I have a 25-year-old one, spent a lot on it I have to admit but always for a good reason and it still drives like new. Parts are getting rare so do not think there are more than 2-3 years left in it but will see! It is a family member. Always will be. And I'm absolutely convinced on that they just do not build cars like this anymore. No way.
I had a 1992 Nissan Sentra 160SE with the dohc motor and 5speed manual gearbox. I sold it in 2006 with 500,000km on it. During that time I only replaced the timing chain & tensioner, waterpump, fuelpump and a link in the gearbox. Super car...💪👏
Love the vid (love all vids actually!). I was fortunate enough to buy one for $2000 a couple months ago from a retiree (only owner). 160,000km and the old fella kept her immaculate! You're absolutely spot-on when you say the driving experience is excellent (for what they cost). Because I got mine for cheap, I had plenty of dough left over to lower it, add a rear sway bar, and replace ALL the suspension bushings. It's so agile now. Best bang-for-buck car I've ever had, and it's not even close!
I had a 1999 4 door lx hatch manual, bought it at 102,000kms and sold it at 304,000kms, was a very good car. Only downside is its one star safety, glad I never had a crash in it!
The mentioned timing chain issue is the chain tensioner can begin to wear out, and will cause a chain rattle on start up but ultimately will not harm anything as once oil pressure is there its tensioned. Replacing with the updated version tensioner solves the problem permanently
As I understood it, the issue is the timing chain guides which have a plastic coating to reduce noise and vibration. But as the plastic degrades it can flake off, causing the rattle, which itself isn't an issue. But those flakes fall into the oil pan and can clog the pickup tube causing oil starvation.
True as hell But the car will still chug on even with that noise, talking from experience Here in fiji people luv these, only thing commonly goes wrong with these are the automatic transmissions. I own one and its sitting at 395,000 kms and still going strong.
Yes!! This was my first car. Abused it daily and only after years of torment and neglect, it finally said I can’t anymore and the bottom end went. 400K+ kms. Biggest let down was lack of cup holders. Have been wanting to buy another one for a long time. Awesome little nugget!!
I own a 1997 s pack N15 pulsar hatchback with only 145,000kms in automatic The car still runs like a dream servicing is cheap even major service is under $400. The best car I’ve owned for reliability The rev counter goes haywire.
The C pillar you point out is actually a result of shared doors between sedan and hatch. It's almost like the 5dr hatch was an afterthought, or just a clever way to save money.
My parents still own an Almera sedan. 1999, bought in 2007 with 60k kilometers, now at 170k. Very, very reliable, though not meant for longer journeys. There were only two "major" issues: generator failed and the starter failed. That's all... We live in a northern country, where cars rust like mad, but Almera still passed inspection this March. Great car.
Where are you come from? You gave the answer on my question. Is it a Nissan Almera? I am from the Netherlands, and i would like to know, where the Nissan Almera was build for the european market
We have one N15 in the family for more than 12 years. I use it as a daily now. I love this car, I probably couldn't find anything more reliable than this and that's why I'll keep it as long as possible
Great car to drive and own even at 340k, my SSS had the rust under the mirror and the locks would sometimes lock if you slammed the passenger door, surprised the JANKY useless drivers window switch didn't get a mention, heard it's quite common. Loved to be thrashed and by no means was she up to standard with previous owners work but still a ridiculous amount of fun, kudos to Nissan on that one.
Back in the day when Nissan stood on its own feet and made cars in true Japanese tradition .Cars that could rival Toyota in reliability Then Renault took over and that was the decline in Nissan quality and long term durability
I had 1 of these which was stolen then they burnt the interior. I had some great memories in this car. Handling was awesome , it's great fun on twisty roads
On 90's cars not having telescopic steering wheels, I only learned recently that my Volvo 850 actually has it. Very impressed if it's that rare in 90's cars!
As the mechanic said this era Nissans were indeed peak Nissan, extremely reliable cars but there are 2 issues: Rust and very weak gearboxes, never shift to 5th gear on this generation Nissans below 80 km/h, if you do so you will have issue with your gearbox for sure. Other than that, the only thing that kills these 90´s Nissans is rust. I´v seen a 1996 1.4L petrol Almera(here in Europe) with 580.000km on it and still running & used as a daily driver.
Have to say, presenting skills and ability to keep a viewer entertained are first class. Well done. In regards to the car, who cares. Keep up the good work.
@@ReDriven Would you be interested in reviewing a 16 Hyundai santa Fe SR? I know not he most interesting car and technicall the first boring car Ive owned out of 38 But its actuall not a bad drive with the SR additions Im located at Caves Beach as well
My n15 SSS S2 1998 (S2 came out in 1998) only first year with foggies had 500,000km didn't burn a drop only replaced timing cover chain was still good. A reliable beast the Brits also got 3 door Almeras. Very very rare VZR sedans in Japan only seen 1.
I bought a 1999 SSS new, It was the best car I have ever owned. In 10 years, apart from normal servicing, I changed the battery at 9 years. My worst car was also a Nissan, a 1981 Bluebird. This guzzled oil from new. I have had many cars from a Slr5000 to a Mercedes. The sss was my favourite.
I've had a 1998 N15S2 SSS as a daily driver for the last 17 years. You don't mention the biggest problem with these cars: they are honey to car thieves. The bastards just won't leave them alone. There are a couple of common things not mentioned: On some of the SSS cars, the air conditioner makes a funny "woo woo woo" sound at idle - exactly like a failing bearing in the compressor. Mine has done it for 17 years... it's just a resonance in the belt driving the compressor. Apparently many of them did this right from day one and it caused headaches for the dealership mechanics, since the new owners were convinced that their new car had an expensive fault. The heater resistor biscuit has a habit of failing and you lose one or more fan speeds. It's easy to fix, but it's something to check on a second hand car.
SSS gang, I would note that the cup holders and pop out tray is a mod and that the sss came with 4 channel ABS and a driver airbag. I didn't know about the steering wheel adjustment though, thanks Redriven
I remember looking at one of these for me just off the P Plates but as a Plus Pack so no ABS and test driving one.dealer wouldn't offer me discount so i went with Mazda.
Incidentally when I was looking for my first car as a p-plater in 2009, it was cheaper to buy and insure a S13 Silvia compared to a pulsar SSS as the SSS was still the leb mobile of choice so very expensive to insure - I went for the S13. How times have changed now.
I was recently given a 2001 Ford Laser SR and I completely agree about how nice these early 2000’s ones are to drive! I prefer driving the Laser over modern cars.
My second car was a 1997 LX 1.6 sedan. 5 speed of course. Coming from a gross ex-cleaner's Camry wagon, it was sooooo nice. You could thrash it and it wouldn't use any more fuel. I put some SSS rims on from the wreckers. Every time I got tyres, they would tell me that they were as round as a 50 cent piece. I couldn't tell. The only problem was that when you drove it on the freeway, all of the oil would go through the valve stem seals and out the exhaust. Also, the 75kW or so wasn't really enough to tow a 6x4 trailer so I sold it and bought a Falcon. Might have been an over correction but they were a lot of fun too, in a sort of not very reliable way.
Owned one of these as my first car and regret selling it everyday. Loving the content, keep up the vids. Also if you need an 2010 FG ford xr6 falcon to film with I'm located on the central coast/Newcastle.
Owned a SSS brand new since 99. Has had a rattle on startup the entire time and no one ever mentioned it being a problem. Still has it to this day. Only done 159,000km though. This car has never let me down/broken down. The sun killed the green metallic paint though ; ( Oh, and the thing is so low to the ground compared to modern day cars, its near invisible. Have to be very aware of what idiots are doing around you. Love it though.
The double din head unit can only be fitted if you buy a dashboard fascia from the japanese vzr models. Edit: the cupholders and extra compartment also require the vzr facia and do not come on the AUDM models.
Definitely need to look for rust on the door mirrors. Happens to a lot of em. Also that had the VZR cup holder fascia - a great mod. Also a choked up IACV can be problematic and a huge PITA to get too.
My second car was an n15 Q that I learned manual on. Only thing that went wrong on it was the paint. I was always jealous of people that could afford the sss
You are about the late 1990s and early 2000 this is the peak of Japanese motor manufacturing evering went downhill with cars l own a late 1990s toyota hilux and it is great l admit safety isn't its high point but reliability is a strong point well in the case with this Nissan Pulsar SSS the less you have the less to break l do wish are manufacturers would buikd
Hi redriven team, I have a few Honda preludes in my possession ( mostly 3rd gen as I am the head of the NSW community and Sydney based ) . If you wanna try those cars and make some videos about it , please I would be more than happy to help you achieve that
You know your product is built right when you have examples in perfect condition with 350, 000km and whose warranty ended 19 years ago. What cars today are built like this?
We will find out in 21 years ;) However, cars are now more reliable than they have ever been. There is a reason why modern cars have 5 to 10 years of warranty, and in the 90s/2000s, most cars had… two.
@@jeremybean-hodges6397 cars are not more reliable now . Full of electrical crap that’s unreliable, the motors are that highly tuned they are a ticking time bomb. If Audi’s ( & any German brand ) , are so reliable, then why are they so cheap on the 2nd hand market? Because they bankrupt you every time they need regular maintenance or mechanical work done .
Would be even better if you guys went to a closed or private stretch of road and do a 0-100km and have a camera facing the dash so we can see revs/speed. Other than that these videos are awesome, keep up the great work.
Great video! Good to get background on the SSS. I saw that there was a cult following here in Sydney but didn't know too much about them. Have a 2014 Kia Proceed GT if Redriven like to review to continue hot hatch theme.
My second car i owned(from new), only issue i had was the original head unit didn't read cds -and that was turfed for an aftermarket one. Handled well, felt slow going from modified Pulsar ET (n12)
Had a Nissan pulsar N16. I agree there not the best looking cars but I enjoyed driving it especially since it had a 2.5 inch cat back exhaust. Might try to find a sss next
I drive a 1995 Nissan pulsar N15 hatch just like this that's 3 door in new Zealand i think it looks way better without the C pillar and is an amazing car
Amusingly the cup holders and "gum compartment" were never fitted to Australian cars, that's a Japanese center dash, and you fit full size cans and cups in them flick the wire up
Autech and vzr are two separate cars, and the series 2 update happened around 97. The autech was based on a gti, that was given a autech tuned sr20de. The vzr is well, a vzr and has sr16ve. Autech is more relevant to the n1, if any vzr
@@seamusobrien2675 vzr was pretty overrated. I owned one. Most of the guys I knew who owned them SR20 swapped the bottom end anyway - achieving pretty similar power to autech 2.0L anyway. I loved the VZR but it was a very flawed car. Quick enough but really needed the revs - Possibly even more than the Honda vtecs. It also has pretty rubbish fuel economy - like worse than SR20 models.
@@christopherjohnston6343 my vzr has had better economy than sss. If you drive hard it drinks because it needs fuel to make that extra power. To most people it really doesn't make sense to get a vzr over a sss, but I find the power curve quite fun. The low down is still plenty for cruising around town 3rd 4th just fine
@@christopherjohnston6343 on highway at 90 100 cruising fifth gear I've got as low as 6.7L/100kmh Around town is probably around 10, and it the mountains depending whether I'm using 2nd or 3rd more it could drink the whole take very fast lol
I owned one of these from 1999 to 2008. Mine was an almera as I live in the UK. Unfortunately all of these had the same issue over here and that was RUST. you don't see them anymore. Shame because they were a good car.
3:20 - series 2 models suffered from less features to bring the RRP down, no fogs, no dual airbag option, no sunroof. 9:16 - this car is modified, they never came to australia with a double din setup like that, its a JDM part that has been fitted for the double DIN. No cup holders to Card holder in the australia dashboard facia either. 13:20 - ALL Australian N15 variants and models came with airbags. All of them. 15:40 - standard suspension but i think the tyres are the wrong size, look like 195/60 instead of 195/55 as 195/55 is a slightly harder size to get so they ride softer and look a little more baloon-ey and less sporty. It really would've been beneficial to find a car that wasn't modified (which is harder, but not impossible) for this video. Website states LX had a 1.8, it was 1.6 or 2.0, no 1.8 variety until the N16. Cheers for covering the cars we love.
Hey man, loving the content, I have a factory manual vx commodore s-pac that I would love to see on your channel, you’d have all the p players going nuts😀😀😀, keep up the good work man🤙🏼
I never got to drive a modern pulsar but had a Tiida before it and it was the biggest pile of garbage ever.drum brakes on the rear(when the equivalent Focus or Mazda 3 had disks)and the use of Kim Cattrall to allienate the male buyers did not help.I have an 08 3 THESE DAYS prior to that getting a micra and later a holden spark which were really crap on safety.The 3 and the Focus were living proof that Nissan sucks in small cars.
I have a N15 "Motion" with the 1,4 liter here in Germany. Same colour and body style. I don´t think it looks better all blacked out. Wanted the 3 door at first but also people said it´s more practical to have the 5 doors.
It seems that the hatchbacks are more common than the sedans...because I never knew these existed as sedans until this video. Just a comment on the interior, I think that shifter looks out of place in that interior. Other than that, it looks great.
Back in the day I loved these cars, but not the ones with that C Pilar you're talking about. I technically owned a SSS but it was a 1988 pulsar vector SSS 1.8L. Basically it was a pulsar Q but a sedan not hatch. Was a great little car, was my first car and while it did have some mechanical issues I did drive it hard.
Oh man, this brings back memories for me too - my brother and I shared a 2-litre Pulsar Q when we were in Uni. Loud AF even in stock form and not exactly the last word in other types of refinement either (when I finally could upgrade to an Integra GSi it was like I married into money), but boy was it a hoot, especially for what we paid for it. Re cars to drive, I was going to say my offer from your Q&A Part 2 video still stands ... but then just realised my epic post somehow never made it there o.O It even had this iGravity subscription come-back joke that I thought was hilarious :) (figjam) You're most welcome to drive my F06 650i GC and, though it doesn't strictly speaking meet your criteria as I think it's the only one that ever made it to these shores, my 2002 CH1 Type R ... once its new CV joints finally make their way over here from Europe (we tried making a local part work but it didn't last).
i remembered those 2.0l Pulsar Q's and am so pleased I say no to accepting my brothers one when I couldn't get the Festiva or Starlet I wanted new.The new light cars just had that trendiness for a P Plater(I had to suffer the shame of drivings dads 200sx for a year)then got me a Mazda Metro new come 1999 just off the P plates.
I have one now! It just cost me $500 to get a broken valve cover bolt fixed, valve cover fitted and bolt seals. 13 bolt seals were $150!!! I already paid for the valve cover gasket and spark plug gasket. Otherwise it is an awesome car, but definitely no where near as refined as new cars.
oh i need to fix my leaking boot. Under those rubber trim pieces on all four doors there is a shit ton of rust. I took those rubber pieces off and there was heaps of water trapped under. I now have to respray those sections because the paint has peeled off.
I got my 99 n15 76k km for $4.5k it’s a beauty no dents scratches or paint fades the only wrong with it is blown speakers which is apparently a common issues and the first speed of wipers doesn’t work other than it was clean inside out until I parked it under a tree and hella leaves got into the AC fan and now everytime I turn the ac on the fan cuts all the leaves into pieces and spits it out and makes the car dirty
Got my 97 n15 2.0 for €2.2k, it's got some rust in the door and the ac doesn't work, everythings been welded so the paint is kinda weirdly resprayed, but I love it. Though it's got 295k km it runs like a dream ❤
I see many of this generation and it's successor generation going past where i work and while a lot look like they've gone a couple of rounds with Muhammad Ali they all appear to be from how they sound pretty much mechanically sound plus it seems like it falls into the sleeper class of cars too from the way this review sounds. Been meaning to say too guys that the merch store plug you put on the recent videos is tastefully done and doesn't detract from the videos or feel like you're trying to shoe horn them in so good work there guys. Also another idea for a video for yourselves is 5 common car stereotypes. Thought that'd be a fun one for you guys too do. Like always guys great video can't wait for next week's videos and for Auspost too deliver the shirts as well lol. Have a good weekend guys and stay safe.
Hm on the topic of old cars, maybe older luxury cars or an old late 90s Camry since they tend to still stick around. That said a lot of these cars are dead and not many exist on the used market, so I don’t blame you for sticking to cars from the past decade max, as I know it takes a lot of effort to make a video and you want it to be as universally relevant as possible. Btw patiently waiting for your W205 Mercedes review ;)
Surprised to see the facelift headlights with the black surround, in NZ that would indicate it's got the headlights from a VZR. Can't comment on the AU market however. NZ was awash with JDM imports due to the lack of local car manufacturing to protect, so it wasn't uncommon to see plenty of VZRs with the 2.0 litre SR20VE from the P11 Primera, along with SR16VE cams or N1 cams. After driving a VE going back to a DE is as dull as dishwater.
Right, why no do a real weird one, the first generation Renault Capture Dynamic, with all the bells and whistles including two tone colour and matching interior. Tre Chic or nraaa just over the top? One grandfather owner 2014 (one of if not the first batch imported to Oz), 130,000 k's. I will have it detailed so it is smick in the video.
Cool little cars i think n14 sss was a better and more fun car in my opinion would love for you guys to do a review on them ? Or even the 1989 toyota corolla sx/gti
Just got a 1995 N14 Pulsar Solaire hatchback handed down from my grandmother. Has 46,000 original km on the odometer and full service history. Was wondering if this series of pulsar are as reliable as the one in this video and whether the 1.6 engines are long lasting in these? Thanks in advance.
Honestly, if you grandmother kept it and looked after it all this way until 46,000km I’d recommend keeping it. I’m unsure if your Solaire is 1.6 or 2l but how ever that n14 is still very reliable. In this day, it’s physically worth more to you, then it could be to anyone else. The car will run for another 300km+
Thankyou for the info. it is a 1.6 engine and the solaire were the last of a limited run out model made in Japan and sold in Australia before the N16 was introduced later in the year.
Wow, that is nothing like the 87 Pulsar I had. Did you guys get that wedge shaped 2 door model? Possibly a US model. That was one of my favorite cars, so much fun to drive. I could remove the sunroof at a light while sitting.
@@deanstyles2567 I remembered the EXA and it was the only one of the new age dual income no kids sports cars especially after the 1.8 came along you could buy if you had a tween and a teen kid in your home.My old man almost bought one.it was close to 8 years to the time we sold our 78 Fiat X1/9 IN July 1980 for an alfa sud sprint we wanted to relive our fun.
On some models in Britain (Almeras), there are dashboard displays on some of the later models. Are these replaceable also for a modern entertainment centre?
I have a 2011 Volvo C70 T5 you can film with..... Listing the potential issues alone should make an interesting video, failing and leaking roofs, powershit autos etc etc Its cool though, 5cyl turbo goes great interior is solid as a rock... tech is so weirdly shit though Also I am in Penrith
This car was an absolute blast to own as a P plater, it taught me how to work on cars and I couldn't have bought a better car to learn manual in
100% same so easy to work on and very good car i loved and still love my nissan n15 pulsar
You hit the nail on the head with the tactile, mechanical feeling comment. It's why my 96 Camry was still one of my favourite cars to drive
My Dad had a manual sedan version of this car, he bought it used in 2001 and he keot it until 2016. Not one issue with it! Awsome car
Still have my 1999 Pulsar Plus. 325,000km and it's immaculate. Has annual servicing and had nolathane bushings installed at 250,000km
This is what made Nissan, once they introduced the Dualis, Juke and Tiida all respect was gone
I reckon it all started when nissan partnered with renault in 2000 i think
And started adding Jatco CVT garbage.
The Z series is the last of its great cars that it still makes. Looking forward to when the 400z comes out
@@ket_wav1013 totally agree
@@eyecontrol4900 The Navara is also okay too in my opinion... But that's the thing, Nissan makes okay cars at best now days...
I have a 25-year-old one, spent a lot on it I have to admit but always for a good reason and it still drives like new. Parts are getting rare so do not think there are more than 2-3 years left in it but will see! It is a family member. Always will be. And I'm absolutely convinced on that they just do not build cars like this anymore. No way.
I had a 1992 Nissan Sentra 160SE with the dohc motor and 5speed manual gearbox. I sold it in 2006 with 500,000km on it.
During that time I only replaced the timing chain & tensioner, waterpump, fuelpump and a link in the gearbox. Super car...💪👏
Love the vid (love all vids actually!).
I was fortunate enough to buy one for $2000 a couple months ago from a retiree (only owner). 160,000km and the old fella kept her immaculate!
You're absolutely spot-on when you say the driving experience is excellent (for what they cost).
Because I got mine for cheap, I had plenty of dough left over to lower it, add a rear sway bar, and replace ALL the suspension bushings. It's so agile now.
Best bang-for-buck car I've ever had, and it's not even close!
This was my first car in 2009, loved it they updated the timing chain tensioner which is slighty bigger and made it less noisy on cold starts
I had a 1999 4 door lx hatch manual, bought it at 102,000kms and sold it at 304,000kms, was a very good car.
Only downside is its one star safety, glad I never had a crash in it!
I drove my Oz Spec N14 SSS out of the showroom brand new in 1992. I still have it and its done only 145,000 kms.
These things are amazing even today. My SSS N15 was insane I miss it so much
I absolutely love your unbridled disgust for smoking.
I miss my N15s2 SSS, brought back good memories watching this. I loved the white dials on the dash.
The mentioned timing chain issue is the chain tensioner can begin to wear out, and will cause a chain rattle on start up but ultimately will not harm anything as once oil pressure is there its tensioned. Replacing with the updated version tensioner solves the problem permanently
As I understood it, the issue is the timing chain guides which have a plastic coating to reduce noise and vibration. But as the plastic degrades it can flake off, causing the rattle, which itself isn't an issue. But those flakes fall into the oil pan and can clog the pickup tube causing oil starvation.
True as hell
But the car will still chug on even with that noise, talking from experience
Here in fiji people luv these, only thing commonly goes wrong with these are the automatic transmissions.
I own one and its sitting at 395,000 kms and still going strong.
Yes!! This was my first car. Abused it daily and only after years of torment and neglect, it finally said I can’t anymore and the bottom end went. 400K+ kms.
Biggest let down was lack of cup holders.
Have been wanting to buy another one for a long time.
Awesome little nugget!!
I own a 1997 s pack N15 pulsar hatchback with only 145,000kms in automatic
The car still runs like a dream servicing is cheap even major service is under $400.
The best car I’ve owned for reliability
The rev counter goes haywire.
The C pillar you point out is actually a result of shared doors between sedan and hatch. It's almost like the 5dr hatch was an afterthought, or just a clever way to save money.
My parents still own an Almera sedan. 1999, bought in 2007 with 60k kilometers, now at 170k. Very, very reliable, though not meant for longer journeys. There were only two "major" issues: generator failed and the starter failed. That's all... We live in a northern country, where cars rust like mad, but Almera still passed inspection this March. Great car.
Where are you come from? You gave the answer on my question. Is it a Nissan Almera? I am from the Netherlands, and i would like to know, where the Nissan Almera was build for the european market
We have one N15 in the family for more than 12 years. I use it as a daily now. I love this car, I probably couldn't find anything more reliable than this and that's why I'll keep it as long as possible
How about maintenance cost and Are the parts easily available?
@@prabhsimransingh7199 here in Europe are good prices for parts on this car
Thank you much for listening to me and others comments to review a n15 SSS!!! 😉😏😀
Great car to drive and own even at 340k, my SSS had the rust under the mirror and the locks would sometimes lock if you slammed the passenger door, surprised the JANKY useless drivers window switch didn't get a mention, heard it's quite common. Loved to be thrashed and by no means was she up to standard with previous owners work but still a ridiculous amount of fun, kudos to Nissan on that one.
Back in the day when Nissan stood on its own feet and made cars in true Japanese tradition .Cars that could rival Toyota in reliability Then Renault took over and that was the decline in Nissan quality and long term durability
I had 1 of these which was stolen then they burnt the interior. I had some great memories in this car.
Handling was awesome , it's great fun on twisty roads
On 90's cars not having telescopic steering wheels, I only learned recently that my Volvo 850 actually has it. Very impressed if it's that rare in 90's cars!
As the mechanic said this era Nissans were indeed peak Nissan, extremely reliable cars but there are 2 issues: Rust and very weak gearboxes, never shift to 5th gear on this generation Nissans below 80 km/h, if you do so you will have issue with your gearbox for sure. Other than that, the only thing that kills these 90´s Nissans is rust. I´v seen a 1996 1.4L petrol Almera(here in Europe) with 580.000km on it and still running & used as a daily driver.
Have to say, presenting skills and ability to keep a viewer entertained are first class. Well done. In regards to the car, who cares. Keep up the good work.
Thank you!!
@@ReDriven Would you be interested in reviewing a 16 Hyundai santa Fe SR? I know not he most interesting car and technicall the first boring car Ive owned out of 38 But its actuall not a bad drive with the SR additions Im located at Caves Beach as well
@@stevenmuscat8126 100% Steven. We'd love to film your Santa Fe. What is the best way to contact you? - AK
@@ReDriven ive messaged you via Insta
My n15 SSS S2 1998 (S2 came out in 1998) only first year with foggies had 500,000km didn't burn a drop only replaced timing cover chain was still good. A reliable beast the Brits also got 3 door Almeras. Very very rare VZR sedans in Japan only seen 1.
I bought a 1999 SSS new, It was the best car I have ever owned. In 10 years, apart from normal servicing, I changed the battery at 9 years. My worst car was also a Nissan, a 1981 Bluebird. This guzzled oil from new. I have had many cars from a Slr5000 to a Mercedes. The sss was my favourite.
excellent channel, really enjoy it all the best from Ireland
I've had a 1998 N15S2 SSS as a daily driver for the last 17 years. You don't mention the biggest problem with these cars: they are honey to car thieves. The bastards just won't leave them alone.
There are a couple of common things not mentioned:
On some of the SSS cars, the air conditioner makes a funny "woo woo woo" sound at idle - exactly like a failing bearing in the compressor. Mine has done it for 17 years... it's just a resonance in the belt driving the compressor. Apparently many of them did this right from day one and it caused headaches for the dealership mechanics, since the new owners were convinced that their new car had an expensive fault.
The heater resistor biscuit has a habit of failing and you lose one or more fan speeds. It's easy to fix, but it's something to check on a second hand car.
SSS gang,
I would note that the cup holders and pop out tray is a mod and that the sss came with 4 channel ABS and a driver airbag.
I didn't know about the steering wheel adjustment though, thanks Redriven
I remember looking at one of these for me just off the P Plates but as a Plus Pack so no ABS and test driving one.dealer wouldn't offer me discount so i went with Mazda.
The sss manual will be a future classic because it was a popular entry level tuner car in its day. Numbers are declining
Incidentally when I was looking for my first car as a p-plater in 2009, it was cheaper to buy and insure a S13 Silvia compared to a pulsar SSS as the SSS was still the leb mobile of choice so very expensive to insure - I went for the S13. How times have changed now.
My brother has a sss with only 210,000ks for $2000…jealous I want it so bad
I do like these cars and that engine sr20 were great
I was recently given a 2001 Ford Laser SR and I completely agree about how nice these early 2000’s ones are to drive! I prefer driving the Laser over modern cars.
My second car was a 1997 LX 1.6 sedan. 5 speed of course. Coming from a gross ex-cleaner's Camry wagon, it was sooooo nice. You could thrash it and it wouldn't use any more fuel. I put some SSS rims on from the wreckers. Every time I got tyres, they would tell me that they were as round as a 50 cent piece. I couldn't tell.
The only problem was that when you drove it on the freeway, all of the oil would go through the valve stem seals and out the exhaust. Also, the 75kW or so wasn't really enough to tow a 6x4 trailer so I sold it and bought a Falcon. Might have been an over correction but they were a lot of fun too, in a sort of not very reliable way.
Mate, your commentary is top notch. And the hand gesture with door pockets, 👏🏽 👏🏽.
Cheers mate. - AK
Took this car bush-bashing back in 2005. It's a ripper of a car I still have fond memories 😀
Owned one of these as my first car and regret selling it everyday. Loving the content, keep up the vids. Also if you need an 2010 FG ford xr6 falcon to film with I'm located on the central coast/Newcastle.
Mate yes we need your car! What is the best way to contact you? - AK
Owned a SSS brand new since 99. Has had a rattle on startup the entire time and no one ever mentioned it being a problem. Still has it to this day. Only done 159,000km though. This car has never let me down/broken down. The sun killed the green metallic paint though ; ( Oh, and the thing is so low to the ground compared to modern day cars, its near invisible. Have to be very aware of what idiots are doing around you. Love it though.
The double din head unit can only be fitted if you buy a dashboard fascia from the japanese vzr models.
Edit: the cupholders and extra compartment also require the vzr facia and do not come on the AUDM models.
Oh ok. Just wanted to write that we didn´t get these in the EU version. Good thing I saw this before posting my comment. 😁
Definitely need to look for rust on the door mirrors. Happens to a lot of em. Also that had the VZR cup holder fascia - a great mod.
Also a choked up IACV can be problematic and a huge PITA to get too.
My second car was an n15 Q that I learned manual on. Only thing that went wrong on it was the paint. I was always jealous of people that could afford the sss
You are about the late 1990s and early 2000 this is the peak of Japanese motor manufacturing evering went downhill with cars l own a late 1990s toyota hilux and it is great l admit safety isn't its high point but reliability is a strong point well in the case with this Nissan Pulsar SSS the less you have the less to break l do wish are manufacturers would buikd
Hi redriven team, I have a few Honda preludes in my possession ( mostly 3rd gen as I am the head of the NSW community and Sydney based ) . If you wanna try those cars and make some videos about it , please I would be more than happy to help you achieve that
You know your product is built right when you have examples in perfect condition with 350, 000km and whose warranty ended 19 years ago. What cars today are built like this?
We will find out in 21 years ;)
However, cars are now more reliable than they have ever been. There is a reason why modern cars have 5 to 10 years of warranty, and in the 90s/2000s, most cars had… two.
@@jeremybean-hodges6397 so audis and mercs with 5yr warranties r more reliable than cars 20yrs ago wit 2? 🤣 go to sleep kid
You’ve gone and picked two of the worst.
Stats don’t lie, cars are more reliable now than ever.
@@jeremybean-hodges6397 cars are not more reliable now . Full of electrical crap that’s unreliable, the motors are that highly tuned they are a ticking time bomb. If Audi’s ( & any German brand ) , are so reliable, then why are they so cheap on the 2nd hand market? Because they bankrupt you every time they need regular maintenance or mechanical work done .
Would be even better if you guys went to a closed or private stretch of road and do a 0-100km and have a camera facing the dash so we can see revs/speed. Other than that these videos are awesome, keep up the great work.
Awesome idea and we have been working on a variant of this. Might be a few weeks but something very similar may happen. - AK
@@ReDriven That's awesome can't wait I'll be sure to continue to follow you guys👍👌
Great video! Good to get background on the SSS. I saw that there was a cult following here in Sydney but didn't know too much about them.
Have a 2014 Kia Proceed GT if Redriven like to review to continue hot hatch theme.
Mate yes we'd love to feature it!!! How is best to contact you? Can you message us on Insta? - AK
love the little MCM air freshener
My second car i owned(from new), only issue i had was the original head unit didn't read cds -and that was turfed for an aftermarket one. Handled well, felt slow going from modified Pulsar ET (n12)
The rear door shape tends to indicate a sedan with a wagon rear grafted on. Your photo shop makes a mush nicer looking vehicle.
Totally agree about the C pillar!
Just like the Corollas of the day with their body coloured door surrounds. Would have looked less fussy if it was black.
Had a Nissan pulsar N16. I agree there not the best looking cars but I enjoyed driving it especially since it had a 2.5 inch cat back exhaust. Might try to find a sss next
I have a vzr pulsar. Fantastic car. Had it for 21 years now. I'm keeping it until the day I die
Love the review and the car.
Still rolling in my '95 SSS.
so close to 70k subs well done work mate (72 yo) owns one of these from brand new has done 500km and multiple trips from sydney to cairns
500,000km? that's a good effort!
I drive a 1995 Nissan pulsar N15 hatch just like this that's 3 door in new Zealand i think it looks way better without the C pillar and is an amazing car
Amusingly the cup holders and "gum compartment" were never fitted to Australian cars, that's a Japanese center dash, and you fit full size cans and cups in them flick the wire up
Autech and vzr are two separate cars, and the series 2 update happened around 97.
The autech was based on a gti, that was given a autech tuned sr20de.
The vzr is well, a vzr and has sr16ve.
Autech is more relevant to the n1, if any vzr
WTF
@@seamusobrien2675 vzr was pretty overrated. I owned one. Most of the guys I knew who owned them SR20 swapped the bottom end anyway - achieving pretty similar power to autech 2.0L anyway.
I loved the VZR but it was a very flawed car. Quick enough but really needed the revs - Possibly even more than the Honda vtecs. It also has pretty rubbish fuel economy - like worse than SR20 models.
@@christopherjohnston6343 my vzr has had better economy than sss. If you drive hard it drinks because it needs fuel to make that extra power. To most people it really doesn't make sense to get a vzr over a sss, but I find the power curve quite fun. The low down is still plenty for cruising around town 3rd 4th just fine
@@deigima mine would consume like 11L/100kms at open road. Its definitely more powerful than a SSS and probably has better gearing.
@@christopherjohnston6343 on highway at 90 100 cruising fifth gear I've got as low as 6.7L/100kmh
Around town is probably around 10, and it the mountains depending whether I'm using 2nd or 3rd more it could drink the whole take very fast lol
I owned one of these from 1999 to 2008. Mine was an almera as I live in the UK. Unfortunately all of these had the same issue over here and that was RUST. you don't see them anymore. Shame because they were a good car.
3:20 - series 2 models suffered from less features to bring the RRP down, no fogs, no dual airbag option, no sunroof.
9:16 - this car is modified, they never came to australia with a double din setup like that, its a JDM part that has been fitted for the double DIN. No cup holders to Card holder in the australia dashboard facia either.
13:20 - ALL Australian N15 variants and models came with airbags. All of them.
15:40 - standard suspension but i think the tyres are the wrong size, look like 195/60 instead of 195/55 as 195/55 is a slightly harder size to get so they ride softer and look a little more baloon-ey and less sporty.
It really would've been beneficial to find a car that wasn't modified (which is harder, but not impossible) for this video.
Website states LX had a 1.8, it was 1.6 or 2.0, no 1.8 variety until the N16. Cheers for covering the cars we love.
Cheers!
Also factory they aren't a double din head unit. That fascia will be from a Japanese model
Hey man, loving the content, I have a factory manual vx commodore s-pac that I would love to see on your channel, you’d have all the p players going nuts😀😀😀, keep up the good work man🤙🏼
Mate where are you located?? - AK
Gotta love a light weight stock with a turbo what a weapon
these old Pulsars were good but the newer ones especially the CVT auto is rubbish
I never got to drive a modern pulsar but had a Tiida before it and it was the biggest pile of garbage ever.drum brakes on the rear(when the equivalent Focus or Mazda 3 had disks)and the use of Kim Cattrall to allienate the male buyers did not help.I have an 08 3 THESE DAYS prior to that getting a micra and later a holden spark which were really crap on safety.The 3 and the Focus were living proof that Nissan sucks in small cars.
I have a N15 "Motion" with the 1,4 liter here in Germany. Same colour and body style.
I don´t think it looks better all blacked out.
Wanted the 3 door at first but also people said it´s more practical to have the 5 doors.
Nissan almera gti 2.0 ltr was my drive back in 2000 UK spec felt like a step down from gtir n14 pulsar..with 4wd and turbo...
A guy at my work had one of these and he used to talk up how quick it was. Until I chopped him at the lights in a 1989 4 cylinder Camry
It seems that the hatchbacks are more common than the sedans...because I never knew these existed as sedans until this video. Just a comment on the interior, I think that shifter looks out of place in that interior. Other than that, it looks great.
Back in the day I loved these cars, but not the ones with that C Pilar you're talking about. I technically owned a SSS but it was a 1988 pulsar vector SSS 1.8L. Basically it was a pulsar Q but a sedan not hatch. Was a great little car, was my first car and while it did have some mechanical issues I did drive it hard.
Oh man, this brings back memories for me too - my brother and I shared a 2-litre Pulsar Q when we were in Uni. Loud AF even in stock form and not exactly the last word in other types of refinement either (when I finally could upgrade to an Integra GSi it was like I married into money), but boy was it a hoot, especially for what we paid for it.
Re cars to drive, I was going to say my offer from your Q&A Part 2 video still stands ... but then just realised my epic post somehow never made it there o.O It even had this iGravity subscription come-back joke that I thought was hilarious :) (figjam)
You're most welcome to drive my F06 650i GC and, though it doesn't strictly speaking meet your criteria as I think it's the only one that ever made it to these shores, my 2002 CH1 Type R ... once its new CV joints finally make their way over here from Europe (we tried making a local part work but it didn't last).
Eric we'd LOVE to feature both your cars! What's the best way to contact you? Insta message?? - AK
i remembered those 2.0l Pulsar Q's and am so pleased I say no to accepting my brothers one when I couldn't get the Festiva or Starlet I wanted new.The new light cars just had that trendiness for a P Plater(I had to suffer the shame of drivings dads 200sx for a year)then got me a Mazda Metro new come 1999 just off the P plates.
I have one now! It just cost me $500 to get a broken valve cover bolt fixed, valve cover fitted and bolt seals. 13 bolt seals were $150!!! I already paid for the valve cover gasket and spark plug gasket. Otherwise it is an awesome car, but definitely no where near as refined as new cars.
oh i need to fix my leaking boot. Under those rubber trim pieces on all four doors there is a shit ton of rust. I took those rubber pieces off and there was heaps of water trapped under. I now have to respray those sections because the paint has peeled off.
I got my 99 n15 76k km for $4.5k it’s a beauty no dents scratches or paint fades the only wrong with it is blown speakers which is apparently a common issues and the first speed of wipers doesn’t work other than it was clean inside out until I parked it under a tree and hella leaves got into the AC fan and now everytime I turn the ac on the fan cuts all the leaves into pieces and spits it out and makes the car dirty
Got my 97 n15 2.0 for €2.2k, it's got some rust in the door and the ac doesn't work, everythings been welded so the paint is kinda weirdly resprayed, but I love it. Though it's got 295k km it runs like a dream ❤
I see many of this generation and it's successor generation going past where i work and while a lot look like they've gone a couple of rounds with Muhammad Ali they all appear to be from how they sound pretty much mechanically sound plus it seems like it falls into the sleeper class of cars too from the way this review sounds.
Been meaning to say too guys that the merch store plug you put on the recent videos is tastefully done and doesn't detract from the videos or feel like you're trying to shoe horn them in so good work there guys.
Also another idea for a video for yourselves is 5 common car stereotypes. Thought that'd be a fun one for you guys too do.
Like always guys great video can't wait for next week's videos and for Auspost too deliver the shirts as well lol. Have a good weekend guys and stay safe.
Hm on the topic of old cars, maybe older luxury cars or an old late 90s Camry since they tend to still stick around. That said a lot of these cars are dead and not many exist on the used market, so I don’t blame you for sticking to cars from the past decade max, as I know it takes a lot of effort to make a video and you want it to be as universally relevant as possible. Btw patiently waiting for your W205 Mercedes review ;)
Great idea mate. W205 is hopefully happening in the next couple of months too. - AK
Surprised to see the facelift headlights with the black surround, in NZ that would indicate it's got the headlights from a VZR. Can't comment on the AU market however. NZ was awash with JDM imports due to the lack of local car manufacturing to protect, so it wasn't uncommon to see plenty of VZRs with the 2.0 litre SR20VE from the P11 Primera, along with SR16VE cams or N1 cams. After driving a VE going back to a DE is as dull as dishwater.
This reminds me a lot about Subaru Impreza Station Wagon.
I owned one new in 1998 and there was a big price drop from low 30's to $24990. was a bargain.
Happy for you to review my Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe or E38 BMW 735iL if you feel like making the drive to Canberra :)
Dan we 100% would LOVE to feature your Alfa and BMW. We'll make a special trip down. What's the best way to contact you? - AK
@@ReDriven I will pass you my details through Facebook messenger :)
@@popularpages thanks mate. Feel free to contact me too if you like, just search AK Morris.
@@ReDriven sent
These came in lifted AWD form in Eastern Europe!
Great video, this car is fresh as and a rarity. But the ashtrays hmmm 🤣
Right, why no do a real weird one, the first generation Renault Capture Dynamic, with all the bells and whistles including two tone colour and matching interior. Tre Chic or nraaa just over the top? One grandfather owner 2014 (one of if not the first batch imported to Oz), 130,000 k's. I will have it detailed so it is smick in the video.
Cool little cars i think n14 sss was a better and more fun car in my opinion would love for you guys to do a review on them ? Or even the 1989 toyota corolla sx/gti
a mate of mine parents had a n14 sss way back in the day.you could get the early ones in an automatic.
Don't forget folks, to touch his bell.
👉🔔
You got it the wrong way around with trim levels. The series 2 SSS had trim removed to bring the price down
Just got a 1995 N14 Pulsar Solaire hatchback handed down from my grandmother. Has 46,000 original km on the odometer and full service history. Was wondering if this series of pulsar are as reliable as the one in this video and whether the 1.6 engines are long lasting in these? Thanks in advance.
Honestly, if you grandmother kept it and looked after it all this way until 46,000km I’d recommend keeping it. I’m unsure if your Solaire is 1.6 or 2l but how ever that n14 is still very reliable. In this day, it’s physically worth more to you, then it could be to anyone else. The car will run for another 300km+
Thankyou for the info. it is a 1.6 engine and the solaire were the last of a limited run out model made in Japan and sold in Australia before the N16 was introduced later in the year.
hi from portugal and i have the only one Nissan Almera 1997 N15 Sedan all modified in Portugal
They get stolen in Melbourne all the time to the point that the police had to hand out notices to owners.
Is there any major differences between the N15 and N14 other then the body?
The cafe bit 😂😂😂
Feed a lil boost to these and thet ripp stock wrxs s14, s15 xr6 turbos while maintaining that sleeper nothing speciall to look at effect 😊
Wow, that is nothing like the 87 Pulsar I had. Did you guys get that wedge shaped 2 door model? Possibly a US model. That was one of my favorite cars, so much fun to drive. I could remove the sunroof at a light while sitting.
The Exa? Yeah we did.
@@deanstyles2567 I remembered the EXA and it was the only one of the new age dual income no kids sports cars especially after the 1.8 came along you could buy if you had a tween and a teen kid in your home.My old man almost bought one.it was close to 8 years to the time we sold our 78 Fiat X1/9 IN July 1980 for an alfa sud sprint we wanted to relive our fun.
On some models in Britain (Almeras), there are dashboard displays on some of the later models. Are these replaceable also for a modern entertainment centre?
Please do the 2003 toyota corolla sportivo
nxr has a telescopic column🖖
It would be cool if you review JDM cars. Perhaps a Toyota Crown to start with?
Big plans coming in this space mate. - AK
These reviews on condition is like an RACQ report. If a car is 20 or more years old, expect it not to be perfect.
I have a 2011 Volvo C70 T5 you can film with..... Listing the potential issues alone should make an interesting video, failing and leaking roofs, powershit autos etc etc
Its cool though, 5cyl turbo goes great interior is solid as a rock... tech is so weirdly shit though
Also I am in Penrith
Hi Jim, we'd love to feature your C70. What would be the best way to contact you? - AK
@@ReDriven I’ll send a DM on instagram
Seats look like they came straight from the train or bus
Hate the wheels and the tires are wrong size lol bad start but let's see
These were thirsty 15 years ago. I'd hate to see now.
I got 10l/100km sending it which isn't bad considering I used to redline it