Junkyard Find: 1986 Nissan 200SX
The 240SX version of the Nissan Silvia has become something of a cult car among drifter types in the United States, but the earlier (1984-88) 200SX version seems to have disappeared from both the streets and the public consciousness. Still, I see the occasional 200SX in wrecking yards these days, and I spotted this red ’86 in a Denver yard last week.
So close to 200,000 miles!
Except for the odd checkerboard seat upholstery, Nissan kept the interior of this car fairly restrained by 1980s standards.
120 horses from the CA20E engine, which was acceptable power in 1986.
Rust-free, straight body, interior pretty good— a Supra of the same vintage and condition would have been worth enough to stay out of The Crusher’s domain.
Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.
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interesting the hideous nissan orange lettering on the switchgear.. i did not realize the recently used hideous orange instrument lighting was a carryover trait from this era.. i suspect this is a reflection of some folks back at hq who think this characteristic is somehow key to the brand identity... it is not.. and i am certain buyers have been repulsed by the color.. i have..
My first new(er) car was a black '84 notchback. With a 5-speed and a red interior it was a sharp ride! And yes - it had the nanny option (Fuel level...is low/Door is...ajar). She went to the digital graveyard after my stereo got yanked buy some dickweed. The only car I liked more was the car I traded it in on...a brand-new 1990 Integra GS coupe. I wish I had either of them today! Well...those and my '70 Challenger. Or my '68 Chevelle. Or my '67 Coronet. Dammit.