The ‘tempter’ tag may not apply for everyone, but this was a world-class car in its day, and when was the last time you saw one this nice?
Nissan’s N13 Pulsar launched Down Under in mid-1987, and shared its DNA with Holden’s LD Astra of the time. While the range of pedestrian compact hatchbacks and sedans looks rather unassuming today, it was truly a world-class car in its time, amongst stiff competition in the compact car class.
The new N13 rectified many of the preceding N12’s issues, gaining thicker body panels and structural elements (with much of the stamping done locally by Holden, we might add), new strut rear suspension and a new 200,000km reliability benchmark set by Nissan Australia.
The use of Holden’s export family II engines also brought the N13 into 90s modernity, with throttle body fuel injection yielding a welcome power and torque boost even in base 1.6 guise. The multi-point injection 1.8 borrowed from the Camira was even better, and gave the range its sporting pep.
The Button Plan produced some questionable machines, but we’d argue that the Nissan N13 Pulsar/Holden LD Astra is right up there with the VL Commodore as one of history’s best shared-models.
This 1990 Pulsar caught our eye as what looks to be a genuine survivor in great condition.
It’s in GX trim with the 1.8lt motor and automatic gearbox, specified with power steering, air-conditioning and rear demister.
The Pulsar is being sold by the daughter of the 93-year old owner, and is unmodified down to the original cassette player and is still on its original plates.
According to the listing description, the car has been treated with RustGuard (with certificate), and has been garaged for the past 20 years. The car is said to drive well and has been diligently maintained.
Unfortunately there are no photos of the interior, but the exterior looks to be in great condition for its age. The paint appears to show good amounts of lustre, with all details seemingly intact, down to the pinstriping and rear decals.
A few areas show some minor sun fading, mostly regarding the black plastic moulds at the rear – although this is normal for cars of this era and should come up nicely with some paint.
Some areas need attention: the odometer is reportedly faulty and does not show correct mileage (219,928kms indicated), and the air-conditioning is “not working well”.
For a cheap project with seemingly only minor things to fix – the little Pulsar might be a good pick up and is certainly worthy of preserving.
The Pulsar is based in New South Wales and is listed for $3,200.
Check out the full listing here!
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