20 Years

Wed Mar 30 10:12:18 CDT 2011

You guys are not making the decision to sell my B14 any easier.  I bought it
brand new in March of '97 and over the years it has changed from a daily
driver to a car that never leaves the garage.  Every bit of work done to it,
was by my own hands.  This was my first new car, and I've become very
attached to it.  Most of my friends don't understand why I've kept it around
this long since it's just a car.  These are even car guys saying this.

I've put so much time and energy into the car, that I can't stand the
thought of someone else owning it and tearing it up.  I have a sort of OCD
issue when it comes to it.  Even though it's modified, it has to look
stockish.  All the hose clamps and harness clips have to be in the same
spot, and I use only Nissan parts when I can.  I stopped driving the car 3
years ago and have only had it on the street a hand full of times since the
tags expired in '08 and the OBD2 systems are not ready due to the battery
dying.  I have the garage space, so it's not sitting outside, but I'm afraid
the magic is gone.  I've thought about selling it for a few weeks, and
actually contact someone about buying it.  I'm afraid that I will regret it
if i do, and I'll never be able to find one in the condition mine is.

I've driven it all over the place and to most of the conventions except the
one in Vegas.  I've slept in it at a rest stop on the way to a convention
and had many good times with it.  Now that I have a son, I don't have the
time to deal with it anymore.  The car is loud, rides rough, and putting a
rear facing car seat in it is tough.  I have a feeling that selling the car
is something that I will regret big time.  I sold my first car many years
ago because I got something better and newer, and now I wish I would have
kept it.

Eric Waterman

On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 9:32 AM, Robert Legere <rlegere at snet.net> wrote:

> Very nice....
>
> --- On *Tue, 3/29/11, Darren Calbero <DarrenC at AMPartners.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Darren Calbero <DarrenC at AMPartners.com>
> Subject: 20 Years
> To: se-r at se-r-list.org
> Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 10:03 PM
>
>
>  20 years ago I drove off the lot of a Nissan dealer with my brand new
> Aztec Red SE-R.  So it didn't have the leather steering wheel or shifter
> boot, floor mats, a radio, or even a/c . . . hey I had a sun roof and
> I drive in Hawaii so no problem.  I was happy as can be in my new little
> rocket that could perform better than just about any car out there under
> $20k, and I got it at a reasonable $12.5k.  "Enjoy the ride" I did with my
> new girlfriend, a nice college life, and a decent job at a proffesional
> office.
>
>  Fast forward to today.  I'm married to that same girl from 20 years ago,
> we have a 4 and 6 year-old riding in Recaro car seats and boosters, and I'm
> still content with my little Red SE-R.  Granted a lot of bolt-ons helps to
> keep the car up to speed with some of the newer vehicles on the road, but it
> sure still feels like this 238,000 mile car can take on most
> challengers down the 1320.
>
>  I do all my maintenance on the car with parts sent from Greg Vogel over
> an G-Spec.  It's run 99% of it's life either with AMSOil or Mobil1 fully
> synthetic.  And one of the most important things, I always put good
> sticky and hydroplane resistant tires on, not primarily for spirited
> driving, but rather safety.  I currently have Bridgestone Potenza RE-11s and
> it's all good.
>
> Don't get me wrong, the car has a lot of signs of old age:  hidden rust in
> the trunk water channel and front fenders; sunroof that currently can't
> slide back; squeaking driver door hinge; cheap but still shiny coat of red
> paint; trunk spoiler that is only fully secured at 1 of 3 spots; and a leak
> presumably at the gas tank vent hose.  The engine still feels as perky as
> ever though the suspension needs some work.  I can't complain.  It's
> reliable as can be and has decent gas milage, and in Hawai where fuel has
> been more the $4/gallon for a few weeks, that's important.
>
> It's funny looking back at when my car was new and I would look at those
> older guys in their 70s 510s, and Corollas, and wonder what they saw in that
> old car?  Why do they still own something so old with old tech?  Yeah they
> were modded and fast, but really?  A 20-year-old import?  I guess it took me
> 20 years to figure it out.  I may be one of the few original owners
> left compared to the grand ol days of SERCA, but I do know that those that
> still own their B13s today are just as die-hard as myself.  I know if I sell
> the car, I would miss it dearly.  I've seen it happen to too many people.
> So I'll keep driving my Sentra until I'm old and grey . . . oh hell, grey
> already kicked in and old is a relative term for me now, and sure I could
> stretch the limits of my finances, lose my wife in the process, and get me a
> GT-R that has brake changes that cost more than my car is worth a few times
> over, but in the end, my SE-R that my son and I enjoy daily is all I need in
> my "Dream Garage."
>
> DC
> 1991 Red SE-R
>
>
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>
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