Tuesday 12 January 2016

Scale Seventh Skyline..

 "Skyline's Mini"..

Another N13..?! Yep, after posting pics only a couple weeks ago of one my brother once had.. here we all are again.. with more N13 content.
Usual lead-in; browsing Goo/Carsensor/yahoo/whichever, having a grand old time relaxing over listings of cheap old cars I'd possiblykindamabe consider purchasing (..one day.. maybekindapossibly..) and inevitably, yet another gem..

...Today's is a 1989 N13 Nissan Langley GT - just about top-of-the-line for the Japanese market 3rd generation (1986-) N13 Pulsar chassis - and a slight variation to me of the usual N13 Pulsar sedans I've seen trundling around the streets of Melbourne since I was a kid.
In Langley GT guise, Nissan takes what already looks like a miniature R31 Skyline to my eyes, and adds a whole heap of small even-more-skyliney details - just look at those tail-lamps!


...the comment under the first picture isn't something I made up; these were genuinely advertised as "Skyline-mini"!

This particular '89 is seriously an excellent example of the model too, and appears to be completely original.
As is always the case, its not a whole lot of money either. Currently for sale at dealer north of Tokyo, for a fraction under 600,000yen. A solid asking price compared to the equivalent Pulsar sedans local to me, but somewhat higher in spec, in great shape, and the difference obviously can't be too significant!

Good looking grey fabric on the seats and door-trims breaks up the multiple grey toned interior beautifully. There's original seat half-covers including the complex detail around the open front headrests... and a fantastic striped factory mat set.

What I know as the HR31 GTS or 'Silhouette' steering wheel.
All in really nice shape, and fully supporting the claimed 53,000km. Looks to be virtually no wear to not only the seat fabrics, but even the heel area on the floormats!
As always, great to see it hit 27years still with its original radio...

Probably the biggest point of difference to the Australian Pulsar (short of the Langley badges!) - the GA15E. A 3-valve-per-cylinder, single-cam, 1.5litre four.
A twin-cam CA16DE was fitted to the Langley GT TWINCAM.. and is the only variant to sit above the 'regular' Langley GT we're looking at here.

..because design-wise, the Langley is interestingly a lot closer to the Australian N13 Pulsar (Grille, lights, bumpers) than the Japanese N13 Pulsar is.
For comparison, here's an Australian N13 sedan in what would be the closest levels of faux-sports specification: The Vector SSS...
A little tired, but quite original. This 1990 N13 Nissan Pulsar Vector SSS (Vector being the name for the sedans) is currently for sale in Australia for $700.
Single-cam 1.8 rather than the 1.5, directional 5spoke alloys rather than hubcaps, Sports seats (from the Skyline Silhouette), and a Viscous LSD standard.
It mightn't have round tail-lamps and GT badges.. but in condition being equal..? ..bugger it - I think I'd still take the SSS!





Done.







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7 comments:

  1. gred_cz13 January 2016 at 11:56

    thanks for that post,i was actually wondering,my n13 is some limited edition,so it have complete interior from european GTI...and i never saw the seats i have in it on pics in japanese cars...till now :D i have the exact same seats,only difference is,my interior is slightly different,and pattern have red stripes,but european prefacelift ones had blue ones too,and my rear seats are cut in half so you dont have to put whole seat down when you need to carry somehting...i must say i never had better seats in any of my previous cars!

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    1. RdS16 January 2016 at 18:19

      I assume you mean the seats in the Langley? Seeing the low upper side bolster variation on that seat definitely was something new to me - almost an N13 Exa seat with a height adjustable headrest. I'll have to keep an eye out for them in other era Nissans.

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    2. gred_cz17 January 2016 at 12:04

      yea,seats in langley,i have exact same ones,but just different pattern on them,about n13 exa,it have very similar ones too,the difference is in pattern again,and a headrest area,from what i saw

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  2. Unknown15 January 2016 at 12:20

    Trainspotter's correction, Twincam N13s had the CA16DE - essentially Nissan's 4A-GE. DOHC GA motors didn't make an appearance until 1990, in the N14 chassis, and are much less interesting. Keep up the awesome posts, never enough N13!

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    Replies
    1. gred_cz16 January 2016 at 17:24

      here in europe,you cound find GA engines in n13 too,my one have GA16i,12v ;)

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    2. RdS16 January 2016 at 18:08

      Thanks a heap, I seriously appreciate it.
      I really try not to let lazy mistakes like that slip through, prefering usually to say less unless I'm pretty certain on something. Argh.. hate it. Sorry!
      I'd seen GT and GT Twincam, and lazily assumed it simply had a twin-cam version of the GA15E; but no, it definitely looks as though the GT Twincam had the CA16DE. Different family, more capacity, and the twincam head - a much more desirable combo in my mind.
      In hindsight I should've clicked knowing CA16DE's were in some N13 Exa's back in the day.. but argh. Again, sorry!
      Happened to notice early Langley GT's possibly still had the N12's E15(E) too, rather than the GA15E (as in the relatively late production car above). Know much about this?

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    3. Unknown17 January 2016 at 18:13

      Up until they were facelifted in 1988, the lower-spec N13 Pulsars were powered by the 82ps E15E, 73ps E15S and 67ps E13S instead of the 97ps GA15E and 85ps GA15S. The CA16DE was used the whole way through. I can only assume the Langley lineup would have used the same, I haven't managed to get a brochure for them yet.

      The single-cam GA is honestly a rather nice motor, even under the shadow of the CA16DE. They're a lot more economical, completely indestructible, and more torquey low down. Boring, but endearing!

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