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Nissan 1992 Y31 'MerCedric"
OK, not a Toyota, but couldn't resist popping on some pics of this rather odd
one-ff beastie, which has joined my rather large collection of other one-off Jap
cars. No doubt another one-off will be coming along soon now!
1991 Cedric (Yes, that's not a made up name, and it was what the "C" in
280C/300C etc stood for.) Got hit up the rear and rather than it be an
uneconomic write off, a dedicated Cedric enthusiast called Norman H. near Durham
rescued it by grafting on the rear boot off a Mercedes S class!! Unfortunately
the Merc is a bit wider, but this was the outcome! :
Before the repair:
The finished result, after a couple of years use:
Norm fitted the bumper on his own, and reckons he needed
six pairs of hands, so is his reason why the bumper is not quite level, hence the
plates at the join to mask it, on either side.
Rear screen is acrylic, but looks just like a glass one. A proper one was going
to be silly money from Nissan.
178km == 111,000 miles.
3.0 v6 auto runs sweet as a nut, economy very good, as norm said it would be.
No cruise surprisingly. Steering wheel mounted stereo (and poss heater) controls
are very handy. Car was locked when I took piccies so no interior pics yet, but
this is all A1 clean and tidy, dark sober velour. Dash not hacked to pieces at
all.
Biggest fault: Drivers eleccie window inop !
Norm repaired it about 3 years ago. Merc S-class rear end, was slightly wider
than the Y32. You'd have though Norm of all people could have found an old 300C
rear to weld on, or even a Crown. Spose they would've been typically overly
rusty?
Car was registered in 2001. Basically not rusty at all, as it has not suffered
too many British winters yet. Paintwork on the Cedric part of car otherwise
really nice and clean.
Nice Cedric badges etc. The front wingtip light guides are really bright, a
green glow, assume these are eleccie illuminated as first ones I have ever seen
work. The bonnet mascot has only a slight glow, and is pretty cool.
Black really suits it, offsetting the wee bit of chrome piping. In fact, it
looks fantastic car even from a medium distance, and close up bar the back end!
Square on following the car it looks clean too. It's just those joins really, that
are a dogs dinner.
Anthony Gerundini |
