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  • Jake

    Oct. 13, 2008 3:25 p.m. Jake HalfDork

    Saw an odd one on my way to work this morning. Just driving along, almost to the highway, and I see a purple car. Roughly the shade of Barney, for those of you who have small kids or otherwise remember that big purple dinosaur.

    It was a Nissan Pulsar in front, maybe early-90s vintage. Flip up headlights, front drive. The back, however, was squared off like a van instead of the notchback that all the other Pulsars I have ever seen. Didn't look like a homebrew, though since it was pretty bright purple, I guess it could have been.

    Was there a Pulsar wagon marketed elsewhere in the world? Pretty sure that even the normal Pulsar was sloooooooow, so file this under "car nerd questions."

  • Salanis

    Oct. 13, 2008 3:33 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

    I had a girlfriend with one of those. It wasn't pedosaur-purple though.

  • evildky

    Oct. 13, 2008 3:43 p.m. evildky Dork

    that would be an 80's model, well, 87-90 I believe, it was called the 'sports bak" or something similar IIRC, I've seen a few, I've always assumed they were an aftermarket item, remember the pulasr actually came with instructions and tools to remove the hatch completely, I never removed my hatch but thought it was odd they'd suggest people do that

  • Joe Gearin

    Oct. 13, 2008 3:47 p.m. Joe Gearin Associate Publisher

    IIRC it was a factory option. This was Nissan's attempt to create a "modular" car. I seem to remember them saying it was a sports car and wagon all in one!

    For really funky though check out the earlier Pulsars.(with the flip up headlamps) They even had a turbo model!

    ooohhs and ahhhs from the audience

  • pete240z

    Oct. 13, 2008 3:48 p.m. pete240z HalfDork

    funky indeed. the lineage of that car makes me blow chunks.

    Datsun F10 became Datsun 310GX. Then it turned into the Nissan Pulsar.

    All from the outstanding engineers that brought you the Z.

  • Jensenman

    Oct. 13, 2008 4:00 p.m. Jensenman SuperDork

    Yeah, that was Nissan's answer to a question no one asked. Neat cars but a bit too weird for most folks. The early Pulsar was a funky lookin' thing.

  • Tim Baxter

    Oct. 13, 2008 4:06 p.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor

    With the sportback:

  • TheBen

    Oct. 13, 2008 4:13 p.m. TheBen New Reader

    My uncle owned one of these and loved it. He kept the "sportback" on it and enjoyed 35 mpg with the somewhat sportiness.

  • Jake

    Oct. 13, 2008 4:18 p.m. Jake HalfDork

    :lol: @ "pedosaur purple"

    I knew I could count on the GRM board to teach me a new useless fact! I'll confess that I knew what the base car was because I thought they were the business back when I was a kid. 35mpg sounds awfully good now, too.

  • Will

    Oct. 13, 2008 5:33 p.m. Will New Reader

    Man I used to think those things were cool. Around 1989 my Dad wrecked his Gremlin, so it was time for a new car. I suggested Geo Storm or Pulsar NX. My dad came home with a 90 CRX that he still owns (and has under 50,000 miles on).

    I'm glad my dad was smarter than 10 year old me.

  • Datsun1500

    Oct. 13, 2008 5:40 p.m. Datsun1500 HalfDork

    It was factory, I had one when they were new. When you bought one you could get both back end parts. You could then run the car 3 different ways, coupe, wagon, or nothing.

    It took a few minutes to swap them out. With nothing installed and the T-Tops out, it was kind of sporty

    Kind of........

  • evildky

    Oct. 14, 2008 5:05 p.m. evildky Dork

    I found funny that the pulsay had nifty moulded plastic slorage for your T-tops beneath the hatch floor, while none of the T-Top Z cars form 1980-1996 had any really secure way of stowing your t-tops

  • tuffburn

    Oct. 15, 2008 12:00 a.m. tuffburn New Reader

    but they did make a turbo'd awd pulsar, the gtir. suffice to say they weren't produced for america

  • GameboyRMH

    Oct. 15, 2008 7:22 a.m. GameboyRMH Dork

    Wow cool car. I'm totally hooked on modular cars after owning a Samurai

    That could be really good looking with some different bumpers (Some less benchy JDM bumpers are probably available).

  • Tom Heath

    Oct. 15, 2008 8:36 a.m. Tom Heath Production Editor

    tuffburn wrote:

    but they did make a turbo'd awd pulsar, the gtir. suffice to say they weren't produced for america

    The Pulsar GTi-R was a different model than the Sportbak, and as far as I know they didn't share anything but a name. Both cool cars!

  • belteshazzar

    Oct. 15, 2008 11:39 a.m. belteshazzar Dork

    I had a pulsar with the optional CA18DE. Not a bad motor for the time. I always wanted to find the wagon shell but never did before I parted with the car. Ditching the hatch shell and the t-tops really helped. Probably over 100lbs all together.

  • donalson

    Oct. 15, 2008 2:58 p.m. donalson SuperDork

    i'd seen these at some point... didn't realize it was a removable option which makes it even kewler to me :)...

    if i could find one for cheap i'd snap it up...

 
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