Zak Nilsson

[Ivan Chou]

Sad to hear.  I had a saved e-mail from Zak.  RIP.

Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 10:19:09 -0700
> From: "Zak Nilsson" <Zak.Nilsson at latimes.com>
> Subject: Why the SE-R is great
>
> I'd like to take a moment now to reflect on why the SE-R is a great car.
>
> We all know C&D had the 91-94 SE-R in its Top 10 list for all 4 years of
> its
> production, we know most of the car mags had good things to say about it.
> What
> is it about the SE-R that makes it as desirable as it is?
>
> Well I've been driving our 94 Q45 for a little over a week now (just out of
> choice, not necessity) and I've realized a few things that I had been
> taking for
> granted. The SE-R is a sweet-handling car. Right out of the box it's tight
> and
> controllable, and it's a joy to push through corners. It's a peppy car.
> Nobody
> here can say the SE-R is a truly fast car (stock), but it's darn quick. The
> torque has a lot to do with it, and the gearing. For whatever reason,
> Nissan
> really nailed it with this one. Throttle tip-in is very rewarding, and
> more so
> when the timing is advanced to 17, which is still within factory spec.
>
> The SE-R is light and you can really tell. The Q weighs about 3800 lbs or
> so.
> Even though it's faster 0-60 than the SE-R it doesn't necessarily feel
> like it.
> The weight is another reason it's nimble and fun in corners as well. The
> interior is sparse but functional, and you get goodies like the limited
> slip and
> those excellent seats as factory equipment.
>
> It's hard to describe what it's like to anybody that hasn't driven one, but
> there's a lot more to the SE-R than just the numbers. It feels like the
> SE-R is
> making the best of what it has, using 100% of its capabilities. There's a
> lot of
> intangibles that add up to a great driving experience, like engine sound,
> seating position, the feel of the shifter...
>
> I've been asking myself over the past week why I'm still driving an SR20
> car. I
> bought my NX2000 brand new in May of 1993 and I've been driving an SR20
> ever
> since. My Classic needs some maintenance, it still has a cold hesitation
> problem, it's got a rattle or two, the brakes are problematic (the rotors
> are
> grooved to hell), my 3rd brake light has a short...and our Q45 is just
> about
> perfect, only 40k miles, no rattles, no problems at all. When I got into my
> Classic to go to work today I figured I would be disappointed with the
> rattle,
> brakes, etc.
>
> To my surprise, I found myself wondering why I hadn't been driving the SE-R
> instead of the Q. Turn the stereo up so I can't hear the rattle, and I'm
> enjoying my commute much more than I did in the Q. I welcomed the
> responsiveness, the willingness to rev, the tight handling, the
> point-and-shoot
> qualities of the SE-R. Even in 5th gear it feels like it just wants to go,
> and
> that's something you can't say about many 4-bangers at all.
>
> There's just something that feels right about the SE-R (and the NX2000),
> even if
> I can't accurately describe it or even define it. I'm sure most of you
> know what
> I'm talking about. In any case, I feel like I made the right choice when I
> decided to get an SE-R after I wrecked my NX. I would gladly have gotten
> another
> NX too, but I couldn't find one in my price range at the time so I got the
> SE-R
> instead.
>
> It's funny...my NX was a hell of a lot faster, but even a stock SE-R is a
> great
> car. I guess sometimes you just have to put it in perspective.  :)
>
> Just ramblin',
>
> Zak Nilsson
> Classic
>

On Wed, Mar 24, 2021 at 1:58 PM Lawrence Weeks <lweeks at anabasis.net> wrote:

> I'm sad to report that I learned Zak has passed away, after battling
> cancer. RIP Zak.
>
> Stay well everybody.
>
> Larry
> +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
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