95-98 200SX question

I've owned a 95 200SX and we ALL know how odd looking the car is, even with its following facelifts over the later years. I have noticed that with the low popularity of hatch-backs in the U.S. in comparison to other countries, we tend to receive japanese piecemeal oddities instead of the auto in its natural form. The more I study the available pictures, the more I become convinced that the latest japanese Pulsar (vz-r/n1) is built on the same chassis as our 200SX in the States. My question to the reader: Is this true?

I have been tempted on many occasions to saw off the rear end of my 200sx and buy frame pieces from a japanese parts distributer to recreate the Pulsar as it should be, but I sold it before I was given a chance, in favor of a 01' Celica on the count of excessive mileage. Currently, I am prepared to dish out a few thousand dollars for an S13 (hatchback) plus SR20DET as an auxiliary weekend racer. The final imperative:

Prove to me the 200SX is a better choice than the currently popular S13-14, or vice versa. I will make this decision on your counts, my fellow AF enthusiasts.

The (U.S.) 200SX will always be a weird half-assed job of a car Nissan gave America because they wanted another small car in their lineup...

The 240SX, (with plenty of hard work) could be a Silvia.

My thoughts exactly: It would be much simpler to update any of the 240SXs to the level of a Silvia/180SX.

The same work for a 200SX-->Pulsar would be truly painstaking and costly--but seriously unique. To date, I've never even heard of anyone troubling themselves with the job of redoing the rear clip of a 200.

Then again, as an end result, most would probably be much more satisfied with a rear wheel-drive world famous light-weight champion. As the date to make my purchase nears, monetary limitations lean my selection towards the 240s.

Of course, if the skeletal structure of the final japanese Pulsars and the recent european Almeras are identical, then I would be forced to take the path of the 200, or possibly BOTH. Needless to say, it wouldn't be right in my mind to let this one pass me by. Take a look at this gorgeous sheetmetal. It would probably cost a good 5 figures to reskin a 200SX with this image:

Can anyone answer that question? Do the later Pulsars and these latest U.K. Almeras share the same chassis? With the lack of international data in the U.S. (and not to mention the interest) it's been pretty tough for me to figure this one out...

3-door's sideview:

Rear-quarterview of the 5-door model Almera: (What of this one? Any late-90's Sentra owners care to attempt this update?!)

Wow, I hear americans bashing the 200sx and I wonder why, its a great car RWD, Turbo, great chassis. Now I know why, its the US badge for the Pulsar. While its the NZ and UK, and Aussie badge for the sylivia. How crazy is that.

About the new Pulsar. Yes they are baiscly the same car, however the Hatch is a european design, and I believe is made in the UK, (the NZ car certianly is) while the sedan which shares the platform and suspension is designed and built in Japan. Hence both car share mechanical parts, but not body parts, their apprently also very diffrent to drive, since the suspension is tuned diffrently.

Originally posted by Moppie
Wow, I hear americans bashing the 200sx and I wonder why, its a great car RWD, Turbo, great chassis. Now I know why, its the US badge for the Pulsar. While its the NZ and UK, and Aussie badge for the sylivia. How crazy is that?

LOL! It took me a while to figure that out, too, but from the American point of view. ("Why do those crazy [brits, kiwis, etc.]think the 200SX is so great?") Lately, I've been trying to make sure I write "U.S. Spec" to note the difference. ;) :D

Ah, yes. International designation confusion! I try to use the chassis name when I can (S13, S14, etc.). Imagine what type of chaos would be released if the current J-spec genuine Silvia were introduced into the U.S. using alphanumerics--It would have to be called 200SX (with accordance to it's SR20 displacement). At that point I would urge everyone to purchase Silvia emblems!

BTW Moppie, thanks for the input on the Pulsar. Has the S15 made its way into your area yet?

Even though the States has stopped importing the 240SX, I DO love our S14-->S15 front clip mods, which many of our aftermarket Nissan enthusiasts have begun to make popular.

This particular early S14 has been receiving a heck of a lot of attention (much of mine inclusive!). It's hard to imagine that the hawk-like Bomex enhanced nose used to be much more sedate of the "rounder" 1995 240SX series.

In this photo, you can tell that it IS still an S14 by noticing that the rear fender doesn't have that flared crease which extends to the front fender, as well as the differently shaped rear trunk platform, rear port windows, and doors, of the S15. However, that type of work can be shoved into the "near-impossible" category, unless you are one who actually enjoys carving up the skin of a car, installing unfit pieces, and thereby reducing its lifespan.

THIS type of work, however, is commendable--clean, simple, and refined:

I only have so much space in my brain for chassis codes, But if the S15 is the latest shape 200sx, then yeah its been here for a while. We tend to get Japanese cars about 6mnths after thier release in Japan, and Euro cars upto 12mnth after thier release in Europe. Mainly becuase the Japa cars only need some minnor badging and lable changes, so they get released as soon as there's enough spare from the factory to put on a boat.
The Euros however have to be build in RHD, and then dont sell down here in Huge numbers,so we don't get a high priority.

I like the pic, thats a very tidy car.
What sort of engine is it running?

Good old SR20DET. It started out like any other 240SX with the KA24DE. Then the owner plugged in an S13 SR20 (from the hatchback years). But now it's powered by a newer S15 SR20 motor (perfectly complementing the nose treatment) that has put out 241.7hp at the WHEELS. I think the car wasn't fully tweaked on that dyno run, and will probably hit the 300hp mark with no problem in the near future.

Originally posted by morpheusxiii
...At that point I would urge everyone to purchase Silvia emblems!

I, for one, would anyway. :D

I'm not 100% on this, as I don't remember much of my chassis trivia anymore, but the pulsar is the RNN14 where as the 200sx is a B14 chassis. The US-Spec 200SX is equivalent to the japanese market "Lucino."

The 200SX as someone mentioned, in EUROPE and Australia, is the same as the japanese Silvia.
There are some body kits for the 95-98 200SX that make teh car look pretty decent if you ask me. There is a stillen kit that isn't bad, and the erebuni kit (which is kindof a stillen rip-off) is not bad either. Having owned a 200SX SE-R, I'll say that initially the car isnt' too good looking but it grew on me. It look pretty staut from the B-pillar back in some angles, and the rear end never really bothered me. I always thought the front end coudl use some work though. Projector or crystal headlights, a front lip spoiler, and a FMIC stuffed in there help to make it look quite a bit more aggressive.

If it were my choice for the project car, I'd go with the S13. It's a great RWD chassis, with boatloads of parts available (mostly in japan though). Swapping the SR20DET in will be a bit of a hassle, but the car will be great handling and straightline wise. I never cared much for the S13's looks, but after seeing some of the drift cars in japan with the bodywork they have on some of those cars, they can look pretty sweet.
The incentive to the 200SX SE-R is that it already comes with an SR20, so you just need to slap a F-MAX turbo kit on there and run 12's with it all day long. It's personaly preference really. I wouldn't waste my time putting the rear clip of a pulsar or anything in the car though. That's too much money unless you are really intent on car shows.

I always liked the 97-98 S14's though. Those headlights mixed with some of the bumpers I've seen in japanese mag's with a nice FMIC looks absolutely killer. Better looking than most S15's if you ask me.

Originally posted by Moppie
Wow, I hear americans bashing the 200sx and I wonder why, its a great car RWD, Turbo, great chassis. Now I know why, its the US badge for the Pulsar. While its the NZ and UK, and Aussie badge for the sylivia. How crazy is that.


Wow something I knew about that Moppie didnt. Over here and in Japan the USDM 200SX is know as a Lucino (as stated by someone else above)

I got offered one with a full body kit, it was the nicest Lucino ive seen but still really ugly

BTW yes we do have the S15 200sx/240sx/sylvia whatever you want to call it

Originally posted by Nick GS-T
I'm not 100% on this, as I don't remember much of my chassis trivia anymore, but the pulsar is the RNN14 where as the 200sx is a B14 chassis. The US-Spec 200SX is equivalent to the japanese market "Lucino." Originally posted by dejoux
Wow something I knew about that Moppie didnt. Over here and in Japan the USDM 200SX is know as a Lucino (as stated by someone else above)You know, I never put 2+2 together, but there's a 200SX in the employee lot that has Lucino badges. I never bothered to look it up. Thanks, guys. :flash:

Originally posted by Nick GS-T
I'm not 100% on this, as I don't remember much of my chassis trivia anymore, but the pulsar is the RNN14 where as the 200sx is a B14 chassis. The US-Spec 200SX is equivalent to the japanese market "Lucino."


I also remember visiting Nissan's japanese corp. website a few years back and seeing 'Lucino' on the 200SX when it was still for sale, but I just became more puzzled and dismissed the name. They didn't sell many Lucinos in Japan did they? I remember seeing one or two photos of parts for it in Options magazine, but that was about it.

Yeah, when I went to japan I saw 2 lucino's over the course of an entire month. Not a big seller. Pretty easy to see why; why buy a lucino when you can buy a silvia K's?
I saw one option video where they had a turboed lucino. It mustered low 15's on a slipping clutch. Coverage like that definately won't aid in it's popularity (lack of) in japan. Oh well, they killed it anway

I never have understood why most people think the 200sx is so ugly. Of course, I am biased because I own one.

Nice car, is that the older Stillen kit? I used to have a 200 as well, and I really did enjoy it. Of course, the look had to grow on me, but when it did I really hated that I had to sell it (to pay off some excessive debts). I see now that VIS carries a front fascia which looks like the Skyline GT-R's nose end. Too bad I don't have one anymore, I would have bought this kit. (not the Xtreme kit, I think the Octane one)