my green machine - the n16 :)

Yo ! :D

As promised in noob section i’m posting up something about my car which is … surprise surprise … nissan almera :D I bought this car at the end of august and it’s my first car in UK (wahey :D:D). It’s a 2002 standard 1,5 3dr hatch, with a wee flavor of luxury as it’s got electric windows and cd changer. I’m slowly starting to get it right after previous owner which used it as working horse in his job => interior was a proper mess … it also has few minor scratches on bodywork, but nothing major. So, what was done so far? Service (changing filters, spark plugs, oil), full interior wash, 2 new tires and to help me find a way through UK I bought garmin sat nav :D below few pics …
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I’m thinking about changing stock radio to the fancy unit including dvd player, with motorised lcd, would be great to change wheels to alloys, but I just can’t decide which ones (deffo cheap:p) as I’m not too keen on showing my stock&rusty brakes or painting them with hammereit :D same with front seats, I quite fancy something which will compromise comfort and sporty look… I’m not interested in increasing power as i want to keep it as economical as it is … and my driving is more cpt. Slow style than pushing it to the rev limit. Anyway, all comments and advice will be much appreciated :)

Regards,
Radek
 
top looking car mate, looks very clean..and those wheels are gorgeous :D

Does need lowering tho....looks like its on stilts :lol:
 
Car looks nice and clean. Definately better with those wheels on. I was just up at Broughty Ferry not long ago.

Matt
 
thanks guys, well the car isn't that clean, the bodywork needs a bit of tlc ... previous owner had sort of door protectors (rubber on the edge of doors) and took it off before sale ... unfortunately with a bit of paint. No rust at these spots but it looks a bit dodgy and annoys me :| otherwise sweet wee car ^_^ aye i need a bit of lowering but short on funds at the moment :p cheers :)
 
As the 1.5 isn't actually blessed with power Radek, I'd recommend a replacement K&N panel filter & sports back box. I know you're not looking for performance, but these 2 small mods alone with leave you with better MPG & response. Not to mention the looks & sound. Just ask 'Elkingyboy' - he's done exactly that to his with good results. He also has H&R lowering springs with great ride quality & improved handling. Well worth considering . . . . . . :)
 
Nice car, nice colour (one of the best of the Almera colours full stop), nice wheels, and nice photos :D. Awesome.

Snakey also had a 1.5 with a lightened flywheel and said it had major gains. Worth a go as I think he's the only one to have done this so would be good to see replicated.
 
yeah all these sounds good but mind that i'm just a student and got a wedding comming soon so i'm quite skint :p regarding exhaust i replaced it last week for a brand new stock system as previous was annoyingly loud (no offence guys but i don't think that my car deserves a loud backbox - it's defo not a king of the street hence oem parts y0!). I'll keep an eye on a filter and springs thou.
 
No the king of the streets yet.....but it could be?!! lol. Modding is an expensive game. I'm doing as much as I can myself. Some cheap, tasteful mods will improve car a lot. Keep us updated
 
Just for your info mate, I wasn't suggesting a 'wide-boy' huge bore exhaust with an ASBO written all over it, lol ! Mine's has a Remus backbox which is pretty subtle noise-wise, as is the Sebring version & Kingy's custom made job. But if you want to stay incognito, that's your choice entirely :)
 
Nice looking motor mate, not a big fan of green but yours looks quite nice. As Paul said, my H&R springs are ace, even on standard shox. Also, although my custom back box set me back £200, I got exactly what I wanted, well worth considering I think. Also, check out eonon.com, thats where I gor my dvd player/screen combo. Keep up the good work fella.

Kingy :D
 
Welcome to the club mate.

Love the 3-door N16s and yours look mint.

As for mods - keep it subtle and cheap (but not cheap looking!) - lots of little things make a big difference on a standard car as nice as that. Do a few little cheap things to make it a bit nicer while you save for a 1.8 or 2.2 diesel :)

K&N filter panel will improve response, MPG and smooth out the walk through the revs. It will pay for itself after a couple of services.

Normally I'd say get clear side indicators and front indicator bulbs but the orange looks great with the green.
Hmm maybe orange brake calipers would look good too (just give em a good clean and use hammerite) though that may be OTT.

Normally I'd say tint the rear lights but again they go well with the green as they are.

It's a 1.5l front wheel drive with a nice shape roof and rear - it doesn't need a spoiler.

You'll need a fascia adaptor and a loom adaptor if changing the stereo. Halfords do them but you can get them online cheaper. That cubby hole in the top of the dash is perfect for storing a harddrive or flash drive if you get a USB connectible stereo (you'll need to cut some holes but it's easy).

Phase 2 N16 rear wiper is a direct fit and looks a lot smoother than the phase 1, about £20 from a Nissan Dealer.

Maybe I'd want to tint the rear windows and boot but it's a bugger (though cheap!) to DIY and a pro job will cost £200+.

Touching up your paintwork should not be too bad with a Nissan touch-up kit (about £4 I think). The flat colour makes it a whole lot easier to touch-up than my metallic blue/green/grey and a lot cheaper to get fixed professionally as they should be able to do only the bad bits and not have to do whole panels like mine. Read up online on how to do it properly (read up A LOT) and give it a go but get decent artist's brushes as touch up kit ones suck monkey nuts. Have some money set aside in case it goes crap and you need a pro to fix it.

N16's love to be lowered. On Eibach pro springs they handle really well and on decent coilovers they feel amazing but (unless you can buy decent 2nd-hand springs and fit them yourself) it's not cheap.

Other than that I'd say get plain number plates without the Arnold Clark (The Liddles of 2nd hand cars) logo and remove the dealer sticker in the boot and you're set :)

Last but not least if the wedding you are saving for is yours then congratulations!
Did that myself last year. Stupidest thing I ev.. er, I mean you'll never regret it mate!
 
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