Shed has shamelessly thrown all pretence of impartiality out of the window this week after a chance meeting with an old flame. You see, while most SOTWs I write about are former bedroom wall or pub-talk fantasies (although rest assured the
Skoda Estelle
doesn't fall into that category), I actually owned a Nissan 200 SX a few years ago.
And I loved it. Like this car, mine was an S14 model, the second generation to wear the 200 SX badge in the UK. The S14 landed on these shores in 1994 and, while its slightly frumpy three-box shape was not as pretty as the fastback body of its pop-up headlamped predecessor (the S13, funnily enough), it was a whole lot better to drive.
The engine had grown from 1.8 to 2.0 litres (the CA18 DET being replaced by the SR20 DET for engine codename fans), with power jumping to 197bhp from 169bhp and torque up to 195lb ft from 169lb ft.
Performance was strong, then - the sprint to 60mph was dealt with in around 6.5secs with a top speed of 146mph, but it was the no-nonsense rear-drive dynamics that made the S14 200 SX such a hoot.
These days, cars tend to have a surfeit of grip over performance. Not so the SX. In fact, so meagre was the traction from the skinny 195/55 R16 tyres that Nissan had to limit the turbo boost in first and second gear in an attempt to aid adhesion.
Things didn't get much grippier on the move; generous roll-oversteer was always there to catch out the unwary, especially through off-camber corners. There were no electronic driver aids either; any mistakes you made you had to gather up yourself.
But the beautifully balanced nature of the 200's chassis, the feelsome steering and the way it seemed to pivot around the driver made it actually quite forgiving when you inevitably over-stepped the mark.
I actually credit my 200 SX with being allowed to write about cars - When I was a wet-behind-the-ears work experience lad on
magazine I went along to help with a big performance car feature at Bruntingthorpe proving ground.
Having watched Autocar's testers spend the day hooning aorund for photos, I asked if I could have a blast round the track in my car. Having tried and failed to provoke it for most of the lap, I approached the last corner, a wide quarter-circle apron of concrete, at a fair old lick, turned in and lifted off.
The resulting slide was so big I suddenly found myself heading sideways towards the assembled metal of the test (a good couple of million quid's worth) - and most of the editorial team. I decided it was best to attempt to catch this slide or risk wiping out some very expensive metal in the most embarrassing way possible. So I caught it, but only just. In any other car I reckon my ham-fisted gatherings-up would have resulted in a spin and a crash - and I probably wouldn't be sitting here, typing this now. In short, I owe the 200 SX a rather big debt of gratitude.
My own 200 SX - of blessed memory
This particular car suffers the ignominy of being an auto (not the best transmission for a flighty turbo motor), but is pretty rare in that it has apparently escaped the grubby hands of modifiers and drifters (both groups doing their best for used 200 SX values by constantly crashing them).
This one has also accumulated a modest 85k miles in its decade-and-a-half on the road, has a 'long MOT', a full Nissan service history (a rare thing indeed) and appears not to be suffering from the onset of ferrous oxide. We're not quite sure where the vendor gets their 210bhp figure from, but whatever the power output it's still a sweet car for a grand. I'm sorely tempted.
Advert is reproduced below
Nissan 200 SX (S14) £1000
full nissan history
auto gearbox
dark metalic red
mint black leather interior
long mot and 2mths tax
low mileage
85k
210bhp
not for the faint hearted
no time wasters or messers
£1000 no offers
drives perfect
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