The Nissan Pulsar first appeared in the USA because the 1979 Datsun 310, then got here back 4 years later in hatchback and coupe form. The Pulsar hatchbacks got dropped here for 1984, leaving just the Pulsar NX (often called the Nissan EXA in Japan). For the 1987 model yr, the N13 Pulsar showed up in American Nissan dealerships, and it was an enchanting little automotive. Here’s considered one of those second-generation Pulsar NXs, present in a Denver-area yard recently.
Because it was derived from the Sunny, otherwise often called the Sentra over here, this automotive might be considered a sibling or a minimum of a primary cousin to the same-generation Sentra.
By far the good feature of the 1987-1990 Pulsar NX was the swappable rear body attachments. This automotive has the coupe piece, nevertheless it also got here with a wagon-shaped “Sportbak” attachment as well. You can leave the attachment off completely and get a quasi-convertible, though this was more fun if you removed the the T-top roof panels.
The MSRP for the bottom ’87 Pulsar NX with automatic transmission, which is what we now have here, was $11,059. That is about $30,673 in 2024 dollars.
The engine is a fuel-injected version of the 1.6-liter SOHC straight-four that went into the bottom ’87 Sentra, rated at 70 horsepower and 94 pound-feet.
The underhood emissions sticker says that it was sold recent as a California-market automotive, not a federal “49-state” version.
It got here with factory air con (a $715 option, or $1,983 after inflation). That Fujitsu TEN AM/FM/cassette radio appears to be either aftermarket or swapped from a unique automotive. It will have been ideal for listening to the unforgettable popular music of the era.
70 horses with a four-speed automatic would have required character-building patience from the motive force.
I considered buying these FPS aluminum wheels for my Subaru Sambar kei van, since that oddball 59.1mm hub hole is hard to seek out on any U.S.-market 4×100 wheels aside from Nineteen Eighties/Nineteen Nineties Sentras and their close relatives, but they were a bit too rough.
This taillight treatment was considered so cool that individuals soon copied it using paint or tape on other vehicles.
Naturally, that pattern carries over onto the speaker grilles.
The Pulsar NX was replaced in the USA by the 1991-1993 Nissan NX1600 and NX2000.
It is the automotive for individuals who know where they are going … and wish to get there sooner.
The SE trim level got here with a more powerful DOHC engine.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
