subject: A Carbuyers Guide To The Nissan N14 Pulsar Sss [print this page] The 1991-95 Nissan N14 Pulsar SSS 2.0-litre was so advanced that it dominated its racing category at the time and could still show a clean pair of heels to most of today's hot hatches.
SSS body is not showing up with any major problems. Colour-coded front and rear bumpers, mirrors, front and rear spoilers should be checked for crazing and poor repairs. Neglected or heavily cut metallic paint may have permanently lost its shine.
Check fit of hatch, water leaks into rear luggage area and spare wheel well, and rear gas hatch struts. Original tyres were V-rated Bridgestone Potenza RE71 with space saver spare and should be replaced with tyres of at least this quality.
Replacing worn front strut inserts with high quality dampers is critical to car's original handling and ride. Rear struts must be changed as a complete unit. Regular 4 wheel alignment is essential.High performance engine must have clean oil and filter, and fresh coolant is critical with all-alloy construction. Valve steam seals can chop out on neglected examples and generate high oil consumption, otherwise it is long-lived and relatively trouble-free.
Check all hoses and seals for heat damage and leaks. High-mileage examples will have timing chain rattle, which means changing is imminent.Engine has knock sensor, which allows it to run on basic unleaded and should generate a performance boost with the latest high octane fuels.Noisy or worn manual gearboxes are not common but when they do show up, they may indicate a hard track life or poor driving.
Automatic transmissions fail like any other Jap auto some time after 100,000km, depending on how it is driven. Check that overdrive fourth engages cleanly & decisively.
Air-conditioning may be ready for an R134a upgrade, so allow for a total overhaul if it's not working. Interior is fairly durable but check sound system operation. Fuel gauge can be erratic and can cost big cash to fix
