A little history of me and my Primera(s).
My journey with Nissan began when I got my drivers license back in 2008. I ihnerited a K10 Micra from my grandpa with very low mileage. It was in tip-top condition allover, never neglected in any ways. After driving with it for nearly a year I got bored of it, mainly because of the 1,2l engine. My parents got a new car in late 2008, a Almera N16 and left me their old car: a 1992 Primera P10 LX.
It had a SR20Di engine which had been replaced with a japanese import because the original engine somehow developed a crack in the cylinder block. When I first got it, it had nearly 400kkm's on the odometer, about 80kkm with the new engine. The body started showing it's age and for every MOT it had to be welded, more or less. Otherwise a very reliable car, always made it home with it. In early 2009 I got into a accident with it, which cost me bonnet, headlamps, grille and a bumper. I found some cheap replacement parts second hand and straightened up the radiator core support a bit. Only problem was that the bonnet and grille were from a different color P10, but considering the age and mileage I just didn't care anymore.
Here's the P10 after the repairs.
In 2012 after some serious welding I got the car through another MOT again, I decided it was time to let it go. I began searching for a replacement and decided it had to be a Primera, because It was fun to drive and I really liked the SR- engine. Time passed and in late 2012 I was beginning to be in quite a hurry to get a new car, because the P10 had to be MOT'd in just two months and I knew there would be to much welding to be done.
I discovered a 1997 2.0 P11 GX from a local car shop's yard. It had nearly 300kkm's on the odometer, but it seemed to be in quite good shape for it's age. It had also a Frigatte cruise control installed, which suprisingly worked as it should. The only fault back then was in the gearbox, second gear had a busted synchro- ring which made shifting, especially downshifting, a bit tricky. After a test drive I decided to buy it. I paid 1500€ for it. I know, a ridiculous amount of money, but I desperately needed a new car back then.
Here's the GX two months before I sold it.
The interior showing the cruise control switch.
And the control box of it.
After only one month of driving with it I began to experience almost every typical fault for a P11, top links, knock sensor, ABS light, sticky rear brake calipers, bad starter, bad alternator and top of the bill, a bad timing chain.
I sorted out most of them, but the worst was still ahead.
So, during the spring of 2013 the timing chain started to rattle pretty badly during startup and after a while it started rattling a bit even during idle. After doing some research I decided to replace the original tensioner with the upgraded one. It seemed to solve the problem, but only for a short time. It was like in the finnish expression "It's like pissing you pants in winter - It only warms you for a while...". So, I decided it was time to replace the timing chain and everything associated with it. Prices here in Finland for OEM parts are ridiculously high, a local Nissan dealer quoted me 1300€ for the new timing chain kit installed. Even the parts formed a respectable 600€ in the final price. That was too much for me and I decided to order a kit from FRsport in the US. It was all OEM and cost me under 300€ including shipping, customs fee and taxes.
The chain seemed to get worse every day and finally in the summer of 2013 I got it changed in a local Nissan service with the total cost of about 800€ including the parts that I bought myself. Hera are a few pics which might clarify why it made such a bad noise, wonder it didn't blow up the whole engine...
I was really happy with it then and felt like it would last forever.
Another year passed and winter started coming. During a tire change I took a screwdriver and gently tapped the real wheel arch where the top of the rear strut is mounted. All seemed to be fine until the screwdriver went through the body. I cannot express how dissapointed I felt then. Again, I remembered my battle against rust with the P10 and decided it was time for the GX to go.
So, back to the amazing world of internet and the search for a new car continues. I had my eyes on a late 2001 P11-144 with a SR20DE. It seemed to be perfect. No rust, timing chain kit replaced, well serviced and so on. I even got a loan for it and called the seller. We made a deal that I would buy the car during the same week. Two days later I saw that the ad for the P11 had disappeared. I called the owner and he said that he just sold it. Damn.
So, here I was with a loan on my bank account and nothing to do with it. The search continued. I then spotted a neat looking P11 SE with only 174kkm on the odometer. The ad seemed a little confusing because it stated that it had a 110kW engine. Back then I thought that only GT primeras had a SR20DEH. I called the owner and decided to check it out. Just after chrismas in 2014 I went to see the car. There it was, a 1998 P11-120 SE with a DEH engine. I checked the VIN and it appeared that it had the DEH since it left the assembly line. So, after crawling under the car with a flashlight and, hooking it up to datascan and a precise test drive, I decided to buy it.
Again, I was a proud owner of a P11. Only this time a proud owner of a RARE P11
The body of the car proved to be in excellent condition and I soon learned why. It had been imported to Finland from Spain in 2010 and the new owner immedietly had a full rust protection done for it.
That's pretty much a long story short, more details will follow. Here are some pics:
Winter mode
And summer mode. I got Tomason TN3 rims with it so I am using those for now.
Suprisingly this car came originally with a cloth interior. It also had fake wood around the gear stick but I decided to change it because I hated how it looked. The gaitor is from a GT and the knob is a cheap aftermarket one.
The thing that makes this SE stand up from the crowd - SR20DEH.
I will be sharing more details and my future plans with the Primera soon.
Please, if you can, comment in english.
install front seats from GT you will Like IT 
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