Faults:

When I purchased the car in 2003 I knew there were a few things to fix, a major service was due at 190000Kms.

New engine bearings.

New drive shaft and CV joints.

Timing belts and tune up.

New Brake/Clutch master cylinders.

New performance clutch.

General Comments:

A car of this age is expected to need some love and care. Be prepared to pay for some fix ups, Nissan parts are very expensive and often need to be genuine.

However when I bought my EXA in 2002 I was sold by its body and interior condition as it was excellent and shows little signs of age & wear.

The style is still sexy by todays standards, screaming a true retro 80s sports coupe era.

The interior is dark and may seem a little too much plastic, but is durable and will last out the cars life.

The seats hug you tightly and the low driving position is comfortable and a joy to drive.

Faults:

Previous owner had replaced disk rotors with smaller ones.

High beam on headlights will not turn off.

The doors rattle and the door light will not turn off, as the hinges are loose.

Major leaks from engine bay when first acquired.

Boot of car rattles.

Roof leaks as the seals are worn.

General Comments:

Great performance, as the car will go very quick for the size of the engine.

Looks very good.

Many things need to be looked at when buying this type of car, especially the high beams.

Faults:

Power steering seal leak, fluid dripped onto front bushes and dissolved them. Bushes had to be replaced.

Front wheel alignment doesn't like to hold.

Air conditioning pipe broken in previous owner's front end crash. Genuine part only available, too expensive.

Targa roof seals leak.

General Comments:

Even though a few things have gone wrong with the car (which is to be expected with a car of this age), it is still a fantastic car to drive and be seen in.

Handling is superb, and the car often feels unbeatable on corners, even with a lot of weight in the front end under-steer isn't too much of a problem.

The CA18 engine is very strong and likes to rev high, freely reaching its 7500rpm red-line, providing a fast take off and a conservative high end speed of around 200kmph.

Targa roof is fantastic, and coupled with the removable rear hatch, makes this car a perfect summer driver.

The interior is in keeping with the majority of the Nissan range, and is quite modern, even by today's standards. The front seats are very high backed and have slots for 4 point harnesses to be attached as well as racing style side support. Not much room for rear passengers, but the rear seat does fold down to create more room for sub-woofers.

As far as styling goes, these cars are real head turners! Pop-up headlights and sharp lines mean that these cars attract attention wherever they go, and more with the roof off. People are often surprised to know how old these cars actually are. They are modern, sexy and very fun, with a lot of room for aftermarket improvement.

Highly recommend these cars to anyone, and especially if you can find the precious few turbo swapped CA18DET models - these really fly!