Rally Special: 1990 Nissan Pulsar GTi-R
The Nissan Pulsar GTi-R was introduced by Nissan as a homologation special to allow it to compete in International Group A in the World Rally Championship. As a road car, it offered surprising performance in a small car package. This GTi-R is listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, it is offered with a clear title. The seller has set a BIN of $11,300 but there is the option to make an offer.
These were a muscular looking little car. The addition of a front and rear spoiler coupled with that bulge in the hood indicated a car that meant business. While the body on this GTi-R is in good condition, unfortunately, the paint has not stood the test of time. It appears that it is the horizontal surfaces such as the hood and the roof that have copped the worst of it. However, the rest of the body appears to be in good condition and the factory-fitted spoilers look like they have survived the test of time. The car is also reported to be rust-free.
One thing that I have learned from experience is that Nissan tends to produce some of the most comfortable factory seats in the business. These heavily bolstered seats appear to be no exception. They seem to have survived the last 28 years fairly well. We don’t get a clear shot of it, but the seller does state that the dash hasn’t stood up as well and is sporting some cracks. I would really like to have some clear shots of the interior because the tops of the door trims and the steering wheel are also areas that can be prone to sun damage.
This is what the GTi-R was all about. That is the uniquely developed version of the SR20DET engine which was designed to bring Nissan success in the WRC. Certainly, that enormous intercooler indicated this engine meant business, and in standard trim, it produced 227 hp. Drive was then fed via a 5-speed manual transmission to an Attesa all-wheel-drive system. The performance was more than acceptable with the car capable of a 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds. This GTi-R is said to run and drive perfectly with no issues to report. The seller states that the car has traveled a mere 10,700 miles and that they hold documentary evidence to verify this claim. I would also hope that they hold service records to verify that the car has been maintained to the highest standards because these don’t respond well to second-rate maintenance.
When it comes to WRC cars the GTi-R has tended to slip under the radar when compared to the Subaru WRX or the Mitsubishi Evo series, but these are a competent and rewarding car capable of surprising performance. They are significantly rarer in the USA than either the Subaru or the Mitsubishi, and they are quite a desirable car. To me, the sticking point is the condition of the paintwork on this one and the cracking of the dash. The other thing that may seem alien to drivers in the US is the fact that it is right-hand drive. Is this something that would worry you, or would you live with it just to enjoy the performance that this car offers?
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Comments
This would be a fantastic car parked next to the sweet, black Toyota FX16 GT-S that Jesse sold on the first Barn Finds auction last summer for a crazy low amount of money.
Everything I’ve read about these is that they are a real jewel of a car. The paint doesn’t concern that much as it is easily resolved by a competent shop. But unless that dash is shared with another model it will be almost impossible to find a replacement.
Plenty of dashes available in Mexico. Remember, the internet is your friend.
Yeah, but the ad says it’s right hand drive. The hump for the Mexican instrument cluster will be on the wrong side. Have to go to an oriental or Commonwealth country that uses right hand drive.
Yes, of course you’re right. That’ll be JDM or Australia/NZ then. Plenty of Pulsars sold in Australia.
Concinnity, why would you think he could get a dash in Mexico?
That car was never sold here.
I think he has the Pulsar/Sunny confused with the Sentra/Tsuru.
The Names are all mismatched and swapped country to country, so I can see how easy it is to get confused. I try to stick to chassis designations so there is less confusion.
N14 Pulsar, B13 Sentra
Datsuntech, that makes sense. I doubt the Tsuru dash will fit in the other car.
Besides that, the year changes were different in Mexico. The new Sentra came out in the US in 1991 but it didn’t come out here until a couple of years later, which means the older square version was around much longer.
Up here in Canada we got both Sentras at the same time 91-93. I was working for Nissan then and we had the Sentra classic B12 and the B13 sold side by side. B12/Tsuru, built in Mexico and Sentra B13, built in Japan.
Datsuntech, here in Mexico here are the cutoffs for the Tsurus.
First Generation 1984 – 1987
Second Generation 1988 – 1991
Third Generation 1992 – 2017
We also had a station wagon of the last model that was called Tsubame.
Some were sold, but it was not a popular car.
Here is a Google link to the pictures of that car.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nissan+tsubame&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwie5cWqq8HdAhUQFnwKHdZMAkgQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=750&dpr=1.25
Miguel, I do apologize for my lack of specificity. The Sentra Classic would be the B12 Tsuru II, which was available in Canada till 1993. There were differences between the regular B12 and the Classic B12 also. One being carburetion vs fuel injection on the E15 engine.
That Tsubame wagon is cool and even though wagons were available in the B11 here in Canada. I don’t think they were available past that, as they also weren’t big sellers.
This is one ugly pug. Too bad Nissan didn’t stuff the drivetrain in the NX2000, not a bad little coupe.
https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/jpg/201511/1991-93-nissan-nx200-3.jpg
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/stealtth/EQ_NXT.jpeg
You seriously think a NX2000 is a better looking car than a Pulsar GTiR? Speaking of ugly pugs… You need to actually see one in the flesh. They are a great looking car.
Now I might be biased, it’s true that I love most of the 90s hot hatches. Especially AWD ones like the 323 GTX and the Escort Cosworth.
Hello Guys!. I bought this car and it’s really awesome. The paint job is done and car looks amazing :) Thanks Piter from Poland