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December 2015 - dysopath

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    Posted: 25 Nov 2015 at 6:59pm

Congratulations on winning December 2015 MOTM Nick! How does it feel to be our exclusive Member Of The Month and having your name up in lights?

Initially I was surprised I had received a private message off Shaun “essNchill”, especially one with a title that seemed irrelevant to anything. Upon reading it I was honoured and read it twice more before replying to it. I’m still genuinely surprised and thank you for choosing me. It’s a true honour as there are so many people worthy of the title MOTM.

We’d love to find out about you the person. Please tell us about yourself and what you get up to, away from the NPOC.

Well, my name is Nick Dyson, aged 24. I live in Liskeard, Cornwall with my partner Sammy, our lurcher Acer, and the two cats Tiggy and Totoro. Sammy also has a Leopard Gecko, so with 2 people and 6 animals it’s never a quiet house.

I run my own business doing Landscaping and Tree Work, I started contracting to a company when I was 16 and went my own way 18 months ago and it’s all going well. I was born in Birmingham and lived there until I was 13 when my parents decided to move to sunny (or not so) Cornwall. I spent my teenage years racing cross country and downhill mountain bikes - Unfortunately once I bought a motorbike and passed my CBT at 17, the mountain bikes got forgotten.

I spend quite a lot of my time now taking the dog for walks on the moor or tinkering on random projects I have on the go (biggest one being the house which needs rather a lot of work). I also spend time pottering in the garden or on the allotment. The other thing I really enjoy is going off caravanning, it doesn’t have to be a million miles away but sitting in the awning with a cold beer is something I really do enjoy.

I know it’s been a while now but can you remember how you found the NPOC forums and are we any good? Would you happily recommend the club to other Nissan Primera owners?

If I recall correctly, I think NPOC Member “Geordie” is to blame for me being here, as I used to have a Nissan Sunny and was a member of the Nissan Sunny Owners Club and I remember him posting links to things on here, so I clicked on them and lingered in the background for a year or so before properly signing up. I certainly do recommend to anybody I can to come and join in, when I sold one of my previous Primeras I stipulated the new owner must sign up, which he did.

Your join date from your profile shows March 2010! Which means that you have racked up over 5 years of NPOC Membership! Massive respect and well done! What keeps you coming back and signing in every day here?

I enjoy reading all the threads that people put up, I think I read just about every thread that comes up but often don’t find myself commenting unless I have something constructive to say. The banter between people makes the forum what it is, a lot of the members know each other personally and it makes it a friendly atmosphere (normally LOL!)

You’re originally one of the Old Skool AOC members, who found your way over to this side and ultimately ended up with a Nissan Primera. How is the AOC these days and are you still posting over there?

I was indeed and I was converted to the dark side. I’ve just checked to see and I haven’t been onto AOC since May 2014 when we were planning to break our N15. Times change and I just faded away from the Almera scene, even while we still had a N15 I found all the help I needed on NPOC, so had no reason to return.

Now thankfully, you are a die-hard petrol head YAY! So we’ll be looking at your varied list of cars and projects later on but your very first post here at NPOC was when you were driving an N16 Almera but wanting to fit a GT engine into it.. What happened with that project?

Haha, it’s quite comical because at the time I thought it was going to be a simple idea as it had been done before. I hadn’t really thought it through properly. The Almera came off the road and I had a new clutch and timing chain fitted but I lost the love with it after Sammy bought an Almera with an SR20 fitted. The QG15 powered N16 Almera was rather gutless, so it got sold to make space for the first Primera. I saw the N16 around a few times afterwards, then finally in the local scrapyard after a relatively small smack.

So let’s get to past cars (but please leave the Nissan Primera’s out of this one and also your current cars / cars on your drive).. Give us your car ownership history from the day you passed please and I’d love you to accompany this lot with some photos if you have them?

I passed my test in January 2009 aged 17 and proceeded to buy a whole multitude of cars.

Firstly I bought a 1995 Fiat Punto 1.2 auto which was an atrocious car that I purchased for £310. The only modification I did was to remove all the door cards and fit floral curtains over the top. I used it till May when I sold it for £320 and it got replaced with...

1995 Nissan Sunny 1.4 (my intro into Nissan ownership) - I loved this car, it cost me £100 (purchased from a lady of the night) and had a years MOT. The main modification I did was to add blue LED's all over the car and it lit up like a Christmas tree. The reason for this cars retirement was because of water pump failure (I didn’t attempt any mechanics by this point), so I stripped a few parts and sold them before giving the car away.

Next was a 1995 Peugeot 205 1.1 Junior, this was a surprisingly fun little car with nothing in the way of creature comforts, but what do you expect for £250. It served a purpose for a few months travelling from Cornwall to visit friends in Bristol at Uni. I sold it to a local logger for £350.

Then I got my second Nissan, the 2001 N16 Almera, this stayed with me for a while - sometimes on the road - sometimes not. I loved the car initially, added 16" Sport alloys, electric mirrors, colour coded anything I could, fitted a Cupra R splitter and some underbody blue LEDs for the boy racer effect.

I bought a 1996 Vauxhall combo dog van 1.4 for £100, it only had 60k miles on it but I never got as far as using it, instead I took all the Kenwood sound system out and sold it on for £190.

A customer passed away so his wife offered me his 1986 Audi 100cc for £300 so I bought it with the intention of it being a nice comfortable classic. On the way back from collecting it, I was foolish enough to have a spirited drive with an Alfa Romeo which the car did not like and within a few days the engine went bang... Still find chunks of metal in plant pots on the drive to this day.

Nissan Almera SRi (SR20 swap) - this was technically Sammy’s car but I used to drive it (at all opportunities). JWT S3R cams, stainless system, Eibach lowering springs, 2 slat Grill, GTi interior, spoiler, lights etc... A great car that we had lots of fun in. Grim got his hands on it eventually.

I replaced this with a 1994 Volvo 850 Estate - this was a brilliant car until the crank and cam sensors failed and it went to the scrap man.

I did briefly own another N14 Sunny too, which I took as payment for a job but that didn’t stay long.

(Then there were Primeras)..

After a couple of Primeras I bought a Subaru Forester 2.0 NA, another atrocious car that got sold on quickly.

My final previously owned car was an Isuzu Bighorn 3.1 TD, it had many issues, so got sold to a garage who repaired it and sold it on.

Have you got a favourite out of the “previously owned” list above and why?

I would say my favourite was definitely the first Sunny, it was the first car I actually enjoyed. I used and abused it, strapped kayaks to it - fitted curtains in the back of it - slept in it on many occasions and if I could get it back (it has since been scrapped) then I would.

Now let’s cover your current cars (leave out the lovely Ginger GT please), what’s sat outside please Nick, tell us all about them and photos too:

So currently I am driving another Isuzu Bighorn (Trooper Import) but this time it’s a 3.5 V6 Petrol, around the 250 BHP mark and it does shift well. It’s got a stainless system fitted and HKS mushroom filter so it sounds good too. The dream would be to get a supercharger kit as the engine is a stroked and forged 3.2 V6 so will apparently take the added power, but I need it to stay usable as I use it daily for work with trailers etc...

I also have a Mitsubishi RVR 4g63 sat here, the bottom end has a rattle so I have removed the engine and intend to do a rebuild and get it running again, it will then become my project car that I would like to modify and show – That is quite a long way off though.

I also own a Kawasaki GPZ600R which I am in the middle of playing with, the idea is to get it up and running for the summer so that the misses can pass her test and ride it to work to save mileage on the GT.

Now I know that you do have one P11 GT outside your house right now and I’m pretty sure that belongs to your other half Sammy but is maintained by ya goodself – Tell us more about this one please and list all the goodies too:

We do indeed, Sammy uses it to commute 50 miles a day. It’s a Ginger GT Saloon, we got this off NPOC Member “Grim” around 18 months ago and it was a lovely drive back from Colchester.

It’s fitted with...

Black JDM HID lights

Stainless Manifold

Stainless Decat

Stainless Centre Pipe

Nismo Calsonic Backbox

BC Coilovers

Nissan Rainguards

MOMO Corse alloys

GTSE seats

Sunstrip

Twin Subwoofers

Shark fin aerial

Tinted Side Repeaters

I may have missed a few bits... The overall plan with the car is to tidy up paintwork, fix the few niggly bits that most old cars have and then to most likely get JWT cams and G20 rear lights to finish it off. VVL would be lovely but too much work.

During your time at the NPOC, we’ve seen you rocking a few Primera’s at various stages. Please tell us more about them and list all the goodies they had and let’s see some photos, to remind us all about them:

My first Primera was a Ginger SRi, I loved this car!

Fitted it with Clear JDM Lights, a Renault Espace front splitter, GT interior, GT rear bumper and side skirts, fitted clear rear corners, lowered it massively and fitted the wheels that I had on my Almera too it.

The SRi got sold to a friend of NPOC Member “Janner” (and he’s also a member on here - but can’t remember his username) and I believe it has since been scrapped as he now has a Nissan Primera P11 144.

Then I moved onto my first GT (also ginger) and it was awesome. I bought it with a full stainless system and a high flow cat. It also had OZ Racing wheels and drilled and grooved discs fitted. I swapped over the lights from my SRi and spent a lot of time playing with it, tidying bits up. Unfortunately it failed a MOT which on hindsight I should have done the work and repaired it but I ended up breaking it and cutting it in half with an angle grinder with the intention of making a trailer but this failed and it eventually got scrapped.

After a break driving the Subaru I decided to buy the well known red W11 144 wagon owned by previous NPOC Members, “Geordie”, “Stevie-Boy” and “Prim-n-Proper”. I’m sure most of you know of this but here’s a brief summary, it had a Nismo Back box (now on our GT), I fitted a stainless manifold, it had a JDM spoiler, Rear Volvo Spats, Nissan Rain Guards, MOMO Corse alloys (now on our GT), custom front bumper and JDM rear lights.

I sold this car to a friend who has since signed up to NPOC but is not very active.

Most of us know you from your Nissan Primera’s whilst you’ve been a member and thankfully we have seen you out and about at Club Meets over the years too but what got you into a Nissan Primera to start with, was it on the list of cars to own back in the day, or a chance encounter?

After owning the Sunny I gained an interest in them. I had no previous knowledge of Japanese cars as my family always drove Peugeots. Then one day I went to Helston (further into Cornwall) to meet a NPOC member to buy some parts for our old N15, there was his black GT there and his friends ginger one. The ginger really caught my eye - that was it, the hunt began and the SRi came up 5 miles from home - So I bought it.

So imagine this.. Money is no object and you can build yaself the ultimate Nissan Primera, you can do anything you want here Nick – What would you create?

I think it would have to be a P11 Wagon with the back removed to make a pick up, resprayed in candy red with a VE-T engine and a 4x4 system, however I think I would need to win the Euro Millions to make this a possibility. I can dream though...

One of the things I like about you, is that you’re very hands on with maintenance and repairs on all the cars. What would be the final straw, to see you and a car part company?

That depends entirely on what car it is, some cars I have owned and felt no love for have been sold due to very small faults. But generally tin worm is what will put the end to a car for me, I have bought 2 welders to try and stop this being a problem but I’m yet to learn how to use them properly.

Is there anything you’d never take on or attempt, when it comes to car mechanics or repairs and what’s your spanner rating from 1 - 5?

I would attempt most things because if it’s already broken then it can’t get much worse. I’m not the biggest fan of electrical systems but still give it a go. Welding is something I am trying to teach myself. I would rate myself around a 3, as I don’t tend to use a garage other than to issue a mot document.

Quick Fire Question Round

What makes you smile?

Sunshine

What makes you sad?

Rain

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

I don't eat anything remotely spicy

Your favourite colour?

Red

Your lucky number?

I don’t really have a lucky number

What will it say on your gravestone?

Everything happens for a reason

Your favourite drink (any)?

Before 3pm - Tea with 2 sweeteners / After 3pm - San Miguel or Carlsberg

Your sub £10K second hand dream car would be?

Toyota Chaser (if the cash was in my hand I would struggle to choose though)

Your sub £30K second hand dream car would be?

R34 GTR

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

This is a difficult one, I have never driven a P10 so would love a go in “Sprint”s p10 4x4, but I think ultimately I would have to say “Mad Maru”s P11 GTT, as I have driven a few P11's and it would be great to see what a turbo P11 was like.

"Mad Maru"s Turbo'd Nissan Primera P11 GT shown below:


You’ve shown up at a few club meets over the years Nick, what’s been your favourite one to date and why?

My favourite meet would have to be Japfest 2013 as not only was there a brilliant atmosphere, great cars, good weather... The chance to go out on track was amazing.

Tell everyone who has never come out and joined us at a Club Meet, why they should..

Anybody can sit there and type on a computer, when you get out and meet the people you have been talking to online it changes everything. Everyone is so approachable and have a genuine interest in the cars - what more can you ask for. You don’t know till you’ve tried it!

We saw you and Sammy out on track at Japfest once, have either of you done any more track events?

Unfortunately neither of us have which is a shame really. I am very tempted to go out at Japfest next year (in my Isuzu) which could end interestingly.

So 5 years of NPOC membership, is there a defining club memory in that lot somewhere and why?

The most memorable experience was my road trip to meet member “Grim”, I had never met him before but travelled up regardless. I was in the N15, got half way up the M5 and the car died, after calling the RAC it turned out the speedo ran the alternator (I didn’t realise and sold the speedo). The mechanic expressed concern to the sills on the car too which were actually held in place with duct tape. It made for a very memorable journey.

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

I’ll be here for life, I’ve moved away from Primeras a few times but never stopped logging in. Plus I was here for a year or so before I even bought one.

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

Nissan make no family saloons but I would be worried if they went along the lines of the new Pulsar (which is nothing like a Pulsar as we know it!), that they would tarnish the Primera name. However we need a decent sized family saloon with a good engine to rival the competitors who still make them.

Final question here and one I’ve been asking all year so far - Most petrol heads have a nick name / pet name for their cars. What’s yours and why and if you have names for all the fleet, do spill!

I refuse to name my cars, they are referred to as 'the GT', 'the RVR' and 'the Truck'... I put naming cars along the same lines as naming your dog a human name! Which is a big NO! NO! for me.

Member Of The Month is all about highlighting the unsung / unknown heroes around this club and also their cars, should they be driving a Nissan Primera. You won this feature because you’re a 5 year time served Member and regular forum whore and you’ve helped make NPOC what it is today. You also arrived at JAE one year with many gallons of awesome local cider and invited us all to drink it and that was a massive win! Thank you Nick, it’s been massively appreciated and here’s to many more years of Club Life! With my thanks out of the way, it’s over to you to see us out.. Congratulations once again for winning Member Of The Month for December 2015! Please end this feature, in your own words and feel free to thank anyone who’s made this one possible.

No worries Shaun, unfortunately Sammy no longer works for a cider plant... instead a beer brewery, (much better in my opinion)... We will try and get back to JAE soon.

I would like to thank all the Club Owners and Moderating Staff for the effort they put in to running the club as they do.

Personally I would like to thank Shaun (essNchill) for this opportunity, Martin (Prim-n-Proper) for selling me the wagon, “Grim” for the GT, Keith (Janner) for all the local help he has given me over the years and all the members I have traded with and those who have helped me with issues in the past.

And finally a big thank you to everyone who has made it this far down listening to me rambling.



Congratulations once again to Nick!

December 2015 MOTM - dysopath

Written by essNchill

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