There’s something about the Nissan 200sx that gets Bobby Nitro all revved up.
Perhaps it’s that low-slung sleek-looking coupe vibe, coupled with the bulletproof 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, fun to drive and affordable that does the trick.
Also, this car, in its day, was just about as good as it gets for aspiring racers, and with excellent engine audio to go with it.
The RS13, a sportier derivative of the Silvia, arrived with a futuristic look, fashionable pop-up headlights and a few high-end touches that lent the sleek and high-quality appeal.
Anyhow, Bobby spoke to Mogammad Moerat, 40, of Mitchells Plain recently about his really handsome-looking Nissan 200sx RS13, a 1992 model, which represents the last year before the RS14 was launched.
Mogammad says he was reared on Fast ‘n Furious movies, where his love for cars began. Nowadays, as a member of the crew Bad Society, he gets together with like-minded friends regularly, sometimes driving weddings and matric balls.
He says: “I chose the 200sx because I just love JDM cars. It’s not my daily drive but when I do take it places I just love to see those kids faces light up. People take pictures, nogal.”
What makes his 200sx stand out, he says, is that it’s the only knew he knows of fitted with a tilt and slide sunroof. It’s under the hood that the action takes place, though.
Mogammad says: “My 200sx is fitted with an RB25 neo engine, the one from the R32 GTR Skyline, with a top mount manifold and GT35 82 turbo plus a GTR gearbox.”
The aforementioned low-slung look is courtesy of a body kit plus some of Mogammad’s own modifications, a vented bonnet and big rear wing, which is a classic manoeuvre to get that retro street racer look.
The interior is standard, but for the drift steering, boost gauges and custom clusters. The fact that the 200sx can handle boost easily, he adds, is one of its strong points.
The weak point, he says, is the gearbox, adding: “Also that it’s not nice to drive in traffic and, annoyingly, fumes in the car a little.”
For audio pleasure, there’s a system with two Pioneer limpets, Starsound amp, Pioneer mids and double din deck.
Mogammad has plans though. These include, he says: “Fitting cams, installing a leather interior, a water/ methanol kit to lower the intake temperature and bigger injectors.”
Asked about what he might like to drive, if not the 200sx, he replies: “On a daily basis that would be a Golf 7, but what I’d really like is a Skyline GTR.”
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