Time for a trip down memory lane.
In 2011 my S12 would be featured in Youngtimer Magazine. A dutch magazine about cars of the seventies, eighties and nineties. Unfortunately my engine blew up and I had alot of problems afterwards with the rebuild. In July of 2012 the feature did happen. There are some mistakes in the article but overall I like the feature.
Here is a scan of the article. It is in Dutch but I have translated it as well as I could.
Translation article Youngtimer Magazine number 15 July/August 2012
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Introduction
29-year-old Mark van der Velden is a Nippon-freak at heart when it comes to cars. Proven by the many pictures in his room. Rightly proud he is of his Nissan Silvia S12 Grand Prix, a special limited edition, which spoils the sports driver with generous power and good driveability, while the lover of art is operated with beautiful Japanese engineering. Although the Brabander is particularly careful with his white coupe Youngtimer Magazine was allowed to take it for a ride.
Article
Nissan brings the Silvia S12 Grand Prix in 1983 to the market. The big difference with the normal S12 is in the body shape. The standard looks slender, graceful and pruning tight. The GP has the contrast as if it’s on steroids and it has a wide body kit that looks like a sumo wrestler. The wide costume fits the coupe exceptionally well. Even when standing still, the car demands respect. Of course the body is not the only difference. Especially under the hood there is a technique of a very different caliber. There is a double overhead cam with a displacement of two liters, with the codename FJ20E. This machine is good for 145 hp. Indeed, not much, partly because it looks suggests at least 200hp+. The block, however, offers an unprecedented potential for tuning and can easily double the power. Mark has enough future plans; a FJ20ET turbo and manifolds are already impatiently waiting on the shelf.
Van der Velden lost his heart to cars from the Land of the Rising Sun. His first car was a Nissan sunny N14 1600.
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Article
I like to take my car out on some laps around the Nordschleife in Germany. For this purpose I had modified the sunny. GTI brakes, an improved chassis, all perfect for street and track use. Driving pleasure guaranteed, and all three years, without excessive costs. Another proof that the technique of the Japanese is hard to beat. The bodywork was less, I sold the N14 in part-out.
End of 2010, it is due time for something else. The quest begins on the internet. Mark has a few requirements. The car must be rare, preferably RWD and road tax-free.
In Germany Mark discovers his current Nissan near the Czech border. "Not exactly next door, but for something special you have to put more effort in it to obtain it.. After several emails with questions, answers and photos it was November 2010 and the buy was agreed. After a small deposit the car was taken of the auction site and could stay there for a few months. In February 2011, I picked the GP up. "
Small writing underneath picture of Mark
When Mark van der Velden thinks of cars they come from Japan.
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Writing in top photo: Nissan dealers can provide almost nothing for these cars
Article
Such a silvia is not a modest appearance. The extended fenders recall those of the Audi Quattro. The Quattro ones are made of metal and are integrated with the bodywork. Nissan used polyester parts that widens the body on both sides 7 cm. No show, but necessary because of the front 7" and 8" wide wheels in the rear. The screens are in one piece, with the rear riveted. Nissan has tried as much as possible to conceal them, but that was not exactly successful. On the hood the 'power bulge' displays proudly. In combination with the higher FJ20 engine this is a sheer necessity. The folding headlights feature washers and wipers powered by the same engines as the lights move. Very special are the guards for the headlight lenses. Protection against crossing wild? The special footrest for your passenger is also a rarity in street cars.
Mark wants to keep his Silvia S12 Grand Prix for a long period and plans a respray in the future. Striving is to keep the car look as original as possible on the outside. It can be difficult to get all the original stickers, but if it is impossible to get the originals, they can always be reproduced.
A nissan silvia, with a FJ20E engine. The FJ-blocks were built in the eighties and have a deep motorsport history. The FJ24 is a 2340 cc engine, which was used in the Nissan 240RS rally car. The FJ20 is the normal 1990cc production version, which we find among others in the DR30 Skyline and Silvia S12. The cast-iron block carries an aluminum head with two chain driven camshafts. All together an almost indestructible piece of art, countless racing and
Numbers with pictures:
1. In the eighties the sunroof is inevitable, this Silvia is not an exception.
2. The FJ20 overhead cam is a fine example of classic motor construction. It is well known in the tuning world that the engine harbours great potential in power and moderately displays such ability.
3. All GP's are on a composed 15" Gotti wheels, front 7" wide and the rear 8 ". It is typical that a Japanese manufacturer opts for French wheels!
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rally successes have proven it.
The white Silvia GP has left the factory in May 1985 and was first licensed in January 1986. At the time of purchase the km-counter stood at 185,000. There are now 9,000 added. Mark found a MOT report from 1995 where the car had at that time a milage of 177,025 kilometers. In the ten years before there is thus only 8000 km driven!
Unfortunately there is no service history. A thorough maintenance is vital. Besides the standard items Mark replaced all the fluids. The brake pads were replaced, the thermostat, the track rods and a large handful of other parts. After all this the RDW (the Dutch civil service for road traffic) doesn’t give this thick Japanese car the slightest obstacle in the way. Since February 2011, the S12 is on Dutch yellow license plates.
The enormous fun can now begin! Every ride puts a big smile on his face. Until ..Mark "It was not Friday the thirteenth, but Friday the eighth. The 8th of July 2011 to be exact, "I'll never forget it. Big white clouds of smoke rose from all the cracks and crevices of the hood! Shit, a burst in a coolant hose .. The engine got incredible hot and the cylinder head was damaged, cracked in two places to be more precise.’
Mark says that he quickly found a replacement head at a nearby Japanese car junkyard. The gaskets needed to be ordered from the U.S., but that went smoothly. "Nissan dealers can provide almost nothing for these cars, so you have to rely on countries such as the USA, Australia and England. There is still enough FJ20 supply, which gives peace of mind.
After rebuilding the block, stuff got worse. The company that had overhauled the cylinder head cut off a valve stem. With two valves just too much .. With the result that the valves are no longer able to provide in the normal way. "
Mark is now really fed up with this, "I decided to buy a completely different block, which I found in Germany. It was not expensive, so I dared to risk it. Together with a friend I did the swap in three days. The engine ran perfectly straight away, one problem less. Revision of the transmission is still on the priority list, which has some odd sounds. The starter or the starter gear is not good, but it does still run'’.
Blue text in the middle of the page
"With everything you can notice that the car is designed for much more power."
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The car does drive fantastic! It is quite heavy with its 1375 kg. Everything feels remarkably tight and solid. The interior has a typical angular eighties atmosphere. The vast amount of plastic is characteristic of Japanese-made cars of that era. The many shades of blue that really come at you from every angle underline this experience even further. These seats offer more lateral support as you would expect at first sight. The steering wheel looks like it came straight from a Bluebird. This super sporty coupe deserved a more sportier interior!
The five-speed shifts completely free of play and the clutch performs its work as on the day of delivery. The suspension should have been a tad stiffer, but this Nissan doesn’t roll too much on its longitudinal axis. The car responds very directly, which is a big advantage on the circuit.
The classic sixteen valve behaves like a true sports machine and is pretty tame at lower RPM’s. However when you floor the gas pedal, from roughly 4000 rpm there comes a wonderful explosion of power. The exhaust will treat you to a wonderful deep rumble that animates you to rev it over and over again. You notice on everything that the vehicle is capable of much more power. The braking system is also there to cope, it has a big overcapacity in its current power.
Mark uses his S12 for hobby, although certainly it is not an impractical car. 'For everyday use I own a mazda 323 hatchback from 1987. My grandparents bought that car brand new. The car has just had its run in period with only 80.000 km’s on the speedometer.
Part of the hobby includes visiting events. High on the priority agenda are Japanese car events like Japfest 2 Donington Park in England and the Japanese Auto Extravaganza, also on the other side of the North Sea. "This is one of the largest events for Japanese cars in Europe. The S12 GP is extremely rare, but in such major British festivals he is one of the many rare cars! But hey, that is the charm, you can enjoy watching and comparing. "
Blue piece center of the page
The market.
We are quickly done with it, because the stock of Silvia's S12 (April 1983 - September 1988) is very limited. Of the few cars offered the state varies. A decrepit copy can be obtained for 700 euro’s. Beautifully maintained in standard condition are on a tight four grand. The Grand Prix with its wide body was never sold in the Netherlands. They can be found In Germany, but they are very rare. Switzerland and Austria also belonged to the elect and there is rarely a GP to find. If you can found one, count on about 5,000 Swiss Francs. Production numbers are not known. Wikipedia talks about 50 units, but that's probably too little. Elsewhere you can read about 4,400 units, of which 3.483 with FJ20e engine. That will probably sit closer to the truth.
Its hard to find parts through Nissan dealerships in the Netherlands. The Internet helps you sort needed items, most of the time you need to import items from the USA, England or Australia. Prices are often surprisingly pleasant. Also used parts are easy to find on the world wide web.
Numbers with the pictures
1. The extended fenders remind of the Audi quattro. Headlight protectors to protect from crossing wild?
2. Apart from the low seating position the interior differs not that much of the interior of a brave Bluebird from the same period.
3. The seats look not really sporty, but are excellent, with adequate lateral support.
4. The large rear window provides access to a decent boot. Typically eighties, lots of black plastic.
Later this week I will post an update reg. Japfest UK Castle Combe which I attended two weeks ago and had some fun on track with the 12.
