At $6,900, Will This Extremely Clean 1987 Nissan Sentra Sport Coupe Clean Up?
A pending move is claimed to be the motivating factor behind the sale of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Sentra coupe. Let’s see if its price will move potential buyers to action.
There was once a common maxim of the automotive world that stated that there is no substitute for cubic inches. That was, of course, before we discovered the plethora of substitutes, such as turbos, extra camshafts, and the like. There’s still a lot to like about a car with a big block engine and not only did yesterday’s 1974 Jensen Interceptor have a big block 440 V8 under its bonnet, but it fed the monster mill via a cool intake featuring three two-barrel carbs. That was just the cherry on top of what overall seemed to be a well-presented if imperfect car, and that led 74 percent of you to award it a Nice Price win at its $29,900 asking.
One requirement of any owner of a big block car is to possess a skill known on the streets as being a gas pump whisperer. That’s someone who knows exactly when petrol prices might dip and then strikes, pumping like there’s no tomorrow before the price spikes up once again. It’s a very specialized ability necessitated by driving a car that suffers from mileage in the tweens or worse.
Or, you could just get a car that gets decent mileage and call it a day.
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Having a gas-sipper doesn’t mean having to drive around in a dull or uninteresting car. In fact, there are plenty of older cars on the market these days that not only go easy on the gas but feature flamboyant styling that the automakers of today tend to eschew. This means you can have your funk and still not go broke at the pump.
Admittedly, finding a car that meets these criteria but is also in decent shape can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are a few examples out there, many having been owned by older folk who have treated them well and used them sparingly.
That seems to be the case with this 1987 Nissan Sentra Sport Coupe, which the seller says was purchased from the original owner, who is described as “an elderly woman who drove infrequently.”
Now, while it is red just like the super stock Dodge described in the Jan & Dean ditty, The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena), this Sentra isn’t going to win any impromptu street drags. Not with its stock 70 horsepower 1.6-liter SOHC four powering its skinny-tired front wheels through the standard five-speed manual. It should, however, get fairly decent fuel economy on regular gas, and will look pretty dope while doing so owing to its funky hatchback coupe bodywork.
The seller describes the car’s condition as “good” in the ad, but that seems to be damning it with faint praise based on the pictures. Those show decent bodywork with shiny paint and only a couple of noticeable dings in the metal beneath.
There is also some fading and chipping in the back bumper and window trim, which is not surprising given the car’s age. Coincidentally, that window trim surrounds a large complex curve glass hatch in the back, just like on yesterday’s Jensen! Below all that, the Sentra sports factory four-lug alloys which nicely all maintain their Nissan-branded center caps.
The cabin on this 71,000-mile Sentra also seems to have held up well, although two aspects do immediately jump out in the photos. The first is the poorest-fitting carpet topper ever to limply adorn a dash. That’s pretty hideous. The other is the front bucket seats which seem to be upholstered in blue fabric while the rest of the interior is gray and black. Now that might just be a trick of the light, or it may indicate that the seats have been replaced at some point. Either way, they look comfy as heck. A glass sunroof allows plenty of light into the cabin, although there doesn’t seem to be any additional fading on the fabrics because of all that extra illumination.
There is no information on the condition of the car’s mechanicals and honestly, given the car’s age and no indication under the hood of a recent timing belt replacement, that might be a smart agenda item for the next owner. The title is clean and the seller claims not to want to sell the Sentra but faced a Sophie’s Choice-style dillema that forced them to choose which of two cars to take with them on an impending move. Apparently the Sentra lost the coin toss.
To take on this leave-behind Sentra, the seller asks $6,900. And, while the seller calls the car’s condition “good” it’s unlikely anyone will be able to find very many others in this nice of shape. Is it, however, $6,900 nice?
What do you think? Should this Sport Coupe sell for that high a stack of simoleons? Or, for that many dollars, does this Sentra just not make much sense?
You decide!
Los Angeles Westside, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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