Faults:
The first thing that was a problem, was the clutch. The previous elderly owner had a habbit of riding the clutch. This resulted in excessive wear. I managed to do an additional 24000 miles before the clutch needed changing. Cost £70.
Rear box blew at 42000 miles.
Cost £31 to replace and fit.
New front left hand tyre at 42500 miles.
Cost £15 to replace and fit.
General Comments:
Nothing that gives cause for concern has gone wrong with this car.
The parts seem to be fairly inexpensive. This car is probably cheaper to run than my motorbike, without a shadow of a doubt.
The engine starts first time no matter what. However, the automatic choke takes a while to get use to. I discovered, to start from cold, you fully depress the accelerator and then depress the accelerator by about 10mm. The engine then starts no problem.
The ride quality can be a bit bumpy.
Steering is a bit heavy at low speed, but nothing to worry about.
The engine has had its fair share of thrashings. Despite this, the engine still sounds like new.
The car is quite nippy, but when loaded with five people and going uphill, you know it is only a one liter.
The engine bay has loads of space, thus allowing maintenance to be performed with ease.
The engine and gearbox set up is a joy to work with. The engine pulls well in third gear at low speed. I have no trouble getting round tight corners with this gear and speed.
The only drawback is the four speed gearbox. This makes long motorway drives rather less practical, due to the fuel consumption and engine noise. A five speed gearbox would be hugely beneficial.
The interior is fairly bland and less equiped than my other car. But this isn`t really a concern, as I tend to concentrate on driving rather than paying attention to the fascia.
The all-round vision is impressive. Much better than any other car I have driven.
The boot, although appears to be small, is in fact, able to accommodate a large suite case and other items.
Rust has not been a problem. Although, Nissans have been known for rust problems.
The car is able to wheelspin surprisingly easy for a one liter, especially in the wet.
I can honestly say, what a cracking little motor. I would be heart broken to part with it.