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August 2011 - Primera Dave (P11)

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    Posted: 23 Jul 2011 at 2:40am

Congratulations on winning August 2011 COTM Dave! If ever our members believed you needed a GT for power, this one will set them straight! Step forward and represent the Nissan Primera P11 SLX crew - How does it feel bagging this exclusive award and the awesome COTM trophy as well?

Shocked to say the least! I’ve always wondered if I’d ever get it but then I always thought the car was never up to scratch to be honest. I feel that the hard work and money spent has been noticed and it’s nice to know it’s all been recognised.


Before we talk cars, modifications and mechanics, wed love to find out about you the owner. Please tell us about yourself and what you get up to, away from the NPOC.

I’m a young looking 25 year old from York. I live with my rather patient partner Stacey, which some of you have met. We live together on a small disused farm well away from the busy town centre.

I work in a small but busy and well known electrical shop selling vacuum cleaners, washing machines and cookers etc along with small appliances and spare parts for all the above items. My partner works across road from me to keep an eye on me LOL, Stacey works at Barnitts, which sells home wares from kitchen utensils to wardrobes.

In my spare time I’m usually looking for my next car adventure (or wooden spoon moment as it seems sometimes) – I’m either planning a new cosmetic modification, or the more major BHP wise.

Apart from the car we do enjoy films! Cinema or a night at home with a take away and film, sees me sorted. We are both very family based and spend a lot of time with both sides. We like holidays within the UK, usually in the winter in a cold caravan!

I like most things car related, shows, mags, F1, Touring cars, rallying etc. 

I have a big fascination with space too! Planets, the sun etc. It’s an amazing world we live in when you read up on it.


How did you find the NPOC forums and are we any good? Would you happily recommend the club to other Nissan Primera owners?

I was a member of a different club which went down the pan, so I was in the search for another club. What a difference!!! The minute I signed up, within a few posts I wanted to become a paid member to get to see all the juicy sections. It wasn’t long that I found that NPOC, was much more of active place than the previous club. I also found it was much more chilled out and more of a “I want to come back for more” forum. I quite often end up staying up late waiting for replies back, or waiting for an update on something.

This is one of the best clubs I’ve been on, more family and person based instead of being based on pure modifying and only big power. Any thread will get replies!! I’d very happily recommend the club, as it full of good info, good people and a right good laugh!!


Youre an Elite Member here (our highest level of paying membership), are you getting value for money with that? And please sell us the reason, why everyone should become Elite.

Simple, huge savings and special deals! I try to get to as many shows as possible and with the Elite monthly membership fee for just a few quid a month, I can save a lot on entry tickets. I’ve had many tickets at bargain prices. Group buys again, I get extra discount on items because of my Elite membership. I have no regrets – It’s all it well worth it!!


You got into your P11 SLX from a Nissan Primera P10, so from the horses mouth, which one is the better car P10 or P11 and why?

Oh no! Did you have too??? Well… Hmmmmmmmmn… I dunno… I’ll be honest here, my old P10 SRi cobalt blue (the BEST colour ever made by any car company) was a dream come true when I got her. She was bruised badly and honestly seemed to have had a dodgy past. We bought it for a bargain price of £675 with 80K on the clock. It had huge front end rust issues, wings were ruined etc. We took her home and me and my dad rebuilt it, (well to be fair my dad rebuilt it as he is the welder king). She had new wings, cross member, air filter, oil and so on, the works. A few weeks of work and she was like new. It was hard as hell on Pi springs, Superchipped and straight through exhaust and I mean a scaffolding pipe front to back!! Loud? Just a bit! Why did I get rid? Well my 21st birthday was welcomed with my prized P10 getting keyed! Panels all round were vandalized! GUTTED and ever since that I lost the love for it, as it felt like it would never be same again.

The Primera P11 I now own, is comfier, more modern but never seemed as brutal and in your face as the P10 was. If it wasn’t for the damage to the P10 I’d probably still have it now but with an SR20DET in it, which was in process of been ordered before it got damaged.

I think for the all rounder, it’s the P11 but for pure drive and don’t care about comfort or noise, it’s the P10 but rust will always be the decider anyways! If I had the choice of a low mileage P10 eGT or low mileage P11 GT… Ohhhh, dunno LOL!


Your Primera is painted from the factory in colour code AP0 and known as Cinnabar Red, thats a pretty funky and rare colour!! Did you set out to find one this colour?

No not at all, it was the sheer urgency of needing a car if I’m honest. The Audi A4 that I owned fell to bits and I was sick of the repair costs and spending more time at my dads garage then me driving it, so we scrapped it at a huge loss and I needed a car ASAP!!! I needed a car for work 6 days a week and we were off on holiday 250 miles away in less than 2 weeks as well. By chance I remember my sister was searching for a Nissan Primera and she saw a local garage had one for sale. So there she was in gleaming APO. I saw it, drove it and bought it.


Since you joined the NPOC over 2 years ago, most of your posts on the forums have been about your never ending quest for more power (which well get to in a bit), Ive gotta ask the obvious question here… How comes you didnt start with a Nissan Primera P11 GT and build up from there?

For the reasons above really, the sheer need of a car locally within a £1k budget and that needed no work. My car fills all that criteria. 2 owners, 80k on clock, full history, MOT’d for a year, serviced, new tyres, cleaned in and out and up for sale at £999.00.

We looked everywhere for a GT, we found plenty but as I wasn’t a member on here I wasn’t anywhere near as clued up on the differences etc. I knew the basic power differences but I was after a car which wasn’t a bag of junk and would deliver better mpg than my old Audis 13 MPG!  The GTs we found were a mess and had killer mileage, even though I now know a P11 GT with 130k was nothing but how did I know back then?

I have no regrets as my car is above and beyond GT spec now and body wise has done less miles than most of the GTs we found.


Your recent tuning session and dyno power run netted some awesome figures (RESPECT!) – 172 BHP and 151 lbs Torque – That’s up from 128 BHP as standard, so a 44 BHP increase!! Is there anymore power to be had here, or will there be boost or VVL at some stage?

I’ve peaked the DE (SR20) engine if I’m honest. The car is not a 100% comfy daily driver now at lower revs, so honestly if I were to push the DE even more, it would be making it into a track based car and horrid to drive as a daily etc. I’d love VVL, as you all know my love of variable lift cars, (I love my parents Corolla). VVL sounds lush as hell BUT there is something that pulls me towards a DET. There’s just something really cool and exciting about a Nissan Primera with a great big front mount intercooler and a tasty dump valve while driving through town. So yes SR20DET on the cards for next year for sure, providing the car is still on a solid body next year (which it should), then fingers crossed for BOOST power!


Weve seen your car evolve a lot over 2 years, cosmetically its changed and the same goes for performance mods.. You seem to experiment with a lot of things before finally settling on something, why is that?

Simple answer, because I love to mod and waste money! I’ve gone through 12+ air filters from cheap, to £200 versions! I’m just never happy as I always think what if? What if this is better because of this? The Nistune map to me, is like a padlock on mods as I can no longer change a simple item like an air filter, as the map will then be wrong. I’m now very happy with the current set up, power, looks and sound. What I’ve learnt is to buy decent / quality the first time! A lot of mods I did were starting with the cheap mods, then replaced them to a medium quality, now everything I have is the best out there, from oil, cams, to exhaust.


On to the modifications and spec, now would be a great time to tell us all about your beasty fast Nissan Primera P11 SLX! So please list your full spec and all modifications, inside and out:

Power mods:

SR20DE engine

NGK Iridium spark plugs

Quad core spark / HT leads

Cat Cam 514 camshafts

Gspec adjustable cam sprockets (correctly dialled in)

4-2-1 Stainless Steel manifold + down pipe

2.5” decat

2.25’’ Janspeed cat back exhaust

Nismo fuel pressure regulator

Enlarged throttle body and matching intake plenum

Apexi intake filter

85mm cold feed pipe

Heat wrapped manifold and intake pipe

P11 GT ECU

Nistune ECU map

Fully synthetic engine oil and gear oil

Cosmetic:

GT interior

GT grills

GT side skirts

Primera UK badge

Debadged (Nissan) badges

SRi badges in grill, side doors and on boot lid

Infiniti front badge

Bosch Aero wipers

99% limo rear tints

Legal front window tints

Custom (extra) rev counter fitted to centre air vent

Stainless steel dash dial bezel

Dial surrounds

LEDs in all dash warning lights

Plasma dials

LED interior lighting

JDM quad headlights

35W HID kit

55W high beam HIDs

Led number plate lamps

Red calipers with Nissan stickers

ICE:

JVC CD player

Pioneer door speakers

Pioneer 6x9s

Fusion amp

Wheels / Suspension / Brakes:

17’’ Wolfrace alloys

Goodridge stainless steel brake lines

Dimple & grooved 278mm brake disks front and back

Black Diamond brake pads front and back

H&R lowering springs

KYB adjustable shocks


Whats the most enjoyable change youve made so far?

That’s a tricky one. The Nistune and cam set up made the biggest overall difference I think, with both sound and performance. But best mod I personally did would be the plasma dials, as I’ve tried for so long to get these and by god they were worth the time and effort! I really like them plus the other 9 members in the Group Buy do too.


Do you do any DIY stuff (mods / servicing) on the car yourself, or are you a regular at a local garage?

The servicing I do myself. Other mods I try my best, but if it’s something major like fitting cams, I get my dad to do it as he’s a god at car work. I do all my tyre checks and fluid level checks myself – There’s no excuse for not knowing the basics!


If I gave £500 right now and told you it had to be spent on the car, what would you buy?

A new full leather interior and door cards from either a P11 144 or from a P11 GTLE. With the leftover change, some proper rust treatment paint.


If money was no object and you could do anything you wanted to the SLX, what would you do?

Professional rust treatment and full respray in P10 cobalt blue, BC Coilovers, 4 pot brakes, new 17’’ multi spoke team dynamics alloys, 3’’ mandrel bent cat back exhaust, ASP header  and an SR20VET, so I’ll have the best of both then!


Any future plans for the car in the pipeline?

I’m trying to get the interior modernized with a lot of P11 144 parts and the seats changed as mine are knackered. I’ve been told by the person in control (Stacey) that no more money is to be spent until next year. So I’m saving now for the DET parts. I will slowly upgrade the car as I go, ready for the changes.


Time for the quick fire question round!

Drag or Track? Track

VVL or VTEC (y0)? VVL

DVD or Bluray? Bluray as it’s the future

Coffee or Tea? Both disgusting, give me a can of coke

BHP or Torque? Torque as that is where all the power is at

Dogs or Cats? Dogs as they enjoy your company, cats you feed, stroke and then wave goodbye

South or North? North

Tell us your favourite NPOC car? “Mad Maru”s GTT - It looks and sounds epic, as Rich knows!


The NPOC members have had their fair share of laughs with you, concerning your fascination with camshafts… Having seen the power results with your latest camshafts, is that it?.. Or is there another set of cams destined for the engine?

No not at all LOL. The car would be so lumpy / jerky, it’s bad enough as it is. Any bigger and it would be more track based.


When are we gonna get to see your Northern ass at JAE? You cant dodge it forever you know!

Tell me about it! Three times running now I won’t be there. I am missing this year again, due to the boss being on holiday, so I can’t make it (again)!!!! I will be  there in 2012, if the car is ready in time!


How long can you see yourself owning and driving the Nissan Primera, you have mentioned other cars in the past and you do have an obsession with power LOL!?

Providing the car is still in good condition next year, the turbo conversion (DET) will be fitted, so many years yet with the old girl. Worst case if it was rust eaten, is I’d buy another P11 and swap all the toys over. The SR20 engine can produce the power I require!


NPOC for life (regardless of what car you own and drive) or leg it when you change car?

I’d stay even if I did change cars, as you guys and gals always give honest feedback and you do like other cars!! I’m sure I’d still bug you all though LOL!


Tell Carlos Ghosn why he needs to bring back the Nissan Primera brand:

An easy one to answer this. The P10 and P11 Primera survive my heavy driving and my heavy weight. My Audi fell to bits, what more can I say? At 13 years old (my car that is), I can still drive 200 miles and get out feeling comfortable and not in pain, like the previous cars I’ve had. They’re smooth, quite good MPG and so god dam reliable! My car is well driven, does plenty of miles every week and it doesn’t care. I would not trust most modern cars to do the same.


Many thanks for telling us all about yourself and your cracking Nissan Primera P11 SLX Dave, its one of our fastest club cars and you deserved this feature! Congratulations once again for winning Car Of The Month for August 2011! Please end this feature, in your own words and feel free to thank anyone whos made this one possible.

Well, big thanks to all really as all of you have helped in giving me tips on modifications.

I’ve pestered “Ant-Dat” many times and made him pull his hair out (he’d better watch out as he’ll be the one fitting my DET, he doesn’t know it yet LOL). “Mad Maru” for his turbo inspiring car. “prim-n-proper” for his cheeky cocky remarks to EVERY post I make… love ya really! Thanks to the “grim” reaper for quick bargain parts to keep my P11 on the road. “Primerapowa” the P10 rust killer king has given me loads of advice, opinions and even came with me for my remap.

Loads I’ve probably missed, but big thanks for the friends that I’ve made on here and thanks for all the help and support!





Congratulations once again to Dave!


August 2011 COTM - Primera Dave
 
Written by essNchill
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