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January 2013 - rrbarny (P11)

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Joined: 13 Feb 2007
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    Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 7:32pm

Congratulations on winning January 2013 COTM Frank! A great car to be starting the New Year with! Your Nissan Primera P11 SX is an excellent example of a well cared for and stealthily upgraded car... Not forgetting a big shout out for some GA16DE loving too!! How does it feel bagging this exclusive award and the awesome COTM trophy as well?

I think my reply to your Private Message on NPOC said it all LOL. Stunned, speechless and chuffed to bits!!

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

I`ve just turned 54, been married to Julie for almost 34 years, have two daughters Samantha and Georgina and two granddaughters Georgina (I know it`s confusing) and Abigail.

I`ve worked at Rolls Royce, jet engines not cars, since leaving school and for the last 10 years, as a “finished blade” inspector, (The big spinning bits on the front of your aeroplanes engines when your off on your jollies).

In my spare time I enjoy walking, cycling and reading and when their about my grandkids.

And of course NPOC.

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

A friend of a friend had Primera problems and found NPOC on the net and word got to me and the rest, as they say, is history LOL

Looking back at your historical posts, you registered to NPOC and within a week, had sent away £15 for full membership (respect!).. So we must have made an impact? If you had to stand with a “sandwich board” in the high street somewhere, what short message would you write to advertise the club?

“NPOC – For all things Prim”.

You came to NPOC all those years ago with a Nissan Primera P10 and P11 on your driveway, as I write this feature today, I believe the P10 has gone to Primera Heaven? What happened there Frank?

Yep that`s right the P10 is no more. Tin worm got to it on the rear of both sills and rear inner arches to the tune of £3-400 worth of mates rates welding LOL.

It stood on the drive for few years while I decided what to do, fix, break or scrap then wifey gave me a choice and no it wasn`t the “It goes or I go “ one, more like “You shift it or I will”, so 2 hours later I was 10 less and heavier in the pocket to the tune of £120. 

You sooooo knew this next question was coming too.. So having owned both P10 and P11, which one would you keep if both were equally in the same condition all round and why?

Both have their good and bad points. But if I was really, really pushed, the P10 purely because it`s a drivers car.

And I bet I know what the next question is?

Just when you thought you were going to escape the P10 / P11 debate LOL… Let’s change to body styles! The P10 was a saloon, your P11 a hatch, call it for us now.. Hatch or Loon and why?

This is soooo unfair LOL!

The saloon and hatch are as different as the P10 and P11 are in my opinion.

I`m not too keen on the P10 hatch shape but I like the P11 and not having driven a P11 saloon, I can`t compare so I can`t comment.

I wouldn`t drive the P11, even with the mods, as I did the P10 but the Loon ain`t as versatile, so it`s horses for courses I`m afraid.

What got you into a Nissan Primera in the 1st place anyways? You have some driving history behind you (which craftily translates as, “you’ve been driving for a few years now, you old goat!”).. Have you always been a Nissan admirer, or have you jumped ship from another previously preferred marque?

I started of with 3 Allegros, 2 Metros then 3 Cavaliers.

When the last Cavalier began costing us, it was time to get rid. I saw the P10 Primera, took it for a spin and the rest is again history LOL.

Meantime we had grown to a two car family with wifey gradually trading up to a red P11 1.6 GX hatch, which promptly got written off. We got the SX with the pay out.

In time wifeys commute got longer, petrol price and consumption was on the up so we began to question the 2 big cars situation. Trade in offers were awful, £150 against book price of £350 min, so I SORN`d the P10 and took on the SX.

What keeps you in a Nissan Primera nowadays anyhow, we can all get a more modern / more practical car, for little money?

I like it, It looks good and it stands me at nothing LOL.

Having now owned 2 Nissan Primeras with the 1.6 engine (GA16DE), is there any reason you haven’t tasted the SR20DE engine as yet?

Insurance is a big reason. I begrudge paying what I do now.

I know peeps will say `we all have to pay it` but after 30 odd years of clean unadulterated driving, I`d expect a bit of a “Brucie Bonus” not a “kick in cods” every 12 months.

But who’s to say it won`t happen.

On to the modifications, now would be a great time to tell us all about your gorgeous Nissan Primera P11 1.6 SX! So please list your full spec and all modifications, inside and out:

Exterior

Induction kit

Stainless steel and alloy strut brace

Various under bonnet cosmetics

Nissan Primera P11 144 Sport+ 16” alloys

KYB Excel G rear shocks

Genuine Nissan mudflaps

De vinyl’d door pillars

Clear side repeaters

6000k HIDs

LED side lights

LED number plate lights

Twin rear fog light conversion

Painted brake discs and calipers

Interior

Alloy gearstick surround

Chrome dial rings

White alarm LED

Variable intermittent wiper switch

NPOC tax disc holder

NPOC air fresheners

Sony DSX S1000 head unit

Alpine 1725S front speakers

What’s the most enjoyable change you’ve made so far?

Got to be the strut brace, not just because of the better handling but the comments it gets from people.

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

Better suspension and exhaust.

If money was no object and you could do anything you wanted to your Nissan Primera, what would you do?

Turbo. Vroom tish LOL

You’ve been very selective when making changes to the car (and well thought they are too), to most people this would be a normal bog standard Nissan Primera, have you always intended to be this stealthy, or do you ever want to go nuts?

No it wasn`t planned to be stealthy, more like can I really justify spending this and that amount of hard earned dosh on a 1.6. Also around this area we have speed bumps that would stop Chieftain Tanks, so things had to be thought out.

Did the Nissan influence get forced onto your daughter by daddy, with the purchase of her Nissan Micra K12 or does she feel the brand love too? Oh and you just need to work on the missus now LOL.

LOL! No the Micra was totally her own choice, I was just asked to find one.

As for wifey, even though she`s had two Primeras, there’s no chance, she absolutely loves the Getz and I’ll be honest I quite like it too.

Time for the quick fire question round!

How long have you been an NPOC Member? 

5 years. 

What makes you smile? 

Anything funny.

What makes you sad? 

Seeing any of my Girlies upset.

Tell us something we don't know about you..

I`ve only ever had one job interview and I got it.

Your favourite colour? 

Blue.

Your lucky number? 

I don`t have one.

What will it say on your gravestone?

“He were a right miserable git”.

Your favourite drink (any)? 

Daytime – Coffee.

Night time (work) – Tea.

Real ale when out and about.

If you could steal the keys to someone else’s car (on NPOC) for 1 day, which car would you steal and why? 

Oh an easy one this, “Supertourer”s P11 coz it looks sooooooo right!

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you before (during the NPOC LEJOG event and a BIG thank you for coming out to join us for a coffee!).. But your absence at our big national events has been noted. We see you turning out and representing at the regional club meets (thank you) but when are we gonna get you to a biggy Frank?

It`s on my bucket list LOL!

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

For life or until someone takes over the “Senior Member” moniker.

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

Not having an affordable sporty family size model amongst all the `Tonka Toys` is my only gripe.

As we already know, you have owned a Nissan Primera P10 and P11.. Any chance we will see you going for the full house and owning a P11 144 or P12?

P11 144 maybe, P12 no.

From 2013 onwards in every COTM feature, my final question to all winners is going to be this one (sorry Frank but you get to be the virgin guinea pig!). If you could change 1 thing about the NPOC Forums, what would it be and why (and don’t be shy)?

You guys have pretty much got it sorted. NPOC was the first Forum I ever joined and we`ve had `tinternet thingy since 1996, so you must be doing something right.

Many thanks for telling us all about yourself and your Nissan Primera P11 SX Frank, you have a cracking car! Congratulations once again for winning Car Of The Month for January 2013! Please end this feature, in your own words and feel free to thank anyone who’s made this one possible.

Straight off, only the head unit, speakers and mudflaps were acquired outside of NPOC. So a big thanks to all Members who supplied the various mods and parts.

A big thanks to Geordie (Chris) for his pestering about meets. I wouldn`t have been at “LEJOG” but for him.

Big thanks to all who made me feel welcome at the various meets.

Bigger thanks to all NPOC members for their incessant mickey taking, banter and good humour. Long may it continue LOL.

NPOC for being what it is “People first, cars second”!

And finally thank you for the January 2013 COTM award. It will take pride of place in my bog, sorry, mantelpiece LOL.

Congratulations once again to Frank!

January 2013 COTM - rrbarny
 
Written by essNchill

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