Loved the bluebird. I built them at the factory and fitted the left hand doors, steering wheel and boot spoiler on the zx turbo (all in 90 seconds). Great car and would love one now.
Most cars of the 1980's were still COMPLETELY BOXY eg. : Mercedes-Benz W124 (launched in 1985) and Toyota Cressida. Thís car was also called the Sunny & Sentra in certain other markets. Very reliable and economical car.
I had a 1.8 1984 one then a 1994 primera 2.0 loved them, smooth engines and silky gearchange. I drive a quasqui at work, brand new and it stalls all the time and has a shit gearchange
That will be the reno influence. I'm not sure any French manufacturer has made a car with a decent manual gearchange. All really vague and baggy, and the throw is too long. Every reno, Peugeot, Citroën I've ever been in was like it. My 2019 vivaro work van has the lever on the dash, its like using a mangle. My ep3 type r was fantastic
I have two of these, one in the UK and one in NZ. My other one in the UK was stolen, it had head gasket failure after 200,000 miles, and after I drove it with a seized thermostat before I knew about cars. Even then, the head gasket blew out causing a smokescreen, and it didn’t break down on the hard shoulder, I drove it a few miles to a respectable parking spot. T12, T72 Bluebird - never forget, best car ever! ZXOC
I can't describe how good it is to see one of these again. As a teenager in the mid to late 90s, it was always a Nissan Bluebird that took me home after a Saturday night out clubbing. It's like being reacquainted with an old friend. They used to be everywhere and we took the Bluebird tor granted. We never truly appreciated it in it's day. It's only now that they are almost extinct that we realise how important the Bluebird actually was. Whether you were a Sunderland car worker, a jobbing sales rep, a taxi driver, or indeed a slightly drunk lad about town in need of a ride home, the Nissan Bluebird holds a very special place in our memories. It really is wonderful to see one again. Thanks for the video 👍
I to my full ability respectfully disagree with your opinion lol. I have a hard time telling old cars apart they all look the same. But every generation of car has some sort of appeal.
An anecdote which might give a clue to the Bluebird's reliability: back in the late 80s I was a minicab driver for a bit and I once picked up a customer who ran a company making rubber gaiters for cars. Their two clients were Vauxhall and Nissan. Vauxhall never returned any or complained about quality whereas Nissan would regularly return batches and demand better quality so that in the end, the company set up separate production lines for each manufacturer, with more rigorous quality control for Nissan. Just a small component but imagine that rigouressnes for all components expected by Nissan verses the couldn't care less attitude of Vauxhall and you can see how the difference in longevity came about.
And then they went and ruined it all by getting involved with Renault. My K12 Micra has nowhere near the engineering integrity that my previous K11 had. Even if I do love it to bits. That lovely 16v twin cam Nissan engine discarded in favour of Renault's gutless lump of pig iron with no lowdown torque and a deep antipathy to rev. It was criminal.
I worked at the nissan plant for 7 years and built the bluebird. We had some contractors there once who had previously been at a Ford plant. They were amazed that we screwed screws in because at ford they hammered them in... stuck with me forever that.
My Dad had pretty much every shape of Bluebird going, from the 910 Datsun Bluebird 1.8GL that replaced his Ford Cortina. Pick of the bunch was probably the champagne silver 1987 1.8LX, which was upgraded to a silver 1989 2.0 GSXi auto (both 4 door saloons). Fond memories of me and my Dad in the GSXi playing with all the electric windows and the electric sunroof like we were gods the day he brought it home, fun times. Never EVER went wrong. Passed every MOT with an almost banal regularity, just needing the usual service consumables of tyres and fluid changes. Skipped getting a Primera and went straight for a Nissan QX. In fact, get hold of a Nissan QX to review seeing as you reviewed the Maxima. Great video!
I never really used to like these when seeing them around in the 90's and early 2000's, but despite it looking pretty old in 2019 it certainly has a lot of charm. Can't argue with their robustness, as you say - always used to see these as taxi's in the UK!
Nice car I got the 87 model spent loads of money on it it looks great after a massive make over it turns heads my car was made in England 2.0 sgx model 2tone paint work heated seats wash wipe head lamps very impressive in its day getting rare cars to find 😎 car
LOVE the horizontal waistline and rear quarter window which combine for perfect visibility which you don't get today. A perfect car really. Can I have one please?
Yes my parents had this exact model but in white. Spent a lot of my life in the back very comfy and the rear seats are reclining which you missed out and the best feature on the premium. I loved the gills on the back.
@@furiousdriving yeah they recline both sides 50/50 so if someone was in the middle you could make them very uncomfortable lol. I can't remember how we did it but if i sat in one I would definitely remember.
Man they should have never fused with Renault ( createur de malheur) it killed Nissan quality for sure. I ve been working at Renault/Nissan Netherlands and boy a lot of things went wrong, still get sick thinking of it
Very awesome that this car is still being used as a daily driver by its owner. Back from a time where cars had what you needed in them, and weren't bogged down with gimmicky tacky nonsense that you didn't. (11:55 I am with you on the point regarding A/C though...it sure is nice to have!)
Lancia delta era and Skyline R31 & R32 CA engine, failed to replace the Datsun 510 in 86. Stunning car to tune, its long bonnet has a ton of space for bigger engine swaps...true classic, real stuff.
I ran a 2.0 SGX auto 5 door heated seats, power tilt slide sunroof,eletric aerial to name a few of its gadgets in three years and several thousand miles the only thing that broke was a headlight bulb terrible light steering ment it was`nt fun in the bends it was still running around my local area for years after I part exed it
I had a mate that have one in white every time he has to drive from city centre used to end up getting people in the back having to tell him it wasn't a taxi
My Dad and I were just talking about these the other day. He had a green 86 model saloon in LX trim. It was absolutely bullet proof, he swapped it in 91 for a first gen Primera. These are the two cars he'd have back in a heartbeat.
I had a premium. It was indestructible .G494HMS. The sister car done 500.000 miles. It was easily the most reliable car I ever had. I wish I had kept it. It was immaculate. It went away with 100.000 on the clock. You forgot the executive 2.0gti.
My parents had such a car, a bluebird 2.0 lx liftback. A lovely car to drive and extreme reliable. Very nice to see again. Thank you. Greetings from Brummen, the Netherlands
The Nissan Bluebird was a good car, whichever version you bought, be it saloon hatchback or estate. It was more than capable of transporting a family and all their stuff on holiday in good comfort and style.
Even now im still driving Nissan Bluebird round the Seashore or at farm very comportable car stay with me 38years ago.Fuel is very cheap here in North Africa water is more expensive than the fuel really amazing..
I had a Nissan cherry 1.5GL automatic N12 from 1985 totally tidied it up, was a very nice clean car. i had it for 5 years and loved it very much, then i had a accident with it recently, it was written off :(((. I miss it so much that i want another oldskool nissan from the 80s. The Nissan bluebird immediately came to my mind. i am about to import a Nissan bluebird 2.0 SLX grand prix automatic from Germany to the Netherlands. it has electric windows on all 4 doors, electric mirrors, and power steering. cant wait till its here
My dad had a 1985 Nissan Bluebird that model shape only ran from 1984 to 1986. His car was the basic model in DX trim, it meant deluxe and was a 1.8 saloon in light blue with matching interior. Was a comfortable but basic car and lasted 12 years, no rust but ready for a new engine, those 1.8 cars struggled to pull along with such a small engine, really needed a 2.0. Often people would think it was a taxi.
Desperate to drive one of these for some reason 🤔 an extremly common sight when i was growing up in Bolton, that and the toyota carina would be good if you could get your hands on one of those aswell. Anotger great video by the way 👍
Some of the more higher end models actually have A/C, and i'm fortunate enough to own one. It's a -90 2.0 SLX with the fuel injected ca20e engine. Such a massive difference driving it on a hot summer day compared to a few other SLX's i've got which haven't got A/C. But with or without A/C these are still such gorgeous and reliable cars! Especially the executive ones. Once one has sat in one of those it's very hard if not almost impossible to go back to an L or LX model.
I had a 1987 company Bluebird, same red as this model. It was one of the first diesel models in GS trim, saloon. I can honestly say that I rated that as one of my best cars up until 2006 - that says a lot. It wasn't quick but it was economical and it was so comfortable. I loved it and seeing your review brought it all back. I had to give it up for a 406! Enough said.
Well to be fair Renault saved Nissan from going under. Nissan was in massive financial trouble in the late 90's. It remains to be seen if Nissan will ever branch out on their own again. I think it may just be too difficult to do now as they're so ingrained into Renault.
My dad bought his 1.6lx in this red, new on 1st August 1990. Had it for 21 years till one day he went looking for it outside the house in South London and it was gone, never to be seen again. Bullet proof engine and for an lx, had an electric sunroof, 4x electric windows and power steering (which he really loved). Was a bit wallowy to drive but was such a dependable member of the family. Only had 62k on it when stolen and had not a bit of rust. From memory he only had to replace the alternator.
This was my grandad's last car. I remember my dad being very jealous of it when he got to drive it. It was powerful, comfy and with a smooth clutch compared to his horrendous 1500 Allegro estate.
I bought one of these new in '86, when they were still being made in Japan (chassis no 238!). It was a 1.8 SLX and I had it 20 years, and even then it was only just starting to rust. I got 1,000 trade-in. I've had better cars on paper, but this was always my favourite.
My first company car in 1990! Mine was a 1.6 Premium in light metallic blue. The mirrors aren't electric BTW lol. I remember the steering being very light, but otherwise it was an unremarkable car, almost insipid in fact. And very basic. But I agree, a comfortable long distance car, I drove all over the country in it. And as said, it was very reliable, especially compared to the dire Ford company cars I had slightly later in the same decade. Also because unleaded fuel had just been introduced to the UK they had retarded the ignition a couple of degrees to compensate, meaning it was a bit gutless. Still, fond memories :-)
Probably my favourite of yours! My father was a big Datsun/Nissan fan so from the age of 5 we had nothing but Nissans. My father converted his neighbours to Nissans as well so although we never had a Bluebird (just Sunnys and Primeras), my neighbours and friends had these. A real trip down memory lane for me! Thank you so much for finding this. If you ever find a 1983 Datsun/Nissan Sunny saloon, I will hero worship you forever!
@@furiousdriving, do you mean to say that he has two of them? That's certainly above the average number that someone may own, isn't it! Well, by all means do put me in touch with him, and we may be able to arrange something. Been requested to review one by a subscriber!
Love the retro eau du orange air freshener didn't know you could still buy those , I had my first mobile phone in 89 a BT Ivory . cost £1600 and 25p a min to call and £25 a month line rent , still got it , great video and solid car , a lot got killed off in Banger races as very strong .
I had a 1800 GX in 2002, bought for £25 with 113k miles on it. Used it to tow my race car around for a year then sold it for £475. Didn’t let me down once. Quality wagon!
Can't say enough about the greatness of this channel. These were the cars I grew up seeing in CAR magazine here in America and marveling at the difference in design details from the American market versions. My good friends and I used to go to the auto shows here and stand and admire the design cues on the economy cars while others just went to see Ferraris and never got our appreciation for styling and motoring itself. And now this channel carries the torch for a new generation.
i always found Japanese cars a bit like a fridge, does what it is suposed to do but a bit boring, i used to run a garage that specalised in BMW and Fiat, a little old lady customer asked me one day, what would i reccomend she got for a reliable shopping trolley, my reply was "nassan micra"
These were very reliable economical cars also easy to service and maintain, good smooth engines always starts first time every time. Would of loved to of had the ZX turbo version.
I love that 5d Hb layout, we got the stanza here in the states, but I don't think we got the 5d hatch model here. The funny the thing we got for a short time the British made Premera, but it was sold here as an Infiniti G20 4dr sedan, I think Nissan should have brought over that Bluebird 5d hatch here as well, it better looking then the stanza we got.
all the taxi drivers in Winchester, Dorset and near Tidworth drove these in the mid to late 90s when I was a squaddie, and then the 406 started to take over.
I had a 89 2.0 GSXI hatchback electric sunroof light metallic blue alloys lights in boot all windows electric stareo with graphic equalizer of period electric mirrors when I was 20-21 paid £750 86,000 mls in 1998 got laughed at alot because I was not a hot hatch kid loved that car got written off 😭sadly missed
This car bought back memories of a very good friend (who was Indian) from school. His mum had one and all his family members had one. His mums one was a dark blue :) she loved it.
This channel is great, all these older cars from the 80s and 90s, can’t beat them!👍🏻 My dad had a red Nissan Sunny G plate with the 1.4 8 or 12v (can’t remember which)in the 90s, that thing went on and on forever! Had it around 10 years I think which is the longest he’s ever owned a car, never broke down in that time. That’s using it as an only car and for work/pleasure. Went around the country on holidays as a family etc. Wasn’t fast or thrilling but it was a family car and was great at that! How would you say this compares to something similar from Vauxhall in the same year? Perhaps abit more basic but more reliable with the Nissan?
My sister had a 1989 1.6 LS saloon in black. It had matt black bumpers like this red one but you couldn't tell against the black paintwork. One up from base, it was well kitted out, except for power steering. That was standard on the LX spec. I'd love to try out a 2.0 diesel for sh*ts and giggles. 0 to 60 in 30 seconds or thereabouts!
My first car was an 89 Bluebird Premium 1.6. It had some kind of “foam” rear spoiler, completely useless but looked cool. Extremely reliable up to 185,000 miles when I scrapped it for a MK1 Mondeo diesel. Strong runner, all it needed was a new radiator and exhaust. Really wish I’d kept it for a few more years. Still love the 80’s design.
Just a fun fact , these T platform Bluebirds weren't fully related to the actual Bluebird , the Bluebird after the 910 series moved to the U platform, U12 would have been the actual Bluebird equivalent. T platform Bluebirds in Japan were sold as Austers and Stanza but for some reason the U (U12) platform Bluebird was sold in North America as the Stanza.
Those were sold in the US with a 2.0 engine and were considered dreadfully slow and boring. The next gen got a SOHC 2.4 liter I4 also used in the 240SX and was not bad. 80's Nissan was a bit confused. They marketed the 1st gen FWD Maxima as the 1st 4DSC (Four Door Sports Car) and it was so soft it leaned over in corners almost as bad as a VW Type 2. Definitely made for Americans.
We got these in the US in notchback form as the Stanza. If we got the hatchback, I don’t remember it. A friend that had one in 1989. It was a nice, but forgettable car. Not a big seller compared to Accord and Camry. None of them around anymore. That one looks great in red. Thanks for the video
My late auntie & uncle had the predecessor to this…1970s bluebird 180B? round headlights, rear drive. Not seen one for many years. Biggest prob was….rust. Ended up with more rust than actual metal.
Had owned a D'reg Japan-made Bluebird in early 00's for a while. All mod-cons plus a very boring but reliable 1.6L. Shame it had starting problems on wet days, and living in Cambridge at the time, that meant I'd be frequently late to work. Eventually junked it and got a Volvo 940 instead.
These are fantastic cars! I'm 25 now but when I was 13 years old my parents neighbours had a bluebird in dark blue on a G reg and it was a fantastic car! Always enjoyed getting a lift in it. Where abouts are you based please?? I'm in South Wales and have a G reg Maestro I'd happily let you borrow for a video review!
I had one of these forced upon me while my AX GT was ill. To say they were opposites was an understatement. I had the 1.6 and god was mine slow. I came to appreciate it of sorts. It was a supremely comfortable motorway cruiser. It had very positive brakes. The engine bay seemed built for much larger engines, the 1.6 in mine looked positively lonely in that huge bay you could practically step inside to work on. It was so quiet at idle, you could often forget the engine was running and find yourself trying to start an already running engine. The only positive way you could make it exciting I discovered was that it was prone to lift off oversteer. And it was reliable, it just went and went unlike my AX GT which would break down if you just looked at it the wrong way.
My daughter has a more modern Nissan Juke - and that was lovely to drive with very light controls (even the switching) . The body and engine seemed bomb proof!! Mike
Had an 88 F plate in midnight blue, model was LS. All 4 windows and sunroof were electric. Hellishly reliable car
Loved the bluebird. I built them at the factory and fitted the left hand doors, steering wheel and boot spoiler on the zx turbo (all in 90 seconds). Great car and would love one now.
Great memories . Went to Worthing in 1989 on a main dealer course .
Now own a B12 Ca16DE
N12 E15 DET
Most cars of the 1980's were still COMPLETELY BOXY eg. : Mercedes-Benz W124 (launched in 1985) and Toyota Cressida.
Thís car was also called the Sunny & Sentra in certain other markets. Very reliable and economical car.
Love it, when one customer meets a friend in a gym carpark! the rest is history! #mongersgarage!!
I had a 1.8 1984 one then a 1994 primera 2.0 loved them, smooth engines and silky gearchange. I drive a quasqui at work, brand new and it stalls all the time and has a shit gearchange
That will be the reno influence. I'm not sure any French manufacturer has made a car with a decent manual gearchange. All really vague and baggy, and the throw is too long. Every reno, Peugeot, Citroën I've ever been in was like it. My 2019 vivaro work van has the lever on the dash, its like using a mangle. My ep3 type r was fantastic
That's a nice red Bluebird :)
You should do a review on the N13 Sunny/Pulsar! It would be best if it was the GTi version!
Wow even the air freshener in it is retro style!...can't remember the last time I saw one of those hanging from a rear view mirror either!
It's a feu orange. Very 1980s. A lot of scene tax if you want to buy one now!
You can still buy them on eBay, I have one for my retro ride
Did you guys ever get the Poppy brand air freshener?
@@schneil I bought one back in the day back and had to remove it because the fragrance used to make me feel sick 😊😂
Was only thinking about these a few days ago.. Never saw one on the hard shoulder unlike all the competitors..
this is very true and possibly the best buying advise there is!
I have two of these, one in the UK and one in NZ. My other one in the UK was stolen, it had head gasket failure after 200,000 miles, and after I drove it with a seized thermostat before I knew about cars. Even then, the head gasket blew out causing a smokescreen, and it didn’t break down on the hard shoulder, I drove it a few miles to a respectable parking spot. T12, T72 Bluebird - never forget, best car ever! ZXOC
I can't describe how good it is to see one of these again. As a teenager in the mid to late 90s, it was always a Nissan Bluebird that took me home after a Saturday night out clubbing. It's like being reacquainted with an old friend. They used to be everywhere and we took the Bluebird tor granted. We never truly appreciated it in it's day. It's only now that they are almost extinct that we realise how important the Bluebird actually was. Whether you were a Sunderland car worker, a jobbing sales rep, a taxi driver, or indeed a slightly drunk lad about town in need of a ride home, the Nissan Bluebird holds a very special place in our memories. It really is wonderful to see one again. Thanks for the video 👍
Well said! :-D
When Nissans were made well and reliable, sources say now new Nissans (like many new cars) they’re not so great now , a shame 😟
Paul Illingworth. They use a lot of Renault sourced parts now rather than building things inhouse.
Concur ..
my sister had the ZX TURBO , quick in its day !
Old cars are so much more appealing than modern cars.
I to my full ability respectfully disagree with your opinion lol. I have a hard time telling old cars apart they all look the same. But every generation of car has some sort of appeal.
An anecdote which might give a clue to the Bluebird's reliability: back in the late 80s I was a minicab driver for a bit and I once picked up a customer who ran a company making rubber gaiters for cars. Their two clients were Vauxhall and Nissan. Vauxhall never returned any or complained about quality whereas Nissan would regularly return batches and demand better quality so that in the end, the company set up separate production lines for each manufacturer, with more rigorous quality control for Nissan. Just a small component but imagine that rigouressnes for all components expected by Nissan verses the couldn't care less attitude of Vauxhall and you can see how the difference in longevity came about.
Attention to detail, it does matter!
Mark McMarkface very interesting thanks for sharing
And then they went and ruined it all by getting involved with Renault. My K12 Micra has nowhere near the engineering integrity that my previous K11 had. Even if I do love it to bits. That lovely 16v twin cam Nissan engine discarded in favour of Renault's gutless lump of pig iron with no lowdown torque and a deep antipathy to rev. It was criminal.
I worked at the nissan plant for 7 years and built the bluebird.
We had some contractors there once who had previously been at a Ford plant. They were amazed that we screwed screws in because at ford they hammered them in... stuck with me forever that.
@@Stumc46 trust ford
My Dad had pretty much every shape of Bluebird going, from the 910 Datsun Bluebird 1.8GL that replaced his Ford Cortina. Pick of the bunch was probably the champagne silver 1987 1.8LX, which was upgraded to a silver 1989 2.0 GSXi auto (both 4 door saloons). Fond memories of me and my Dad in the GSXi playing with all the electric windows and the electric sunroof like we were gods the day he brought it home, fun times.
Never EVER went wrong. Passed every MOT with an almost banal regularity, just needing the usual service consumables of tyres and fluid changes. Skipped getting a Primera and went straight for a Nissan QX. In fact, get hold of a Nissan QX to review seeing as you reviewed the Maxima. Great video!
I never really used to like these when seeing them around in the 90's and early 2000's, but despite it looking pretty old in 2019 it certainly has a lot of charm. Can't argue with their robustness, as you say - always used to see these as taxi's in the UK!
Nice car I got the 87 model spent loads of money on it it looks great after a massive make over it turns heads my car was made in England 2.0 sgx model 2tone paint work heated seats wash wipe head lamps very impressive in its day getting rare cars to find 😎 car
LOVE the horizontal waistline and rear quarter window which combine for perfect visibility which you don't get today. A perfect car really. Can I have one please?
OK Nissan ! Sunderland. How i miss those quality control window stickers!
Yes my parents had this exact model but in white. Spent a lot of my life in the back very comfy and the rear seats are reclining which you missed out and the best feature on the premium. I loved the gills on the back.
Really? I had no idea! I didnt spot a lever or mention in the brochure, I dont even think the owner knows! Ill have to tell him
@@furiousdriving yeah they recline both sides 50/50 so if someone was in the middle you could make them very uncomfortable lol. I can't remember how we did it but if i sat in one I would definitely remember.
@@furiousdriving they don't recline very far, think there is maybe 3 or 4 click settings from upright to the sleeping position I used to call it.
That's very cool!
Love it. I had the older one. SNA 542X! A minicab in Rochdale. Best car ever
haha - first mini cab reply, I bet there will be a few but they were so good at it!
What a lovely car, who could dislike? Hubnut (surprisingly) is a little disparaging about them. Nasty old Hubnut! Boo!
Got my first car Just before summerbreak. A 1987 Nissan bluebird 2.0LX hatchback, I love it to pieces 😁👍
The video only shows the dashboard for 2 seconds and then flicks to another scene. Give us time to look at what you're showing us.
Man they should have never fused with Renault ( createur de malheur) it killed Nissan quality for sure. I ve been working at Renault/Nissan Netherlands and boy a lot of things went wrong, still get sick thinking of it
Very reliable car, drove 2 of these, the engine refused to die!
Go to the museum in Sunderland, you can see the first one built, and it gets out now and again to keep it running!
Ive been there, but didnt know there was a museum or Id have demanded a stop off to look. Maybe thats why no one told me?
Possibly lol
Very awesome that this car is still being used as a daily driver by its owner. Back from a time where cars had what you needed in them, and weren't bogged down with gimmicky tacky nonsense that you didn't. (11:55 I am with you on the point regarding A/C though...it sure is nice to have!)
you only need AC about 2 times a year in the UK so just open a bloody window!
Thank you I enjoy driving it daily! 😁
My neighbours had an F reg, and as a Ford family, I was stunned as a 12 year old about the amount of equipment you got on a LS.
My dad bought a 1.8 LX in 1988 brand new till 2001 well made car engine was bomb proof never broke down.. Great review as always keep them coming 👍👍
Lancia delta era and Skyline R31 & R32 CA engine, failed to replace the Datsun 510 in 86. Stunning car to tune, its long bonnet has a ton of space for bigger engine swaps...true classic, real stuff.
I ran a 2.0 SGX auto 5 door heated seats, power tilt slide sunroof,eletric aerial to name a few of its gadgets in three years and several thousand miles the only thing that broke was a headlight bulb terrible light steering ment it was`nt fun in the bends it was still running around my local area for years after I part exed it
I had a mate that have one in white every time he has to drive from city centre used to end up getting people in the back having to tell him it wasn't a taxi
My Dad and I were just talking about these the other day. He had a green 86 model saloon in LX trim. It was absolutely bullet proof, he swapped it in 91 for a first gen Primera. These are the two cars he'd have back in a heartbeat.
I used to have a Nissan Bluebird 1.6LX saloon T72 1989F in Metallic Green. I also had a Primera 2.0GTI Black,Mazda 626 2.0&Honda Accord 2.0.
I had a premium. It was indestructible .G494HMS. The sister car done 500.000 miles. It was easily the most reliable car I ever had. I wish I had kept it. It was immaculate. It went away with 100.000 on the clock.
You forgot the executive 2.0gti.
My parents had such a car, a bluebird 2.0 lx liftback. A lovely car to drive and extreme reliable. Very nice to see again. Thank you. Greetings from Brummen, the Netherlands
I had my first hatchback 1.6 in 1987 and the saloon version in 1989. These were the most reliable car of their day in my Opinion.
The Nissan Bluebird was a good car, whichever version you bought, be it saloon hatchback or estate.
It was more than capable of transporting a family and all their stuff on holiday in good comfort and style.
Even now im still driving Nissan Bluebird round the Seashore or at farm very comportable car stay with me 38years ago.Fuel is very cheap here in North Africa water is more expensive than the fuel really amazing..
Pretty sure the hatchback wasn't sold in Australia but the 4 door was very popular in the mid to late 80's.
We still get the bluebird in the carribean from Japan. It's now called the Bluebird Sylphy.
I drove a Japanese built Bluebird D reg T12 pre facelift, the PAS was very light.
I had a Nissan cherry 1.5GL automatic N12 from 1985 totally tidied it up, was a very nice clean car. i had it for 5 years and loved it very much, then i had a accident with it recently, it was written off :(((. I miss it so much that i want another oldskool nissan from the 80s. The Nissan bluebird immediately came to my mind. i am about to import a Nissan bluebird 2.0 SLX grand prix automatic from Germany to the Netherlands. it has electric windows on all 4 doors, electric mirrors, and power steering. cant wait till its here
Thats really sad to hear, so sorry :-( But at least you have a high spec one coming - the top ones were loaded so it should be nice I hope
My dad had a 1985 Nissan Bluebird that model shape only ran from 1984 to 1986. His car was the basic model in DX trim, it meant deluxe and was a 1.8 saloon in light blue with matching interior. Was a comfortable but basic car and lasted 12 years, no rust but ready for a new engine, those 1.8 cars struggled to pull along with such a small engine, really needed a 2.0. Often people would think it was a taxi.
I miss seeing cars like this on the roads. Most cars nowadays all pretty much look the same and very boring.
Desperate to drive one of these for some reason 🤔 an extremly common sight when i was growing up in Bolton, that and the toyota carina would be good if you could get your hands on one of those aswell. Anotger great video by the way 👍
Some of the more higher end models actually have A/C, and i'm fortunate enough to own one. It's a -90 2.0 SLX with the fuel injected ca20e engine. Such a massive difference driving it on a hot summer day compared to a few other SLX's i've got which haven't got A/C. But with or without A/C these are still such gorgeous and reliable cars! Especially the executive ones. Once one has sat in one of those it's very hard if not almost impossible to go back to an L or LX model.
Nissan blue bird when i was in Birmingham lots of cab drivers used these mainly blue ones
Uncle Gilbert really? I could have sworn my neighbour had a grey coloured one, are you telling me it was a grey bird?🧐😂
My first car was a blue Nissan Bluebird. Still have a fondness for that car, used to call it "big red"
Still see them in Bradford I remember alot being used as taxis in the 90s
I had a 1987 company Bluebird, same red as this model. It was one of the first diesel models in GS trim, saloon. I can honestly say that I rated that as one of my best cars up until 2006 - that says a lot. It wasn't quick but it was economical and it was so comfortable. I loved it and seeing your review brought it all back. I had to give it up for a 406! Enough said.
And yet,my 2000 (y reg) Peugeot 406 glx hdi estate rates as the best company car I have had to date.
Funny old world isn't it.
Nissan really made a bad decision with the Renault partnership deal, the quality of Nissan now is below par
Well to be fair Renault saved Nissan from going under. Nissan was in massive financial trouble in the late 90's. It remains to be seen if Nissan will ever branch out on their own again. I think it may just be too difficult to do now as they're so ingrained into Renault.
Soo cool car!
So beautifull.... i hate modern shit.
This is all you need in a car.....
My dad bought his 1.6lx in this red, new on 1st August 1990. Had it for 21 years till one day he went looking for it outside the house in South London and it was gone, never to be seen again.
Bullet proof engine and for an lx, had an electric sunroof, 4x electric windows and power steering (which he really loved). Was a bit wallowy to drive but was such a dependable member of the family. Only had 62k on it when stolen and had not a bit of rust. From memory he only had to replace the alternator.
This was my grandad's last car. I remember my dad being very jealous of it when he got to drive it. It was powerful, comfy and with a smooth clutch compared to his horrendous 1500 Allegro estate.
My dad had a silver one and I switched off the lights when I was little.
My OH says my Bluebird was the best car I ever owned.
I bought one of these new in '86, when they were still being made in Japan (chassis no 238!). It was a 1.8 SLX and I had it 20 years, and even then it was only just starting to rust. I got 1,000 trade-in. I've had better cars on paper, but this was always my favourite.
My first company car in 1990! Mine was a 1.6 Premium in light metallic blue. The mirrors aren't electric BTW lol. I remember the steering being very light, but otherwise it was an unremarkable car, almost insipid in fact. And very basic. But I agree, a comfortable long distance car, I drove all over the country in it. And as said, it was very reliable, especially compared to the dire Ford company cars I had slightly later in the same decade. Also because unleaded fuel had just been introduced to the UK they had retarded the ignition a couple of degrees to compensate, meaning it was a bit gutless. Still, fond memories :-)
Probably my favourite of yours! My father was a big Datsun/Nissan fan so from the age of 5 we had nothing but Nissans. My father converted his neighbours to Nissans as well so although we never had a Bluebird (just Sunnys and Primeras), my neighbours and friends had these. A real trip down memory lane for me! Thank you so much for finding this. If you ever find a 1983 Datsun/Nissan Sunny saloon, I will hero worship you forever!
Im working on the 80s cars!
furiousdriving you’re doing a grand job of it too!
Well, you beat me to it again, sir! I really wanted to review one of these on my channel, but you got there first, and it looks absolutely wonderful.
This is a minter, he has another so I could put you in touch!
@@furiousdriving, do you mean to say that he has two of them? That's certainly above the average number that someone may own, isn't it! Well, by all means do put me in touch with him, and we may be able to arrange something. Been requested to review one by a subscriber!
Love the retro eau du orange air freshener didn't know you could still buy those , I had my first mobile phone in 89 a BT Ivory . cost £1600 and 25p a min to call and £25 a month line rent , still got it , great video and solid car , a lot got killed off in Banger races as very strong .
Growing up in Birmingham in the 80’s these were used by literally every private taxi driver! Eventually being replaced by the Toyota Avensis lol
Saw one of these in Maidstone the other day identical to this car
It was probably the same car 😉
@@jamesgreen751 you're probably correct lol
I had a 1800 GX in 2002, bought for £25 with 113k miles on it. Used it to tow my race car around for a year then sold it for £475. Didn’t let me down once. Quality wagon!
God they were so much better than anything we made.
Can't say enough about the greatness of this channel. These were the cars I grew up seeing in CAR magazine here in America and marveling at the difference in design details from the American market versions. My good friends and I used to go to the auto shows here and stand and admire the design cues on the economy cars while others just went to see Ferraris and never got our appreciation for styling and motoring itself. And now this channel carries the torch for a new generation.
i always found Japanese cars a bit like a fridge, does what it is suposed to do but a bit boring, i used to run a garage that specalised in BMW and Fiat, a little old lady customer asked me one day, what would i reccomend she got for a reliable shopping trolley, my reply was "nassan micra"
lol
These were very reliable economical cars also easy to service and maintain, good smooth engines always starts first time every time. Would of loved to of had the ZX turbo version.
I love that 5d Hb layout, we got the stanza here in the states, but I don't think we got the 5d hatch model here. The funny the thing we got for a short time the British made Premera, but it was sold here as an Infiniti G20 4dr sedan, I think Nissan should have brought over that Bluebird 5d hatch here as well, it better looking then the stanza we got.
We did definitely get the hatchback in the US. It was only offered in XE trim and was very rare.
all the taxi drivers in Winchester, Dorset and near Tidworth drove these in the mid to late 90s when I was a squaddie, and then the 406 started to take over.
Possibly the most reliable car ever made
My neighbours had an F reg, and as a Ford family, I was stunned as a 12 year old about the amount of equipment you got on a LS.
I had a 89 2.0 GSXI hatchback electric sunroof light metallic blue alloys lights in boot all windows electric stareo with graphic equalizer of period electric mirrors when I was 20-21 paid £750 86,000 mls in 1998 got laughed at alot because I was not a hot hatch kid loved that car got written off 😭sadly missed
Also came in ZX Turbo
I Got a saloon version lol in black with 56k mileage on it .
My friends dad ran one of these as a taxi in the early 1990s and it ran to over a million miles without any issues. Only rust stopped it from running.
a million miles! Did he contact Nissan?
This car bought back memories of a very good friend (who was Indian) from school. His mum had one and all his family members had one. His mums one was a dark blue :) she loved it.
I just found out my friend has a 1979 Datsun 160b. Such a good looking car. I can’t wait to film it when I visit England next :)
This channel is great, all these older cars from the 80s and 90s, can’t beat them!👍🏻
My dad had a red Nissan Sunny G plate with the 1.4 8 or 12v (can’t remember which)in the 90s, that thing went on and on forever! Had it around 10 years I think which is the longest he’s ever owned a car, never broke down in that time. That’s using it as an only car and for work/pleasure. Went around the country on holidays as a family etc. Wasn’t fast or thrilling but it was a family car and was great at that!
How would you say this compares to something similar from Vauxhall in the same year? Perhaps abit more basic but more reliable with the Nissan?
old car are better than new cars
you didn't show the dual tripmeters which was one of the T12 Bluebird's few odd features.
I dint know it had them!
This one doesn't have them
I love the look of this car
Ha, I'm watching this as a x3 Sierra owner who is fed up unreliability and rust. I always fancied a 'bird....
My sister had a 1989 1.6 LS saloon in black. It had matt black bumpers like this red one but you couldn't tell against the black paintwork. One up from base, it was well kitted out, except for power steering. That was standard on the LX spec.
I'd love to try out a 2.0 diesel for sh*ts and giggles. 0 to 60 in 30 seconds or thereabouts!
My first car was an 89 Bluebird Premium 1.6. It had some kind of “foam” rear spoiler, completely useless but looked cool. Extremely reliable up to 185,000 miles when I scrapped it for a MK1 Mondeo diesel. Strong runner, all it needed was a new radiator and exhaust. Really wish I’d kept it for a few more years. Still love the 80’s design.
1.6 was underpowered
Just a fun fact , these T platform Bluebirds weren't fully related to the actual Bluebird , the Bluebird after the 910 series moved to the U platform, U12 would have been the actual Bluebird equivalent. T platform Bluebirds in Japan were sold as Austers and Stanza but for some reason the U (U12) platform Bluebird was sold in North America as the Stanza.
Your run on the spec and models was much better than you thuming around the car far better 👍👍dropping in images while talkinif was spot on.
Great to see the bluebird a very nice example I have a cherry n12 turbo was only driving it today have it out for the summer and loving it
Those were sold in the US with a 2.0 engine and were considered dreadfully slow and boring. The next gen got a SOHC 2.4 liter I4 also used in the 240SX and was not bad. 80's Nissan was a bit confused. They marketed the 1st gen FWD Maxima as the 1st 4DSC (Four Door Sports Car) and it was so soft it leaned over in corners almost as bad as a VW Type 2. Definitely made for Americans.
We got these in the US in notchback form as the Stanza. If we got the hatchback, I don’t remember it. A friend that had one in 1989. It was a nice, but forgettable car. Not a big seller compared to Accord and Camry. None of them around anymore. That one looks great in red. Thanks for the video
This car was Nice but i think over priced so most ppl just got in debt by buying the Maxima or settled with the less expensive Nissan Sentra
What a lovely looking car, your review makes me want to buy one, but I can’t give up my Cavaliers 🙁
buy both!
My late auntie & uncle had the predecessor to this…1970s bluebird 180B? round headlights, rear drive. Not seen one for many years.
Biggest prob was….rust. Ended up with more rust than actual metal.
Had owned a D'reg Japan-made Bluebird in early 00's for a while. All mod-cons plus a very boring but reliable 1.6L. Shame it had starting problems on wet days, and living in Cambridge at the time, that meant I'd be frequently late to work. Eventually junked it and got a Volvo 940 instead.
These are fantastic cars! I'm 25 now but when I was 13 years old my parents neighbours had a bluebird in dark blue on a G reg and it was a fantastic car! Always enjoyed getting a lift in it. Where abouts are you based please?? I'm in South Wales and have a G reg Maestro I'd happily let you borrow for a video review!
I had a Nissan Bluebird 1.8 GS for my first car in 1998 and I still miss it today. It is a shame that there doesn't seem to be many about now.
I had one of these forced upon me while my AX GT was ill. To say they were opposites was an understatement. I had the 1.6 and god was mine slow. I came to appreciate it of sorts. It was a supremely comfortable motorway cruiser. It had very positive brakes. The engine bay seemed built for much larger engines, the 1.6 in mine looked positively lonely in that huge bay you could practically step inside to work on. It was so quiet at idle, you could often forget the engine was running and find yourself trying to start an already running engine. The only positive way you could make it exciting I discovered was that it was prone to lift off oversteer. And it was reliable, it just went and went unlike my AX GT which would break down if you just looked at it the wrong way.
My daughter has a more modern Nissan Juke - and that was lovely to drive with very light controls (even the switching) . The body and engine seemed bomb proof!!
Mike