I'm not in any great hurry to sell and not in a position to take any part exchanges.

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pulsarboby

Guest
i will vouch for this car aswell it really is a bargain at the asking price, glws anth

what ya bought anyway? pm me if you like
 

billy187

Member
Too cheap Anthony.

If you really have made your mind up that you want to get rid of it, get it advertised on ebay and pistonheads with the above description and a few good pictures for something closer to the 10k mark.

Im pretty sure it wont take long to attract a European buyer.
 

vss irvine

Well-Known Member
Too cheap mate. Its worth another £2k ontop anyday.

If i had the money id buy this straight away.

Hopefully itll go to someone who will continue to care for it.

If its sitting outside maybe consider getting a fitted cover for it?

Good luck with the sale.
 

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
Too cheap mate. Its worth another £2k ontop anyday.

If i had the money id buy this straight away.
That says it all really. - If there's one car to compare it to, it's Martyn's.

Sounds like you're not really in a hurry to sell, you just feel guilty that it's not getting any use. - Put the price up, and if it sells good. If it doesn't you don't need to feel guilty about holding-on.

Good luck either way!

I don't have any good shots from the trackday, but here's one where it's definitely looking clean and straight:
 

AnthP

New Member
Good idea. I have this cover fitted to my Sunny:

http://www.coveryourcar.co.uk/store/product.php?productid=17896&cat=559&page=1

Very sturdy and well made. Highly recommended.

Good luck,
Dave
I appreciate your comments fellas - dont want to depress the value of these cars so what I'm gonna do is stick it on ebay with a 30 day listing at £7,999. If it doesnt go, then I'll get a tailored cover............right, now we've got that sorted what would you recommend I do with this f**king boxer dog that needs walking 10 miles a day, has about 5 dumps a day and has just pulled one of our radiators off the wall wrecking the downstairs of our house !

Bob - I've bought an RS4 and I might have mentioned that I bought an early Integrale last year. Love the Integrale but not sure about the RS4 (very fast but a bit dull).
 
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Fire & skill

Vintage member
Hmm, I'd say as long as it went to an enthusiast who would ensure the integrity of the car is kept then 6k is a good price. Hanging out for a bit more is fair enough as it is worth more, truth said though I'd say (as an enthusiast) that as long as it goes to a good home then that's a good trade - off as far as price goes. It should be wrapped in a bubble and kept in storage.

If only I had the cash . . .
 

AnthP

New Member
From the reaction of folk who've responded, I think I might have become a little brain-washed into thinking 'is my car really worth 3/4 tmes as much as some of the £2000 cars advertised ?' which if the adverts are correct, are good usable examples. I've decided to get the paintwork done (going in Saturday), I've ordered 4 new correct tyres and it will be taxed/mot'd/serviced again the week after. Depending on how I feel then, I might see if I can break the ceiling for a standard car and advertise it for something daft like £10k or I might just keep it. I can't see the RS4 being a 'keeper' so might end up kicking myself in 6 months time if I sell it.

Cheers for your comments though, has really helped get my head together on this.
 
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pulsarboby

Guest
the cars an honest good straight uk car anth and been bloody well looked after by you too and that sets it poles apart from your average 2k pulsar

whether youll get 10k for it remains to be seen but i certainly would not have let her go for 5.5k, you were definately under pricing it. it only takes one genuine buyer to look at it and im sure they will buy it if they are enthusiasts.

on the audi thing........my point exactly, quick cars but very boring, dull and bland, go get yourself a gtr you wont regret it;-)
 

sparkie

Member
I've just bought an mitsubishi evo 9 wagon similar size to your rs4 & it's less dull then expected! So undecided if should keep or sell my gtir formally PA Greens white one as will most likely regret selling it in the long run.
 

johnny gtir

Well-Known Member
i know this car very well (never mind the owner who has looked after it no expense spared not that it needed anything Anth is a cracking honest lad) say what you want about these cars and there future this car should be selling for 8k in this country all day if i had the cash i would of snaped his arm off. Ok so that said never mind a pm if you sell this for any less than 6.5k you are doing yourself and the car dis justice either way you will regret selling it no matter what the price
 

AnthP

New Member
Buy it now on eBay for £5999...criminal
Could afford to buy it but with three kids its a no g:doh:
That's the dilemma, those who aren't in a position to buy would have it like a shot at £6k but the folk who are in a position to buy don't want to pay more than £4k ! I could have sold it at this price ten times over. Anyway looks as though I might be selling it to the guy who also bought my Pulsar in January ! - it's too cheap but he loves the car and will cherish it and that's just as important to me. Now that I know I'm not going to get what I want for it, the next best thing is that it goes to a good home - I even tried to put off a local buyer as I couldn't stand the thought of maybe seeing it on the road in the next few years in a sorry state. It will be sold this weekend one way or the other............
 

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
I commend your attitude. - I agree that it's better to see it go to someone who will appreciate and look after it at a lower price, than someone who will destroy it for what it's worth.

I guess the problem is that the people who know the value of these cars tend to be the people who already own one.
 

johnny gtir

Well-Known Member
money is money if you aint got it you can not always get it in a hurry i know that better than most. The lad might look after it i really hope he dose its a stunning car but i also think he is massivly insulting expecting to pay a penny less than 5k and he is getting it at a bargan price for that this car should be selling 6k plus and if i could afford it would pay that
 
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