Project N14: Introduction

Last year, I found myself approaching 40, and honestly feeling pretty strange about the impending milestone. What better way to deal with those complicated emotions than buy another project car!

Introducing my 1993 N14 Nissan Pulsar Ti. This is actually the third N14 I’ve owned, and my fourth Pulsar in total (I had an N15 SSS for a short time before it was very dramatically written off in a not-at-fault collision).

Why an N14 Pulsar?

Nostalgia is a powerful drug, and ever since owning a couple of N14’s (the first and second cars I ever owed), the urge to get another one has stuck with me for the last 20 years.

The first (left) and second (right) cars I ever owned.

As the idea went from pipe-dream to “maybe this could actually happen”, I started searching Facebook Marketplace on and off for the past year, finding either badly thrashed examples, or extremely mint ones in “SSS” trim (the most desirable guise) for asking prices well outside of my budget. Manual transmission models are also increasingly hard to find, I suspect from years of being pillaged by entrants for the understandably popular APRA Series.

Image credit: facebook.com/apralimited

One day, I decided to check Carsales.com.au, which was the traditional go-to website for selling cars in Australia, before Facebook Marketplace changed the game with free listings. “No one would bother to list a cheap N14 on there” I thought, since it costs money to add a listing, but it was worth a try.

And there it was, a granny-spec example in Ti trim (the luxury model!), 180,000km (112,000mi) on the clock with the sought-after optional 2.0 SR20DE powerplant (as opposed to the GA16), recently serviced, complete with registration for only $2k AUD, and about 20 minutes from my house. The only issue is that it had an automatic transmission, but that’s semi-easily rectified.

I called the buyer that day, inspected it the next morning with cash in my pocket, and made an offer on the spot, which they accepted. An itch I’ve had for two decades had just been scratched, and turning 40 wasn’t so bad any more.

About the N14 Platform

If you’re reading from America, you might be thinking “That looks a lot like a B13 Sentra”, and you’d be correct. My UK readers might say the same thing about the B13 Sunny, which is also correct. Other cars that share similar architecture are the NX Coupe (Aka NX1600/NX2000), the Nissan Sabre (South Africa).

The RNN14 Pulsar GTiR is also a close relative of the N14 Pulsar, sharing the front-end architecture, panels and interior. Although the floorpans are not the same, so an AWD swap is not a bolt-in affair (although not impossible!). It is common practice for people to fit GTiR bonnets and front bumpers to local 5-door Pulsars.

Inspiration

While I love all types of cars and have owned Japanese, Euro and Aussie rides, there is something about the Nissan brand that I’ve felt drawn to since childhood. Visually, the “rounded rectangle” style language of early 90s cars has always appealed to me, too.

I love how plain they start out in standard form, and how simple mods like lowering, bigger wheels, and factory-optioned body kits can completely transform them. In a world where 1,000hp builds are considered commonplace, I find myself pining for the simple, early days of import/spocom tuning when a cat-back exhaust and a pod filter was a big deal, when the small detail mods made a big difference. That’s the feeling I’m aiming to recreate with this car. Simple mods with big levels of satisfaction.

Like most people, I also absolutely love the Supertouring era of racing, and the P10 Primera has always been a huge inspiration. Bland family cars transformed into race cars with iconic liveries, and more importantly, big wheels tucked high up into the guards. That’s the jam.

Future Plans

I managed to secure a range of used parts over the 2024/25 Christmas holidays for not a lot of outlay:

• 16×7″ Compomotive Largo wheels
• 195/45/16 Yokohama tyres
• BC Racing Coilovers (a birthday gift from a group of great friends)
• Aus-spec SSS front bumper (unbelievably still available brand new from Nissan)
• “Jap-spec” SSS side skirts + rear spoiler
• Boss kit (to fit my spare Nardi classic)
• Manual transmission + all ancillary parts (clutch pedal, linkages, etc)

I’ve already fitted the coilovers and wheel/tyre combo which has dramatically changed the attitude of the car (I’ll save the reveal for a future post). There are a few maintenance items I need to tick off before I keep fitting modifications, including a radiator, water pump, drive belts, and steering rack boots. The car isn’t perfect, having a few bumps and scratches on every corner, but that goes with being a well-used daily driver for 3 decades, even though it was kept in a garage.

This will be a slow build, as my budget is limited, and my spare time is even more so. The mods will be simple, but I will document it as best as I can. Apart from the list above, I’d also like to fit some more supportive bucket seats and treat the interior to a re-trim in some kind of funky retro graphic fabric (open to suggestions!). Of course, a 90’s hot hatch isn’t complete without an aftermarket exhaust and a pod filter with cold air feed! I’d also like to make some side skirt/front lip extensions out of flat black plastic, and add a roof wing. These types of body additions are things I can’t do with my Datsun, as it just isn’t era-correct, which is why I’m looking forward to working on this car so much.

I wasn’t sure whether I would do a build series on this car, since it’s nothing groundbreaking, but with Speedhunters shutting shop and the multitude of comments mourning it’s demise, I thought it was important to give some love to the blog space. So let me know if this is something you’d like to see more of.

For now, I’ll leave you with a concept rendering that I actually completed long before I started seriously looking for a car. I must have manifested my destiny via Photoshop!