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September 2010 - riggsy99 (P11)

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    Posted: 25 Aug 2010 at 1:06am

Congratulations on winning September 2010 COTM Jon! You and your hard as fook Nissan Primera P11 GT are a tag team delight!!. How does it feel bagging this exclusive award and not forgetting an awesome club trophy as well?

 
 

How does it feel? Well I’m over the moon to say the least. When you came up to me and said would I accept the award, I nearly hit the floor. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Even now, knowing I have won it, I still can’t believe I have.

 

When I look at the trophy I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. That’s when I find out ‘ouch’ it is true and I’ve got to look forward to getting another bruise on my arm.

 

As for the trophy, I think it’s brilliant. Even though it’s a nice simple design, it means a hell of a lot to anyone who has one and that is now me. It makes all the hard work worth while. It has pride of place on the top shelf of our display cabinet.

 

 

Before we talk Primera and jump into car mods and stuff, 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.

 

Well, where do I start? I’m 26, living with my gorgeous fiancée Lisa and step daughter Chloe. We’ve been together for 4 years next month and looking forward to hopefully getting married next year on our fifth year anniversary. We have the family pet, Flyer, the dog. He’s been with us for nine months now. He makes the family complete.

 

Away from NPOC, it’s mainly work, out with mates or tinkering with the GT. This is because 90% of my life now is spent either on the forums, or at a meeting because the club is such a fantastic place to be.

 

 

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

 

I found the forum by accident, if I’m to be brutally honest. I bought my first Primera GT many moons ago and I was browsing the internet to find out about many different things about the Primera and to see if there was any websites that did modified parts - Low and behold, the top webpage that came up was NPOC. So I thought why not have a look?

 

I signed up as a non member at first but found that I couldn’t really access much, so I kept quiet for about a year or so. Then I thought I’d upgrade to a fully paid member and wow, I’ve never looked back!

 

The things I found out, websites to buy stuff, seeing other peoples Primera’s and getting ideas for my own GT and much much more. Then came the meets.

 

Way back in August 2008, I decided I wanted to go to a meeting but the only one that was about was the annual Winchester Meet, so I plucked up the courage to organize a local meeting in Portsmouth. It was great to meet some of the guys from the club and to see some more lovely Primera’s.

 

Would I recommend it to anyone else? Hell yes. I have to admit, it is one of the best websites I have ever been on. The respect and friendliness I get from everyone in the club is fantastic. The NPOC is the only place I’d recommend to any Nissan Primera owner.

 

 

You are one of our members who pays for an Elite Membership. What’s your reason for that and is it worth it?

 

One of the main reasons I became an Elite member was to become one of the privileged members of the club that can use the lounge. In there you can have a relaxing chill out on the sofa, sipping on a glass of the bubbly and tucking into those delicious biscuits LOL!

 

I feel good in myself paying the club £4 a month and getting so much out of it. It’s amazing the amount of stuff that the Club give us Elite’s - It’s unbelievable!

 

Is it worth it? Yes it is. If you sit down and actually work it out, the savings that we get from the club being an Elite member is cheaper than if we had to pay for everything. But the best way to make the most out of the Elite membership is to try and make all the big events, like Japfest, JAE and Ace Café. I believe I’ve been an Elite now for nearly 2 years and it has been worth every penny.

 

 
 

We know you’re a Nissan Mechanic, working at Nissan – I guess this comes in handy when you’re a Primera nutter?

 

It is very very handy! I have to admit, if it wasn’t for working Nissan I would have never bought the Primera. I would have never known how reliable the SR20 engine is. If somebody came up to me before I worked for Nissan and said my car has done 100,000 miles, I would have said that it was at the end of it life. But working for Nissan, I now know that 100,000 miles is just about run in for a Nissan engine. So with this information, knowing how easy it is for me to work on a Nissan, and seeing how much space the Primera has in the boot, I had to have one.

 

Being a Nissan mechanic also comes with the added bonus of knowing some of the problems that crop up with the Primera, which thankfully is not a lot.

 
 

Do you come from a background of modified cars? Any previous projects you can share with us? Or is the GT your first divulgence in modifying, if it was, why?

 

I hate to say this but I started with a measly old mark 2 Fiesta, totally bog standard! It was a nippy little number mind you. I Had loads of fun in it with the lads from college, racing Citroën AX’s and Vauxhall Nova’s. I got to the end of my college years, started to work for Nissan and decided to upgrade to a………. Mark 3 Fiesta 1.1 LOL! This is where the modifying started. It was only minor modifications, like 17” wheels, 60mm lowering kit and an induction kit. It wasn’t much but I was proud of what I had done, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. After a few years of having the fiesta and coming to the end of my Nissan apprenticeship, I thought it was time to grow up and buy a sensible family car. I was looking at getting an Escort because they were cheap but knowing how reliable the Nissan brand was, I was edging more towards an Almera.

 

I had been looking for about 2 or 3 weeks and couldn’t find the right car for me. Then the opportunity came up to buy a Primera. I thought at first it was too big for what I wanted but went for a road test in it, had a look around it and underneath and wow what can I say? I thought it was great, so I was then a proud owner of a silver Nissan Primera GT.

 

I was going to keep it as a family car, so it stayed standard for about a year. Then I couldn’t resist it any longer. The modifications started and I haven’t looked back since. Unfortunately in September 2007, the silver GT got written off by a reckless drunk driver. Because I loved it so much I was on the look out for another Primera straight away and luckily (for me) a colleague at work had one and was struggling to run it, so I happily took it off his hands.

 

I swapped the mods off of the silver GT and put them on my newly acquired black GT. I’ve owned it now for nearly 3 years now and it’s been a long hard expensive struggle to get me where the GT is today but I’m one very proud Primera owner!

 

 

Some of us here at NPOC knew all about your turbo plans for the car - You had actually sourced all of the gear to do this. A few months back you officially ditched the boost plans, what were the reasons behind this?

 

The main reason I ditched the turbo plans was cost. Yes I had the sourced nearly everything but there was still some major parts that needed purchasing. The engine needed stripping down and rebuilding, the turbo was going to get upgraded to a 360º thrust washer and the gaskets needed purchasing,

 

The car would also need tuning / mapping when it was all finished, let alone the time that was needed to be put into doing the build. So with the house needing some work done on it and wanting to spend some quality time with my family, I decided to ditch the plans and keep the GT normally aspirated. From now on the GT will be getting subtle modifications with no major projects.

 

 

You have some awesome parts on your car, inside and out - Now would be a great time to tell us all about your Nissan Primera P11 GT, so please list your full spec and all modifications:

 

The Interior:

 

Sparco steering wheel, with a Momo boss

Personalized Cobra Monaco bucket seats

Sparco 4 point harnesses

Harness support bar

Apple green painted dashboard and centre consul

Personalized dash bezels with chrome rings

3 green Prosport gauges

 

 

The Exterior:

 

Personalized number plates

JDM headlights with HID kit

Laguna splitter

Big mouth GT bumper

G-Force coil-over suspension kit

18” Ultralite alloy wheels

2.5“ Longlife stainless steel cat back exhaust system, with 4” slash cut rear box

Tinted windows

BTCC replica boot spoiler

 

The Engine:

 

SS Autochrome stainless steel header and downpipe

Custom made CAI kit

Painted rocker cover and plenum in lime green

Stainless steel spark plug and distributor cover

Stainless steel oil catch tank

Stainless steel fuse box covers

Stainless steel PAS tank cove,

Sparco strut brace

Samco coolant hoses in lime green

Samco breather hoses in lime green

 

 
 
 

The ICE:

 

Kenwood head unit with I-Pod connection

Kenwood 17cm front door speakers

Kenwood rear 6x9’s

JBL 1000 watt sub woofer

JBL 400 watt amplifier

Nissan roof mounted DVD player

 
 

 

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

 

There are a couple of changes I’ve enjoyed. First one was the 18” Ultralite alloys, I loved my old 17” Fox racing alloys but the new 18’s set the car off really well. The worst bit about them is the amount of cleaning it takes to get them sparkling for shows!

 

The second change I love is the coil-over’s. I love the ‘slammed’ look. The good part is the car handles so well through the corners and it looks brilliant. The bad parts are it’s a bit bumpy at times and I manage to scrape nearly every bump along the road but I don’t mind, I love it.

 

 

What was the hardest modification you’ve taken on?

 

This’ll have to be the Cobra bucket seats. The amount of agro I went through to get the seats to fit correctly. When I first put them in the GT I used the original frames but this made the drivers seat sit so high up my knees kept rubbing on the steering wheel. The original frames were really flexible too. The amount of movement in the seat was a pain in the arse, so I had to order some steel and fabricate some new frames. It took about 3 hours per frame but it’s made the seats ridged and comfortable. They sit a lot lower in the car to, so I don’t keep hitting the steering wheel.

 

 

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

 

That’s a toughie! I’d either spend the money on giving the GT a fresh coat of paint and get all the car park dings and dents sorted out to make it look as good as new, or I’d spend it getting the engine running as sweet as a nut, so I could get the most out of the old girl. I would love a perfect curve on a rolling road and a higher MPG.

 

 

If money was no object and you could do anything you wanted to the GT, what would you do, what would be the Riggsy dream Nissan Primera?

 

I would love to put a Nissan Skyline RB26TT or a Nissan 370Z 3.7 litre V6 engine in it, make it 4 wheel drive and have independent rear suspension. That would be the ultimate P11. This is what I’d do if I won loads of money on the lottery!

 

 
 

Is this car a keeper? Boost was always the dream, are you going to be tempted away by something faster?

 

The car is definitely a keeper. Even if I won the lottery or came into a load of money, the Primera is always going to be a keeper. I would never be able to get rid of it. I’ve put so much time, money and love into the Primera it’s like it’s part of the family. Plus I could never leave you guys and girls on here. You’re like my second family.

 
 

2010 has now seen 3 awesome black P11’s win COTM. If you had to respray the Primera tomorrow and black wasn’t an option, what colour would you go for and why?

 

That’s easy. It would either be my other favorite colour lime green, or I would match the dashboard with a nice apple green. I’d go for the opposite combination to what I’ve got now. I’d have black stickers on top of metallic lime green paint. Awesome!!

 
 
 

Time for the quick fire question round (thanks to the Elite Members for their help)!

 

Evo or Impreza? – Evo.

Bath or shower? Shower, because I can never find a bath long enough.

Leather or cloth? – Leather.

Drift or Drag?Drift.

Welsh or Irish? – I’d have to say Irish, because my dog is Irish, but I love the Welsh accent.

Double D or Maccy D? – Maccy D.

GT or eGT? GT, definitely.

Cerise or Nordic? Ooh toughie, but knowing what will happen in the future, I’d have to say Cerise.

Tell us your favorite NPOC car? – I can’t, there are too many to choose from. To name a few, I’d have to say:

 

Big Rich’s GTT. It has always been a big inspiration to me.

Yogi’s 144. Lovely motor.

Geordie’s GT, a cracking example of a GT.

Tom P10’s purple dragon, R.I.P. Beautiful example of a P10.

 
 
 

 

You’ve been a member for over 3 years now (respect!) but it’s only been the last year or so that you have really embraced the Club Meets, tell everyone why they should get out to these Club Meets, albeit National or Regional ones:

 

My first meeting was August 2008 up on Portsdown Hill near Portsmouth. I met a great crowd of people, including yourself Shaun and some lovely looking Primeras. Since then I have gone to as many meets as I possibly can. It’s like opening a tub of Pringles - Once you pop, you can’t stop.

 

When I go to a meet, it’s nice to forget the pressures of work and home life and just sit, or stand and relax for a few hours with your mates. Sometimes even watch the Formula 1 whilst having a fantastic pub lunch.

 

So to those who have never been to a regional meet, or even a national meet, get yourself down to one. It’s a bundle of fun!!

 
 
 

What’s been your most enjoyable Club Meet so far and why?

 

That’d have to be JAE last year. It was my first one and I had such a laugh. It was great being able to just sit down and relax for 4 days, take the slow lane and just chill. It all started with a nice drive up to the venue, convoying with the Southerners. Then upon arrival it was up with the marquee and marking out the site. Then the fun began watching the tents go up, especially Shauns! Then came the free Thursday night BBQ the club put on, as a private function for the Elite Members. This can be summed up in one word, amazing! I Spent the Friday browsing the site and looking at all the lovely cars and chilling in the sun. On  Saturday we had all the fun and games. I Joined in the football for NPOC team 2 and managed to score against the NCN, I watched Big Rich pull the 370z up the hill in 19 seconds, that was just superb! I watched the NPOC Bears defend their tug or war title. Go on Bears! It’s just a shame to see that the judges have changed the rules for this year. It would’ve been great to see them win the title 3 years in a row. The whole day was finished off with another fantastic BBQ put on by the NPOC team. Unfortunately the Sunday came round way to quickly. Roll on this year!

 
 
 

I guess you are looking forward to JAE 2010 this month then?

 

Hell yes! I wouldn’t miss this for the world. As previously said, JAE 2009 was the most enjoyable meeting I have been to since becoming a member and I’m hoping this year will be just as enjoyable.

 
 
 

Can you help out with my tent again this year please?

 

Of course I can. It was so funny watching you try to put it up last year. I had to save Caroline the embarrassment of other members seeing you struggle, so I had help you out. I’m always willing to help out any NPOC member with their tents or anything really. That’s what keeps NPOC as a community.

 

 
 

As you are actually employed by Carlos Ghosn, tell him right here and now, why he needs to bring back the Nissan Primera brand:

 

He definitely needs to bring back the Primera, especially the P10 and P11. Two of the most reliable motors that Nissan have ever made. They are so spacious and comfortable to drive and the grunt from the engine! Yes you have to rev them a bit but when the torque kicks in and the power is unleashed they’re awesome - The SR20 is 99% bullet proof, they just keep going and going. There is no wonder they became touring cars and also taxis. No offence to the 144 owners or P12 owners but if Nissan ever did reproduce them, I’d have them get rid of the Renault engine - It was the worst thing Nissan ever did to the Primera. They should be kept 100% Japanese.

 
 
 

Many thanks for telling us all about yourself and your Nissan Primera GT Jon, it’s a club favourite for sure! Congratulations once again for winning Car Of The Month for September 2010! Before Elvis leaves the building, please sign off the feature, in your own words and feel free to thank anyone who’s made this one possible.

 

Firstly I’d like to thank every member of NPOC for making me feel welcome ever since I became a member and the staff team for considering my GT for this stupendous award.

 

A second thank you has to go out to my fiancée Lisa for putting up with me and my GT and the amount of time that we haven’t been able to spend together because I’ve been out modifying the Primera.

 

Last but not least, a massive thank you must go out to my fellow NPOCer, work colleague and friend Ollierockk. If it wasn’t for him some of the modifications I’ve carried out would never have got done. The car would never be as clean as it is now and these pictures in this thread will never look as good. We’ve only known each other for about 6 months but he’s now one of my best mates. So some of the credit for this award will have to go to him.

 

I will sign off by saying this is the best club in the world. I’m a proud member and will stay here as long as I live - Elvis lives on and a big good luck goes out to next month’s winner of this fabulous award.

 

 
 
 

  

Congratulations once again to Jon!

 
September 2010 COTM - riggsy99
 
Written by essNchill
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