20 Years

Wed Mar 30 11:34:05 CDT 2011

Eric,
If you have the space and the money to have a third car, speaking from experience and hind sight, I say keep it.  Tinker with it when you have time and then have a great weekend play toy when you get it running.  I sold my 93 Classic (DET equipped) in 2003, for many of the reason you state, mainly the 3 kids in car seats and one of those a new born.  I had bought it new.   I regret selling it.  Loved that car.   Even with it's faults, it was a hoot to drive.   Though since then, I have been able to acquire the following: a GTS-t version of Nissan's R-thirty-two.  I rescued an NX2k and sold it to an enthusiast.  Used my B13 knowledge to find one for my Step-Dad (and keep it in top running order).  I rescued a 510 2dr, a 510 wagon and a 240Z all from the crusher.  The later three are all projects.  I miss the worry free toss-a-bility of the SE-R, the 28+ MPG, all with fairly modern comfort amenities and the stealth factor.  I don't have the room for a B13 at this time so will probably not get another one any time soon BUT I do have an SR20DE RWD drive train explicitly for the 510 2dr, so to some extent, I am keeping the SE-R faith.   :-D

BTW, I remember you picking me up in you SE-R when I was on business down in Nashville, visiting your friends shop and then going to lunch with your gal and friends.  Good time!

Erik Halvorson 

Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:12:18 -0500
Subject: Re: 20 Years
From: eric.waterman at gmail.com
To: se-r at se-r-list.org

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

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